Page 37 of Thiago
She moved quickly and hung each article of clothing back in the closet. As she stepped into the bathroom, she recalled her friend’s words.
I don’t want to be old and gray running after these children, okay?
India pressed a hand to her flat belly, happy for her friend but also envious. From the time she received her diagnosis, she’d known nothing in her life would be simple when it came to the disease living in her body. Once, a doctor had told her, quite bluntly, “You have to plan very carefully if you ever want children. You need to be in remission first—at least six months. Pregnancies are already risky on their own, but in your case, it’s worse because you have lupus. You could have a flare, and your kidneys could fail, your heart or lungs could become inflamed. You coulddie.”
He had scared the crap out of her. The message was clear: women with lupus had babies all the time, but they took a big risk.
Perhaps that’s why she’d worked so hard all these years. Not only because she wanted to have a better life than the one she’d grown up in. She knew, deep down, she might never have a family like other people. So she adjusted, making her world revolve around work and climbing the corporate ladder. Like she’d adjusted when she lost her hair five years ago.
After the big flare hospitalized her, her hair started falling out for months afterward. Her thick, beautiful, curly hair wasno more. Her edges were gone, and her hair growth stunted. She touched her head now, the phantom weight of her old curls pressing on her shoulders, cruel in their absence. A lump rose in her throat, sharp and unexpected. She swallowed hard to push it back down.
For a while, she had mourned the loss, wearing wigs, visiting trichologists, hoping for a miracle. Until she finally swallowed her pride and accepted her fate. One Saturday, she walked into a barber shop and asked for a fade. Leaving the shop, she had been a little uncertain about the new style until an older man stopped her on the way to her car.
“Excuse me, honey, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I love that cut. You are stunning.”
“Thank you,” she had said, her face blossoming into a smile.
The compliment warmed her from the inside out and chased away the last of her doubts. The fade had become her standard hairstyle ever since.
The new drug her rheumatologist had told her about could put her lupus into remission and change her life. Maybe it was worth trying. Maybe it was the answer she’d been hoping for.
Energized by the positive thought, she stepped into the stall. After her shower, she started getting ready.
The apricot dress had a ruched waist with short sleeves capped at her shoulders. She was ultimately pleased with this choice. The dress was elegant without being overdone. She slipped on a pair of gold heels and an ankle bracelet, added large gold hoops to her ears, and then checked her appearance in the mirror.
Using her pick, she gave her curls a little lift on top and then turned her back to the mirror. Looking over her shoulder, she smoothed a hand down her hips. No panty lines, and her butt looked round and firm.
Minutes later, she picked up her purse as the doorbell rang, announcing Thiago’s arrival. She was on her way to the door when she remembered the bangle and rushed back to the bedroom. She removed it from her jewelry box and snapped it onto her wrist. The stunning piece of jewelry was sleek and elegantly made of gold and platinum with diamond clusters meeting in the center at a diamond halo. Knowing he had picked it out himself was a pleasant surprise and made the piece more special.
The doorbell rang again, and India turned off the light and made her way down the hallway. After a quick check on the monitor, she opened the door.
Thiago stepped inside. His gaze slowly trailed down her body, pausing briefly at the bracelet on her wrist. Her skin prickled under his scrutiny. Then without saying a word, he stepped forward and placed a hand at the back of her neck. The warmth of his touch had been sorely missed, and she welcomed the possessive way he held her.
“Hello,” he said in his deep, accented voice, which sounded sexier than ever. He dropped a kiss on her parted lips, and a little electricity danced under her skin. “You look exquisite, but I’m sure you know.”
She practically melted. “Thank you. You look nice,” she said, eyeing his outfit.
He had obviously gone home to change, which was a surprise. He must have left work early before coming to pick her up, and there was no doubt he did because instead of a suit, he wore a long-sleeve powder blue shirt and dark slacks.
He also smelled incredible. A mix of his cologne and the fresh, clean scent of soap, reminiscent of a sea breeze. The combination was dangerously tempting. They hadn’t made love in weeks, and she could feel her core tightening as she imagined him sliding between her thighs later tonight.
“Are you ready?” Thiago asked.
India nodded and followed him, experiencing an unusual, overwhelming amount of emotion. Tonight was so different from how they usually interacted outside of work.
“Where are we going for dinner?”
“Someplace exclusive, where it’s typically hard to get a reservation,” Thiago said as they entered the elevator.
“Not hard for you, I imagine,” she replied, casting a glance at his profile.
There was a satisfied, smug expression on his face. “No, it was not,” he admitted. “It might be difficult for your doctor friend, though.”
“If I didn’t know better, I would think you were jealous,” India remarked.
“Why would I be jealous? I have the upper hand.”
“How so?” India asked as the doors eased open on the first floor.
