Synopsis
Renaldo da Silva’s near-perfect life in Brazil comes to a halt when he finds out about his wife’s
betrayal. Now he doesn't want to have anything to do with her. But because he needs her help finalizing
the biggest deal of his career, he’s forced to make her a multi-million dollar offer and delay their divorce.
Sabrina da Silva can't forgive herself after a reckless night destroys her marriage. She agrees to
help her husband and then disappear from his life for good. But with passion still smoldering between
them, it’s not easy for either to walk away. Will their passion be enough to overcome the ultimate test of
their love?
Second Chances
by Delaney Diamond
Copyright © October 2012, Delaney Diamond
Cover art by MTheresa Arts © October 2012
Delaney Diamond
Atlanta, Georgia
ISBN: 978-0-9852838-4-1
This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author's imagination, or have been used
fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. No part of this e-book may be
reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and e-mail, without prior
written permission from Delaney Diamond.
Prologue
“Stop fretting.”
Sabrina Porter ignored her cousin and nervously patted her upswept hair as she gazed at her
reflection in the mirror at the seaside hotel where she was to be married. She twisted an errant curl
around her finger to make it fall just right.
Jewel Porter slapped her hand away.
“Ow. Bitch.” Sabrina smiled to soften the blow of her words and dropped her hands from her
hair. “I just want everything to be perfect.”
“Everything is perfect. You look beautiful.” Jewel placed her hands on her hips. “Your fiancé
owns the hotel, for crying out loud. Do you really think anything could possibly go wrong today? Heads
would roll.”
“Well, he may have the personnel part down, but I want to be perfect for him.”
She still couldn’t believe a man like Renaldo da Silva had asked her to marry him. They came from
such different worlds, but not once had he ever made her feel beneath him because of his wealth. She
kept expecting to wake up and find out that she’d been dreaming the entire time.
She took another look at her reflection, pleased at how the V-neck dress in white chiffon
complemented her hourglass figure. The spaghetti straps crossed over her bare back and made the dress
hang just right on her straight shoulders. Jewel was right; everything was perfect. She couldn’t wait for
her future husband to see her.
When she’d told Renaldo she wanted a small ceremony because she didn’t have any family to
invite, he’d shown her photos of this place and she’d instantly fallen in love with it. The boutique hotel
was made up of stand-alone bungalows and located in Corumbau, a little known town in the southern
part of the state of Bahia in Brazil. It was one of the first purchases he’d made once he’d achieved
modest success and had become his getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.
The bungalow they were staying in featured all the typical amenities of a normal hotel, but it had
the added beauty of large, floor-to-ceiling glass doors that led out onto a patio overlooking the blue-
green ocean and white sand shaded by tall palm trees. When the doors were open, it gave the illusion of
being outside, at one with nature and its offering of sun and balmy seaside breezes.
“That man is in love with you. I don’t think he’d care if you showed up in tin foil.”
Sabrina smiled, appreciating her cousin’s encouraging words. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Don’t you dare start getting all sentimental on me.” Jewel fanned her face. “You know I cry at
the drop of a hat, and if I cry, you’ll cry, and that’ll ruin your makeup.”
“Then don’t cry.” Sabrina fell silent. The sound of the ocean came to them from just outside the
open doors. “We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?”
Jewel looked around at their elegant surroundings. “Yeah. I can’t believe it. Two girls from the
South Side of Chicago are living the good life in Brazil. I was just thinking the other day about how
hard life used to be for us.”
Sabrina nodded. She thought often about those times, too. During those rough years she never
imagined that at twenty-seven years old she’d be standing in such a beautiful place about to get married
to such a wonderful man. They’d stolen clothes, food, and money, and told so many lies. But they’d both
been young. Without parents or anyone to take care of them, they’d done what they had to for survival.
“Remember how we used to go down to the supermarket on Saturdays to eat all the freebies when we
didn’t have food?”
“How could I forget? I still remember when Mrs. Sampson figured out what we were doing, and
she put aside extra samples for us.”
“She was a nice woman. I wonder what happened to her.”
Jewel shrugged. “We’re not thinking about those times today. You have a wedding to attend, and
you’re the star. Even the weather’s cooperating.”
“I know.” Sabrina opened her arms. “I want a hug.”
“No hugs. You’ll make me cry.”
“Please?”
Jewel sighed heavily and lumbered into Sabrina’s arms. They held onto each other for a long time.
Jewel was the only link to the family and past Sabrina had left behind. They were as close as sisters, and
words couldn’t express how grateful she was to have her cousin share this day with her.
Jewel was the maid of honor, but all the other guests were Renaldo’s friends and family. She
would walk down the aisle alone since she had no one to give her away. The son of Beatrisa, Renaldo’s
younger sister, was the ring bearer, and her daughter was the flower girl.
“I love you and I’m proud of you,” Sabrina said.
She squeezed her cousin tighter. There had been a time when she’d thought she would lose Jewel
to drugs. Not only did she worry about losing her, she also had to deal with Jewel stealing money and
valuables from her to feed her habit, all of which strained their relationship over the years. But Sabrina
never gave up on her, and she was glad she hadn’t. She’d seen such a transformation in Jewel since they
arrived in Brazil. The new environment had done what Sabrina’s begging over the years hadn’t been able
to.
“Love you, too, Brina. You deserve to be happy.”
“Hey.” Sabrina cupped her cousin’s face in her hands. “You do, too. We’ve both come a long way.
Things are only going to get better for us.”
Jewel nodded, tears in her eyes.
Renaldo’s youngest sister, Carolina, knocked on the door but didn’t wait before she walked in.
“Are you ready?” Her thickly accented English had taken a while for Sabrina to understand.
Sabrina took a deep breath. She was ready. Ready to begin this next phase of her life—the best
phase. “Yes.”
Minutes later, she walked barefoot on the beach toward Renaldo. He made a striking image
dressed in a white shirt and white slacks. The breeze fluttered the skirt of her dress around her ankles as
she approached him, clutching a bouquet of white roses. When he smiled at her, her insecurities flittered
away.
She glowed when he slipped the ring on her finger and whispered the special vows he’d written.
“Sabrina Porter, today I make you my wife. I love everything about you—your strength, your mind, your
body,” he added with a grin, which resulted in a few chuckles. “The luckiest day of my life was the day I
met you. I promise to always love you, protect you, and do everything in my power to make you as
happy as you make me.”
Her eyes never left his face. “Renaldo da Silva, today I accept you as my husband. Thank you for
accepting me with all my flaws. You’re not just my lover; you’re my confidante, and my biggest
cheerleader. Your support gives me strength. I love you more than words can express, and I vow to be
the best possible wife to you. I will do everything in my power to make you happy for the rest of our
days together.”
At the end of the ceremony, they ate a traditional Brazilian meal, including the wedding dessert,
bem casado—two small cakes that looked like cookies with a gooey layer of dulce de leche between them.
A band pounded out a heady samba beat. Performers, dressed in colorful garb, danced before the guests
and dragged them into the merriment. Everyone was barefoot, kicking up loose sand as they partied well
into the night.
Later, high off the strong rum cocktail caipirinha and wedding bliss, they stumbled to their room,
where Renaldo carried her over the threshold, entering with his right foot first for good luck.
Much later, satisfied after a lengthy session of lovemaking, Sabrina watched her husband sleep as
she lay in his arms. This was the best day of her life. She’d never known love like this, but their
relationship had moved so fast. What if one day he woke up and felt he’d made a mistake?
The thought of losing him filled her with a terrible fear.
I won’t lose him, she vowed.
She would support him and be the best wife and business partner he could ever hope for. She
would exceed his expectations and do whatever it took to ensure Renaldo never regretted his decision to
marry her.
With that thought, she rested her head on his shoulder. He shifted in his sleep and pulled her
closer.
“Happy, meu coração?” he murmured. My love.
“Yes.” She kissed his cheek.
She’d never been happier.
Chapter One
Over a year later…
Liar. Cheat. Those were the words that came to mind when Renaldo da Silva thought about his
wife. His soon-to-be ex-wife.
Silently berating himself, he stared out of the giant windows of the luxurious penthouse
apartment in the building his company owned. They’d shared it since she moved to Sao Paulo with him
right before their marriage.
He should have known better. After all, he’d been warned, hadn’t he? She’d told him about her
background. She told him how she came from a family of drug addicts and criminals. She’d explained
how she’d lied and stolen to make ends meet. He’d known what kind of woman she was, and he’d chosen
to ignore everything she’d shared because he’d been such a besotted fool and assumed she’d done those
things out of necessity.
He’d barely known her when they married. His impulsive behavior had simply been an act to
whisk her away and make her his. According to her, he’d given her the kind of life she’d only dreamed
of, but apparently it hadn’t been enough.
Why?
He looked at the three photos in his hands, though he didn’t really need to. The images of her and
another man were seared into his brain. To think, he wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t been searching
for a document in her home office. He wouldn’t have found the pictures, and he wouldn’t have known
of her deceit.
He’d been a fool to welcome her into his life. The beautiful façade of independence and
intelligence had blinded him to her true character. Her infidelity cut deep. He would never forgive her.
__________
Sabrina stepped off the private elevator, glad to be home. The five-bedroom apartment took up
the entire top floor of the building Renaldo owned. The recessed lighting shone down on the spacious
entryway, while the rest of the house remained wrapped in darkness. In her hand she held her high heels
so her feet wouldn’t make a sound on the black walnut floors because he was probably asleep after his
long trip.
She crept toward the staircase. Renaldo would not be pleased she’d worked another late night,
particularly since she hadn’t been at home to greet him upon his return from Chicago. But she’d been
getting so much accomplished, she simply hadn’t been able to tear herself away.
She only had one more thing to take care of before she joined him in bed.
Nausea filled her stomach. She had to get rid of the latest round of photos she’d received. Then
she could concentrate on Renaldo and find a way to make up her absence to him.
She sensed his presence before she saw him. He emerged like an apparition from the darkened
interior, slowly coming toward her. The shirtsleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to reveal his
bronze, hair-sprinkled forearms. He still looked as handsome as the day she married him, even with the
tired lines on his face.
She set her shoes on the table against the mirrored wall and planted her most becoming smile on
her face.
“Honey, I’m sorry I didn’t get here earlier. Feel free to give me a spanking.”
He stopped a few feet away, not cracking a smile. “Where have you been?”
She couldn’t decipher the strange look on his face. “At the office, of course.”
“Working late again. You knew I was coming back tonight, but you couldn’t tear yourself away
from whatever you were doing to be here to greet me.”
She’d really screwed up this time. He was obviously very upset with her. “I’m sorry, but when you
see the numbers I have, you’ll understand why I couldn’t break away.”
He took a step forward, but stopped again, examining her as if seeing her for the first time. But
there was something else. His eyes were hard and cold. She’d finally pushed him too far.
“Renny, I know you’re mad at me.” She walked toward him, adding an extra swing to her hips,
smiling teasingly. He could never resist her when she moved like that. “I’ll make it up to you.”
And then she saw the photos turned inward toward his leg. He couldn’t have found the photos;
she’d hidden them in her desk.
“What are those?” Her heart was in her throat, so she barely got the words out.
Renaldo tossed the photos on the floor and they fanned out across the polished wood, mocking
her. Oh God. Her worst nightmare.
“You tell me.” His quiet voice was louder than any shouting could be because of the derision it
held. “Who is this man, and what are you doing with him?”
Sabrina swayed and reached for the wall to steady herself. “Where did you get those?”
“You didn’t answer the question.”
Because she couldn’t. She didn’t have an explanation.
“Were you with him tonight?” He spoke calmly, but she could see the darker emotions swirling in
his eyes. He was seething.
“No. I was working. I swear.”
Renaldo’s hands clenched. “Why should I believe you? It seems that when I’m out of town, you
find alternative ways to keep yourself entertained.”
“No. Renny, that’s not true.”
He jabbed his finger toward the pictures. “Then explain those to me.”
She would if she only knew how they’d happened. But she didn’t.
He was so angry. His accent had gotten thicker, like it always did when he was aroused—either in
passion or anger.
“I don’t know how.”
“They are not…” His voice trailed off as he fumbled for the correct English word. “They are not
doctored?”
If only they were. She’d managed to keep this a secret for as long as she could, worried that this
day would come and she would lose him.
“No, they’re not doctored.”
The breath he drew in was harsh and loud in the grave-like quiet of the house. “So you have been
lying to me and sneaking around behind my back? For how long?”
“I never went behind your back,” Sabrina said. “It—it just happened. I didn’t plan it.”
Renaldo snorted. “That’s hard to believe when I find photos of you in intimate positions with
another man, hidden away in your desk for enjoyment when I am not here.”
“That’s not why I hid them. I was ashamed, and I knew if you saw them I would lose you. I was
scared. I was going to get rid of them. I—” She pressed her palms to her hot cheeks. “Please. You have
to believe me.”
“You should leave before I do something I regret.”
“No, Renny, please. You have to listen to me. You have to hear me out.” The scorn and anger in
his voice hurt. It was almost too much to bear, because ever since she’d met him, he’d been her
champion and treated her with care and respect. Her perfect world was falling apart.
“Leave.”
“Renny, please.”
“By the time I count to three, you better get out or I will toss you out.”
“Please don’t do this to me. Give me another chance.”
“One.”
“I was drunk,” she said, shaking uncontrollably. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Two.”
“You love me.” He flinched as if she’d struck him. “Can we please work it out? I don’t know what
happened, but you know that’s not me. I love you.”
“Love me?” His upper lip curled. “You love this life. Your ambition betrays you. You love money
and power. You love material things, but you do not love me.”
Sabrina’s eyes welled up with tears of pain at the way he’d characterized her. “If you believe what
you’re saying, why did you marry me? You don’t believe that. I know you don’t.”
“I was a fool,” Renaldo said in a voice full of regret. “I saw what I wanted to see.”
“That’s not true. I’m your wife.” Her hand flattened against her heart to stem the hurt expanding
in her chest. “You know me.”
“Obviously I do not. Your time is up. Three.” He reached for her.
He was really going to do it; really going to put her out.
Sabrina slapped at his hands. If he couldn’t catch her, he couldn’t toss her out.
But Renaldo caught her hands. He was too fast, too strong. He caught her arm and spun her
around hard, slamming her back against his chest.
“You can’t do this.” Her pulse kicked up a notch.
He was so tall, that when his arms cinched around her like tight bands and he easily lifted her, her
feet dangled a few inches above the floor. “Go to him now. Tell him I sent you, and he can have you all
to himself.” His breath was hot against her cheek and bitterness laced his voice. “I want you out of my
house and out of my life.”
Sabrina twisted and kicked, throwing her body backward to force him to put her down. “I’m not
leaving!”
Her desperate movements only made him clamp his arms tighter as he marched toward the side
door leading out to the stairwell.
“Renny, I love you. Don’t do this. D-don’t!”
He didn’t stop and managed to hold her still with one arm and use his free hand to open the door.
“Renny!”
He stepped out into the stairwell and deposited her there. “Do not come back here.” His voice
was so cold. So devoid of any emotion except anger. “You will hear from my lawyer.”
He stalked back inside and slammed the door behind him.
Sabrina blinked back tears as she stared at the bare white walls and the long staircase leading
down to the next floor.
This couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be over. She loved him. He had to let her explain.
Something had gone terribly wrong that night, but she was still Sabrina, the woman he married. The
woman he said he’d love forever.
She would make it up to him. She’d do whatever he wanted, if only he’d forgive her. Didn’t he
know she couldn’t live without him? He had to forgive her.
She pounded on the door. “Renny! Please forgive me. Please!”
She didn’t know how long she stood out there, pleading for his forgiveness. She pounded until
her fists grew sore and her arms tired. But he never came back. It would be futile to try the private
elevator; he would’ve had her key card deactivated by now.
Exhausted, Sabrina finally accepted her fate. She’d lost everything. Renaldo, her home, her
security.
And she was the only person to blame.
Finally, she crumbled to the floor in a miserable, sobbing heap.
__________
Later that night, Sabrina knocked on the door of her cousin’s apartment. When Jewel opened it,
she stared at Sabrina with wide eyes.
“Brina, what happened to you?”
Sabrina knew she looked as bad as she felt. She’d seen an image of herself reflected in the
mirrored walls of the elevator on the ride up. Her cheeks were tear-streaked, and lines of black mascara
ran down each side of her face. Her hair, which she’d taken great care with, was a mess after tumbling
from its neat arrangement during her altercation with Renaldo.
“Can I come in?” she whispered. Her throat felt raw from all the screaming and crying she’d done.
“Of course.” Jewel opened the door wider.
“I don’t have any money. Would you pay the taxi downstairs?”
“No problem. I’ll be right back.”
In the past, Sabrina had been the one to help Jewel; now the tables had turned.
Like a zombie, she trudged in and dropped onto the sofa. She rested her cheek against its back
and curled her bare feet under her. When Jewel returned, she didn’t have the energy to lift her head and
face her. How she managed to make it to the apartment was still a mystery.
Jewel sat beside her, her brow furrowed in lines of worry. “Brina, what happened? What’s going
on?”
“He threw me out.”
“Renaldo?”
Sabrina nodded, feeling the tears well up in her eyes again. She hadn’t thought she had any more
left.
“What do you mean he threw you out? What for? The two of you are married.”
“We won’t be for much longer.” Overwhelming sadness forced the tears from her eyes.
“Honey, you’re not making sense.” Jewel took her hand. “What on earth would make him want to
divorce you? He’s madly in love with you and you’re madly in love with him. You followed him here
from Chicago. You even convinced me to come with you, for heaven’s sake. Of course you’re staying
married. You just had a little spat, that’s all.” Jewel patted her hand.
Sabrina shook her head. “No. It was more than a lovers’ quarrel.”
“Tell me what happened.”
Sabrina sniffed and wiped under her nose. “He found out.”
“Found out what?”
“About Mateo.”
“Who in the world is Mateo?”
“The guy we met at the club.”
“Wait a minute, that was months ago. You stayed in touch with him?”
“You could say that.”
“Honey, you’re not making sense. Look at me.” Jewel moved closer on the sofa. “What are you
talking about? Why were you still in touch with Mateo?”
Sabrina closed her eyes and her face crumbled. “Because I spent the night with him.” Her voice
pitched lower and cracked. “And now Renny knows.”
Chapter Two
Six weeks later…
If asked to name a city in Brazil, most people would mention Rio de Janeiro, the home of easily
the most famous carnival celebration in the world. However, Sao Paulo was just as important, if not
more so. As the financial heart and soul of Brazil, it was the largest city on the continent and the fifth
largest in the world. Its shopping districts were well known; it was foodie heaven, filled with every type
of ethnic restaurant imaginable because of the rich diversity of its occupants. It also boasted some of the
most expensive real estate in all of South America.
So it made sense that Silva Development Group, commonly known as SDG, would be
headquartered here in the country’s commercial center.
Renaldo stood on one side of his desk at the corporate offices of his company. On the other side,
Paulo Raposo, his assistant and right hand man, sat with one leg crossed over the other, reviewing the
two pages Renaldo handed him when he’d entered the office.
His concerned gaze met Renaldo’s. “You do realize what a problem this presents for you?”
“Of course I realize it. That’s why I wanted to see you.” Paulo had been his father’s assistant, too,
when he’d been alive, and had seen his share of disasters. This was probably one of the biggest, if not the
biggest. At least it was to Renaldo.
The papers were a letter from Mayor Salazar’s office with the time and date for an interview with
Semanal, one of the largest magazines in the country. Paulo also held an invitation to the special event
the mayor was hosting to mark the midway point of his second term. An affair to which the mayor had
invited Renaldo and Sabrina, where he’d present a plaque to Renaldo for his leadership in the business
community.
“I thought of doing the interview myself and attending the celebration alone, but this morning
the mayor’s assistant called to confirm that ‘all is well’ and Sabrina and I will be able to participate in
both events. The mayor must have heard about our separation. I need to make a clean break from this
woman. But how, without jeopardizing the Avenida Paulista project?”
Paulo rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t see how that’s possible. She was an integral part of
SDG, including that project. Clearly, the mayor wants to see the two of you.” He gestured with the
document to drive his point home. “He sees this project as his legacy after he leaves office. He needs it
to go smoothly.”
“I know.”
“Letting Sabrina go could be a costly mistake. The last thing you want to do is create an
impression of disorder in the ranks of your company. After the fiasco with the Germans, I can
understand why the mayor is worried.”
Renaldo paced behind the desk, running his hand over his short black hair. “So can I, but we’re
getting a divorce. His fears about the project could adversely affect my personal life.”
Avenida Paulista was one of the most important thoroughfares in Sao Paulo. Many commercial
enterprises were headquartered there. A German company had started the mixed-use development,
Estação Central, on Avenida Paulista several years ago, but after a headline-grabbing scandal, their CEO
and CFO had resigned. With such a major upheaval, the company lost its direction as well as its
investors and went bankrupt, leaving behind abandoned buildings and undeveloped green space. It was a
stain on the mayor’s record—one he wanted to blot out in his second term.
SDG had won the bid to finish the project. It was quite a coup, considering the fierce competition
and the last minute changes he and Sabrina had made to the proposal mere hours before a courier had
delivered it to the mayor’s office. Part of the reason they’d won the bid was because of the financial
health of his company, which reassured the mayor he wouldn’t have another fiasco on his hands.
The other part was because of Sabrina.
Much as Renaldo hated to admit it, hated to be beholden to the lying, cheating witch, her
expertise and knowledge had helped nail the bid.
Paulo watched him with a thoughtful look on his face. “You must admit, the company has seen
significant strides since you brought her on board.”
Renaldo begrudgingly admitted to himself that Sabrina had become an important part of the firm.
She was a whiz with numbers, and her area of expertise was mergers and acquisitions. Her ability to
analyze figures had proved invaluable. Her shrewd financial mind had aided him in ferreting out areas in
his business where he could save costs, and she’d also implemented budget cuts and financial business
practices that streamlined operations and created a more profitable bottom-line. With her managing the
financial aspects of the business, he’d been free to travel, network, and pursue opportunities.
Then Folha, the daily newspaper with the largest circulation in Sao Paulo, had dubbed them The
Dynamic Duo in its pages. Reporters had clamored to interview them and wanted to know everything
about the woman their native son had brought back from the United States. The edited version of her
rise from poverty in the slums of Chicago to a significant player in one of the most successful firms in
Brazil became an inspirational piece in business circles.
“We’re getting a divorce,” Renaldo reminded Paulo. Of that there was no doubt. “What do you
suggest I do about this problem?”
“You have to find a way to convince the mayor you’re not separated. At least for now.”
Renaldo had managed to keep this out of the press so far, but he didn’t know how much longer
that would last. “How do you propose I do that? She no longer works here, and soon everyone will
know we’re getting a divorce.”
“And word will get back to the mayor, confirming any rumors he’s already heard,” Paulo said.
“Your point is…?”
Paulo hesitated and then plodded on. “All your hard work could unravel. You still have almost a
full month left in the probation period Mayor Salazar implemented to avoid another problem like he
had with the Germans. You could potentially lose this project if he thinks your company is unstable.”
He leaned forward. “I think you should bring her back on board and act as if nothing happened until
you get past the probation period.”
Renaldo froze, every cell in his body rejecting the suggestion. That was the last thing he needed—
to see her every day and be reminded of what she’d done. And those photos. Those goddamn photos.
He couldn’t get them out of his head. Saw them when he slept. When he ate. When he showered.
“No. There’s no way I’m letting that woman back into the building.” Or his life.
“What’s the alternative? Are you willing to risk losing your biggest development project to date
and the fallout that would follow?”
Renaldo resumed pacing. “I can’t bring her back here. There must be another way.”
“If you think of it, let me know.”
Renaldo was used to Paulo’s sharp tongue, but today he found it scraped his nerves. Especially
because he was right.
There was too much at stake. Not just on the business front, but there were so many people
depending on him. After his father’s death, they’d lost everything because his mother had been ill
equipped to run a company and hadn’t had the necessary expertise in investing in real estate, an industry
his father had worked in all his life.
Since winning the contract, Renaldo had mapped out which family members would come on
board and participate in the project. A small crew of workers had already started preliminary work at the
site. If the mayor took back the contract, not only would the fallout from the bad press significantly hurt
SDG’s reputation, Renaldo stood to lose a large amount of money. He didn’t want her here, but without
her the mayor could become uneasy.
“This is a nightmare,” he mumbled, turning to look out over the vastness of Sao Paulo. Here was
the hub of the country’s commerce, and he was in the thick of it with this deal. He couldn’t risk having it
fall apart because he’d been foolish enough to offer a woman his love and trust—both of which she’d
been unworthy to receive.
