Page 62 of Thiago
Thiago sent a spray of seawater in her direction, and she squealed, averting her face. Then she splashed him back, but he scooped her up, and she laughed, clinging to his broad shoulders and wrapping her legs around his waist as the ocean swirled around them.
Thiago’s smile slowly faded, and for one long, charged moment, they stared at each other. When he kissed her, India clung to him, opening her mouth to accept his tongue. She succumbed to the moment—the roar of the surf, the hum of beach activity, the distant call of the seagulls. For a few minutes, nothing mattered but the two of them. The world narrowed tothe heat of his skin, the salty taste of water on his moist lips, and her overwhelming happiness at being in his arms.
Today was Saturday, their last full day in Brazil.
“Are you ready yet?” Thiago called from outside, sounding impatient.
“Two minutes!” India yelled, applying lip gloss to her nude lips.
She wore wide-legged white linen pants, a powder-blue loose-fitting shirt, and comfortable shoes. With her straw hat, she looked like a true tourist.
Yesterday, when they finished at the beach, she had been tempted to buy lunch from one of the hotdog carts. Beyond the usual condiments, there were options to add corn and peas, tomato sauce simmered with onions and bell peppers, quail eggs, orbatata palha,crunchy shoestring fries. Instead, they ate a filling meal at one of the kiosks on the boardwalk. Afterward, they ordered acai bowls from a street vendor, enjoying the cold, delicious treat as they strolled back to the hotel. India’s was covered in granola and honey while Thiago chose granola and condensed milk.
Back at the hotel, he had arranged for them to have massages and spa treatments, which filled the rest of their afternoon before they went out to dinner. Today was all about sightseeing, and she was excited because Thiago had hired a private driver so they could hit the major attractions. The tour would last all day and included lunch.
Satisfied with her appearance, India exited the bedroom. “You’re so impatient,” she said.
Thiago grumbled something in Spanish.
“What did you say?” India asked.
“I said you look beautiful.”
“And I was worth the wait?” she asked.
“Let’s go, shall we?” Thiago extended his hand.
She curled her fingers around his. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Believe whatever you like,” he said.
India rolled her eyes and let him lead the way out the door.
As they strolled down the hall to the elevator, Thiago’s phone rang. “Hello?” he answered.
Pause.
He came to an abrupt stop. “When?”
India searched his face for a clue as to what was going on. His eyes locked with hers, and a faint smile broke out on his face. “How are Skye and the baby?”
He listened for a moment.
“Well, congratulations. When Skye wakes up, tell her I said congratulations too. Make sure you send me a picture, but I’ll stop by to see my new niece when I return to the States.” Thiago hung up and resumed walking. “My brother Ethan and his wife Skye had their little girl a few hours ago. They named her Angel.”
“Mother and daughter are fine?” India asked.
He nodded. “Both are sleeping. Ethan is going to send a photo of the baby.”
“Congratulations, Tio Thiago. How many nieces and nephews do you have now?”
“Audra has five, and Ethan’s makes six. When Bruno and Marissa have their baby next month, that will be seven.” He frowned, suddenly realizing how much his family had expanded. “If this keeps up, I’m going to need a spreadsheet to keep track of birthdays.”
India burst out laughing. “If you can handle running a multi-million dollar company, you can keep up with those birthdays.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Before India and Thiago reached the lobby, his brother sent a photo of the newest member of the Connor-Santana clan—a red-faced little girl, eyes closed and swaddled in a white blanket.
