black stilettos. The added height would be nowhere near Emiliano’s six-foot-three-inch frame, but the confidence boost was nevertheless welcome.
Exhaling, she pushed away the insidious voice that wouldn’t remain silent, reminding her that everything in her life—bar her career—thus far, had been ripped from her. That what she had with Emiliano would follow suit. After adding the finishing touches of perfume, clutch and wrap, she headed for the door.
She didn’t want to, but Sienna couldn’t stop the nerves that assailed her, or the equal amounts of excitement and dread that fluttered through her stomach at the notion of going out in public with Emiliano tonight. Even though they’d never resolved their argument, he’d grown increasingly possessive of her in public recently, his bold caresses almost baiting her to protest. Unwilling to provoke another disagreement, she hadn’t, and in her quiet moments even admitted to enjoying those displays. Nevertheless, the butterflies in her stomach grew, their wings beating so loud she almost missed her phone buzzing with a text message.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Emiliano’s name on her screen.
Slight change of plan. We’ll dine at home. Restaurant delivery is taken care of. Let me know if that suits? E.
Her smile burst forth anew, her heart squeezing with happiness as she quickly answered.
That more than suits. Can’t wait to see you! XXX
Hitting Send, she stared at the little faint bubble that said her message was being read. Then waited. He didn’t answer.
Swallowing, she returned her phone to the clutch and left the bedroom.
The restaurant they were supposed to dine at was a mere two miles away from the Knightsbridge penthouse she shared with Emiliano. And, if Emiliano had already contacted her favourite chef, then the meal was most likely already on its way.
She walked down the stunningly decorated hallway and through the vast sitting room to find Alfie, their young live-in butler, setting the table in the dining room.
He looked up and smiled when he saw her. ‘Good evening, miss.’
She returned his smile and nodded at the table. ‘Looks like Emiliano has given you the heads-up on the change of plan?’
‘Indeed. He’s also given me the night off,’ he replied with a grin. ‘I’ll just wait for the delivery to arrive then I’ll leave you two alone to enjoy your birthday.’
She fought the blush that threatened, recalling the butler’s wry comment months ago about how he’d become the grateful recipient of many sudden nights off since she’d moved in with Emiliano. ‘Thanks.’
Alfie nodded and went back to laying the table. Not wishing to intrude, she drifted back into the living room. Decorated with luxury and deep comfort in mind, the slate-coloured sofas, matching tables and the white walls were interspersed with dark-gold throw pillows and rugs that added welcoming warmth to the large room. A dominating fireplace was aglow to complement the November autumnal weather.
Sienna strolled to the mantel, picked up the single picture adorning it and stared down at the selfie she’d taken of herself and Emiliano three months ago. It had been a rare moment of throwing caution to the wind and all the more special for it. On a late-afternoon stroll in the park across from the penthouse, after a morning and afternoon spent making love, she’d confessed to sadness at not having photographic mementos of a childhood spent in foster care, no matter how wretched. Emiliano had insisted she seize the moment to make a memory. And, even though he’d refused to look into the camera, his years of avoiding the glare of the paparazzi’s lens deeply ingrained, he’d posed for the picture. The end result was Emiliano staring at her while she looked into the camera, flushed and self-conscious from his brazenly hungry scrutiny.
He’d taken a look at the photo, pronounced himself satisfied and promptly printed and framed it for the mantel.
Sienna stared at the profile of the man who commanded her days and nights, the boss who’d changed his own company’s rules, despite her many blithely ignored protests, in order to date her. Her heart skipped another beat, and with it the secret wish lurking in her heart.
Emiliano Castillo had done more than amend his company’s rules. He’d gone on to trigger a few more firsts, as she’d found out in the months following the start of their relationship. For a start, he hadn’t been one for relationships. Certainly not one with a vice-president of his venture capitalist firm. Most of his liaisons only lasted a couple of months. He’d also never lived with a lover. And he’d certainly never lived with one for going on six months!
Which was why Sienna was daring to believe that theirs was more than a supercharged physical affair. It was why she’d found herself hoping for more. They had never talked about a family, largely because the subject had been strictly off-limits for both of them, save for unavoidable instances that filtered through their lives.
As far as she knew, his relationship with his parents was strained at best, but she’d seen his devastation when his brother had been seriously injured in a car accident four months ago. And, with each trip she’d accompanied him on to the state-of-the-art medical facility in Switzerland where Matias was being cared for after his brain surgery had left him in a coma, she’d witnessed Emiliano’s distress and sadness.
Hers was a different story. She had no past to discuss, so she never did.
The desolation she’d learned to live with overpowered her for a single moment before she pushed it back into its designated box. Today was her birthday. She was lucky she had a date to celebrate. But she’d also worked hard to make a life for herself, and she was determined it wouldn’t fall victim to rejection and heartache.
So celebrate she would.
She returned the picture to the mantel in time to hear the penthouse door’s electronic lock disengage.
Expecting it to be Alfie, taking delivery of their food, her heart leapt into her throat when Emiliano walked in.
He was supposed to have been gone for two days. He’d been gone for six. She hadn’t comprehended just how much she’d missed him until he handed over the food boxes to Alfie and walked tall and proud into the living room. A rush of longing and happiness overtook her as her gaze met his.
At six foot three, with a powerful but streamlined physique, Emiliano Castillo gave the term ‘tall, dark and handsome’ full, visceral meaning. But he also carried an extra edge that ensured that heads, and hearts, turned whenever he graced humanity with his presence. His wasn’t a flawless face, to start with. A scar sustained along his right jawline from a horse-riding accident as a teenager evoked a sense of illicit danger, if you just looked at him. Bold slants of jet eyebrows over brooding, dark, coppery eyes and a full and sensual mouth sculpted for long, steamy lovemaking nights made him very difficult to look away from.
So she stared, transfixed, heart slamming against her ribs, as he walked slowly towards her. He stopped several feet from where she stood. Electricity crackled through the air as they stared at one another. Then slowly, his eyes traced her body from head to toe, lingering, possessing, and back again.
Expecting him to stride forward and sweep her into his arms in that overwhelmingly possessive and blatantly male way he employed, she braced herself, her every sense leaping with excitement.
But he remained where he stood.
‘Happy birthday, querida.