The images of Sabrina and the other man flashed across his mind’s eye, stiffening his body with
the pain he’d felt and the bitter taste of betrayal. A full six weeks had passed since he’d thrown her out
of their penthouse, yet he hadn’t found a way to heal the gaping hole in his chest that had followed after
she ripped his heart out. He hated to have to give in.
“Fine. I’ll bring her back.” And somehow he’d learn to stomach having her around.
“Would you like me to speak to her for you?” Paulo rose to his feet. He was a good friend to
make the offer since Renaldo now only communicated with her through his attorney.
“No.” He would handle Sabrina.
“Do you think she’ll go along with it?”
Sabrina pursued money in a way he’d never seen in another woman. She always wanted to move
forward, work late, find the next opportunity.
He insisted on a healthy balance between work and leisure, but Sabrina didn’t know what a
healthy balance was. There were times he had to practically drag her from the office. If there was one
thing he was certain of, it was that he could convince her, but the price had to be right.
“Yes,” he replied. “I’ll make her an offer she can’t refuse.”
Paulo looked skeptical. “What if she does, though? She may see this as an opportunity to get a lot
of money out of you. She could easily argue for half of the net value of this deal.”
“Half?” Renaldo balked at the idea. He turned to stare out of the window again, at the hive of
activity below him. There was no way she’d get half of anything. “I’ll make her see reason.”
Only Paulo and his closest family knew about the separation. Renaldo looked down at the
wedding band on his finger. He’d removed it temporarily right after he’d discovered Sabrina’s infidelity,
but then he’d put it back on, preferring to keep it in place until the divorce was final so he wouldn’t have
to answer questions.
He thought again about what Paulo had said. Half.
Had it been worth it? If she tried to get more than he offered, he’d fight her tooth and nail.
But in the back of his mind, all he could think was, if she’d been in a better position to fight him
and win…it would have been worth more than half of this deal. It would have been worth half of
everything he owned for the short period of happiness they’d shared as husband and wife.
__________
“You’re still in love with him.” Jewel stood in front of Sabrina with her arms crossed and watched
as she picked up her maroon dress. “It’s not a good idea to go see him.”
Sabrina slipped the dress over her head. Of course she was still in love with Renaldo. He hadn’t
been the one to break their vows. “I have to, Jewel.” She turned her back so her cousin could zip her up.
“Why do you have to?”
“Because he asked, and I have to see what he wants.”
“He tossed you out of your home and for weeks he refused to speak to you personally. And why
are you still wearing your rings?”
Sabrina remained silent. She had no intention of answering Jewel, and she had no intention of
taking off her rings. They gave her a sense of comfort; besides, she was still married up until the divorce
papers were signed.
“Fine, I’ll drop it,” Jewel grumbled. “But what could he possibly want now?”
“I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.” Sabrina applied lipstick in the mirror.
“I don’t want to see you get hurt anymore. You don’t deserve it. You’ve always been too hard on
yourself. You made a mistake, which means you’re human like the rest of us.”
“That’s a pretty terrible mistake, Jewel.” Sabrina went over to the closet to get her shoes. It was
difficult to talk about her infidelity. She still didn’t understand what had happened that night. She’d
done some bad things in her life that she was ashamed of, but she’d never thought of herself as a cheater.
And how could she have cheated on the one man she’d ever loved—loved with all her heart and soul? It
didn’t make sense. “I cheated, and I have to accept the consequences of my actions.”
After a couple of weeks on the sleeper sofa in Jewel’s one-bedroom apartment, Sabrina had found
a place of her own to sublet. Her attorney had advised her not to move back to the States until the
divorce was final, which shouldn’t be much longer.
In the meantime, she’d managed to find a part-time consulting position with a U.S. company
setting up shop in Sao Paulo. The rest of the time she kept herself busy researching companies and
sending off her resume. She hoped to have a job lined up by the time she returned to Chicago, although
she’d consider options elsewhere.
She thought about the snarky “Thank You” card she’d sent to her old bosses at Global
Investments, Inc. to express her appreciation at how poorly they’d treated her. Even with good grades
and graduating from a top business school, she hadn’t received any respect from the firm’s higher-ups. It
had been a blessing in disguise. If it hadn’t been for their lack of trust and sexist attitudes toward her,
she might never have taken the steps to marry Renaldo and invest her career in a future with him. She’d
been living the good life for over a year, but times had changed. She’d take a job just about anywhere at
this point.
“I shouldn’t have let you drink that night,” Jewel said.
“There was nothing different about that night than any other night,” Sabrina said. “You and I
always hung out together when he was out of town.”
“I just feel so terrible.” Jewel sagged against the dresser.
Sabrina laid a comforting hand on her cousin’s shoulder and looked into eyes that were the same
light brown tint as hers. “Do not feel guilty. I know that if you’d seen me leaving with him you would
have stopped me.”
Jewel nodded, her eyes downcast. “Whatever Renaldo wants, I hope it works out for the best for
you.”
“Me, too.”
Sabrina felt a nervous twinge in her stomach at the thought of seeing Renaldo again after so long,
but she knew before she met him, she’d have to bolster her nerves. He was a hard negotiator, and she
needed to be strong when she met him.
“How’s the job going?” she asked Jewel.
Sabrina paid the rent at Jewel’s apartment. Renaldo had offered to place her in one of his
complexes, but Sabrina had insisted she wanted to cover the costs. In exchange for paying the rent and
utilities, they had an agreement that Jewel would keep a part-time job to cover her other expenses. Jewel
worked as a waitress at a restaurant within walking distance. The pay wasn’t great, but it was the first
time Sabrina had ever known her cousin to have a job. She was proud that Jewel was handling the
responsibility so well and for being clean and sober for over a year now.
“It’s fine, and you’re trying to change the subject.”
“I am, but I really do want to know if everything is okay with you. Are you still happy there?”
Jewel shrugged. “I wish I had other skills so I could earn more money, but it’ll do for now.”
She didn’t want Jewel to get discouraged and had always checked to make sure she was still
attending her Narcotics Anonymous meetings. She’d been happy when they finally found one that
offered the meetings in English.
“Hang in there. It takes time. You have to crawl before you can walk.”
Sabrina picked up her purse and checked for cash. At the same time, she tried to remember the
details of that night, but as always, her brain hit a brick wall. She couldn’t remember anything after her
second mixed drink. She didn’t drink much except for wine, and granted, the drinks were strong, but to
get so sloppy drunk she couldn’t remember the rest of the night was unheard of for her. She’d been so
scarred by the whole experience she hadn’t touched another alcoholic beverage since.
Normally, she and Jewel went out to dinner or did something else together when Renaldo left
town, but that night Jewel had wanted to go dancing at a club. At first Sabrina had said no, worried
about having Jewel enter that type of environment because of her addiction, but she’d given in after
Jewel reminded her she had been sober for over a year.
Mateo had been one of the many men who approached them. Sabrina initially thought his interest
was in Jewel, so how they’d ended up back at her home, she didn’t know. But the following morning,
she’d woken up in bed naked and groggy and with a pounding headache. Next to her on the bed was a
note.
I had a great time last night. I’ll be in touch. Mateo
She’d checked her cell phone and found numerous missed calls from Jewel and a voice message
from her cousin demanding to know where she was and if she was okay. And even though her brain
hadn’t been able to accept the meaning of the note, it all became clear when the first set of photos
arrived in an envelope with no return address.
That’s when the nightmare had begun.
She’d never told Jewel or shown her the photos. She’d shredded them, and soon afterward a
demand for money came. It was a large sum, and she’d paid it, desperate not to lose Renaldo and
everything she’d worked so hard to achieve. The second time was the same—the photos showed up and
the demand for money came after.
The third set had arrived late the day before Renaldo came back from his overseas trip. She’d
quickly hidden them in the desk when Vera, the housekeeper, entered to clean up. She’d left them there
overnight. Sick to her stomach and knowing that another request for money would follow, she
wondered how she would ever get out of the mess she was in. She worked late the following day, and
since she hadn’t shredded the photos like she normally did, she planned to do it as soon as she arrived
home. But he’d found them first.
It killed her to think she’d caused him pain. How it must have hurt for him to see her in an
embrace with Mateo in their bed. To have seen her lying side by side with him, one breast exposed, her
eyes closed, and her head resting on his shoulder while he looked into a camera held in his outstretched
hand.
Strangely, she hadn’t received a request for money after the third arrival. Not that she planned to
pay it now that Renaldo knew. There was no point. She’d paid because she’d been afraid to lose
everything, but she’d lost anyway.
Renaldo had made it clear he wanted her to exit the marriage with nothing more than she’d
brought into it, but during their recent conversation he hinted that could change. If he offered her a
settlement, she would take it, but a little part of her dared to hope that maybe there was more to this
meeting.
Maybe the time apart had caused him to think and soften his stance toward her. Now that she
finally had a chance to speak to him in person, she could plead her case and convince him to change his
mind about the divorce. It was worth a shot. He’d loved her once. Was it too much to hope that he
could love her again?
Chapter Three
Renaldo sat at a small, round table near the back of a café he frequented, popular to the select few
who knew of its existence in the historic part of downtown. The lunch crowd had already dispersed.
Only about a third of the tables around him were occupied. He’d chosen this spot for two reasons. One,
because they had some of the best coffee he’d ever tasted, and two, if he’d met Sabrina in private, he was
afraid his hands would somehow find their way around her beautiful neck.
From his position next to a window, he had a good view of the street. He held his breath the
minute he saw Sabrina descend from a taxi. She looked amazing. Vibrant, as if she hadn’t suffered at all
since they’d been apart. She wore a fitted, short-sleeved maroon dress that hugged her body in all the
right places, accentuating her womanly curves and reminding him of how she used to feel in his arms.
He loved her in red tones—maroon, burgundy, rose. They underscored the color of her skin—
barely darker than his—in a flattering way. Had she worn that dress on purpose to influence him? The
short hemline gave him an eyeful of long, honey-colored legs that looked stunning in a pair of heels the
same color as her dress.
Her hair had grown since she’d moved to Brazil, now below her shoulders in a display of neatly
arranged spiral curls. The highlights in her chestnut hair shone like burnished copper under the sun’s
rays as she left the sidewalk and made her way inside the café. She turned heads as her tall body glided
forward with a level of confidence that reminded him of the first time he’d set eyes on her in the bar in
Chicago. She’d been striking then, and she was striking now.
Despite what she’d done, he couldn’t take his eyes off of her, tracking her movements like a
starving man who had a mouth-watering tender cut of grilled steak dangled in front of him. Being
without her had been difficult, because the disgusting part of this whole ordeal was that he couldn’t stop
thinking about her. He still wanted her, ached for her. He could feel the tension taking control of his
muscles.
He’d like to think the more time they spent apart, the easier it would be to forget her and the hold
she had on him, but that hadn’t happened. His craving for her had never faded. He needed to maintain
control where she was concerned, but it was impossible because her presence always evoked strong
emotions in him.
He couldn’t evade the traitorous thought of her sensuous curves stretched out in their bed, or the
resulting raw heat of desire that pulsated through his body. He could see her now, taking him deeper,
matching him stroke for stroke.
His weakness for her was reprehensible. He reminded himself he’d had to replace their bed
because she’d defiled it by inviting another man into it. It had been the first thing to go after he’d tossed
her out that night. But look at her. She still had the power to stir him, regardless of what she’d done. He
hated that. Hated remembering how good it had been.
Had it been like that for them?
The host led her to his table. He stood, the habit long ingrained. “Sabrina.”
“Renny.” Her light brown eyes were curious, yet guarded when they met his black ones.
“I prefer Renaldo,” he said, pulling out her chair. She winced, and he knew the message had been
driven home.
Hearing her use the nickname she’d given him made the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand
up, and he wanted to make it clear that they were no longer on such intimate terms. She’d been the only
person he’d ever allowed to shorten his name. Not even his own sisters referred to him by anything
other than his given name.
“If that’s what you want,” she said softly as she sat.
The familiar scent of her favorite perfume—pink lilies—taunted him, and he took a silent,
steadying breath. He gripped the chair rather than doing what he wanted to, his fingers itching to sink
into her thick, lustrous hair so he could claim her delicious mouth. Amazing how, even now, just the
smell of her could set his teeth on edge and his blood burning.
With a quick readjustment to his brain, he pushed the chair in and took his own seat across from
her. The waiter appeared, and while they discussed Sabrina’s order, he watched the way she smiled at the
other man. Her lips, naturally a deep coral color, were covered in a shimmering red lipstick, which
brought attention to their fullness.
Lips he’d tasted. Lips that had—
His groin ached as he remembered the feel of those lips around his erection—pulling, sucking,
giving him unspeakable pleasure. Had she done the same with her lover? Had she sucked him dry and
licked her lips as if she’d never before had such a tasty treat?
Renaldo gritted his teeth and let his eyes rove over the well-dressed diners sipping coffees,
unaware of the thoughts that ravaged his memories and had tormented him since the day he’d seen those
photos. His beautiful wife giving what should be his alone to another man.
He came back to the present when the waiter walked away from the table.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet me.” Renaldo was amazed he could sound so normal when he
really wanted to rail against her.
“I didn’t feel as if I had a choice. You didn’t divulge much over the phone.”
“I thought it would be better if we spoke in person.” The best way to deal with Sabrina was the
direct approach. They were alike in that respect. Neither of them liked to beat around the bush. “I have
a proposition for you. As you know, we’re still in the probation period for Estação Central, but you and
I are on our way to a divorce because of your…extramarital activities.” Her only response was the
movement along her delicate throat. He watched it for a moment, entranced, before the memory of his
tongue tasting that sweet skin threatened to overwhelm him. “We both know how important this real
estate project is for Mayor Salazar. He wants to leave a mark on the city, the same way Mayor Kassab did
when he created the Clean City Law.”
The law had banned all outdoor advertising. Although the law had been controversial during its
inception, Sao Paulo—and as a result, Mayor Kassab—had become a model for other large cities around
the world to emulate. Mayor Salazar wanted a similar legacy before he left office.
“What does this have to do with me?”
“Your experience and education were included in the proposal, like everyone else listed as key
personnel at SDG. If Mayor Salazar finds out you’re no longer with the company, it could potentially
void our proposal.”
“So…are you saying you want me to come back to work?” There was a hopeful lilt in her voice.
“Not exactly,” he answered, noting how the light dulled in her eyes at his words.
“Then what is it that you want?”
What he wanted was an honest wife. But that seemed to be too much to ask.
He presented the letter from the mayor, and while she read it, he explained. “I think we should
call a halt to the divorce proceedings—at least temporarily.”
She lifted her gaze, and he was struck by the fact that she had the most amazing eyes. Almost the
color of amber with flecks of darker brown. They reminded him of a tiger-eye gemstone. When she was
aroused, the darker brown dominated.
His body pulsed at the thought, and it took monumental effort to refocus his mind to the business
at hand. “I’d also like you to come back to the office a few times over the next few weeks and show your
face—purely as a figurehead, of course—and do the interview and attend the dinner with me. Once the
probation period is over, we’ll continue with the divorce and go our separate ways.” He watched closely
for her reaction.
Sabrina frowned. “You want me to pretend we’re still together and everything is fine?”
“Pretending shouldn’t be a problem for you,” he said smoothly. “You’ve done an excellent job so
far.”
She took a deep breath. “What is it that you’re offering me?”
“Why am I not surprised you asked me that?”
Sabrina’s cheeks colored.
“I’ll give you two million US dollars.”
The waiter arrived and set the coffee in front of Sabrina who waited until he left to say, “No.
Renaldo, I don’t want two million dollars. What I want—”
“Not enough?” Renaldo felt his temperature rise several degrees. He’d purposely low-balled her
and was prepared to go higher, but he did have a ceiling. “Three million.”
Her lips parted in surprise, and he could see the wheels turning as she made calculations in her
head. “That’s a lot of money.”
Yet she didn’t look appreciative. She looked almost…disappointed. There was only one reason for
that type of look. Greed. Pure and simple. She’d expected more because she knew how much the project
was worth and the financial health of the company—maybe better than he did—down to the last centavo.
“Is that it? That’s why you wanted to see me?”
“That’s not enough? What more do you want, Sabrina?” Clearly she was determined to wring
every dime she could out of him.
“I thought that—” She looked down at the table, but not before he saw a suspicious sheen in her
eyes. He stared at her. What was going on in that head of hers? She took a breath and lifted her gaze to
him. Her eyes looked clear and dry, and he realized he must have been mistaken by what he thought he
saw. “Why not four or five million?”
Her tone was flippant, and it rankled, but he wasn’t surprised she’d asked for more. Her
cooperation was worth more. Taking a sip of his coffee, Renaldo watched her over the brim of the cup.
He set it down. “Fine. Five. But I can’t have you jeopardizing this deal. You’ll have to move back into
the penthouse.”
This time she couldn’t hide her reaction. Her expressive eyes filled with shock, unable to believe
what he’d suggested.
He couldn’t either. Having her move back into their home hadn’t been part of the original plan,
but it made sense. It would enable him to keep an eye on her and bring an end to any gossiping about
their relationship. That was the only reason he would have her back there, invading his home and his
privacy.
Certainly not because he wanted to be close to her.
Chapter Four
You’ll have to move back into the penthouse.
Sabrina examined her husband in stunned silence. Her brain said he couldn’t be serious, but her
eyes insisted he was.
This wasn’t the type of reconciliation she’d hoped for when he called. Being apart from him had
been a nightmare she kept hoping to wake up from. It was like she was haunted by his image.
For the first couple of weeks, she’d remained on Jewel’s sofa most of the day, not wanting to face
the world or a future without him. When she did leave the apartment, everywhere she looked she
thought she saw him: sipping a coffee in a nearby cafe, seated in a taxi rolling down the street, or
walking ahead of her on the sidewalk. Even in sleep she hadn’t been able to escape, dreaming about him
and waking up in the middle of the night, wishing he was there with her.
He was always a gentleman and had risen to his feet when she approached the table. She almost
wished he hadn’t because she’d smelled his cologne—a scent which had made her want to lean into the
solid strength of his body, missing being encased in his warm, loving arms.
With a steadying breath and the straightening of her spine, she faced him down. She had to
eliminate the emotion out of their conversation and think logically. She’d learned the art of negotiation
from him. It was a choreographed dance, and Renaldo had a knack for knowing when to massage a deal
or when to stand firm. She enjoyed watching him in action—the back and forth between him and the
opposing side, how he’d wear them down until he ultimately got what he wanted.
Persistence. That’s how he’d gotten her naked the first night they met.
“I’m not moving back in with you.” Not under the circumstances he suggested. He hadn’t missed
her after all, and he only wanted her back because of a business deal.
“It’s the best way to ensure that no one knows we’re separated. We need to behave as if everything
is normal.”
“If I were to agree to this, and that’s a big if—I’d want some kind of contract drawn up to
protect my interests. I’ll need to discuss this with my attorney.”
“No need. The contracts have already been prepared. It’s a good deal, and she will advise you to
sign it.”
“How do you know?”
His lips curled upward in a cynical, humorless smile.
Her stomach dropped. “What did you do? Did you bribe her?”
“Of course not. I don’t issue bribes.”
No, not directly. He’d have someone else do it. “I’ll get another lawyer,” Sabrina said, feeling her
pulse thunder.
“Why go through such an exercise and waste valuable time when the result will be the same?”
Sabrina swallowed past the tightness in her throat. He’d do what needed to be done to get his way.
He always did. How ironic. One of the things she’d found so attractive about him was now being used
against her.
She’d known he was a wealthy man when she met him, but she hadn’t fully understood until she’d
moved to the country and seen the extent of his power and influence as part of the upper echelon of the
business elite. When they’d met, he’d downplayed his level of success. He ran one of the top real estate
investment firms in the country. Considering he’d rebuilt the company after his mother’s poor
management, it was quite an impressive feat for a man of twenty-nine years.
She couldn’t believe he’d gotten to her attorney. No wonder her suggestions always seemed to be
met with resistance. This was part of the quiet power he wielded. He could get to anyone and do almost
anything. Now he was exerting this power by forcing her to take what he offered, or risk getting nothing
at all.
“What you did is unethical.”
“And what you did is immoral. What a lovely pair we make.”
She winced internally as the verbal blow landed with precision across her conscience. “So you
admit you got to my lawyer?”
“I admit nothing.”
He didn’t have to. He wasn’t foolish enough to approach her attorney himself. He would use an
intermediary—a despachante, and Paulo had probably arranged it. A despachante facilitated business
transactions in Brazil. In a country where long lines and onerous red tape could prolong the timetable of
normal transactions, they were invaluable.
They knew the right people in government to get things done and knew how to grease the wheels.
Their efforts often entered gray areas—areas which by U.S. standards would be considered illegal but
were normal here. An efficient despachante had made it possible for her to get her work visa and
permanent resident status in record time after their wedding.
Money was not always offered. In some cases, greasing the wheel could be as simple as providing a
favor such as getting a contract, getting a license to do business, the speedy processing of documents—
anything of value to the other party. Whatever he’d offered her attorney, it had been enough to get her
to turn against her own client.
Sabrina felt backed into a corner and clutched her purse in her lap. “I won’t be coerced into
signing anything until I have adequate legal representation.”
“You have adequate representation. Haven’t you been happy with your attorney so far?”
“Now that I know she’s been in your pocket the entire time,” Sabrina said through gritted teeth,
“I’m not so sure I ever even received representation, much less an adequate one.”
There was no telling what types of clauses had been written into the contract, and it would be
written in Portuguese. After a year she spoke it well, but reading a legal document in the language was
difficult. Hell, she had a hard time understanding contracts written in English.
“You’re worrying too much.” Renaldo sat back in the chair, completely relaxed. He rubbed his
thumb back and forth across his knuckles. “What you need to concentrate on is the amount of money
you stand to gain versus your situation right now. I am prepared to pull my offer if you don’t agree.
You’re a smart woman. I’m sure you can see the benefit of accepting.”
“You’re not doing me any favors. I deserve that money, Renaldo. You know it’s true. I worked
hard at that company.”
“As an employee—and like every other employee, you were compensated. This is extra.”
He’d never referred to her as simply an employee before. He’d always said she was his partner—
partner in business and partner in life.
“I was more than simply an employee. I was an asset to your company. You told me often
enough.” Sabrina lifted her head. She knew her worth, even if he didn’t want to acknowledge it now.
Together they’d made a formidable team. Their greatest achievement had come when they’d
beaten out nine other companies and won the bid to renovate Estação Central. It was a multi-million
dollar deal—the largest in SDG history, and she’d been a part of it. No matter what snide remarks
Renaldo made, he couldn’t take that away from her.
He took another sip of his coffee, restrained power beneath the perfectly cut, three-piece, black
Armani suit. While other men wore Armani to make themselves look good, Renaldo, with his stunning
good looks and thick, muscular body, made the suit look good.
He was the epitome of the cosmopolitan male. His raven-colored hair was always neatly groomed
and trimmed short. Never ruffled, except when she’d threaded her fingers through it. The black Italian
leather shoes on his feet gleamed from a fresh polish. Gold cuff links and a solid-colored silk tie
completed his look of simple elegance.
This was the portrait he presented to most of the world, but she knew another side of him. The
one that wore jeans to relax. When he went from powerful to charming, from a businessman to a rakish,
untamed seducer. But she wouldn’t see that side of him today, because today she was the enemy.
“Never over estimate your worth, Sabrina. It’s not attractive.” He flicked his wrist to reveal a gold
vintage Rolex. He loved that watch. Not because of the manufacturer, but because it had been his
father’s. “What I’m asking you to do is not unreasonable and I need an answer now. Yes or no? The
papers have been drawn up, and all we need to do is drop in the dollar amount and sign the documents.
What will it be?”
“I’m not signing a contract written in Portuguese that your attorney prepared. If you would give
me a little time—”
“Again, time for what?” Renaldo asked. “Your hesitation makes me think you don’t want to. Are
you prepared to walk away from all that money? This offer is only open right now. It would be foolish
of you to miss out, especially after such a dogged pursuit of money since I’ve known you.”
He was mocking her now. Her ambition, a trait he’d hailed as positive when they met, he now
twisted and used against her.
“You didn’t complain when I helped improve your bottom-line.”
“I did complain,” Renaldo reminded her. “But you didn’t care. You continued to work long
hours.”
“I did it for us.”
“No, you did it for you. I always told you, there must be a balance. You cannot work all day, all
the time.”
“I’m not having this argument with you,” Sabrina said.
Her work schedule had been a major bone of contention between them. But no matter how upset
he had become, she hadn’t been able to cut back. Yes, she was ambitious, but there was nothing wrong
with that. Yes, she wanted to be successful; not just for herself, but for him, too.
