Page 75 of Scandalous

She’s like sunshine when she pulls back with the brightest smile.

“So about this date…”

* * *

Santiago Garcia knows how to date.

I expected a dinner and movie or something cliché.

I should have known Santi would never do something so basic.

So instead of spending the night in a stuffy restaurant with tons of people, we are on a yacht.

That’s right. A damn yacht.

“You’ve outdone yourself,” I whisper as we stare at the New York skyline.

It’s so pretty lit up like this. This is one experience I will never forget.

“I aim to please. Is my woman happy?” He wraps his arms from behind me, pulling me into his chest.

I lean my head back on his shoulder. “Very. This is the single most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.”

He leans down, kissing my cheek. “Good. Let’s have a seat and enjoy it for a while.”

I let him lead me to the outdoor couch piled with pillows and blankets. He sits, adjusting on the couch so that he’s leaning against the arm with one leg stretched around the back and the other on the floor. Then he pats between his legs.

I go willingly.

I almost missed this. If I had let Ezra run me away, I would have missed this side of Santi.

That’s a damn shame too.

I think back to the message he sent me earlier.

The.Brit: I know you have your date with Santi, so I won’t bother you, but know that I’m thinking of you. Can you spare some time to chat tomorrow?

I hate that my heart raced at getting his message, but I refuse to let him walk all over me. I’m still angry and until that fades, I won’t be giving in so easily.

“What are you thinking about?” Santi asks, settling me into his arms as he pulls a blanket over us.

“Ezra. Sorry, I know we are on a date, but he messaged me before and it pissed me off.”

Santi squeezes me. “Want me to kick his ass? I can do it.”

He picks up his arm, flexing for me, making me laugh.

“I know you could. I saw the black eye you gave him. I don’t want you to hurt him though. I’m just angry with him. I’m sure it’ll pass.”

Santi is quiet a moment. “We all have our issues. Ezra shows his the most, but don’t let it fool you. We all have shit to work through.”

“What’s your shit?”

He’s quiet a moment. “My family loves my sister more than me.”

I turn so I can see his face. “That cannot be true.”

He shrugs. “When I was ten, my sister was seven. She had always been a brat. Always wanted what I had. Made me do whatever she wanted. Anyway, we got into a fight. She kept hitting me and I let her because a man doesn’t touch a woman. When I didn’t react the way she wanted, she punched herself until she bruised, then went and cried to my parents. They didn’t believe me when I told them she did it herself. They didn’t care that she had left marks all over me. My father arranged for me to be sent to boarding school. Now I only go back and visit for short periods of time. If I stay any length of time, Valentina does something to try and provoke me or lies to get me in trouble with my folks. I’m sure she can’t stand that I made something of myself. I have her blacklisted at the club in San Juan.”

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