Page 18 of My Spanish Love Affair

Oh, for fuck sakes. A handshake?! Really?!

“Santiago,” he replies, taking my hand in his much larger one. His firm grip gives a further inkling of how strong he must be, and his touch lingers for a little longer than necessary. “Although my friends call me Santi.”

“Santi,” I repeat, testing out the sound of it on my tongue.

Something unfamiliar flashes in his lovely green eyes, and I clear my throat as I attempt to keep the conversation light.

“So, Santi. Are you in the habit of bumping into strangers on terraces?”

What a way to break the ice, Olivia!

“Only the ones who look like they might have interesting stories to tell,” he smirks.

“Oh really?” I say, a little surprised by his statement. “Well, what makes you think I have interesting stories?”

“Because you’re here,” he says simply, gesturing to the terracearound us. “Most people are inside, enjoying the party. But you…”

He pauses, and I raise an encouraging eyebrow.

“I…” I say, dragging out the sound in what I hope is a teasing prompt.

He grins, detecting the soft playfulness in my tone. “You look like you’re still figuring it all out.”

I take a sip of my drink.

Huh. He’s… perceptive.

“Well, you’re not exactly wrong,” I admit. “I actually moved here last week, so I am very much in the process of ‘figuring it all out’.”

“A new adventure, then,” he says.

He shuffles ever so slightly closer, and my treacherous heart practically skips a beat in excitement.

“So,Olivia. What brought you to Valencia?”

The sound of him saying my name in his deep voice with that lovely, thick accent is so undeniably sexy.

Still, I hesitate, not wanting to dive into the whole story of my breakup and impulsive decision to leave the UK.

“Let’s just say I needed a change,” I say instead.

Santi nods as though he understands completely. “Change is good,” he comments. “It keeps life interesting. Like this, right now. Meeting you. That’s something I didn’t expect.”

I feel a blush creeping into my cheeks.

Ah, Spanish men: ever so charming.

No wonder Sarah got pregnant so quickly!

“What about you?” I ask, eager to shift the focus. “What’s yourstory?”

He leans casually against the railing, his smile turning playful as he turns his head to face me. There’s a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

“Oh, mine’s not that interesting,” he says with a wave of one of his large hands. “You wouldn’t want to hear it.”

I’m immediately intrigued by his deflection.

“Try me,” I challenge. “I’m pretty good at deciding what’s interesting and what’s not.”

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