Renaldo had worked hard for years, foregoing a university education in favor of rebuilding his
family’s name and reputation after they’d lost everything. He’d achieved a lot in a short time, managing
to amass a fortune in real estate, and he was loved and respected by many. She’d understood that and
had wanted to support him. Now he was using it to disparage her character.
“I refuse to sign the contract without fully comprehending it on my end. Five million dollars, you
give me more time, and I keep my own apartment.” She could play hardball just like he could. She
needed that money and he needed her. If she could stall him, then that would give her time to find a new
attorney—someone she could trust. Hopefully, she could keep them on her side this time with a nice
bonus.
“I don’t have the luxury of waiting for you to get a new attorney and a translation. Five million
dollars, and you move back in. Accept the deal today, or it’s off the table. There is no negotiating on this
point.”
“I—”
“And another thing,” he added, clearly on a roll. “I’ll need you to report your comings and goings
to me at all times.”
“What? You’re being ridiculous.”
“Do you really need me to spell it out?” A hard look came into his eyes, and the cool mask began
to slip away, something she rarely saw because Renaldo seldom lost his temper. Very little could crack
his cool exterior, but apparently she could. “We need to appear as if nothing has changed in our
marriage, period, and that means you can no longer see your boyfriend. You’ll have to end your
relationship with him.”
“I’m not in a relationship with—”
“And any other man you’re seeing.”
“You’re suggesting—”
“Because for this to work, you’ll have to keep your legs closed. Do you think you can manage
that? When it’s all over, then you can resume…whatever it is you do.” His jaw hardened. “Just think
about the money.”
His words cut through her. He wasn’t going to stop. She could see it. “Does it make you feel
better to tear me apart?”
“No, actually, it doesn’t. What would make me feel better would land me in prison.”
The chilling words sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t doubt he meant it. He hated her.
She had to convince him she wasn’t the horrible person he thought she was. She had doubts about
that night, wondered if she could have been drugged by Mateo. If he’d just let her explain. “Renaldo,
listen to me. That night—”
“I should have known, though,” he said, his face set in hard lines as he stared out the window,
rubbing his thumb across his knuckles. “The first night we met, you came back to my hotel room.”
Sabrina drew a sharp breath. “Don’t. Don’t make it ugly.”
“Because your…what do you call it in English?” His gaze came back to her. “Friend with benefits
—yes, that’s the phrase. He canceled on you, so you easily picked up another man in the bar.”
“I didn’t pick you up.”
“Is that how you found your lover, too?” He spoke with unveiled distaste, delivering the words
with contempt-filled eyes.
“You came on to me.” She wasn’t letting him twist that night. It had been the beginning of their
love affair. An affair that had changed her life and altered her world.
“You didn’t turn me down. A complete stranger.”
“We had a connection.”
“We had sex.”
“You’re saying that to hurt me, and I understand.” Her temple throbbed as her blood pressure
rose. “What we shared was deeper than that, though, and you know it. What I did—”
“What you did was inexcusable.”
“People make mistakes. I never planned it. It was one time. I’m not even sure—”
“Do you think that makes a difference?” he asked with an incredulous hiss. He balled his hand
into a fist and leaned across the table. “You are my wife. You let another man inside of you. Do you
know what I wanted to do to you when I saw those pictures? Do you know what I want to do to you
right now?”
She could only imagine. She stared down into her untouched coffee, feeling the scalding heat of
his rage.
“You will move back into my house, and you will report your comings and goings to me at all
times.” When she remained silent, he continued. “I mean it, Sabrina. It is the only way, because I will
not let you out of my sight until this deal is finalized.”
“You can’t expect me to live like that. You want to treat me like some kind of prisoner.”
“I don’t care what you think or what you feel. Anything I ever felt for you is dead. I regret the day
I married you. Am I clear? All I ask is that you behave yourself, or we could both lose a large sum of
money. I don’t care how long you’ve been seeing him. It ends today. Starting right now, you will behave
yourself in a respectable manner, like the wife you should be. Not like some filthy puta who—”
Sabrina bolted from the chair as her heart rate escalated. He’d called her a whore.
“Sit down.” His eyes glittered with anger.
She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t live in the same house with him again, knowing how he felt.
“I’m leaving. I think we should go back to letting our attorneys work out the details of the
divorce.” Or rather, his attorneys, because she really didn’t have one.
“Sit down. You’re making a scene.”
Sabrina glanced around at the other diners watching them.
“Why? I won’t sit here and be attacked by you. You want me to move back in so you can make me
pay for what I did. I won’t move back in, Renn—Renaldo. Since you said that’s nonnegotiable, then the
negotiations are over.”
She didn’t wait for a response. She turned quickly and hurried toward the exit, winding her way
through tables and past curious faces. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, she took a fortifying breath and
swallowed the hurt of Renaldo’s words. She couldn’t take his cruelty. The soft smiles she’d grown
accustomed to were long gone. In their place, his sensual lips had been set in rigid lines and his eyes as
hard and cold as an Antarctic glacier.
Why hadn’t she gotten rid of the photos right away? The one time she hadn’t immediately
destroyed them she’d been caught in her deception.
Now she’d lost everything. Her home. The love of her life.
She’d grown too dependent on him. He’d taken care of her—something she’d never experienced
before. She’d always had to be independent and taken care of herself and Jewel.
She’d lost her anchor and killed his love.
Suddenly, her thoughts were disrupted by the searing heat of fingers that clamped around her
upper arm like hot steel.
“What are you—”
“Not a word.” Renaldo moved briskly, dragging her along with him, forcing her to double time it
for every step he took.
Chapter Five
They moved through the crowded street in silence with Renaldo clearing a path through the other
pedestrians until he pulled her down an alleyway between two buildings.
When they came to a stop, she yanked her arm out of his grip. She could still feel the harsh
impression of his fingers. But in the past, those fingers had stroked across her damp skin, made her
throb, ache, and beg for release. She fought down the erotic thought and summoned the strength to
look him in the eye.
He stood before her, a six-foot-five bronze pillar, making her feel small because of his height,
despite the fact that at five-foot-ten she was over six feet in heels.
He stared down at her, struggling to keep his anger in check. The planes of his face looked harsh,
but none of it changed the fact that he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on. She missed
him and what they’d had so much.
“You never walk away from a negotiation until every option has been exhausted,” he finally said,
anger lending a rougher edge to his voice.
“I’m not interested in anything else you have to offer. I just want to get my divorce and leave.
You’ve made it clear how you feel about me.”
His eyes narrowed. “Is this your way of getting more money? Because if it is, I’ve offered you
plenty. You know it and I know it.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, this has nothing to do with money. I’m simply not interested
anymore.”
“I don’t believe you. No one walks away from that kind of money.”
“I don’t care about it,” Sabrina shot back. “Aren’t you listening?” She wanted to scream at him
but kept her voice at a level to match his.
“What is it then?” His eyes searched her face. “Is it him? Because I won’t allow you to see him,
Sabrina. Do you understand me? So help me—” He shook with rage, his fists clenched at his sides.
“No!” Sabrina screamed in frustration. “It has nothing to do with him or anyone else. It’s you.”
She stopped, afraid to share what she felt, but the words just kept coming. “I don’t want you to look at
me the way you did in there.”
“And how did I look at you?”
She drew a shaky breath. “Like you hate me.”
A muscle in his jaw jumped. “And how would you prefer that I look at you?” he asked in a
lowered tone.
She took her time answering, needing to gain some semblance of control. “The way you used to,”
she said huskily, her voice trembling with emotion.
“With love in my eyes?” Renaldo asked caustically. “Those days are long gone.”
His eyes roved over her, and she felt it as if he actually touched her. The tips of her breasts
became hard knots beneath her shape-hugging dress. Her whole body came alive in reaction to the slide
of his dark gaze. She would do anything to touch him again—to have him touch her—with tenderness
and love.
If he wanted to take her against the wall right this minute, she feared she would aid him by hiking
up her dress. She would do anything to have his muscular thighs slide between hers. To be pinned
beneath him and have him pushing his hard length into her, driving her to the point of delirium.
“I no longer want you,” he said, but she knew he was lying because of the flaring of his nostrils,
and his breathing had become labored, making his chest move up and down beneath his expensive suit.
When his gaze came back to hers, there was a heat in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. “I know the
kind of woman you are now, and I can’t bring myself to touch you. I can barely look at you without
seeing…”
The words had the same effect as a hard slap to the face, jolting her from her desire-induced haze.
Sabrina closed her eyes, but even with them closed, a sixth sense told her when he’d distanced himself
from her. She opened her eyes and saw that he’d stepped away and was staring across at the wall of the
opposite building with his hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers. To a person who didn’t know
him, they might mistakenly assume this was a relaxed pose, but she knew him well, and the tension in his
body spoke volumes.
“I know I hurt you,” she whispered, wanting to stop both of their pain, “but I wish you would let
me explain my side of the story.”
“I already know your side of the story. I left you alone and you found ways to occupy yourself.”
“It wasn’t that simple.”
He whirled around. “Then explain it to me. What happened?”
“I’m not even sure…I…I think I was drugged.” Sabrina faltered. “I know, I know it sounds
farfetched, but…I only had a couple of drinks, and I don’t remember what happened after that.”
“Drugged?” he asked in a mocking tone, walking slowly back to her. He tilted his head to the side.
“First you were drunk, now you were drugged. How convenient. And you don’t remember how another
man ended up in our bed.”
“It’s the truth. Don’t you see,” Sabrina said, trying to appeal to him. “I would never have done
anything like that under normal circumstances. I could never do that to you—to us.”
“I don’t know that, do I? Our relationship moved very fast, and we were engaged within a short
period. I didn’t know you at all.”
“You’ve come to know me over the past year.”
“Apparently not.” His gaze sharpened on her. “And you gave him money, didn’t you? I saw large
withdrawals from your account. Twenty-thousand real on two separate occasions.”
“You were snooping in my account?” Sabrina gasped. Was there nothing he couldn’t do?
He showed no remorse. “Did you give him money?”
“It’s not what you think. I had no choice. He was blackmailing me. Those pictures he took…he
promised they would get out. He promised to send them to you, break up our marriage, and hurt and
embarrass you. I couldn’t let that happen.”
She’d been frantic—petrified. She’d known once Renaldo saw those pictures, not only would he
be hurt, she’d lose him, so she’d given in to the blackmail.
Renaldo sneered. “So you gave him forty-thousand real? If what you’re saying is true, what do you
think will happen when the money runs out? He’s going to come back again and ask for more.”
“If he does, it would be pointless, because you know now. He can’t hold it over my head anymore
because our marriage is already over.”
“But he still has the pictures, Sabrina. If you don’t give him what he wants, what do you think he
will do?”
“I know. I’ve thought about that.” While Mateo still had the pictures he had control because they
could surface at any time, but she had no way of getting in touch with him. He had always contacted her,
and she hadn’t heard from him in weeks.
Renaldo appraised her in silence. “What was it about him?” he asked quietly. “What attracted you
to him?”
“Nothing. I wasn’t attracted to him.”
“I find that hard to believe. There were times—there were times you acted like you didn’t want
me to touch you. I thought you were just overworked, but now it makes sense.”
“It wasn’t because I didn’t want you, but because of the guilt. Knowing what I’d done and keeping
it from you. Sometimes I couldn’t face you. I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t want to
lose you and I thought I could handle it myself.”
“So you lied to me. You deceived me into thinking that we had a good marriage. I was worried
you might be working too hard, and I thought we should plan some kind of getaway. But the whole
time, you had this secret.”
“I can’t tell you enough how sorry I am. I would do anything to fix this and take back what I did,”
Sabrina said, her voice distressed. She tried to keep the tears from overwhelming her.
“But you can’t take it back.” He shook his head in disgust. “It’s never enough, is it?”
“I don’t know what you mean by that. It was enough. I was happy.”
“Obviously not.” He paused. “So tell me, how was he?”
Her heart started beating faster. “I told you—”
“Was he so good you had to beg him not to stop—the way you beg me?”
Talking to him was pointless. He wasn’t ready to hear her yet. “Don’t do this.” She started to back
away, but her back hit the wall behind her.
He used the opportunity to come closer and braced an arm on either side of her, forcing her to
stay put. “What did you let him do to you?” His voice was thick and his accent more pronounced.
“I don’t remember,” she replied, shaking her head.
“How many times did you bring him into our home?”
“There were no other times. It was just the one time. I swear.”
“I don’t believe you. How often did you see him? Are you seeing him now? Are there others?” He
dipped his head to look her in the eye. “Tell me.” He slammed his hand into the wall above her head.
“Tell me!”
“Stop!” Sabrina’s heart stuttered in her chest. She’d never been afraid of him before, but she
didn’t know him now. He’d never been so angry at her. “There is no one else. There were no other
times. I can’t explain to you what happened that night. I only know I wasn’t myself.”
“Como?” His brows lowered over his eyes. “You destroyed our marriage because you weren’t
yourself?” His breathing became harsh. “I will never forgive you,” he said in a low voice.
Sabrina took a deep breath. “I know.”
Her gaze traveled over his face, and she could see the pain in his eyes—the source of his fury. Any
number of women would have been happy to be in her position, but she’d thrown it all away with a
reckless act.
She’d hurt the only man she’d ever loved, wounded his pride, and tossed everything he’d ever
given her back in his face. If only she could take it back. She wanted to ease his pain, and selfishly, she
wanted to stop her own, too.
She lifted a tentative hand to touch the smooth skin of his face. “Renny…”
His nostrils expanded, and a tremor shook his body at her touch.
“Deus,” he said, his voice a thickened groan.
His face contorted, and she sensed the internal struggle within him. He didn’t want to want her,
but he did. They were both helpless to the pulse and beat of the intensity between them.
“Renny, honey,” she whispered, “forgive me. I’m so sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Hesitantly, she edged closer, and when he didn’t withdraw, she pressed a light kiss to his neck. He
still didn’t move, so she pressed another one, and another to his Adam’s apple, traveling to the other
side of his throat with tender kisses across his skin.
Desire blossomed inside of her as another tremor, stronger this time, wracked his body. Then,
with a guttural groan, he wrapped his strong arms around her waist and his mouth landed on hers—not
soft and tender like hers, but hot and demanding.
She leaned into him, her heart soaring. He wanted her and she wanted him. She’d never had any
desire to cheat; that night had been an anomaly. Renaldo was all she needed, all she wanted.
With no resistance from her, he pulled her into the doorway of one of the buildings and drew her
closer, sandwiching her between him and the wall, making her breasts swell against the press of his hard
chest.
Sabrina let her purse fall to the ground to freely lock her arms around his neck. She opened her
mouth, swaying under the force of sexual desire that claimed her body. Renaldo groaned, smoothing his
hands up the back of her thighs, dragging the hem of her dress with them. His hands roamed
possessively over her hips and the bare cheeks of her buttocks, exposed because of the thin piece of
fabric nestled between them.
How she’d missed him, missed his touch.
He buried his face in the curve of her neck, his heavy breaths heating her skin as his hand
skimmed across the damp material between her legs. Sabrina angled her hips toward him, opening her
thighs wider to make it easier for him to caress her there, where her wet body pleaded for more.
She found his mouth again and initiated another kiss, but he took control by darting his tongue
between her lips, scraping past her teeth to make masterful, erotic strokes. His mouth moved over hers
with fluid control, yet it was a demanding, all-consuming kiss. She shivered in his arms as their tongues
tangled and their moist lips devoured each other.
It had been so long since she’d felt this rush, this heat. His taste and scent were intoxicating.
His hand went to the back of her knee and lifted her leg so that it hooked around his waist, and
she could feel the pressure of his hard length on her abdomen.
He slid his other hand down the soft curve of her bottom, squeezed one of her cheeks, and
continued the slide between her legs until one long finger slid along her covered slit and flicked her
engorged clit.
Her lower body jerked at the intimate touch. What rushed through her was indescribable,
dizzying, and a tiny sound left her throat. Her need for him was unprecedented, and she rocked her hips
against his, gasping into his mouth, moaning and aching for relief. She wanted him here, now, against
this wall, with a desire so explosive she no longer cared what he thought of her.
“I need you…need you, Renny.”
The admission was a breathless whisper that bared the truth to him. She feverishly kissed his lips,
his chin, and dragged his lower lip between her teeth. She caressed his head, ruffling the short, silky
strands with her fingers.
His breathing was shaky as he directed his mouth to her jaw line, down to the erratic pulse at her
throat, his kisses moist and hot. He dragged his hand to the front and slid it between her legs, moving it
slow, sliding backward, then forward, before his finger flicked her clit again. She trembled, clutching his
shoulders, and he made circles on the damp crotch of her panties, drawing out the torture. The
oppressive ache in her loins was too much. She needed him, as much as she needed the blood in her
veins.
Sabrina reached between them and covered his raging hard-on with her palm, the heavy weight of
it filling her hand. She was reaching for the zipper on his pants, when all of a sudden he pulled back.
“Não!”
He took two steps back with a suddenness that left her off balance, the wooden frame of the
doorway supporting her shaky-legged stance. Their mutual passion had them both heaving deep breaths,
staring at each other with blatant hunger.
“Sedutora,” he rasped, swiping a hand across his mouth.
He stepped back into the alleyway and turned his back to her, running the same hand down the
back of his head. She noticed how his fingers trembled. Disappointed in the turn of events, Sabrina
pushed her dress back down, her unsatisfied need a physical pain.
“Six million, and not a penny more, no matter how enticing you are.” The words sounded torn
from him. “Take it or leave it. You move back in. If you choose not to, then I take my chances with the
mayor.”
Her heart hurt at the suggestion that she was trying to seduce him into giving her more money,
but the fact that he’d gone up another million brought home the importance of having this deal
finalized. He’d explained it to her once—the significance of família. The ideology was commonplace in a
country where the preservation of the family was paramount. Here, the familial bond made it a societal
requirement that those who were better off help their relations. Nepotism was actually a positive thing.
She’d found it difficult to comprehend at first, but after so much time in the country, she came to
understand. If this deal fell through, family members who expected to have some role in it would suffer.
No doubt promises had already been made that needed to be fulfilled. This is where she had the upper
hand, because Renaldo’s Latin pride would not allow him to let them down. She could call his bluff,
press home her advantage, and try to squeeze even more money out of him, but ultimately, that’s not
what she wanted.
“Six million, Sabrina,” he repeated, waiting for a response, his back still to her.
It wasn’t a hard decision to make for practical reasons. In thirty days, she could exit the country
six million dollars richer and have the funds to start her own company rather than working for someone
else.
Yet she wanted to tell him no, she wouldn’t leave, that she wanted to stay and fight for her
marriage. She didn’t want to take the money and then be forced to disappear from his life forever, but
she’d be fooling herself to suggest anything other than what he offered.
Her explanations hadn’t changed his opinion of her. He only wanted her to do what he demanded
and get out of his life.
Tears filled her eyes. “I accept your offer,” she said quietly.
“Of course you do.” Another swipe at her character. The explosive chemistry between them
wasn’t enough to kill the anger and pain. “We have contracts to sign. Let’s get this over with.”
__________
Today had not gone as planned at all.
Renaldo climbed the stairs to the second floor of his home. He walked across the thick carpet of
the second living room, filled with heavy, dark brown leather furniture and contemporary tables made of
beveled sky blue glass tops. The upper rooms were housed around the living room: a guest bedroom and
bath, a hall bath, two offices, and the master suite and its bathroom. Against the wall, a small bar and
kitchenette sat side by side, so that the upstairs could be self-contained.
Renaldo went to the bar and poured himself a scotch.
He thought back to the pained look in Sabrina’s eyes when he’d called her a puta. Why did he want
to comfort her, gather her close and tell her everything would be okay? Why was he the one feeling
guilty when she was the one who’d been unfaithful? And why the hell was his body still throbbing hours
after he’d touched her?
He tossed back the scotch.
The apartment didn’t feel the same. He’d lived alone before she moved in, but without her there,
it seemed emptier than before. It no longer felt like home.
He picked up the decanter, poured himself another drink, and then walked over to the doors
leading to the rooftop terrace. Outside was an infinity-edge pool, which at first glance gave the
impression that one could fall off the top of the building, but a solid wall of Plexiglas prevented such a
catastrophe from happening. A patio set with an umbrella and lounge chairs finished off the outdoor
retreat.
He sighed. He hated her for what she’d done. Even though he couldn’t trust a word that came
from her lying lips, he couldn’t ignore the feelings that arose as a result of seeing her again—which
showed the extent of his idiocy.
He tossed back the second drink.
He would have preferred to have never met her in the bar in Chicago that night. Whoever had
said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all was an idiot. Either that or they
had never loved and lost like this.
He couldn’t believe the situation in which he found himself, needing the aid of a woman he
couldn’t trust and could barely stand the sight of.
A sudden burst of rage combined with agony blasted through his body and he clenched his fist.
The tumbler in his hand shattered, shards of glass slicing his skin. Shocked, he watched as small drops of
blood ballooned and slid from his fingers, joining broken glass on the soft carpet.
Merda.
And to think, she hadn’t even moved back in yet.
Chapter Six
Sabrina drained the last of the coffee in her cup and set it in the kitchen sink. She still hadn’t fully
recovered after the meeting with Renaldo, even though it had taken place two days ago. Thinking about
him and that kiss made her feel as if there was a barrage of moths flailing their wings inside her stomach.
She closed her eyes and relived the moment as she’d done countless times already. She
remembered how his powerful body pinned her against the doorframe, the intimate caress of his hands
between her thighs, his mouth plying her lips with kisses and torturing the skin of her neck.
A shudder ran through her and she shook her head. She had to stop replaying it; it only made her
want him more.
And he didn’t want her. His body did, but he didn’t. He’d been angry about his reaction to her; he
didn’t want to have anything to do with her. She needed to remember that and focus on getting through
the next few weeks.
The contracts had been signed that same day, and Renaldo had expected her to move in
immediately.
“He’ll just have to wait,” she muttered, knowing he wouldn’t be pleased.
He was used to people falling all over themselves to accommodate him. But she’d decided to
move in over the weekend. All she had to do was pack a few suitcases with enough clothes to hold her
over during the weeks at the penthouse.
She went into her bedroom to check her reflection in the mirror and straightened the jacket of her
black suit.
Because of their separation, she not only needed a way to make money, she wanted to stay busy,
too. She’d decided to finish out the week at the firm where she’d been offering her consulting services.
Her schedule was flexible, although she stuck to the same routine—going in mid-morning and leaving
six hours later. The project was almost wrapped up, and today she planned to tell the onsite manager
that her last day was Friday.
The American firm, Midas Investments, Inc., was based out of Los Angeles and had set up a
satellite office in Sao Paulo to facilitate a joint venture between them and a Brazilian company. She’d
found out they were looking for a consultant after scouring the classified ads. They’d hired her the same
day of her interview, stating it was because of her ability to speak Portuguese and her experience in
mergers and acquisitions.
Jewel had been so happy when she found out Sabrina was moving back in with Renaldo, Sabrina
felt guilty about not being able to share the details with her cousin. Unfortunately, she had no choice in
the matter because the confidentiality agreement Renaldo had her sign forbade her to say a word to
anyone.
As a good faith gesture, he’d already wired two million dollars into an account she still had in
Chicago. The balance of the funds would be deposited after the probation period when the mayor could
no longer cancel the contract.
Thirty minutes later, Sabrina stepped off the elevator onto the floor occupied by Midas
Investments. She was greeted by the receptionist before she went into her temporary office. After
working for a while, she looked up when a gentle knock sounded on the office’s open door.
She smiled when she saw Rick, one of the analysts from Los Angeles.
“Hey, there,” he said. His dark hair always looked disheveled and windswept. “Got lunch plans?”
“No, I sure don’t.” Sabrina glanced at the time on her cell phone. The morning had flown by.
“How about in the next thirty minutes? I’m giving this cash flow valuation one more review before I
hand it over to Jonas.” Jonas Abramson managed the office and everyone working there reported to
him.
“We’re going to miss you around here. You only have a few more days, right?”
“Yes, and then it’s sayonara. I’ll talk to Jonas when I’m finished with this and make sure I’ve tidied
up all the loose ends since I won’t be back next week.”
She was going to miss working in the small office. It made her feel useful and filled the hours with
activity—activity which didn’t allow her to think about her dead marriage and pending divorce.
“Well, you’ll have to get in line,” Rick said. “He’s got some hotshot executive in his office behind
closed doors.”
“Oh, really?” Sabrina scanned the valuation report, only half-listening to what Rick was saying.
He dropped into the chair across from her and crossed his ankle over his knee. “Yeah, a local guy.
What was his name again…? I think it’s a common name. It’s…Salvi—no…” He snapped his fingers.
“Silva! That’s it. Silva.”
Sabrina’s heart skipped a beat, and she immediately looked up. “Silva?”
Rick hadn’t made the connection because Sabrina had used her maiden name, Porter, when she’d
applied for the consulting job.
“Yeah, da Silva. He’s some local big shot.” His brows drew together. “Hey, what’s the matter?
You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“When did he get here? Do you know what he wants? How long has he been in there?”
“Whoa, I don’t know the details. I only know what the receptionist told me, and she said that this
guy was a big deal around here. Jonas was excited to see him and told her to hold all calls while they
met.” He looked at her curiously. “Do you know this guy?”
“I’m not sure. Like you said, Silva is a common last name.” If it was Renaldo, why was he here?
“Well, according to the receptionist, he’s pretty tall, and these are her words, not mine…‘gorgeous
with midnight black hair.’ Sound like your guy?”
“Yes.” There was no doubt in her mind it was him.
“Who is he?”
She hesitated before answering. The staff knew she was married, but she’d never given them any
details. “He’s my husband.”
“Your husband?” Rick dropped his foot to the floor and sat up in the chair.
“It’s a long story.” Sabrina rose from the chair. “I better go see what he’s doing here. Thanks for
the heads-up, Rick.”
“Uh, yeah. Sure. No problem.”
Sabrina left him and within seconds found herself in front of her boss’s secretary. She guarded
Jonas like a bulldog, and she refused to allow Sabrina into his office until Sabrina told her that he was
meeting with her husband. Even then she picked up the phone to double check.
Sabrina took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
“Sabrina!” Jonas sprang from his chair, a huge grin on his face. “Look who stopped by.”
Renaldo sat there, looking amazing in another one of his three-piece suits. His gaze ran all over
her before coming back to her face, and she felt that look in every nerve ending.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I came to talk to a friend.”
“A friend?” Sabrina looked from one to the other. “I didn’t know the two of you knew each
other.”
“We do. If I’d known he was your husband, I would have given you a bigger office.” Jonas winked
and laughed. “We met a couple of years ago at a business function when I first visited Sao Paulo to
scope out locations. Renaldo was kind enough to give me some advice on the real estate market.”
“I would have had him lease space in one of my properties, but we didn’t have anything that fit his
needs at the time.”
Jonas chuckled. “You still helped me out a great deal, and I appreciate it. Your knowledge was
invaluable.”
Sabrina stared at Jonas. He was practically drooling over Renaldo. She’d never seen him so excited
about a visitor.
Renaldo rose slowly to his feet. “I was explaining to Jonas how much your assistance is needed
back at SDG. He’s been gracious enough to release you early from your contract obligations.”
Sabrina swung her head back to the manager. “I promised you I would work out the rest of the
week. There’s no need for you to make special concessions for me.”
“Nonsense.” Jonas waved away her concerns. “You’re pretty much finished, aren’t you? And
anything you haven’t had the chance to review, I can have one of the other analysts take a look at. You’re
so thorough, I’m sure there’s nothing for us to worry about.”
“But Jonas—”
“Thank you for understanding, Jonas,” Renaldo interrupted. “I’m sure you’re aware how
dedicated my wife is to any task she tackles. I’m looking forward to having her back at headquarters to
help me on this project.”
“I completely understand,” Jonas said. “I’m excited that Estação Central is finally going to be
finished. I can’t wait to see the final product.”
“As promised, you’ll be one of the first to take a look.”
Jonas smiled. Now she understood the excitement. Renaldo had promised him a priority viewing
of the complex. More manipulations.
“Meu coração,” Renaldo said to her, lifting his arm in the direction of the door for her to precede
him, the tender endearment falling easily from his lips. But he didn’t mean it.
“Jonas, it was nice working with you.” Sabrina could barely contain her frustration at having to
fall in with Renaldo’s wishes once more.
“Likewise.” Jonas hadn’t stopped smiling.
Sabrina stormed out of the office and retrieved her purse. After she delivered the report she’d
been working on to Jonas’s secretary, she followed her husband to the elevator.
A chauffeured limousine waited for them in front of the building. Even though Renaldo had a
car, he liked to make use of a driver. The convenience allowed him to get work done while in transit.
She’d grown accustomed to it, too—one of the benefits of being married to a wealthy man—but she’d
had to take taxis ever since their split.
She slid all the way across the seat to the other side and crossed her arms, staring blindly out the
window. They rode in silence for a while.
“How long have you known where I work?” she asked.
“Since we signed the contracts.”
Sabrina turned to look at him. “How? I used my maiden name.”
“It was very easy,” Renaldo explained, reclining against the soft leather. “I told you I’d keep an eye
on you, didn’t I?”
Sabrina unfolded her arms as understanding dawned. Surely he wouldn’t stoop so low. “Are you
having me followed?”
Chapter Seven
Renaldo raised an eyebrow. “Of course I’m having you followed. Do you think I would make the
mistake of trusting you again?”
Sabrina shook with anger. “How dare you! You have no right.”
“I have every right. I told you I would keep an eye on you, and I meant it.”
“I didn’t know you meant hiring someone to watch my every move.”
“I won’t have this deal fall apart because of your loose morals. If it means keeping an eye on you
twenty-four hours a day, then so be it.”
“Do you intend to throw it in my face every chance you get? I won’t let you do this to me.”
“It’s already done,” he said with finality.
“That’s not part of the deal.” Sabrina’s nerves were stretched taut. The thought of having
someone shadow her day in and day out was nerve-wracking.
“You should have added that stipulation before you signed.”
“As if I knew you’d do something so…despicable.” Her voice was getting louder and she was glad
for the soundproof glass that separated them from the driver. “Call them off.”
“Who do you think you are?” Renaldo asked. “You are in no position to make demands.”
Sabrina stared him down, squaring her shoulders. “Yes, I am. I know how important this deal is
to you. It’s just as important to you as it is to me.”
With a derisive chuckle, he crossed his legs. “Is that what you think? That we’re on equal
footing?”
Her confidence wavered under his self-confidence. “Call them off.” She had to stand up to him. If
she didn’t, he’d walk all over her.
“Tell me, Sabrina, what will you do if I don’t? Renege on the contract you’ve already signed? Not
a good idea, meu coração. I will sue you for breach of contract, and I will destroy you. You’ll have nothing
left when I get through.” Her confidence wavered yet again with that damn sideways smile of his. “Yes,
think about it. Long and hard.”
“You’re too concerned about your own reputation to sue me.”
“Do you wish to try me?”
He was speaking to her in such a cold, detached voice, she felt like they were strangers. “I don’t
even know you anymore.”
“Seems we’re in the same situation.”
Sabrina fell silent, her mind racing. He’d been in her bank account, and now he was having
someone monitor her movements. There was no escape from his influence. “Why are you doing this?”
“You know why.”
“Because you don’t trust me and because you—you hate me.”
He didn’t respond, his face an impassive mask, and the words remained between them like a
brutal, ugly thing. The fact that he didn’t deny it crushed Sabrina, and she turned to stare out of the
window again.
She refused to feel sorry for herself. She would get through it because she’d seen far worse in her
life, was strong, and would fight his control. “I wanted to leave Midas on my own terms.”
“We have an agreement. I expected you to give them notice that, effective immediately, you’re no
longer available. I thought I had made myself clear the other day.”
She barely saw the pedestrians walking in the street or the cars riding along beside them. She knew
what she’d done was wrong, but did he have to treat her like this? Like she was nothing? A nobody?
“I signed your contract, but that doesn’t mean you own me. I wanted to finish what I started
before I returned to SDG. I’ll only be a figurehead anyway, so what difference does it make?”
“I need you to start showing your face, and I fully expected you to do that right away. You also
should have moved in by now.”
Sabrina turned to face him. “I’m sorry, was that in the contract?” she asked with mock sweetness.
“I wouldn’t know, since the entire thing was written in Portuguese and I didn’t have an attorney present
to represent my interests.”
Silence. “You know how important this deal is. There are millions of dollars at stake—for both of
us. This is not a game.” There was an unmistakable warning in his voice.
“I’m not playing games. I didn’t want to let Midas down. It’s unfortunate you can’t understand
that. A couple more days wouldn’t have made much of a difference.”
“It made a difference to me.”
“And that’s all that matters,” Sabrina shot back.
“That’s right!” A vein in his neck popped into prominence, but then he took a deep, calming
breath and it disappeared.
She turned away again, staring out at the passing traffic, wishing she could take back control of
her life.
When the car stopped in front of her apartment building, she reached for the door handle, not
wanting to wait for the driver. “I’ll see you—”
Renaldo got out of his side of the car.
She jumped out on her side. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Upstairs, with you. You’re moving. Today.”
“I’m not ready to move.”
He strode toward the building, and she hurried after him, her gaze pinned to his broad back. His
tall, muscular body moved with the ease and grace of an athlete. She struggled to keep up with his
effortless stride. “I said that I’m not ready to move today.”
Still ignoring her, he hit the button for the elevator inside her building, and they rode up in
silence. If he didn’t want to talk anymore, that was fine with her.
When they arrived on her floor, Sabrina hurried past him to her apartment. If she could get in
before him, she had a chance of keeping him out.
No such luck. His hand shot out to keep the door open before she could slam it in his face.
His dark eyes smoldered with restrained anger. “It seems you are determined to try my patience.”
He pushed the door all the way open and looked over his shoulder down the hall. He waved his
hand and two uniformed men wearing caps appeared, holding large plastic totes with lids.
Where the hell had they come from?
Renaldo charged in, followed by the men. They were movers.
“I refuse—”
He spoke over her in Portuguese and pointed to the bedroom door, instructing them to start
packing up her clothing.
“Wait a minute!” She didn’t know if the men stopped because they understood English or because
they understood the demand in her voice.
They looked at Renaldo and he nodded for them to wait, which only annoyed her even more. “I
said no.”
“Did you forget our conversation in the car? You are moving back to the penthouse today. Now.”
“I can take care of that myself.”
“I’m not on your time, Sabrina.”
“And I’m not on yours!”
He clenched his teeth so tightly a muscle in his jaw vibrated. “Follow me.” He headed to the
bedroom door, and after a moment’s hesitation, she followed.
When they were both in the room with the door shut, she faced him, her anger nearing the boiling
point. “I am not one of your damn employees. You do not get to order me around.”
“On the contrary, with so much money at stake, I have no choice but to order you around because
it’s obvious you want to make this difficult.” He looked around her room with its simple furnishings. “I
would think you’d be happy to leave this place and return to the lifestyle you’ve grown used to over the
past year.”
She bristled at his not-too-subtle insult. “It may not be up to your standards, but it’s mine,” she
responded, lifting her chin.
Renaldo’s roaming gaze came to rest on the dresser. He walked over to it and picked up a photo
frame. It contained a picture of the two of them on their wedding day, standing on the beach with Jewel
and Renaldo’s family and friends. She’d been so happy that day.
Her breath caught when he placed it face down on the dresser.
“I’m tired of playing nice.”
“You call this nice? You had me terminated from my job after you promised Jonas first dibs at
Estação Central—or whatever the hell you promised him—and then you bring me here to force me to
move before I’m ready. You’re so nice.”
“Jonas no longer needed your services. And, yes, with what I’m paying you, I find myself to be
considerably more than nice, since if it weren’t for this project, you’d get nothing. And as for moving,
you should be thankful I’ve made the arrangements so you don’t have to.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?”
“I’d like to think so, but I’m not always so prepared. There have been times when I’ve been
completely blindsided. You blindsided me. But never again. Where you’re concerned, I plan to make sure
I’m always prepared.”
“This situation is impossible. How can we live together with this much animosity between us?
We’re not even being civil to each other.”
“I am being civil.”
She stopped breathing as he came forward, stopping in front of her, forcing her to tip her head
back to maintain eye contact. His closeness made her want to touch the hard contours of his face—the
lean jaw, the strong chin.
It took so much energy to fight him. And every time she was near him, she became so damn weak.
“But that’s not what you want, is it?” he said. “You want to pretend that what you did never
happened.”
“That’s not true. I understand what I did changes everything, but you won’t accept my
explanation. You won’t let me make things right.”
“And would you offer me the same if the roles were reversed?”
“I think I would. I love you. I think I’d at least try—give you a chance to—I wouldn’t just toss
you out like you were nothing. I—” She stopped and swallowed. She was too emotional and her words
were coming out all jumbled. “What’s the point? You think I’m vile. You can’t stand me—can’t even
stand to look at me.” She couldn’t forget the harsh words he’d thrown at her.
He was silent for a moment, watching her with an intensity that made her squirm internally.
“Maybe I’ve changed my mind,” he finally said, slowly. He lifted one of her curls and rubbed it
between his fingers. “Maybe this animosity between us is based on something else.”
Sabrina swallowed past the constriction of her throat. She understood what he was saying as the
air became charged with an undercurrent of sexual tension. He watched her with an open hunger that
hadn’t been visible moments ago.
“We’ve always had a hard time keeping our hands off each other. Maybe we shouldn’t deprive
ourselves and just do what comes naturally.”
Sabrina stepped back, using distance to keep from getting sucked into the enticing words. “So you
want to use me to get off and then toss me aside when this is over? I don’t think so.”
“I can change your mind.”
“You can’t.”
“Oh, I think I can.” His confidence irked her. “The way you responded to me the other day. It
may have started as a seduction to get more money, but you wanted me as much as I wanted you. And
why shouldn’t I get what you gave to another man so willingly?”
“Unless you had marital relations written into the contract, you’re out of luck. Even if you did, I
wouldn’t let you use me in that way.”
“I see the look in your eyes.” He smiled. “It’s your own fault, you know. You shouldn’t have tried
to seduce me.”
“That’s not what I was doing.” She had been pleading with him for forgiveness, but he couldn’t
see past her betrayal.
“No? That’s how it appeared, and it now has me thinking of how moving you back into the
apartment could be mutually satisfying. After all, we both know what kind of woman you are. I wouldn’t
want you to be tempted to stray again.”
Pain rifled through her. He wanted to treat her like the whore he thought she was. “I hate you for
talking to me like this.”
His eyes narrowed, and he grabbed her chin. She caught his wrist to force him to let go, but he
didn’t release her. The heat of his touch sent her hormones spiraling out of control. She didn’t move,
didn’t want to move, and hated how right he was about her need for him.
After a prolonged stare, Renaldo rubbed his thumb across her lips. They parted and trembled as
she fought to keep from sucking his finger into her mouth.
“Hate is passion, minha esposa,” he said. “And I welcome yours. Do you know why? Because you
could never hate me as much as I hate myself for still wanting you.”
Chapter Eight
“Bárbara, get in here, please.” Renaldo barely managed to keep the annoyance out of his voice.
He sat in his office staring down at the quarterly reports that had been sent up from the finance
department. His instructions on allocations were not being followed. He didn’t like it when his
instructions weren’t followed.
Bárbara, the assistant he’d shared with Sabrina when she’d worked at SDG, hurried in with a
notepad and pen. “Yes, sir?”
“Whoever sent this garbage up here—” he dropped the thick report on the desk, at the edge
closest to her—“tell him, and I assume it was Foster, that I want to see him in my office now.”
Bárbara retrieved the document and stepped back quickly. “Will there be anything else, sir?”
“Yes,” Renaldo bit out, as he turned to his computer. “This kind of thing is unacceptable. Tell
Foster when he gets here he better have a damn good explanation for why the work in his department
has deteriorated so much in the past month.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bárbara scurried away, but she stopped at the door. “Sir, if I may?”
Bárbara was competent and efficient, but lately her expression made her look like a frightened
rabbit. Had he really turned into such an ogre?
“What is it?”
She cleared her throat. “The work hasn’t deteriorated. I think the problem is…well, shortly after
she started working here, your wife began reviewing all the financial reports before you received them.”
That was news to him. “She did?”
Bárbara cleared her throat again. “Yes, sir. She instructed Foster and his staff not to send the
reports to you until she’d had a chance to vet them. She said your time was better spent managing the
company and growing the business, not fixing careless errors.”
Renaldo sat back in his chair and digested those words. “How soon after she came did she start
doing this?”
“Almost immediately, sir.”
Foster had been hired a few weeks after Sabrina. If what Bárbara said was true, it explained why
he hadn’t known about Foster’s mistakes, because Sabrina had been reviewing his work before Renaldo
saw it. Why hadn’t she said anything to him?
“If I may say, she was always very instrumental in making sure your work flow was not
interrupted.” Renaldo heard the admiration in his secretary’s voice.
Sabrina had been running interference, removing the day-to-day trivialities from his plate so he’d
have more time to focus on big-picture items. Which made him wonder how many of his workaholic
wife’s late nights could be attributed to taking care of problems on his behalf.
“Thank you, Bárbara.” She didn’t move, prompting Renaldo to ask, “Was there something else?”
She cleared her throat again. “I was just wondering…will she be returning from her leave of
absence soon?”
To avoid gossip about his personal life, he’d told the staff that his wife had taken a leave of
absence. He’d decided to deal with the fallout from the divorce when he absolutely had to and not
before. Besides, it was no one’s business whether or not he and his wife were still together.
“You’ll see her later today,” Renaldo said. “She’s stopping in to do the magazine interview with
me.”
Bárbara smiled when she heard that bit of information. After she left, Renaldo looked at the
connecting door he’d had installed between his and Sabrina’s office. He’d had no idea Sabrina had been
quietly taking care of problems. Her actions confused him. Her thoughtfulness didn’t make sense when
he considered this was the same woman who’d broken their marriage vows. Such unselfish behavior was
closer to the woman he thought he’d married, not the one he wanted to divorce.
What she’d done meant nothing, he decided, hardening his heart. She’d cheated on him and lied
about it for months, and he’d do well to remember it. Because she’d saved him a few hours here and
there didn’t change the facts. Their farce of a marriage was coming to an end as soon as this project was
finalized. He just had to get through the next few weeks.
He shifted and turned his attention to the next task on his to-do list.
__________
The interview was planned for noon, so Sabrina decided to sleep in late. She called to check on
Jewel and they chatted for almost an hour before she started getting ready.
She took great care with her appearance, donning a taupe pencil skirt and a white silk blouse
whose ruffled front hid its buttons. She finished the look with a wide belt and pinned up her spiral curls,
allowing a few loose ones to fall around her face.
Yesterday she’d spent the afternoon unpacking and setting up her home office again after Renaldo
had left to go back to work. To her surprise, he’d asked Vera to prepare the guest bedroom on the top
floor instead of one of the three bedrooms downstairs. She would have preferred to stay on the first
floor, as far away from him and the temptation to enter the master suite they’d once shared, but she’d
decided to pick her battles and hadn’t voiced her opinion.
Renaldo trusted Vera completely, knowing she’d never say anything about him and Sabrina
sleeping in separate bedrooms. He paid and treated her well, and she took care of his home with military
precision. From the moment Sabrina had moved in with him over a year ago, she’d recognized that the
employer-employee bond was strong.
When they’d first arrived yesterday, she’d been tense. But the familiarity of the modern, state-of-
the-art interior helped her relax. Each room was decorated with one-of-a-kind paintings, minimal
furniture, and clean lines. Remote controls scattered around the apartment managed the opening and
closing of the blinds and curtains, the brightness of the lights, and the soft music from the speakers
hidden strategically throughout the home.
On her way out the door, she stopped in the living room, and tension filled her again as the
differences smacked her in the face. Their wedding album was nowhere to be found, and he’d gotten rid
of all the photographs that she was in, including their gold-framed wedding picture from its prominent
position on the wall. The photographer had managed to capture them in a moment of levity, laughing
and smiling at each other. It was one of her favorites from their wedding, which was why they’d made it
the focal point in the room.
Now, the only photos on display were of him and his family. They showed him through the years,
starting from age eight with his parents—both of whom had passed away years ago. His mother was a
petite woman next to his much taller father. His younger sisters, Beatrisa and Carolina, were tall, too, the
three of them obviously inheriting their height from their father. Other pictures showed his extended
family.
All visual evidence of her had been wiped out. It was as if she’d never even been part of his life.
Her eyes misted over at the thought, and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip to bite back the tears.
No feeling sorry for yourself. It’s your own fault and now you have to live with the consequences.
She hurried out of the room before she broke down.
At SDG headquarters a half hour later, she was composed. She received a boisterous greeting
from the security guard on the bottom floor.
“Bom dia, Senhora Silva.”
“Bom dia.”
On the way up in the elevator, more familiar faces greeted her and people expressed how happy
they were to see her. By the time she arrived in the executive suite of offices, she was practically walking
on air. Renaldo may have erased her from his personal life and wished he didn’t have to accept her back
into his home, but here, at the office, she was missed.
Bárbara’s welcoming smile met her when she stepped off the elevator onto the top floor. She sat
behind a large desk in an open reception area between Sabrina and Renaldo’s offices.
“Bom dia. Senhor Silva said you were visiting today.” Bárbara had always switched between
English and Portuguese, depending on if she spoke to Renaldo or Sabrina. Sabrina had told her she
didn’t have to do that, but Bárbara refused, choosing instead to accommodate her by speaking English.
“It’s good to see you.”
“Thank you. Good to see you, too.”
“Have you been enjoying your time off?”
“I miss work,” Sabrina answered truthfully.
“I understand. Senhor Silva misses you, too.” Bárbara lowered her voice. “He has not been the
same since you have been gone. We keep praying you will return soon.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. He never smiles, and he is always in a bad mood. Believe me, ma’am, we cannot wait for you
to come back.” Then, Bárbara blushed and added, “Claro, he is a wonderful boss. I love working for
him.”
Sabrina smiled to ease her discomfort and because it was nice to be missed. “I know. That’s just
between you and me.” She winked and continued to Renaldo’s office, knocking before entering.
He looked up from the stack of papers on the large wooden desk that was his pride and joy. It was
an old desk and didn’t fit the modern décor, but like the Rolex, it had been his father’s, so it had
sentimental value. He sat like a king on a throne, in a black leather executive chair in front of windows
with the blinds drawn up, affording an unobstructed view of the city below.
“Good, you’re here on time.” He rose from the chair without commenting on her appearance.
She shoved down her disappointment. In the past, he would have paid her a compliment before
rewarding her with a wolfish leer. Depending on how busy their work schedule was, she’d lock the door
and hike up her skirt. She’d ride him on the chair, wrinkles be damned. That chair had endured a lot. It
was strong, durable, and worth every dime he’d paid for it.
“There’s been a change of plans,” he said. “The reporter wants to have the interview at the
construction site instead. They will take the publicity photos there.”
Sabrina looked at her attire. A skirt and heels weren’t exactly the right clothes for a construction
site. “If I’d known, I would’ve worn jeans.”
His eyes assessed her clothing, but his face remained inscrutable. Still no wolfish leer, like in the
past. “Jeans would not have been appropriate for the interview. What you’re wearing is fine.”
She preceded him out the door when he held it open for her, feeling like an employee instead of
his wife. The difference in his behavior toward her was another reminder of how the interaction between
them had changed. He hardly looked at her on the way to the car. He didn’t touch her, either. She
missed the way he used to place his hand in the small of her back, or hold her arm right below her
elbow. Small gestures she’d taken for granted and now missed because they’d illustrated the closeness
between them.
When they arrived at Estação Central, the reporter and photographer from Semanal were already
there and had set up the chairs and equipment a safe distance from the construction in progress.
Mixed-use developments were sprouting up all over Latin America, and the plans for this one
were geared toward business people and their families. In addition to retail stores and high-end
apartments, the complex would also offer condominiums, office space, shopping, and recreational
activities. All in one area with easy access to public transportation.
It was hard to envision all of that with the condition the area was in, but Sabrina had seen the
plans and knew what was to come. She wished she could be around to see the finished product. Right
now, all she saw was a work site with orange “Men Working” signs, and a large sign outside the fenced
area declaring the location an SDG project. Workers were gutting the old structures to make way for the
new, and the real work would begin after the probation period.
They all sat down, and the reporter, Isabela Coron, asked them about the project and others in the
pipeline. The photographer snapped shots of Renaldo as he explained his ideas for Estação Central and
his plans for expanding the company. Sabrina took over when costs and financing came up, pulling stats
and figures from memory even though she hadn’t looked at the numbers in weeks.
After over an hour, Isabela assured them she only had a few more questions. “Our readers like to
get to know the people we feature in our magazine on a more personal level. I’ll start with you, Senhora
Silva. Did you speak Portuguese before coming here?”
“No, I only knew the words and phrases Renaldo taught me. I took an intensive course when I
arrived, and of course, living in the country has helped a lot.”
Isabela nodded. “Living in a country is truly the best way to learn a language. I learned to speak
English when I traveled to the States to study journalism. Since you’re a husband and wife team, your
story will be especially appealing. I’m sure you’ve told this story before, but for the sake of the Semanal
readers, how did the two of you meet?”
“If you can believe it, in a bar,” Renaldo answered. He placed his arm on the back of Sabrina’s
chair and gazed down at her adoringly. Her mouth dried up, and she almost believed what she saw there.
But it was all an act for the benefit of the reporter. “I was in Chicago on business. She walked in, and I
couldn’t take my eyes off of her.”
She really wished he wouldn’t look at her like that, as if he wanted them to be alone right now.
She hated the warm, inviting tone of his voice, making her wish that they were.
“Was the attraction mutual?” Isabela asked, looking at Sabrina.
What a ridiculous question. How could any woman not be attracted to her husband? “Yes,
definitely. He swept me off my feet. When he asked me to marry him, I couldn’t believe it. What could I
do except say yes?” Her heart constricted at the painful truth. She remembered that moment as if it were
yesterday. She’d been so thrilled, so happy. How could she have screwed it up so badly?
“Have you found working together causes friction in your marriage?”
“No, we work well together,” Renaldo answered.
“We complement each other,” Sabrina added.
“Your business is booming, and you’re happily married. You must give me some dirt to write
about,” Isabela said with mock exasperation.
“There’s nothing to tell.” Renaldo grasped Sabrina’s shoulder in what looked to be a loving
gesture, but which Sabrina knew to be a warning to keep up the pretense.
Isabela thumbed through her notes, but when she looked up at them, it was clear that she’d
planned to ask the next question all along. “So then why the rumors that you’ve separated?”
“Separated? Where did you hear such a nasty rumor?” She heard the edge in Renaldo’s voice.
“I don’t reveal my sources.” A triumphant smile played at the corners of Isabela’s lips. “Senhora
Silva has not been at work for weeks, isn’t that true? Is there already trouble in your new marriage?”
“When did Semanal become a gossip rag?” Renaldo asked. He kept his tone even, but anyone
within earshot could tell he was annoyed.
Isabela appeared unruffled by his question and kept going, a true tenacious reporter. “As I said,
our magazine touches on all aspects of business, including the lives of the people we profile. But I’m
sure you already knew that. So is there any truth to the rumors?” She looked at Sabrina.
“Of course not,” Renaldo answered. “Your so-called source gave you wrong information.”
“I was asking the senhora.”
This was why Renaldo needed her here, and she would not let him down. Sabrina pasted a smile
on her face.
“Of course there isn’t any truth to it.” She placed a hand on Renaldo’s thigh, just above his knee,
and felt the muscles tense, the heat there making her palm tingle. “I took a leave of absence, but I’m
back now to support my husband.” She looked at him. “I love him, and there’s no place I’d rather be
than by his side.” She hoped he could see what was in her eyes and believe what she said was the truth.
She didn’t want their marriage to end.
The shadow of some emotion flashed in his eyes before it disappeared. Then he covered her hand
with his own. His skin was dark—almost as dark as hers—and his hand large and masculine. It covered
her smaller one, and the nerves under her skin twitched at his electric touch, sending a line of goose
bumps up her arm.
“You see, Isabela,” he said, speaking only to Sabrina. “You have the wrong information.”
“It seems I do.” Isabela’s voice was tinged with regret that there was no juicy scandal to unearth
and print in the magazine.
Minutes later, she wrapped up the interview. They took some photos of the construction site, and
more of Renaldo and Sabrina. In one shot he had his arm around her as they stood in front of one of
the abandoned buildings, and for that one brief moment, Sabrina let herself believe it was all real.
“What a beautiful couple you make,” Isabela commented as the photographer snapped away.
Sabrina smiled bravely, doing the best she could to hide the sadness in her heart.
Chapter Nine
“Thank you,” Renaldo said.
“For what?”
Renaldo and Sabrina were on the way back to the office. She truly was a good actress. For a
moment back there he’d believed her words of love and devotion. But now she sat on the other side of
the limo, as she had the other day, putting as much space as possible between them.
“For what you did with Isabela. You appeared very natural. I don’t think she suspected anything
and will only print what we tell her.”
Sabrina shrugged. “It’s important to both of us. There’s a lot of money at stake.” The moment she
said the words, he could tell she regretted them. “I-I mean—”
“I know what you mean.”
“Do you? Do you know what I mean?”
“Of course. Money is very important to you. You didn’t have much growing up.”
“It’s important to you, too.”
“But it’s a priority for you.”
After the stilted exchange, she didn’t respond and chose instead to clasp her hands on her lap. She
looked a little sad and he couldn’t stand it. It ate at him. Turning away from her, he hardened his heart,
which he was doing a lot lately.
He couldn’t allow his desire for her to cloud his judgment again. He refused to fall for her
vulnerable act. There was a time when he’d wanted to protect her, take care of her, but no longer. What
she’d done was too much to overlook.
If only he didn’t want her so much. Didn’t notice the way she brushed the loose curls from her
eyes as the wind blew them across her face while they were on site. Didn’t enjoy the way the curve of her
back felt as they stood together taking photos.
A prickling sensation remained in the spot where she had touched his leg. It was difficult not to
think about it because it became the focus of his attention.
Fortunately, his phone rang and saved him from his thoughts. He answered it in a clipped tone.
From the corner of her eye, Sabrina watched Renaldo as he talked on the phone. There’s a lot of
money at stake. She mentally kicked herself. Wrong thing to say.
What she should have said was, “I’ll always have your back.” Instead, she’d mentioned the money,
and the change in him had been immediate.
She’d missed the opportunity to show him how much she cared and how she was as vested in the
company as he was. From the day they’d said their vows, she’d promised to support him in everything.
She couldn’t take back what she did that night, but she hoped eventually he could see past what she’d
done.
Listening on her end, Sabrina heard him mention a fire at an apartment complex he’d purchased
with the intention of turning it into condominiums. “Problem over at Avenida de Jabaquara again?” she
asked when he hung up.
“Isn’t there always?”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Luckily, no. The last tenants moved out a couple of weeks ago.”
Progress on the conversion to condominiums had been slow because of all the problems over
there. The property seemed to be cursed. Even with a despachante, it had taken longer than usual to get
the building permits needed to make the renovations. Then one day, lightning had struck a large tree on
the property, splitting it in two. One-half fell on a truck parked nearby, and the resultant lawn fire had
sent everyone into a panic before the fire department arrived to put it out. Next, a car had crashed into
the front door and destroyed the leasing office, but luckily no one had been hurt. Now another fire had
consumed an entire building before it had been contained.
“What could possibly happen next?”
“I’m waiting for the plague of locusts to descend.”
It was such an odd thing to say, that she lifted her head to look at him. Despite the sarcastic
comment, he looked extremely upset, as if he truly thought that could be the next catastrophe to hit.
He had a dry sense of humor, and she hadn’t witnessed it in so long. It was one of the things she
loved about him. He’d often made her laugh, telling her she took life too seriously. He was right, but
she’d seen so much sadness and desolation growing up, she’d grown used to being cautious. Orphaned
as teenagers, she and Jewel had struggled to make ends meet, afraid of going into foster care and being
separated.
While he’d been growing up in a loving, nuclear family, she and her cousin had begged for food
and depended on the kindness of others for a place to lay their heads at night. It’d been a horrible time,
even more horrible than when their mothers had been alive. At least then they’d had two adults, even if
the women seemed more concerned about feeding their drug habits than feeding their daughters.
So many of their family members were in jail or dead. That’s why she and Jewel were so close.
They’d seen the worst the world had to offer and survived when so many others didn’t.
“A plague of locusts is a bit much, isn’t it?”
“Is it?”
She smiled, and it turned into a short laugh, which she stopped short before it rolled into a full-
blown chortle.
Renaldo raised an eyebrow. “You find this funny?”
“Not really, but you’re right, you’ve had the worst luck with that place ever since you bought it. I
wouldn’t be surprised if a swarm of locusts really did descend on it.”
“Nor would I.” His hair-sprinkled wrist peeked out from beneath his shirtsleeves as he ran his
hand over his dark hair. She jealously eyed the movement, wishing it was her hand touching the silky
strands instead. “That will probably happen right before they discover the entire place was built on a
volcano, and then the volcano erupts, destroying only that property and nothing else around it.”
“A volcano? In the middle of Sao Paulo?” She giggled, letting loose the tension from earlier.
He shrugged, keeping a straight face, which was what made his comments even more comical.
“Why not? It’s obvious we should expect the unexpected when it comes to that place.”
We.
It may have been a slip of the tongue and meant absolutely nothing, but it warmed her heart
nonetheless.
And then she saw it…a smile. She latched onto it, smiling back, her heart soaring. The smile, the
conversation, and the sudden softness in his eyes were a peek back into their old life, stirring memories
of how they used to talk and joke and laugh.
She missed their old life so much.
The phone rang again, stealing that moment, but she’d never forget it.
Maybe all isn’t lost yet.
They were a few miles from SDG when he ended the phone call.
“Will you have to go there?”
Renaldo shook his head. “They can handle it without me. I—”
All of a sudden, the car swerved. Horns blared.
He looked out the window to see a truck barreling toward them.
He didn’t have much time to think. He moved fast—faster than he could ever remember moving
before in his life. There wasn’t enough time to warn Sabrina—only time to act. He dragged her into his
arms, the action instinctive. With barely a second to spare, he pushed her face down to the floor and
blanketed her body like armor, stifling the cry of alarm on her lips.
The vicious force of thousands of pounds ramming into them crunched the metal casing of the
limo and bowed the interior. Broken glass rained on Renaldo and the leather seat. Sabrina screamed
under him as the car skidded down the street before it abruptly stopped when it slammed into
something else.
They froze on the floor, their breaths coming short and fast. He could feel her shaking beneath
him.
Finally, he eased his hold. She twisted her head to look back at him. “Are you all right?” he asked.
His heart was beating so fast and loud he could barely hear himself speak.
She nodded, her fear-filled eyes locking with his.
They rose from the floor and stumbled out of the damaged vehicle. Renaldo carefully removed
remnants of glass from his suit and surveyed the wreckage. They’d hit another car.
Once he knew Sabrina was safe, he checked on his driver. He seemed rattled after he climbed
from the car, but, thankfully, unhurt.
“I didn’t see it in time,” his driver said in a dazed voice. “I didn’t have time to—”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Renaldo checked on the owner of the vehicle they had hit. He was also
unhurt.
Their accident had caused other cars to collide, too. The intersection was a mess. He stared at the
wreckage of the limo. Deus. The truck had smashed in the side of it where Sabrina had been sitting. She
could’ve been seriously injured, maybe even...
He couldn’t finish the thought. It was one thing to lose her from his marriage, quite another to
lose her from this world.
Spectators rushed over to them, but he kept his eye on the truck driver, who was apologizing
profusely to anyone who would listen.
Renaldo didn’t know when he started moving, but the next thing he knew, he’d walked around the
limo and had the other man by the collar. He shoved him into the door of his truck.
“You damn fool! You could have killed her!”
He cursed at the other man and gripped his lapels in a tight grasp. The man trembled, his eyes
wide as Renaldo continued to verbally ream him.
“Renaldo!” Sabrina’s voice pierced the cloud of his anger. Her fingers clutched his thick bicep as
she tried to pry him off the man. “Stop!”
He was so worked up it took a moment for her words to completely penetrate. Breathing heavily,
Renaldo finally released the driver. He cupped her face in his hands. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He’d
asked her already, could see she was fine, yet he needed the reassurance.
“Yes,” she said. “You saved me.”
Graças a Deus!
He pulled her to him, holding on tight, probably tighter than he should. He rubbed her back,
needing to touch her, needing to be sure she truly was fine.
They stood in the midst of the chaos with the other victims, traffic backing up all around the
intersection, holding each other until the first police car pulled up. An ambulance followed, then a fire
truck.
They spoke to a paramedic who suggested that they go to the hospital to get checked.
“I’ll have our personal physician check us,” Renaldo replied.
The paramedic walked away and Renaldo spotted their driver talking to a police officer, and he
didn’t want him to have to answer questions on his own. He took Sabrina by the arm, just below the
elbow, and walked her over to the side of the road. “Stay here while I talk to the police. Then I’ll take
you home.”
She nodded, and he squeezed her arms before walking back into the fray.
Home.
He’d said the word as if nothing had changed.
He rejoined his driver to answer questions. But every few minutes while he spoke with one of the
police officers, he’d glance over to the side where she stood waiting for him, as if subconsciously he
expected her to disappear at any minute.
He couldn’t wait to get her home.
Chapter Ten
Sabrina let down her hair and absent-mindedly finger-combed it into order, her thoughts still on
the accident.
Their personal doctor had met her and Renaldo at the penthouse and given them a thorough
examination. He advised there might be some soreness the next day, but neither of them had any
injuries.
It scared her to think how fortunate she was that she wasn’t on her way to the hospital, like one of
the people who’d left the scene in an ambulance.
Was she overreacting? Her nerves still felt fragile and a stark look of fear hovered in the eyes
staring back at her in the full-length mirror. Surely it was understandable since her life had flashed in
front of her. If Renaldo hadn’t moved so quickly, she’d be…
She tried to get rid of the sobering thought, but the image of the crushed limo wouldn’t allow her
to. If he hadn’t dragged her into his arms, it was quite possible she’d be dead now.
Had she even thanked him? She couldn’t remember.
He’d been so gentle afterward, keeping an arm around her almost constantly, as if prepared to
rescue her again if another out of control vehicle should suddenly appear. The scent of him adhered to
her clothes, and the soothing touch of his hands clung to her skin.
Sabrina slipped out of her shoes and left her room, going to the door of the master suite. After
she knocked, Renaldo’s voice called her in. He sat at the foot of the bed, hunched over with his elbows
resting on his knees. She felt like an intruder disturbing his sanctuary.
Everything looked exactly the way it had before she’d left. All but the bed. Like the last one, it
appeared to be hand-carved from ipe, Brazilian walnut, but it was different. He’d bought a new bed, and
the realization cut through her like a knife. He hadn’t wanted to sleep where they’d slept.
Where she’d slept with Mateo.
A fresh round of regret threatened to choke her. How could she have cheated on him? It didn’t
make sense. She loved Renaldo.
Her eyes skirted the door to the bathroom, where they had made love so many times in the
shower or the massive sunken tub custom made to accommodate his height.
He’d tossed his suit jacket haphazardly on a chair near the bed. She always used to get on to him
about leaving his clothes lying around like that and giving Vera more work to do. It only took a few
more steps to put them in the right place, but he never seemed able to get that far.
She missed giving him a hard time and having him call her a nagging wife. Then she’d tell him he
was spoiled, and he’d grumble that if he were really spoiled he’d be able to do whatever he wanted in his
own home.
Hesitantly, she walked further into the room. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. I wasn’t hurt. I’m a big man, and I’m filled with muscle.” His joke was met with a half-
hearted smile.
“I wanted to check on you.”
As Sabrina came closer, Renaldo felt a wave of tension overtake his body. She was here, in his
—their bedroom. He’d meant to change his clothes, but after the doctor left, he’d found himself sitting
on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, still shaken by the thought of losing her.
“I wanted to say thank you,” she said softly.
He couldn’t respond. Her scent had him wanting to shed the rigid control he’d barely held onto
since kissing her in the alley. For six weeks he’d forced himself not to see her or speak to her. But he’d
missed her every single day and every single night of their separation. And now she was here, in his life,
in his car, in his bedroom, and he didn’t want to let her go.
What good had the strict no contact rule done? From the moment he’d seen her again, he’d
known he wanted her and had found a way to bring her back here.
He’d always thought of himself as progressive in thought and attitude. Yet his feelings for Sabrina
made him feel anything but progressive. They made him feel primitive and possessive.
Him, a modern and open-minded man, had forced her to come back here using caveman tactics.
“How does your hand feel?” She took his hand, and with gentle fingers traced the scratches made
by the broken glass.
“Fine.” The cuts were small. She was using them as an excuse to touch him.
He knew it. She knew it.
Her light brown gaze lifted to his mouth. It was a visual caress.
She licked her lips, and he traced the movement with feverish intensity. When she looked him in
the eye again, there was no mistaking what he saw. She felt the same thing he did—a compulsion to
touch—a need to feel closer.
“You’re not here to check on my hand.”
“Well, not just your hand.” Her voice had a breathy quality to it, and the hardened nipples
pressing against her silk blouse confirmed his thoughts. She wanted him. “I was worried about you,
Renny.”
Renny.
Why did she continue to call him that when he’d told her not to? It was too intimate. Too
familiar. The sound of it chipped away at his resolve. He ground his teeth together and felt the muscles
bunch in his jaw.
Only Sabrina called him by that nickname. Every time he’d brought her to orgasm, every time
he’d made her laugh, every time she’d scolded him, and every time she’d looked at him with what he
thought was love in her eyes, he’d been Renny.
He missed being Renny.
His fingers curled around her wrist and her pulse thumped beneath his thumb.
He should have never kissed her that day in the alley because he’d never been able to forget her
taste. He had to have her. Tonight. Now. He stood. “Tell me you want me, Sabrina.”
“I want you.” She whispered the words without hesitation.
Renaldo drew her into his arms and fused their mouths together. It was a long, drugging kiss—a
heated exchange during which their tongues met and tasted. He wanted to gorge himself on her. All this
time he hadn’t been able to muster the energy or desire to be with another woman. Because he hadn’t
wanted another woman. Only her. Only Sabrina. It had always been only Sabrina since that very first
night.
He released the buttons on her pretty blouse, somehow managing not to tear the delicate material
in his haste, to reveal incredible breasts that were barely covered in a sexy lace bra. He unhooked the bra
so they spilled into his hands. Her breasts were amazing—full, round, and soft. He pushed them higher
and bent his head to lick across the tips.
Her head tipped back and her body bowed into his so he could suck the puckered nipple of one
breast into his mouth. Clasping her to him, he made love to the caramel peak, his tongue dragging
across it and causing her to whimper his name.
“Você é deliciosa,” he whispered against the tasty flesh.
The next task was to unzip her skirt. He tugged it past her hips until it fell to the floor. She stood
before him in only a pair of sheer black panties. The damn thing was see-through. He could see the
cluster of curls between her legs.
Holding his gaze, Sabrina hooked her thumbs in the sides and pushed the thong down to her feet.
Kicking it out of the way, she whispered, “Your turn, but I want to undress you.”
She unbuttoned his shirt and ran her hands over his hard chest. He caught the back of her head
and kissed her again, sucking her tongue between his lips. It was erotic, breath stealing. She could almost
come from his masterful kisses.
Pressing her hand against his chest, Sabrina pulled back. Fully aware of her own power, she circled
behind him and pulled the shirt down his arms, tossing it aside with the same lack of care she did her
underwear.
Overwhelmed by the thought that this magnificent body had protected her only hours before, she
plied his skin with kisses, the compact muscles bunching under her lips.
“You know what to do to me, don’t you?” he asked in a gruff, pained voice. “You know how to
drive me out of my mind.”
Her hands trailed down his broad back and around his narrow waist to stroke the distended front
of his pants. He groaned like a man in pain and his head fell back. “Sabrina.”
She loved the sound of his voice, how it grew thick when he was aroused, his accent becoming
more pronounced. She stepped around in front of him again and tongued the flat nipples nestled in the
light sprinkling of hair on his chest. They tightened, and Renaldo drew a harsh breath.
Sabrina felt the power of being a woman, with the ability to make this strong man weak. She
undid his pants and reached in to hold his engorged flesh in her hands. It was heavy and hot, and she
couldn’t wait to feel him drive between her legs. She squeezed and caressed, the thought of him claiming
her made her groan mingle with his, sending a shiver down her spine.
“Enough.” Suddenly impatient, he pushed away her hands. “On the bed.”
She quickly obeyed his command, and he removed the rest of his clothes before he joined her
there. Sabrina opened her arms and legs, offering herself to him, loving him with everything inside of
her—heart, body, and soul.
He came down on top of her. Immediately, his fingers, tongue, and lips worked her into a frenzy
of need. He thumbed her rigid nipples, making her become shockingly alert. His hand moved down her
ribs, seeking the thatch of dark curls between her hips. When he found it, she arched into his caress,
desperate, sighing with pleasure as he dipped his fingers into the slick heat.
While his fingers stayed busy, his tongue licked the underside of her breast and his teeth nibbled
at the soft skin.
“Please,” she whispered, trying to guide his mouth to her nipples, begging him to pull one into his
mouth.
“This is what you want.” His breath feathered across the straining peaks. He knew very well what
she wanted, but he wouldn’t give it to her. He flicked his tongue across the tips, teasing, drawing out the
torment. “Hmm…?”
Sabrina let out a cry of frustration. “No. Suck. Please.” She pulled his head down and arched her
body up to him.
She was so hot, so out of control, that when he sucked her breast into his mouth and gently bit
down, pleasure shot straight to her loins. Her hips shot up off the bed and his fingers plunged deeper
inside of her. He pumped them in and out. She clutched onto his head and exploded. Wave after wave
of pleasure rocked her. She panted, gasping his name and grinding her hips into his hand until the
powerful reaction subsided.
Her breathing had just returned to normal when Renaldo curved an arm behind her knee and
lifted her left leg. The swollen head of his erection pressed to the wetness between her thighs before his
powerful body seized hers. At their joining, a tortured moan escaped her throat, and the juices of her
arousal eased the way as he began to move with deep, hard strokes. They stared into each other’s eyes.
Each thrust jerked her back on the bed, and her body trembled at the pleasure he delivered, clasped him,
dragging him deeper into the satin walls.
The feverish arch of her neck was a temptation Renaldo couldn’t resist. He traced the length of it,
alternating between moist kisses and tender flicks of his tongue. Dipping his head lower, he showered
her breasts with attention that caused them to ache and tingle all over again. His tongue licked, and his
lips sucked, inflicting a sensual torment on the tender nipples as he continued to move inside of her.
Her arms wound around his neck. “Yes…” She held on tight, the provocative motion of skin
against skin escalating the pleasure.
Sabrina’s mouth moved to his throat, tasting his skin and running her hands across his broad
back. She massaged the hard muscles, moving lower to grip his buttocks as pressure mounted inside of
her. He never failed to satisfy, and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she was crying out his name
again.
Renaldo placed his thumb on the knot of nerves at her feminine core, circling and rubbing and
sending her excitement spiraling higher. She made small, helpless sounds until she could no longer stand
it. The clitoral stimulation created a strangle hold on her vocal chords. She was unable to breathe,
unable to make a sound, until the orgasm powered through her, forcing the air from her lungs and her
body to shudder. Raw, unadulterated pleasure tore a cry from her throat.
His hips bucked relentlessly against hers as she rode out the storm, her muscles contracting to
hold him prisoner. He reached the pinnacle and grunted, her name a pained sound on his lips, his breath
flitting over her collarbone. Their bodies shuddered against each other in a mutual climax.
Afterward, they held on tight. Neither wanting to let go.
__________
Sabrina was alone in the bed. When her eyes adjusted to the dark, she turned over and saw
Renaldo seated in the chair. He was still naked, and he was looking at her.
“Renny?”
“Go back to sleep, Sabrina.” His voice sounded odd, and her heart grieved because she knew that
what he felt at that moment was because of her.
Did he regret their lovemaking?
Excruciating sadness filled her. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He didn’t answer.
She rolled back over on her side. She couldn’t blame him for needing the distance. How would
she feel if he’d done to her what she’d done to him?
The other side of the bed depressed when he lay down. She wanted to reach out and touch him,
but she didn’t think he’d allow it. The physical and emotional distance was too much to bear after what
they’d just shared.
She was about to get up when his arm settled on her waist. It took her by surprise. She waited,
holding her breath, hoping he’d draw her closer. There was still so much space between them. Finally,
she couldn’t take it anymore. She turned in his arms and wedged her leg between his hair-roughened
thighs. He didn’t move, and since he didn’t reject her, she snuggled closer.
When his arms tightened around her, she sighed with relief. It felt good to be held. It felt good to
smell his musky male scent and feel his naked skin against hers. This was what she’d missed for weeks,
ached for in the darkness of her apartment alone at night.
“I’m not offering you anything,” he said.
“I know.”
But what he said wasn’t entirely true. She had this, and she’d take it. Lying here in his arms was
something, when for weeks she’d had nothing when he cut her off. No kiss, not the touch of his hand,
not even the sound of his voice—nothing.
She was content for now.
__________
In the kitchen, Renaldo wrote a note to Vera for when she stopped by later. His body was sore
after the jolt in yesterday’s crash, but he wasn’t in such bad shape he couldn’t go to work. He’d wanted
to stay in bed with Sabrina, but he had too much to get done.
He lifted the glass dome of the dish on the counter and chose one of the homemade pastries. He
bit into it before pouring himself a cup of coffee. This was a typical breakfast. Neither he nor Sabrina
was big on eating early in the morning during the week. They either had one of Vera’s delicious
creations or picked up something on the way into the office. On Sundays, Vera prepared a large meal,
which they ate after sleeping in. They took their time while reviewing the paper and discussing the
current state of the economy.
At least they used to, before she’d destroyed what they had.
Sipping his coffee, Renaldo stared at what he’d written, not really seeing the words. All he saw was
Sabrina, lying in bed as he dressed this morning. They’d made love so many different ways, almost all
night long. He kept reaching for her and she never once refused.
In one night he’d tried to make up for all the weeks she’d been missing from his bed. Tonight he
planned to continue on the same course. Eventually, his appetite for her should wane. At least that’s
what he told himself, because their living together was short term. He had to get her out of his system at
some point.
“Good morning.”
Her soft voice interrupted his thoughts. She stood in the doorway wearing only his shirt. Posing
was a more appropriate word, because she leaned against the doorjamb and had one knee bent in a
relaxed, sexy pose. What a sight she was.
How many pieces of lingerie did she own? Some she’d bought, many he’d purchased for his own
enjoyment. But nothing could compare to the sight of her in his white shirt. She looked content, like a
woman who had been made love to all night—and enjoyed every minute of it.
She’d told him once that when she wore his shirts, she preferred that there be no barrier between
her skin and the shirt, because it had been next to his skin. If she was of the same mind, that meant she
wasn’t wearing any panties right now. His mouth went dry at the thought, and he slowly placed his
coffee cup on the counter.
“I thought you’d already gone to work.” She’d obviously just taken a shower because he smelled
the fragrant soap, and her hair had curled up into tighter ringlets from the steam.
“I’ll be leaving soon.”
“Maybe you should stay home today and get some rest.”
He’d never get any rest if he stayed here with her. Rest was the last thing on his mind when he
looked at her. As if he hadn’t already licked and kissed every inch of flesh the night before, he longed to
do it again and he felt his body react, wanting more.
“I have too much to do.”
Disappointment filled her eyes. “Would you like me to come in later?”
“No. You stay home and rest.” His voice was firm.
“Stay with me.” Heat spiked in his blood. What a tempting, unexpected offer.
She came across the room to him, her eyes sultry, her hips swinging from side to side in that
exaggerated way he liked. She was a temptation he couldn’t resist. Uma sedutora.
He caught her by the neck and she moaned, closing her eyes, as if that single touch could give her
an orgasm. He imagined she was already wet for him. He put his hands between her legs and found she
was. Her breath hitched as he fingered her, stroking the drenched, throbbing flesh.
Renaldo lowered his head and kissed her mouth, claiming the softness of her lips. His arm slipped
down to her waist and anchored her to him. She wrapped her arms around him while he continued the
intimate caress.
“I know what you need.”
“You,” she breathed.
She was on fire, and the flame of her desire scorched him and made him burn out of control for
her, as well.
Renaldo removed his hand from between her thighs and lifted her onto the island.
“Yes,” she encouraged, her voice shaky. She already knew what he was about to do. She leaned
back on her elbows and without the need for instruction settled her legs onto his shoulders.
A sound like weeping came from her throat when he lowered his head between her legs.
He never grew tired of the scent of her arousal. “I love how you smell when you want me,” he
said, letting his warm breath whisper across her skin.
He’d lost his appetite for the pastries. He’d rather eat her.
Renaldo covered her glistening sex with his mouth and used his tongue to lave the saturated flesh.
Circling and licking, feeding the greedy demon inside him that seemed to never get enough of her. His
hands massaged her breasts, squeezing them together and letting his thumbs skate across the rigid
nipples.
Gasping cries filled the room, turning him on beyond the point of return.
Tastes so good.
His shaft elongated and became as rigid as a pole as he continued to eat his fill from the heart of
her. He peeled back the petals of her womanhood with his thumbs and indulged his appetite. Licking
with his tongue. Tugging with his lips.
“Oh God…yes…yes…Renny…”
Panting hard, she dissolved into a series of spasms, coming on his tongue. He continued to lick
and probe, holding her legs apart, refusing to stop until he’d had enough. He didn’t have enough until
another orgasm crashed through her, her cries bouncing off the walls of the kitchen. Only after her
tremors subsided did he finally let her go.
Sabrina lay collapsed on the island, sated. But he knew his wife well, and she wouldn’t be
completely satisfied until he was inside of her. Neither would he.
Renaldo pushed the shirt out of the way and kissed his way up the middle of her torso. With one
smooth movement, he swept her limp body into his arms.
From the time he’d started working with his father in real estate, punctuality had been instilled in
him. So much so, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d gone to work late. But for the first time in
years, he did.
Three hours late.
__________
Sabrina awoke slowly, yawned, and stretched. She turned onto her back and felt a bit of
disappointment at the empty space beside her on the bed. She’d known Renaldo planned to go to work,
but she’d hoped he wouldn’t.
She got out of bed and put on the discarded shirt she’d been wearing when he brought her back
upstairs. It smelled like him and the cool, light scent of his cologne. If she couldn’t have him there with
her, this would have to do.
After climbing back into the bed, Sabrina wrapped her arms around the pillow he’d slept on. It
smelled like him, too.
She didn’t want to overanalyze the situation, but she desperately wanted to know what the
renewed intimacy between her and Renaldo meant.
I’m not offering you anything, he’d said.
So was he only using her to satisfy a biological need, with the scare they’d received yesterday
serving as a catalyst? Or was there something more meaningful at work? She’d like to think it was the
latter, because her feelings certainly hadn’t changed.
She closed her eyes and squeezed the pillow tighter. She whispered the words she longed to say
again, but he refused to believe because of what she’d done.
“I love you.”
Chapter Eleven
Renaldo watched his sisters traipse into his office. Unexpected visits from them were not unusual.
They knew he would drop just about anything for them.
“Have the two of you ever heard of knocking?” he asked, unable to resist needling them.
Beatrisa waved away his comment. “Knocking is for strangers. We’re family.”
Both women were attractive and had long black hair, but ever since they were children, Carolina
had been called “the pretty one.”
It was both a blessing and a curse. She was seldom taken seriously because of her beauty, but at
the same time it afforded her advantages, allowing her to glide through life with very few repercussions
for her actions.
She’d done some local modeling for several years, with the hope of becoming the next Gisele
Bündchen. Apparently, the world didn’t need another Gisele, because after a time the modeling jobs
dried up.
This provided Renaldo with the perfect opportunity to advise her that good looks could only take
her so far and convince her to get an education. He’d paid for her to attend Universidade de São Paulo
to pursue a degree in International Relations. She had one year left, and after she completed her studies,
he had a position waiting for her at SDG.
To Beatrisa’s credit, the attention Carolina received never seemed to bother her. At twenty-seven,
she had looked out for her younger sibling in a motherly manner, even though only three years separated
them. She did the same to Renaldo, which amused him, since he was the oldest. Her habit of taking care
of others and ignoring her own needs had compelled her to keep a terrible secret until a couple of years
ago—that her husband had been beating her.
“I didn’t know the rules.” Renaldo rose to his feet. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” They both
came around the desk to greet him with a kiss and then settled into chairs on the opposite side.
“We’re here because of the voicemails you left us about your reconciliation with Sabrina.”
“I’ve told you everything you need to know in the voicemail. I’ve never discussed my relationships
with you, and I don’t intend to start now. Did the two of you only drop by to question me about my
personal life?”
“She dragged me here,” Carolina announced. She flicked her raven mane over one shoulder.
“Kicking and screaming, no doubt.” Renaldo settled into his seat.
“I only brought it up because I was wondering if she’ll be at Leonardo’s party in Rio next
weekend,” Beatrisa said.
Leonardo da Silva, their cousin, was combining his birthday party with a farewell party since he
was moving back to the United States in a few months with his family after his third child was born.
“Why does it matter?”
“Because she wants to invite Ana Isa to the celebration,” Carolina supplied.
His sister’s answer took him by surprise. He hadn’t seen Ana Isa in a few years. She was a friend of
the family and currently resided in Rio de Janeiro. They’d dated briefly, but her lack of goals had been a
turn-off, and he’d ended their relationship. “Now why would you do that?”
“Trying to play matchmaker.”
“I can speak for myself.” Beatrisa cast a furious glance in her sister’s direction. “I thought it might
be good for you to revisit some old ideas, that’s all.”
“If I need to, I can find my own dates.”
“I know, but Ana Isa is so nice, and she still asks about you.”
“In that case, you definitely shouldn’t have invited her. It will only get her hopes up.” Renaldo
was quickly losing his patience with the conversation. “I told you before I didn’t care for her.”
Beatrisa shrugged. “You never know what could happen, Renaldo. Things may not work out
between you and Sabrina. If you don’t like Ana Isa, I have a few other friends I could suggest. One just
as career-minded as you.”
His sister could be such a busybody. “No, thank you.”
“Have you been listening to him?” Caroline asked. “He’s not interested.”
“I’m only looking out for your best interest.” Beatrisa sniffed. “Maybe Sabrina is different, but I
was surprised you chose to marry a North American. Look at how they behave on their reality shows.
And they make fun of our telenovelas! At least our shows are scripted, but theirs are real. Fighting, lying—
so much drama and childish behavior. It’s disgusting.” She wrinkled her nose.
“They’re not all like that,” said Carolina. “Just like not all Brazilians are beautiful, even though
that’s the stereotype.”
Renaldo sighed. His sisters meant well, but this conversation was definitely over. “That’s enough.
I don’t want you, or you”—he shot a look at Carolina who held up her hands defensively—“to set me
up with anyone. I’ve never needed help in that department, and I don’t now. My wife is not going
anywhere.” His own vehemence surprised him.
“Fine,” Beatrisa said. “I was only trying to help. I’m offering you a backup plan.”
“I don’t need a backup plan. This is no longer open for discussion.”
Beatrisa clamped her mouth shut. Renaldo knew her well enough to know she only got quiet
because she didn’t want to upset him. He had helped her out when she left her husband two years ago.
He’d been furious when he found out what had been going on. After he had a long “talk” with
her husband, he moved her and her children into an apartment complex not far from where he lived.
After months of training, he’d hired her to manage one of his properties. Because she no longer feared
having the ability to support herself and her two small children, she gained the confidence she needed
and eventually filed for a divorce.
“You always go too far,” Carolina said to her sister.
Beatrisa shot her a hard look and rose to her feet. “I hope you’re not too upset with me,
Renaldo.” Her gaze cautiously sought his.
“No. As long as we understand each other.”
“Yes, we do. I’ll mind my own business.” He didn’t believe that for a minute, but when she came
around the desk to give him a hug, he hugged her back. “It’s only because I love you.”
“I know.”
She walked toward the door, and Carolina followed. “We’ll see you next week in Rio,” Beatrisa
said in a breezy tone with a wave of her hand.
After his sisters left, Renaldo stared out of the window. He thought about how he’d left Sabrina
that morning, exhausted in their bed with the sheet around her waist. He hadn’t been able to resist
giving parting kisses to her exposed breasts.
He unlocked a drawer in his desk and retrieved a photo. He’d kept one of the incriminating
photos of Sabrina and the other man here at the office. Every time he had thought to call her, he’d
looked at it to remind himself of her betrayal and his folly.
Without stopping to think about what he was doing, he took a pair of scissors and neatly cut out
the image of the man in bed with Sabrina. When he was finished, he stared down at the man’s face.
Younger. Good looking. Sleeping with his wife.
He picked up the phone and dialed Paulo. “Come by my office. I have a job for you.”
Paulo arrived minutes later and Renaldo dropped the image onto the desk.
“I want you to find this man. As soon as possible.”
“Who is he?”
“That’s what I want you to find out. He’s the one Sabrina was with.”
Sabrina’s affair had been a blow to his pride. Paulo was the only person who knew the reason for
their pending divorce. Not even Leonardo, with whom he was very close, or his sisters knew the full
story.
“Just a photo and no name?” Paulo tucked it into the breast pocket of his jacket. “It may not be
easy to find him.”
“I’m sure you can do it. I want every bit of information you can get on him. Right down to his
shoe size.”
Paulo lifted an inquisitive brow. “Is that all you want?”
Actually, no. Renaldo wanted to rip the man limb from limb. Wanted to make him hurt the same
way he had hurt.
“For now.”
Sabrina’s words replayed in his head. I…I think I was drugged.
He had no idea what Paulo would discover. But he knew it was time he found out exactly what
happened that night.
Chapter Twelve
Days passed, and an unspoken truce had developed between Sabrina and Renaldo. One in which
they silently agreed to live in the moment and enjoy, rather than deny, the passion that was ever-present
between them.
It made Sabrina look forward to the trip to Rio. Now she didn’t have to worry about sharing a
room with Renaldo and faking the entire weekend while she spent time with his family.
Sabrina had never been to Renaldo’s birthplace before, though he’d talked about it many times.
His father had moved the family to Sao Paulo when he was very young, but most of their family lived in
Rio.
Leonardo sent a car to pick them up from the airport. On the ride to the house, she watched the
passing scenery, noting the differences between Rio and Sao Paulo. Although Rio was a large city, it
didn’t have the same overwhelming cityscape as Sao Paulo did.
Cariocas, as the residents of Rio were called, lived a different lifestyle than paulistanos. She could
already feel the slower pace and knew they conducted business differently. In Rio, you were more likely
to get to know your associates on a more personal level, and business lunches lasted twice as long.
Then, of course, there was the Atlantic Ocean, which stretched for miles and lapped at the shores
of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The water twinkled an invitation, bright as a
sapphire in the sun, and had her looking forward to their visit to the beach the next day.
The car pulled into a gated community three blocks from Copacabana Beach and the driver
parked under the carport of a white, two-level house resting in a cul-de-sac between two other houses.
The driver toted their bags down the short walkway, which bisected a verdant lawn with bushes filled
with tropical flowers.
They walked up three stone steps and the driver opened the door. Alexa, Leonardo’s wife,
immediately appeared.
Her face lit up when she saw them, and she cried out excitedly. “You’re here!” She and Sabrina
fell into each other’s arms and hugged warmly.
Alexa was Sabrina’s only true friend in Brazil. An immediate bond had formed between them
because they were both African-Americans. Everyone else she had met in work-related settings or were
mere acquaintances.
She was reminded of Renaldo’s words: “There must be a balance. You cannot work all day, all the time.”
Had she really spent so much time concentrating on work and success? It appeared so since she’d
neglected to establish a social circle.
“How are you?” Alexa asked, ushering them into the house.
Always stylish, she wore a cute empire-waisted maternity dress that sat loosely on her pregnant
belly. Her hair had been straightened and cut into a short bob.
The driver sidled past them to take the luggage upstairs to the bedroom prepared for her and
Renaldo.
“Not as well as you,” Sabrina replied. “You look amazing. I can’t believe this is your third baby in
three years.”
Alexa’s tawny skin glowed, and she laughed the contented laugh of a happy pregnant woman.
“You’re flattering me, and I unashamedly accept it. But I have no choice but to keep popping babies out.
I had to cram them in during our three-year stay because Leo insists all his children have to be born on
Brazilian soil.”
“That’s the way it should be,” Renaldo interjected.
Alexa rolled her eyes.
He laughed, which was such a good look on him, so relaxed and approachable.
“I knew you’d agree with him,” Alexa said. “You Brazilians are a proud bunch.”
Renaldo kissed her cheeks. “Where is my cousin?”
“He’s off making sure we have what we need for the party tomorrow night. You know Leo, he has
to take control. It’s his birthday, but he’s busy making sure everything runs smoothly instead of letting
us handle it.”
“How old is he now? Fifty-six?”
“Thirty-six.” Alexa wagged a finger at him. “Don’t you dare talk about my husband’s age.”
“Where are the kids?” Sabrina looked around as if they would suddenly appear. They must have
grown so much since the last time she saw them. Lucélia was just over two years old, and Alessandro
was eleven months old.
“They’re taking their afternoon nap,” Alexa said. “We can have some grown up time before they
wake up and start screaming for my attention.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth, than the pitter-patter of little feet could be heard across
the terra cotta-tiled floor. Her daughter came running out, clutching a blue-and-white stuffed rabbit.
Sabrina remembered how much the little girl loved the toy. She’d brought it when they visited her and
Renaldo in Sao Paulo. Senhor Bunny, he was called.
Lucélia paused when she saw Renaldo and Sabrina. She was a miniature version of her mother,
but had her father’s dark, wavy hair. She watched them curiously for a moment.
“Olá, boa tarde, Lucélia,” Sabrina greeted her. She doubted Lucélia would remember her. It had
been months since they’d last seen each other.
The toddler’s face crumbled and she started to cry.
“Oh, no, what’s wrong?” Sabrina asked, amazed so much noise could come from such a tiny
mouth.
“Nothing.” Alexa sighed. “She’s in a bad mood because she’s supposed to be asleep, but she hates
taking an afternoon nap. But if she doesn’t have a nap, she’s miserable and cranky. Come here, sweetie.”
Lucélia ran pell-mell into her mother’s leg and buried her face in the folds of her dress.
“Mamãe,” the little girl wailed, lifting her face toward her mother and stretching her arms upward.
“Okay, that’s enough.” Alexa picked her up and settled her on her hip. Lucélia buried her face in
her chest, still holding Senhor Bunny. “You need to take your nap.”
“Não.” Lucélia shook her head, the word muffled.
“Sim, Lucélia.”
“Não, mamãe. Não sono.”
“Yes, you are sleepy. Você está muito sonolenta.” Alexa spoke to the children in both languages to
make the transition easier for them when they moved back to the States. “As you can see, she’s changed
a lot since you last saw her. She’s not sweet and quiet anymore. I have my hands full. Notice how she’s
making all that noise, but there are no tears. My daughter is quite the actress. I’m convinced she has a
career in show business.”
She stroked her daughter’s hair. “You want to stay with me?” When Lucélia nodded she patted
her back. “Okay, but you have to calm down. Acalme-se.”
After several moments of talking quietly to the toddler, Lucélia’s whining quieted and her eyes
drooped as she settled against her mother’s breast.
“I don’t know how she slipped past her grandmother, but it looks like she’ll be fast asleep by the
time I get finished showing you around. I’ll put her down when we’re done. Come on and I’ll give you
the grand tour.”
Renaldo had been there before, but since Sabrina hadn’t, Alexa showed them around the
downstairs and took them out to the back yard. On the second floor, she showed them to their room
and explained Leonardo had insisted his favorite cousin get the best room in the house. It overlooked a
flower garden. A few steps outside the bedroom door and they were at a staircase that took them to the
rooftop terrace and pool.
“Sabrina, I’m sure you know we’re all one big happy family, so don’t be shy—make yourself at
home. We’ll have a full house when Beatrisa, Carolina, and the other cousins get to town. Then of
course, all the family in Rio will be here tomorrow night for the party. If you all need anything, just
holler for me, Mamãe Silva—who’s around here somewhere—or the housekeeper.”
After she left, Sabrina threw open the French doors and stepped out to view the garden below.
“This is so nice.”
Renaldo stepped up beside her. “Do you think you could live in a place like this? Away from the
city?”
“I do.”
The house felt so homey, lived in. Each room was decorated with heavy, traditional furniture in
rust, brown, and green patterns and tall potted plants sat in the corners of the rooms. She would love to
have a home like this with Renaldo. A place where children ran through the house and family members
stopped by for parties or just to say hello.
“Could you?”
He looked off into the distance. “I grew up in a house like this.” He went back into the room.
“We better go downstairs to see if Alexa needs help. We may be guests, but we’re family. I’m sure she’ll
want to put us to work.”
We’re family.
He’d included her. A good sign, surely.
They spent the rest of the day getting ready for the party by putting up decorations and clustering
furniture together to create pockets for conversation. When the little ones woke up, Sabrina helped
Mamãe Silva, their grandmother, keep them out of the way.
By late afternoon, family started coming by—cousins, in-laws, Carolina, Beatrisa and her children.
When Leonardo came home, a loud cheer went up from the back yard where everyone had congregated.
Sabrina greeted him and received a big bear hug and kiss. He had the same broad, muscular build as
Renaldo, but unlike Renaldo, he allowed his hair to grow out, exposing the wavy pattern to curl around
his collar.
A few trays of food set aside for the big event the next day were brought out, and someone turned
on the radio to a station that played only local music. In typical Brazilian fashion, an impromptu party
broke out.
Renaldo’s family—no, they were her family, too, for at least a little bit longer—was a loud, happy
bunch that hugged and kissed each time a new person arrived.
When he’d asked her to marry him, he’d told her, “In my country, family is very important. When we
marry, your family becomes mine, and my family becomes yours.”
She hadn’t truly appreciated those words until now—now that she was about to lose it all. She sat
back and watched all the revelry. A few people sat at a table arguing about a soccer match. One of the
cousins’ new baby was being passed around from person to person. They fawned over the little girl, but
that didn’t slow down Lucélia, who thrived on being the center of attention. While her little brother
drank from a bottle in the arms of one of his cousins, she ran around with a yucca fry in her hand,
offering a bite to each person. It was a game to her, and whenever anyone pretended they wanted to take
a bite, the little imp yanked it back, giggled, and ran off.
Sabrina wanted to hold onto this. All the noise, the energy, the chaos. She had to make Renaldo
listen to her, because if she was forced to leave, she would not only be giving him up, she would be
giving up her family, too.
Later in the evening, they all had full bellies, and the boisterous conversations had lowered to
quiet discussions. A bossa nova melody played on the radio while one couple and Renaldo and Mamãe
Silva danced. The guitarist strummed a haunting tune and the men slowly guided their partners around
the outdoor patio. Renaldo looked relaxed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, his handsome face all smiles.
He hadn’t looked so happy in a long time. These moments were important to him, when he cast off the
stress of work and simply enjoyed the time he spent with those close to him.
Beatrisa dragged a chair over to sit beside her. “Are you having a good time?”
“Yes. I love being around your family.”
They watched the activity in silence for a few moments.
“You hurt my brother,” Beatrisa said, keeping her eyes trained on Renaldo. “I don’t know the
details because he won’t tell me, but I only have one question for you. Do you love him?”
Sabrina looked at her sister-in-law’s profile. “Yes.”
“Good.” Beatrisa faced her. “Because if you ever hurt him again, you will have to deal with me.”
She’d always known Beatrisa was protective of her siblings. Sabrina felt the same way about Jewel,
who was the closest thing she had to a sister.
“You don’t have to worry about that, Beatrisa.”
“I am sorry I have not been friendlier to you. I must be honest, I was worried when my brother
chose a woman from the United States, but…you are his choice…you are family. I will do better.” Her
eyes brightened. “Maybe lunch one day…you, me, and Carolina?”
“That would be nice.”
“Good. I better go find my children. There’s no telling what trouble those two are getting into.”
Beatrisa squeezed her hand and went in search of them.
How ironic that Beatrisa was reaching out to her now that her future with Renaldo was unsure.
She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.
Every night she and Renaldo slept in the same bed and made love as if they could never get
enough of each other. She didn’t like getting her hopes up because he hadn’t made her any promises. He
hadn’t told her he loved her, and he hadn’t told her he wanted to stay married.
She hated the thought that it was all about sex, but the only thing she could count on was at the
end of the probation period, she’d receive four million dollars.
Then he expected her to go.
Chapter Thirteen
The trip to Copacabana Beach required an impressive amount of coordination and supplies. They
had to take so much gear, Sabrina didn’t think Leonardo and Alexa came to the beach often even though
it was only a few blocks away. It was simply too much work.
They took umbrellas, chairs, towels, and toys for the children to play with. Ziploc bags were filled
with snacks, and a cooler contained water, juice, and fruit. Each of the adults—Leonardo, Renaldo,
Carolina, Sabrina, Alexa—had something in their hands as they trekked across the beach to find the
perfect spot.
Families and singles had already staked their claim on the soft sand. A group of young people
danced to samba music from a portable radio, and a game of volleyball occupied another group nearby.
Hotels and condominiums stretched behind the beach. Juice bars and restaurants lined the pavement of
the two and a half mile promenade, and vendors walked back and forth selling food and all sorts of
items to the locals and tourists.
They settled in the south corner, where the calmer surf made the children less afraid of the water.
Alexa dug for sunscreen in her beach bag. While she rubbed the lotion on Lucélia, Sabrina rubbed
it on Alessandro. The little boy wiggled nonstop, making Sabrina’s task more difficult and causing it to
take longer than it should have. Then the two children went to play with a bucket, shovel, and the other
colorful toys their mother brought to keep them occupied.
Carolina invited Sabrina to follow her down the beach to join the volleyball game. When she
declined, the younger woman ran off in her white thong bikini. It had to be the smallest bathing suit
Sabrina had ever seen.
“I guess she won’t have any problem getting accepted into the game.” Sabrina removed her beach
cover up to reveal a bikini with a white bandeau top and black bottom. She sat under the large umbrella
in a chair near to Alexa.
“No, Carolina never has that kind of trouble,” Alexa agreed in an amused tone.
“I would kill for her body.”
“What for? The two of you are about the same height, and you have a great body. You’re just
thicker than she is. I’m the one who should be ready to kill. Next to you two Amazons, I look like a toy
top.”
They shared a laugh, and Lucélia joined in the laughter where she played in the sand.
“What are you laughing about?” Alexa asked.
The little girl continued giggling and then jumped up to run over to her mother. “Kiss-kiss.”
Alexa leaned close so her daughter could kiss her cheek and then planted one on her cheek, too.
“How about one for Cousin Sabrina?”
Lucélia smiled bashfully and hid her face in her mother’s arm.
“Oh, she’s shy,” Sabrina said.
“No, she’s not. I told you, she’s an actress.” Alexa lifted Lucélia’s chin. “You’re not shy. Go ahead
and give a kiss-kiss to Cousin Sabrina.”
Lucélia looked at Sabrina then looked at her mother.
Alexa nodded, and the toddler walked around the chair and gave Sabrina a soft kiss on the cheek.
Then she hurried back to her mother and pressed her face in her arm again. After a few seconds, she
peeped at Sabrina.
Sabrina thanked her. “Obrigada.”
Lucélia clapped and laughed. “Kiss-kiss, Sandro.” She went over to her brother and kissed him.
“Kiss-kiss, papai.”
“Sim, kiss-kiss papai e Primo Renaldo,” Alexa said.
Lucélia took off across the sand, and when Alessandro saw her leaving, he took off behind her.
They made their way carefully down the beach to where Leonardo and Renaldo stood talking at the edge
of the water. Alessandro followed at a cautious pace behind his sister, the soft sand making his footing
unsure.
Alexa called out to her husband and pointed out the children headed toward them.
Both men met them halfway. Leonardo scooped up Lucélia and Renaldo picked up her brother.
After the kisses were delivered, they went into the sea and started playing with the kids in the water.
Renaldo looked natural holding Alessandro. Despite being such a big man, he took great care with
the little boy, who at first clung fearfully to him until he grew accustomed to the cool waves. Then
Alessandro started laughing and kicking his little legs in excitement as Renaldo lowered and lifted him
in and out of the water.
A sentimental twinge nicked Sabrina’s chest. She imagined him playing the same way with their
own child, one with his dark eyes and dark hair.
“I know that look.” Alexa plopped a big, floppy hat onto her head. “Somebody’s ready to have a
baby.”
“Oh no. Before we got married, we knew we wanted to wait a few years before we started having
kids.” And since I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be married, it may never happen.
“That doesn’t mean you can’t adjust your plans.”
“We’ll see.” It was too painful to think about now. “How many more do the two of you plan to
have?”
“We both want a large family, so at least one more, maybe two.”
“So those two will be born in the States?”
“No, ma’am. Leo’s very proud of his heritage. The kids automatically have Brazilian citizenship
because he’s Brazilian, but that’s not enough. His father’s American, and his mother did the same thing
—moved back here to give birth to him. We’ve decided that when we return to Atlanta, we’ll wait a
couple of years before getting pregnant again, and then I’ll come to Rio to have the last one—or two.”
Alexa laughed softly and rubbed circles on her belly. “I love that man so much that if he told me he
wanted me to give birth to all his children on the moon, I’d probably do it.”
Sabrina watched her friend with envy. “You seem so happy.” She remembered when she had been,
too.
“Leo and I are very happy, but we went through a rough patch a few years ago. Did you know
that?”
Surprised, Sabrina lifted her gaze to her friend’s. “No, I didn’t.”
“Mhmm. At the time, it seemed all he cared about was work, and I didn’t see how I fit into his
life. We hardly ever spoke to each other. I felt ignored and unloved. I left him, but I missed him like
crazy. He found a way—an unconventional way—to get me back.” The corners of Alexa’s mouth lifted
at the memory. She patted her large stomach. “I no longer feel ignored.”
They laughed again.
“Leo mentioned you and Renaldo were having problems. I don’t know the details,” Alexa hastily
added. “He wouldn’t tell me, I guess out of loyalty to his cousin, but I’m happy to see everything is back
to normal.”
Sabrina stared out at the water. The two men were still playing in the waves with the children. “It
was my fault.”
Alexa lightly touched her shoulder. “Hey, whatever you did or didn’t do, at some point you have
to forgive yourself. And talk to him. That was our biggest problem. We hardly ever talked and the
problems just became worse. I know it’s cliché, but you’d be surprised how important communication
really is.”
“I don’t know, Alexa. We’re…” She held her tongue, not wanting to say too much.
“It can’t be that bad. Love doesn’t just turn itself off.”
Sabrina sifted sand through her fingers. “I’m afraid it does sometimes. If what you do is bad
enough.”
“I don’t believe it. I knew the two of you were meant to be together at your wedding. I could see
how much he loved you. And when we visited you in Sao Paulo, you reminded me of us when we first
got married. To be honest, Leo and I were happy but surprised when Renaldo called to say he was
engaged. The way he went through women…” She shook her head. “We couldn’t believe he’d met
someone because after what happened with his mother, he’d sworn off marriage.”
Sabrina’s head popped up. “What do you mean? What happened to his mother?”
“Well, you know, she left them. He hasn’t spoken to her or seen her since he was a child.”
“Wait a minute, I’m confused. That doesn’t make any sense. And why are you talking about her in
the present tense? She’s dead.”
“Are we talking about the same person?” Alexa frowned. “His stepmother’s dead, but his
biological mother is still alive.”
“His biological mother?” Sabrina could only stare at Alexa.
“Yeah. Wait, you didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
Alexa bit her lip and looked out at the water. “It’s really not my place to tell you if—”
“You’ve already started, so you might as well finish.”
“Leo’s going to kill me,” Alexa moaned. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Alexa, please.”
“Okay.”
When she still didn’t divulge any more information, Sabrina grew impatient. “Alexa!”
“Okay, okay. I guess it’s not a surprise Renaldo didn’t tell you because he doesn’t acknowledge his
biological mother. He and his sisters consider the woman who raised them to be their mother, but she’s
actually their stepmother.”
A screech from her daughter drew Alexa’s attention to the water, but when she saw Lucélia was
fine and just enjoying herself, she continued. “All the pictures in the house are of Renaldo’s stepmother.
When he was six, his biological mother left. A couple of years later, their father remarried. None of
them speak to their real mother. To tell you the truth, I think Carolina and Beatrisa just follow
Renaldo’s lead. They do pretty much whatever he says. As the head of the family, and the one who takes
care of them financially, it’s no real surprise.”
“She just left? What kind of woman does that?” She didn’t have children, but if she did, she
couldn’t imagine walking away from them.
Alexa shrugged. “She was very young, a teenager when she married their father. He was a lot older
than her, and maybe she felt she’d lost her youth. The marriage was probably a mistake from the
beginning, but she didn’t up and leave for no reason.”
“Was he abusive or controlling or something?”
“Oh no, nothing like that. Mr. Silva was a good man and loved by his family. He was a successful
businessman and respected in the community. But I guess she never loved him the way he loved her. She
had an affair.”
Sabrina’s stomach gave a sickening lurch. All along she’d thought Renaldo had had this perfect
life growing up. How wrong she’d been. And how much worse did that make what she’d done with
Mateo? What she’d done was bad enough, but for Renaldo it must be like living his childhood all over
again.
“She came back for a couple of months and Mr. Silva gave her a second chance, but she left again.
This time for good, leaving him to raise three small children on his own. Of course, everyone sided with
Renaldo’s father, and even though he had help from family members, he ended up moving from Rio.
Leo was about thirteen at the time, and he remembers the adults talking about how Mr. Silva wanted to
get away from the memories and start over. He was already successful in real estate, so he set up his
business in Sao Paulo. That’s where he met his second wife. He’d actually hired her to watch his children
and they fell in love. She loved his kids like they were her own.”
“Where is Renaldo’s biological mother now?”
“Her relationship never lasted, but she did marry again later. She eventually moved to Sao Paulo,
too. Her second husband passed away about ten years after they married, leaving her a small fortune. She
never married again after that, and she never had any more children.
“I pity her. I can understand leaving your husband, but how could you leave your kids?” Alexa
shook her head and rubbed her stomach. “She missed out on all the joys of motherhood, watching her
children grow up and become adults. She has grandchildren now, and she’s missed out on that, too.
They say she’s a very lonely woman, living by herself in a big house on the outskirts of the city. She’ll pay
for what she did for the rest of her life.”
The gravity of those words filled Sabrina with fear. How could Renaldo ever be able to forgive
her for what she did?
In his eyes, she must be as bad as his own mother.
Chapter Fourteen
After they returned from the beach, Sabrina showered, dressed, and went downstairs to help
Mamãe Silva and Beatrisa, who had been working all day preparing for the party. The caterers set up the
food outside, and by nightfall the house was filled with guests and the party in full swing.
Strings of lights hung on the bushes and on poles placed strategically around the yard, with votive
candles flickering on the tables. The food stations overflowed with a multitude of traditional and
nontraditional choices. Sweets like brigadeiros, the Brazilian version of a chocolate truffle, and a guava
and cream cheese pastry known as “Romeo and Juliet” were served alongside chocolate chip cookies and
apple pie. There was rice and beans as well as lasagna, and fish dishes like bacalhoada.
At Sabrina’s urging, Alexa took a break and sat down in a chair. Sabrina joined her around the
crowded table. They scooped big spoonfuls of feijoada, Brazil’s national dish, onto their plates. Rice and a
steaming pot of stewed beans, pork, and meat made up the meal, which was garnished with sliced
oranges. Baskets of bread were passed around, including pao de queijo, Sabrina’s weakness ever since the
first time she’d tasted the tiny cheese bread.
As they ate, Lucélia climbed into Sabrina’s lap and started chattering away. The little girl had
grown attached to Sabrina and stayed close to her side at all times. As Sabrina’s gaze traveled around the
table, the family atmosphere brought tears to her eyes. She’d never had this growing up.
“It’s nice, isn’t it?” Alexa whispered.
They exchanged a look. Alexa must appreciate the celebratory atmosphere and sense of belonging,
too, having lost her parents at a young age.
“Yeah. It is.”
__________
Carrying a glass of scotch and a caipirinha in his hands, Renaldo walked over to Leonardo on the
outer circle of the party and handed him a drink.
“Saúde,” Renaldo said. They clinked glasses and he sipped his scotch. “You’re ready to leave all
this behind?”
“It’ll be hard. Alexa has fallen in love with the house, the food, my family, everything. She loves
that my mother lives with us and is available to help her with the children. She doesn’t want to leave.”
“But business calls.”
Leonardo nodded. “I have no choice. Luckily, I have an idea of how to make this work so that we
can live here permanently. But I won’t be able to start working on it until we move back to the States.”
“It’ll work out if that’s what you really want.”
“I do. My mother would love it, too. And besides, a happy wife means fewer headaches for me.”
Leonardo chuckled. “How are things?”
Renaldo wasn’t ready to tell Leo the truth about his relationship with Sabrina. “Good.”
He hadn’t thought much about the current status of their relationship, preferring to let it be. He
would just enjoy it while it lasted, because she would be leaving soon, and that’s what he wanted. Wasn’t
it?
They were simply using each other for sexual satisfaction. It was a matter of convenience for now
and to keep up the charade until the probation period was over. Because he couldn’t forgive her for
what she had done. Could he?
And even if he could, he’d never forget, and their relationship would never be what it once was.
“Time for cake.” Mamãe Silva appeared and took her son by the arm.
Renaldo gave himself a mental shake. He was here for a party and to wish his cousin and his
family farewell before they moved back to the States. His problems with Sabrina would have to be set
aside for now.
He clapped Leonardo on the shoulder. “Time to sing “happy birthday” old man. I hope we don’t
need a fire extinguisher to help you blow out all those candles.”
“Very funny.”
One of the caterers wheeled out the cake and everyone broke into song: “Parabéns pra você, nessa
data querida, muitas felicidades, muitos anos de vida.”
Renaldo’s gaze slid to Sabrina, who stood singing heartily with everyone else, swaying from side to
side with Lucélia in her arms. How well he remembered when she had learned the Portuguese words for
him on his last birthday, at an intimate party for two. It had been one of the sweetest memories of their
marriage.
Right from the start, her dedicated efforts to learn his language had impressed him. He liked to
hear her speak it with her accent. It was cute. Sexy.
She’d always done things like that to please him. It was hard to reconcile that woman, the one he’d
fallen in love with, with the woman who’d broken his heart by sleeping with another man.
He couldn’t understand it. Had it really happened? Or was he going to wake up and find out the
entire episode with the photos had been a bad dream? That she was still the woman he married. The
woman who’d promised on their wedding day to be the best possible wife. Not the woman who’d
committed the one act, the one sin he found unforgivable.
Loud clapping brought his attention back to the party. Leonardo had blown out all the candles.
His cousin reached for Alexa and planted a kiss on her lips, which resulted in more clapping and
cheering. He wondered if his cousin knew how fortunate he was to have a wife who loved him and two
beautiful, healthy children.
The party continued late into the night with lots of dancing and drinking. Renaldo was finally able
to break away from a conversation with one of his uncles and went in search of Sabrina. When he found
her, she was sitting on a stool rocking a sleeping Lucélia in her arms. The sight of her holding the child
gave him pause and made him think again about the future of their marriage. He’d planned to have this
type of life with her. Children, family, all of it. Again he wondered if he could forgive her.
“She’s fast asleep.” She smiled at him when he sat beside her.
“You should take her to her room.”
“It’s no bother.”
Leonardo and Alexa were among the couples dancing. As they swayed to the softly playing music,
he rubbed his wife’s back. They seemed to be lost in each other’s eyes.
Seeing them like that made him want to get closer to Sabrina.
“You should put her to bed.” He wanted to make love to her. Needed to.
“Oh.” She smiled knowingly, and rose with the baby in her arms.
She didn’t get far because Mamãe Silva approached. “I’ll take her.”
Sabrina handed the child over to her grandmother and Renaldo took her hand and led her into
the house.
They made slow, unhurried love to each other. Afterward, as they were lying in bed, Sabrina
propped her head on her elbow and gazed down at him. She ran a hand over his chest. God, she loved
him, and being free to touch him like this, to make love with him, was wonderful. But not being able to
connect with him on an emotional level was killing her. They used to share everything, but now the only
part of himself he shared with her was his body.
She dragged a fingertip down the middle of his chest and played in the soft hairs.
Renaldo took her hand and kissed her palm. “Ready for round two?”
“In a little bit.”
She wanted to ask him about his mother, but didn’t know how to broach the subject. Maybe the
reason he hadn’t forgiven his mother was because she had left. But the circumstances surrounding their
situation were different. Sabrina hadn’t left voluntarily, and she wanted to stay married. So maybe he
could forgive her.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Yes, I want to have sex again,” he joked.
He was in a playful mood. Maybe she should leave well enough alone. But she couldn’t help
wondering about his mother and how his feelings about her played a role in their relationship.
“I wasn’t going to ask you that, but it’s good to know.” She swallowed her nervousness. “Alexa
told me about your mother.”
Renaldo frowned. “Oh?”
“Why didn’t you tell me your mother is still alive?” she asked quietly.
His body stilled and he let go of her hand. “My mother is dead.”
Sabrina tried to tread carefully because she didn’t want him to get upset. “Not your stepmother.
Your biological mother.”
“What difference does it make?” He sat up with a jerky, agitated movement.
“Because it’s part of who you are.” And if you share this part of your life with me, maybe it will help me
figure out how to save our marriage.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed. “It would have come up eventually, but it was never
relevant before.”
“It’s relevant to me.”
“Why? Because if you’d known you wouldn’t have committed the same sin as my mother?”
That hurt, but she’d known she was treading on dangerous ground when she brought up the
topic. “Have you ever thought about forgiving her?” She bit her lip. Her voice had faltered a bit on the
last words.
“She’s never asked for my forgiveness.” His voice was emotionless.
Sabrina plucked at the bed sheet. “Have you ever tried to contact her?” She had to know. If he
couldn’t reach out to her and forgive, then there was no hope for Sabrina. The wounds of their marriage
were too fresh.
“I don’t have anything to say to her, Sabrina. Not after the way she treated my father, and not
after the way she abandoned us.”
“Do Beatrisa and Carolina feel the same way?”
“I don’t know what they feel. We never talk about it.” He turned to look at her. “I have never told
my sisters not to contact her. That’s their choice, as it is mine. I chose not to, and I will never change my
mind about how I feel. She walked out on my father, and I distinctly remember his reaction.” His eyes
were angry in the dark room. “Do you want me to tell you what happened?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer, forging on with acid in his voice. “I never told anyone this, but I
heard my father beg—beg her—to stay. He reminded her she had three small children, and do you know
what she replied? She said it was better this way. That she’d made a mistake getting married and having
children. A mistake. We—her whole family—were a mistake. You asked me if I’ve ever made an effort to
contact her. Why hasn’t she made the effort?”
He strode to the French doors that led to the balcony and hauled aside the sheers to stare out into
the darkness. The soft moonlight cast his hard body in shadow.
Sabrina rose from the bed to stand behind him. Her initial reason for broaching the topic had
been purely selfish, but it was clear that the hurt Renaldo felt ran deep. She placed a hand on his back.
She’d felt the same resentment toward her own mother at one time. But then the day had come
when she’d had to identify her mother’s body in the morgue after drugs had prematurely taken her life.
Living with the guilt of knowing how she’d felt about her mother and then having her taken from her
had been a hard cross to bear. She didn’t want Renaldo to experience the same type of remorse.
To this day she regretted not working on bettering the relationship with her mother. She’d even
wondered if she’d shown more of an interest, could she have saved her from her untimely death.
“You should think about getting in touch with her,” she whispered. “If something were to happen
to her, you’d regret it. Trust me.”
Renaldo rested his forearm on the door. “Enough, Sabrina. This topic is no longer open for
discussion. Do not mention her again.” He sounded tired rather than angry, and she decided not to push
it.
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his back. His skin felt warm.
She didn’t say another word. She just held him. Because she felt he needed it.
__________
After breakfast the next morning, Sabrina and Renaldo prepared to leave. They all stood on the
doorstep of the house exchanging hugs. Lucélia gave them one more kiss-kiss each and they reluctantly
waved goodbye. But when the little girl realized they were leaving for good, she started sobbing and
throwing a tantrum.
Sabrina felt a distinct sense of loss when she left Rio and already missed her family. But she was
lucky enough to still be married to the most wonderful man she’d ever met. She hoped the connection
between her and Renaldo continued to strengthen. Even though the reason for their reunion had been a
monetary one, she preferred to think their fragile relationship was changing and growing in a positive
way.
She looked at Renaldo seated beside her on the plane. She could only see part of his profile
because his head was turned toward the window. He looked deep in thought.
We still have time.
By the end of the probation period, she’d make sure Renaldo didn’t want her to leave.
Chapter Fifteen
“Person of the Year, Renaldo da Silva of Silva Development Group!”
Sabrina joined in the standing ovation as the mayor presented Renaldo with an award to honor
his achievements in real estate.
The great hall was filled with prominent members of the business community and even a few
celebrities. Sabrina and the other guests remained on their feet as Renaldo stepped up to the
microphone. She didn’t want to be anywhere else in the world but right where she was. Looking at him
now and experiencing this moment filled her with such pride. This was her man.
They’d grown even closer and lived normally like husband and wife since the return from Rio a
week ago. At some point they needed to talk about what happened that night and resolve any latent hurt
and animosity, but she’d be content for now because she knew in her heart that their relationship was on
the mend.
“Thank you, Mayor Salazar.” Renaldo turned over the plaque in his hand and read the inscription.
“This is truly an honor. I’m very proud of everything I’ve accomplished, but I can’t take all the credit. I
have a great staff at SDG. I’m a lucky man to have such dedicated employees. Without them, my
company would not be what it is today.”
His eyes scanned the crowd and landed on Sabrina. “Even with all the success I achieved, my
greatest achievement only came after I found the right person to complement me. Because of this
person, SDG won the bid to complete Estação Central, the biggest project in our history. I could not
have done it without her. My wife, my partner, Sabrina da Silva.”
Sabrina was so stunned by his words that she didn’t move, even when he gestured for her to join
him on stage. Only when a woman at the table touched her elbow and urged her to go up did her feet
start moving her forward.
When she reached him, he took her hand. Someone in the back shouted, “The Dynamic Duo!”
Her heart was racing, but not because of the accolades, loud applause, or flashing cameras. It was
because of Renaldo’s acknowledgement. It warmed her heart and proved yet again that their relationship
had turned the corner. There were no I-love-you’s yet, but actions speak louder than words. And by his
actions, Renaldo showed her that their marriage was strong enough to withstand what she’d done.
He could look past it. He could forgive her. Which meant he could still love her.
__________
Sabrina stretched and rose from the chair behind her desk. She checked her clock and a smile slid
in place when she realized she was actually leaving work on time. A rare occurrence in the past, but not
anymore. As Renaldo had said, there should be balance.
She still loved to work because it made her feel useful. Working gave her a sense of purpose, but
there were plenty of things more important—like spending time with her spouse. She no longer took
their moments together for granted. It was a hard lesson to learn, but she’d learned it.
She entered Renaldo’s office through the connecting door. “Time to head home.” She loved
saying that. It felt so right to be talking about going home with this man.
“I have to finish up a few things here.”
“Do you need some help?” She stood behind him and looked over his shoulder. He was in the
midst of reviewing architectural plans for Estação Central on the computer. She placed her hands on his
broad shoulders and gently massaged the knotted muscles.
“Nothing you can help me with.” He groaned and turned the chair around so he could cup her
hips in his hands. “Go on home and I’ll be there in a couple of hours.”
“Should I send the car back for you?”
“No, I’ll catch a taxi when I’m ready.”
Sabrina pouted. “There needs to be a healthy balance between work and leisure.”
He chuckled, the appealing sound and the touch of his hands spreading warmth to her lower
extremities. “You’re throwing my words back at me now, are you?” He pulled her onto his lap.
“Yes, if it’ll get you home sooner.” Sabrina looped her arms around his neck and kissed him,
nestling into the warmth of his body. She moaned and wiggled when she felt his growing erection
against her bottom.
“The sooner you go, the sooner I can get there,” he whispered, nipping at her neck. Quivers of
pleasure ran over the surface of her skin.
“You’re the one who pulled me onto your lap,” she whispered back.
“True.”
His lips caressed her cheek before kissing her with a deep hunger. She opened her mouth to let
him explore the softness inside. They’d rekindled the easy affection they used to have, and it filled her
with happiness, made her feel so close to him. She wanted to express her love, but a quickie in the office
wasn’t enough tonight. She wanted to take her time.
Sabrina extricated herself from his arms and slapped his hand when he growled and reached for
her again. She fixed her blouse that his nimble fingers had managed to unbutton. “I’ll have something
special for you when you get home. Don’t be too long.”
His gaze lowered to her breasts and desire smoldered in his eyes. “I won’t.”
She walked to the connecting door with an extra sway in her hips, the way he liked, and took a
look over her shoulder. Warmth spread through her limbs at the hungry way he continued to watch her.
When he looked at her like that, he made her ache to her core. She blew him a kiss and slipped through
the door.
With difficulty, Renaldo resumed working. He could barely concentrate on the words he typed
onto the notes field of the plans. If the engineer didn’t need these changes tomorrow, he would’ve
shucked the work and left with Sabrina. At least he had a special treat to look forward to. He couldn’t
wait to see what she came up with.
There was a knock on his door. “Come in.”
Paulo entered and Renaldo’s gaze immediately zeroed in on the large blue envelope in his hand.
His light-hearted mood changed instantly.
“Here’s everything I was able to find out.” Paulo handed him the envelope.
No need to explain what it was, because Renaldo already knew. He almost didn’t want to open it
because it would spoil the high he was experiencing. He could still smell her perfume. Could still taste
her soft mouth.
Paulo took a seat, ready to answer questions. Renaldo pulled out the multi-page report and photos
of the man named Mateo Sousa.
__________
In the back of the limo, Sabrina pondered what to do for Renaldo when he got home. Maybe
she’d greet him with whipped cream placed strategically on her body. Or maybe she’d greet him with
nothing on at all. She grinned to herself as she thought of possibilities.
When her cell phone rang, she quickly fished it out of her purse, but there was no number when
she looked at the screen. Unease settled in her stomach. It had been a long time since she’d received a
call from a private number, and she dreaded answering the phone because of what it had meant in the
past.
“Olá,” she said cautiously.
“Senhora Silva, how are you?” The heavily accented male voice tanked her stomach. Mateo.
“What do you want?”
“That’s no way to greet an old friend.”
Sabrina pushed a button on the console for the privacy glass to slide into place. “You’re not my
friend.”
“But we’ve been so close and had such fun together. But maybe you’re right. Not friends. Lovers,
then?”
Sabrina gripped the phone with a hand that had turned clammy and shut her eyes tight. He was
making jokes about something that had wrecked her marriage. The sickening jolt of her stomach
threatened to toss up her lunch. “I’m not giving you any more money.”
“What makes you think that’s why I called?”
“Isn’t it?” She waited, holding her breath.
“Well, it is true, but I think you should reconsider.”
“There’s nothing to consider. You threatened to tell my husband, but that doesn’t matter
anymore. He knows, and he forgives me for what happened.” He hadn’t said so, but it was obvious he
had.
There was silence on the other end. She could almost hear the wheels turning. “Your husband is a
very rich man, with business holdings in the hundreds of millions. How do you think he would feel if
people found out about us? By the way, that was a lovely story about the two of you in Semanal. What
would happen if I sent them proof that your marriage is not as perfect as you pretend it is? It would
wound his pride and turn you both into liars.”
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Are you certain?” He waited a heartbeat. “I would like to see you. Maybe we can work something
out.”
“Like what?”
“One more payment, and in exchange, I leave you and your husband alone for good.”
It was a tempting offer, but she didn’t trust him. “I doubt you’ll do that. You said yourself you
know how wealthy he is.”
“I’m trying to be considerate and not greedy, but it is up to you. Of course, now that he knows, I
know you have access to more money because he would not want this to get out. Which means the price
will go up significantly if you want me to keep quiet.”
Terrified, Sabrina couldn’t think. She and Renaldo had grown so close again. He appeared
genuinely happy to have her back at work with him and treated her with such tenderness.
“Can you meet me now?” Mateo asked.
“I can’t meet you now. That’s impossible.”
“I just need a few hundred real until you can give me the rest.”
Sabrina chewed on her lower lip. Should she meet him? If she did, maybe she could talk sense into
him and convince him to give up the blackmail. She quickly checked her purse and found she had some
money—enough to buy a little time.
“Where do you want to meet?”
They agreed on a location near the penthouse and hung up.
She pushed aside the niggling thought that she shouldn’t go behind Renaldo’s back. If he found
out, she didn’t know what he’d do. He may not forgive her.
That’s why she couldn’t let him find out. He was still at the office. She could take care of this by
herself and he’d never have to know about it. Then they could continue as they were, with no disruption
to their happiness.
She lowered the privacy glass. “Drop me off at the market near the house. I’ll walk home from
there.”
The driver looked at her through the rear view mirror. “Are you sure, ma’am? I can wait for you.”
“It’s less than a mile from home. I’ll be fine.”
Sabrina sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and pushed away the doubts again. She had to
do this. She had to fix what she’d done and get rid of the evidence.
At the market, she headed to the stall Mateo had instructed her to find. She waited anxiously as
the minutes ticked by. She didn’t know where he was coming from or how long he expected her to wait.
She grew restless as the time passed and started pacing.
The minute she saw him, nausea filled her stomach, but she squared her shoulders and let a
neutral expression slide in place over her features. One of the keys to winning a negotiation, as she’d
learned from Renaldo, was to never let them see you sweat. She could handle Mateo. She could do it by
herself.
When Mateo came to stand in front of her, he leaned forward as if to press a kiss to her cheek, and
she pulled back. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
He straightened. “Greeting a… friend.”
The way he said that word made her skin crawl. How could she have jeopardized her marriage for
him? How could she have been so stupid?
“We’re not friends. What you did was despicable, taking those pictures.”
A sly smile slid across his features. He looked different than he had the night they met in the club.
When she’d first met him she’d thought he was attractive, but now he looked sick, with sunken eyes and
a sallow complexion.
“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have had any proof.”
“And you couldn’t have blackmailed me to get money.”
Mateo’s eyes hardened in response, as if what she’d said was untrue. “This way, please.” He took
her arm, but she yanked it away. His cold, clammy fingers made her feel sick.
“I can follow just fine without you touching me.”
“You have developed an unattractive attitude.” The look in his eyes made her blood run cold. He
led her out of the way of the after-work patrons purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables for the evening
meal. “Did you bring the money?”
“I did, but I’m not giving you anything until I find out what your intentions are regarding the
original photos. How much do you want for them?” The number he gave made her gasp. “I can’t get
that kind of money without my husband questioning me.”
“Then tell him. I don’t care what you do. I heard you are a very smart woman and good with
numbers. I’m sure you’ll figure something out. Maybe you could play with the numbers and take the
money and your husband would never have to know.”
Renaldo paid close attention to his assets. There was no way she could slip out a substantial
amount of cash without him noticing, and there was no way she would do it.
What was she thinking coming here to meet this man? “No.”
Mateo’s eyes widened. “What did you say?”
“I said no.” Her voice came out stronger and louder. She’d learned her lesson. “I’m not keeping
secrets from my husband anymore. I’m not lying to him and pretending everything is fine when it isn’t.
You will not have any more power over me.” She straightened her spine. This felt better, right. Renaldo
had been correct. It would never end with this man, and she had been foolish to think that she could
handle it. She’d been so used to taking care of herself that she thought she had to continue to do so,
even in her marriage. But no more. She had a partner and should have been honest and upfront with
him from the beginning.
“You’re making a mistake.”
“No, I’m not.” She looked him squarely in the eye and asked the question that had burned in her
mind for weeks. “Did you drug me that night?” She’d asked him once on the phone, but he’d laughed it
off. But she’d had to ask him again, now that she could look him in the eye and see his reaction. Because
it was the only explanation that made sense. She couldn’t have been that drunk. She couldn’t have risked
her security and the love of her life for a night with this piece of scum. Could she?
“No. I didn’t drug you.” The sly grin came back.
Her heart dropped. He hadn’t hesitated even a second. She didn’t think she could trust him, but
he seemed to be telling the truth. He took immense pleasure in the denial. Which meant she had
willingly…
Sabrina shook her head. “I’m done with you. I’m going to tell my husband you called me again,
and we’ll figure out what to do about you and those photos.”
Mateo looked over her shoulder. “Why don’t you tell him now?”
Dread forged a path down Sabrina’s back. She turned to see Renaldo making his way toward
them. He wasn’t smiling and the look he sent her made her want to wither away.
“Mateo. Sabrina.” He spoke calmly enough, but his face was dark, and his eyes were black and
stormy.
How did he know she was here? How did he know Mateo’s name? “Renny, I can explain.”
He didn’t give her a chance. He just slammed his fist into Mateo’s face. Sabrina gasped as Mateo
slid to the floor, dazed. Smeared blood covered his upper lip, and his nose looked painfully twisted.
Renaldo pulled him to his feet.
“Renny—”
The second punch landed in Mateo’s gut, forcing him to double over as air was forced from his
lungs in a painful huff. Renaldo caught him by the throat and forced him upright, pushing him into the
wall. His head bounced against the brick.
Renaldo got up close, intimidating, towering over him. “Stay away from my wife,” he said in
deadly calm Portuguese so Mateo couldn’t misunderstand. “For your own sake, don’t ever let me catch
you near her again. Or I will personally break every bone in your body.”
He shoved Mateo to the floor with a look of cold disdain. Then he took Sabrina’s hand and pulled
her toward the exit.
She looked back at Mateo, who was on his knees with one hand covering his broken nose. Their
gazes connected, and his was filled with anger and malice.
The message was clear. He wasn’t done with them yet.
Chapter Sixteen
“I can explain.”
Renaldo didn’t respond. His face was set as rigid as stone as they rode the short distance home in
the taxi that he had waiting outside the market.
“Say something.” Still he didn’t speak.
They entered the penthouse and he tossed a blue envelope onto the table in the entryway. He
remained silent all the way up to the master suite. She followed close behind. Fear of the unknown
filling her.
“Renny?”
“What is there to say?” He practically tore his tie off and tossed it to the chair near the bed. “I
cannot trust you.”
“That’s not true.”
He paced away from her and laughed, the sound pained and unnatural. He ran his hand over the
back of his head and kept moving, as if he couldn’t stay still.
Suddenly he stopped, and he looked at her. Before she had a chance to read the expression on his
face, he arced away and swung his fist into the wall. The sheetrock popped and gave way. A large hole
appeared.
Sabrina inhaled sharply and started to tremble, but she couldn’t move. She was rooted to the spot.
“What were you doing with him?” he asked, talking to the wall.
“Not what you think. You have to trust me.”
“Trust,” he muttered. “What good does trust do when nothing changes? You want me to trust
you?” He turned to face her, stabbing his finger in the air. “You were supposed to be at home, but
instead I find you in a corner with him.” His coal black eyes condemned her.
“I was trying to negotiate the original photos from him. He threatened to share our…my…what I
did, with reporters. I couldn’t risk it. I had to talk to him.”
“Without me and without my knowledge?”
“I know. I wasn’t thinking. But before you came I realized what a mistake I’d made. I was going to
tell you everything.”
“Save it.” His hand sliced through the air. “I cannot believe you are still communicating with
him.”
“I’m not.” She rushed through an explanation about the phone call and the conversation at the
market, but the look of doubt never left his face. “How did you even know where I was?”
His eyes narrowed. “How do you think?”
Her stomach bottomed out. “You’re still having me followed?” She hadn’t noticed anyone
keeping an eye on her, but then, she wouldn’t. He only hired the best.
“Luckily, I am,” he bit out. “You couldn’t even wait one more day, could you? The probation
period is over tomorrow, but you couldn’t wait.”
“No, I was trying to fix this mess. He threatened to go public with the photos. I was protecting
you. Protecting us. Honey, you have to believe me. I did not want to meet with Mateo for any reason
except to get those photos. You and I have been moving forward. Don’t let this take us back.”
“I also thought we were moving forward, but I was wrong.”
“No, no.” She didn’t know what she felt at the moment. Anger, disbelief? Her life was falling
apart for a second time.
“I told you I would not be blindsided by you again.”
“So what do you plan to do? Keep tabs on me forever?”
“What choice do I have? You’ve proven you can’t be trusted.”
“You don’t mean that. We’ve grown closer.” Sabrina took a quivering breath, trying to be strong.
“I can’t live under a microscope, treated like a child. I refuse to do it.”
“You refuse? You’re my goddamn wife, and as long as you are my wife, I will know where you are
at all times. And if I ask, you will tell me.”
Sabrina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What does this mean for us? That you’ll never
trust me? That you’ll never really forgive me?” She wanted him to deny it, to tell her no, she was
mistaken, but he remained silent. “I was trying to repair the horrible mess I’d made of our marriage. I
know I should have told you. I realized it too late, but I was going to tell you. I only talked to him.”
“We both know in the past you’ve done much more than talk.” The cold anger was back in his
eyes. She’d never wanted to see it again, but her foolish decision had brought it back. “I had him
investigated and found out he has a criminal record. I left the report downstairs. You’re welcome to read
it. Drugs, theft, simple battery—you name it, he’s done it. He’s a career criminal, Sabrina. Did you
know? Did it even matter or was that part of the attraction because he’s the same sort of man from that
life you’re familiar with? Is he more your type than I am?”
He was crushing her with his cruel words. “Stop it.”
“Is this one of your scams—part of some big plan to fool me and make me think everything is
fine, that you love me and want a life together?”
“How could you say that? Don’t say things you’ll regret later.”
“How do I know this whole marriage wasn’t one big scam?”
The day had taken such an ugly turn. From hungry kisses to angry words. From desire-filled eyes
to harsh accusations. “I know how it looked. I was foolish to go to see Mateo on my own. I admit it. But
this is not a scam. My love is not a scam. It’s real.”
“Is it?” He walked over to her. “Or is this one of the hustles you’ve told me your family pulls?
Am I a fool for thinking you’re nothing like your family, or a fool for not seeing that you are? And if
you are, who are you like the most? You gave me so many examples to choose from, which I chose to
ignore. Perhaps the aunt who’s a functioning addict and sleeps with married men, then pretends to get
pregnant—even though she can’t have children—so she can extort money from them? Or maybe one of
your other family members, like the cousin who writes bad checks? Or maybe it’s Jewel—”
“Don’t you dare talk about Jewel. She’s been clean for over a year.” Her protective instincts kicked
in immediately for her cousin. “You’re so self-righteous except when it suits your purposes. It’s all well
and good to pretend to the world that we’re still together so you can close a deal. Or there’s the
convenience of hiring someone else to do your dirty work for you. You never did explain to me how a
despachante was able to get my work visa pushed through so quickly.”
“There is no comparison between what I do to expedite business and the things your family does.
You have a cousin in jail for selling drugs and an uncle in for fraud. The list is so long I cannot begin to
repeat it. It’s in your blood. You’re no different than any of those morally corrupt—”
Her hand landed with a loud crack across his face. Color suffused the skin of his hard jaw where
she hit him as tears of hurt sprang to her eyes. She wouldn’t apologize. He deserved it. She’d confided in
him and shared stories that she’d never told another person. Had he thought he was better than her all
along?
She’d cut off ties with her family years ago, except for Jewel, so she could break the cycle of drugs
and illegal activity. Before she met Renaldo, she’d had a string of what could only be called affairs, not
relationships, because she’d never wanted to get close to anyone for fear they’d find out about her
family. He’d been the only man she’d ever shared those intimate details with, even shared her concerns
about whether or not she was better than the life she’d left behind. She’d lowered her guard and allowed
him to see past the tough, independent image to the vulnerability underneath.
All the years she’d suffered, all those stories she’d shared with him, and he threw them back in her
face? How dare he.
“You arrogant, hypocritical bastard.” How had they gotten to the point where all they wanted to
do was hurt each other? “You said none of that mattered.” She angrily swiped a tear that slipped from
her eye. “I made a mistake, and I should have told you right away what I was going to do tonight, but I
was only meeting him to convince him to get rid of the photos. I don’t want anything else to do with
him, but I can’t convince you of that because you’re so damn perfect and never make mistakes. And
everyone else in your life has to be perfect, too. That’s how you maintain control, isn’t it?”
“You’re the one who should be quiet before you say something you will regret.”
Maybe, but she couldn’t stop now. He couldn’t say those things to her without hearing the truth.
“Everyone has to obey you and fall in line with your requests so that you don’t cut them off or have
them followed or buy off their attorney!” She was yelling now. “Well, you won’t control me. I never
meant to hurt you, and I wish—I wish—with all my heart that I could take back what I did, but I can’t.
At some point you have to believe me. Otherwise when does it end?”
Sabrina pressed her hands to her chest. “I’m your wife, Renny, and I love you, but I can’t live with
you under the conditions you require. I love you. Do you hear me? Do you have any idea how hard it is
to say those words and not hear you say them back?”
“If you can’t live here under my conditions, then there’s no point in you staying. Get out.” His
voice was cold and perfectly controlled.
“No. I—”
“I said get out. Don’t make me put you out again.”
Pain ripped through her, and she turned her face away so he couldn’t see how much he’d hurt her.
She’d experienced pain before, but nothing like this. Like she was being torn apart from the inside out.
It was worse than the first time he’d told her to go because she’d gotten her hopes up and believed they
could live happily together again. “Fine. I know what I want, but you have to want it, too. I’ll leave in
the morning.”
She had to get out of there. With tears blurring her vision, Sabrina ran from the room.
The door slammed, and Renaldo stood in the room alone.
His hand throbbed and was beginning to swell after suffering through the abuse of connecting
with Mateo’s face and the bedroom wall.
He didn’t have time for this. Any of it. There was too much going on, cluttering his brain. He had
to finish working on the plans for Estação Central. And he’d gotten a call from his man keeping an eye
on Sabrina in the middle of the meeting with Paulo. On the way to the market he’d read the report in
the back of the taxi and wondered if she’d been conning him all along. How in the world had she gotten
herself mixed up with someone like Mateo Sousa?
Her empty words of love meant nothing to him. He couldn’t believe he’d fallen for her deception
again. He’d gotten comfortable with their lovemaking, her laughter, and the way they teased each other.
But if she’d thought he’d beg her to stay, she was mistaken. The minute she walked out the door he
could pick up the phone and have another woman in her place in a heartbeat.
He pulled his phone from his pocket. He’d call Beatrisa and tell her to call one of her friends. It
was time he started dating again. During the separation from Sabrina, he’d slept alone, night after night,
wondering if she’d been with Mateo. Wondering if there had been others. He should have slept with
someone else. Maybe doing so would have purged her from his system.
His hand started to shake.
Damn it.
He didn’t need her.
He paused with his finger poised over the speed dial button for his sister’s number. Already he
could see the yawning, empty void his life was going to be when Sabrina left. He’d miss her. Her
sweetness when she was trying to please him. Her strength when she gave him a hard time. The feel of
her body, the scent of her skin. The touch of her hand. He’d have to give it up. All of it.
Renaldo closed his eyes. He couldn’t go there again, suffering through the torment of living
without her. He wouldn’t let her go. He couldn’t.
He tossed the phone to the floor and barged into the other bedroom. Sabrina stood with a pile of
clothes in her arms. A suitcase on the bed was already half-full.
Time stood still; it could have been seconds, it could have been minutes. It could have been hours,
for all he knew. His strong, beautiful wife looked back at him with such vulnerability, such hurt in her
red-rimmed eyes.
“Tell me what happened that night.”
It pained him to say those words, but he could no longer hide from it. She’d asked him before to
let her explain, but he hadn’t been ready. Now he thought he was, hoped he was. Because if he could
listen to her explanation, maybe he could get past the pain and say the words of love she longed to hear,
but he’d only been strong enough to admit to himself.
Sabrina dropped the clothes into the suitcase. She blinked rapidly and brushed away a tear that fell
onto her cheek. “It happened the night you flew to Argentina,” she began. “We fought earlier that day.
You were still angry at me for showing up late to your friend’s birthday party the night before. You kept
going on and on about the importance of relationships and how they were more important than money.
I knew that, but I guess I didn’t understand it fully because I didn’t have those types of relationships. I
didn’t have close friends and family. I didn’t go to birthday parties. My work had been my life, and the
only family I had was Jewel. You were so mad at me, but I felt that what I was doing was helping us
build our future together. I didn’t get it.”
She sniffed and lifted her gaze to his. “You were still mad when you left. Jewel and I had already
planned to go out that night. She wanted to go dancing and thought it might be a good way to get me
out of my funk. We had a good time together, like we always do. Men hit on us, and Jewel flirted with
them, but I ignored them.” Her gaze lowered for a moment, and he knew she was about to say the part
he dreaded hearing. “Mateo was one of those men. He sat down at our table and offered to buy us
drinks, but we declined, not wanting to encourage him.
“He stayed and we all talked for a while. I remember I ordered a second drink and went to the
bathroom. When I came back, my drink was on the table. Mateo and Jewel sat there talking. A few
minutes later, Jewel was on the dance floor.” Sabrina placed her hand to her forehead, frowning. “I
don’t remember much afterward. I know I had the drink, and the next morning when I woke up, I was
in our bed. Beside me was a note from Mateo, thanking me for the night before.”
Renaldo closed his eyes. His entire body felt like one tight, clenched muscle. He’d asked what
happened, but he didn’t like hearing about it. “And you don’t remember anything between the time of
your second drink and the next morning?”
“Nothing.”
It was quite possible Mateo had slipped something into her drink while he and Jewel were alone.
All it would take was for Jewel to get distracted and he could slip in the drugs. Based on his arrest
record, it wasn’t outside the realm of belief that he’d do something so heinous.
“And then?”
“I didn’t want to believe what the note suggested. Then I received the first envelope with the
photos.”
“When I came back into town you wouldn’t let me touch you.” She’d avoided him and been
distant. He’d thought she was still upset about their argument.
“Because I was waiting for test results. I wanted to be sure that I was clean. I didn’t know what
happened that night, but I knew I didn’t want to jeopardize your health because of my carelessness.”
“Why didn’t you come to me and tell me any of this?”
“I couldn’t. I’d done something so awful, and if I told you, I’d lose you. But I lost you anyway,
didn’t I?” Her eyes filled with sadness. “You don’t love me anymore.”
She thought he didn’t love her. How absurd. She was his greatest weakness. He loved her too
much. So much he wanted to drop to his knees and beg her to stay. The same way his father had begged
his mother.
She stepped closer, clutching her hands to her chest. “I don’t know why I brought him here that
night. Part of me believes that I was drugged, but I don’t have any proof. I shouldn’t have kept it from
you, I know that. But I was so afraid. Haven’t we been happy the past couple of weeks? I know in time
we can get past this. Just tell me how to fix it. You’re the love of my life. Don’t make me leave, Renny.
Please. Please don’t make me leave again.”
He saw past the anger and hurt to the earnest expression on her face. The pleading in her eyes and
the soft tremor of her voice cut through him and forced him to recognize the truthfulness of her words.
He didn’t have to beg her not to leave. She was begging to stay.
“You know me,” Sabrina whispered. “You know I love you. You must feel something for me, in
here.” She placed a hand over his heart. Her touch filled his chest with warmth. “Don’t you still love
me…even just a little bit?”
Her voice was filled with anguish, and Renaldo wanted to ease it as much as he wanted to ease his
own. He covered her hand. “A little bit? I never stopped loving you, absolutely, completely, with all my
heart. Even when I was angry.” His fingers tightened around hers, and he stepped closer to look down
into her upturned face. “Even when I told myself I hated you, I never stopped.”
Her eyes grew wide and bright in her face. “Honey…”
“I forgive you.”
With a choked sob she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
Renaldo lifted her into his arms and pressed his face into the scented groove of her neck. “The
thought of you with another man…it tore me apart.”
“I know. I know, honey. I’m sorry.”
“I won’t let you leave me.”
“I don’t want to leave.” She kissed his cheek.
“No more lies.”
“No more,” she promised and kissed his chin.
“If there’s a problem, you come to me, and we figure it out together. No matter how terrible you
think it is, entende?” He had to get that point across. The pain of knowing she was with another man was
made even worse by her deception.
“Yes, I understand. I promise I will. I’ll do whatever you say.”
He touched his lips to hers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” She kissed his face, the fine hairs of his brow, his narrow nose.
“You’re mine.”
She looked deeply into his eyes and caressed his cheek with the back of her fingers. “I am. That’s
never changed. And it never will.”
Chapter Seventeen
Renaldo carried her to their bedroom and removed her clothes, tossing them to the carpeted
floor. She climbed into bed to wait for him, and he quickly disrobed, never letting his gaze leave her.
He went into her outstretched arms and let his mouth travel over the arch of her throat. He
dropped kisses all over the soft skin until she purred with satisfaction. The sound quickened his blood.
She tasted so good and, Deus, he couldn’t live without this. Without her. Sabrina was everything to him
and all the money in the world didn’t matter if he couldn’t have her.
“You’re mine.”
“Yes. Yes, Renny.”
His mouth covered hers, and he rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Sabrina sank into
the kiss with pure pleasure. He wanted her. He still loved her. That exhilarating thought compounded
the heat of her own desire and added urgency to their lovemaking.
She straddled him and kissed his muscular pecs. The tip of her tongue flicked a flat nipple, and he
groaned, his hips jerking under her. She ran her fingers down his chest and along the ridges of his
abdomen. Her mouth followed the trail, worshipping the tight, corded muscles. She never failed to have
the same reaction when she saw him naked. He was perfection. Hard and muscular, with his skin a
beautiful bronze that made her mouth water.
Lower, she kissed his hips, using her teeth to nibble at the sensitive skin of his inner thighs. The
muscles there quivered, and he ran his fingers through her thick hair.
“Sabrina.” The gravelly tone spurred her on, encouraged her to give him even more pleasure to
show how much she loved him.
Her fingers curled around the base of his hard flesh as she covered the broad head with her
mouth. The fingers in her hair tightened as he drew a deep breath. Lifting his hips, Renaldo prodded her
to take him deeper. She happily obliged, lowering her head to suck more of him into her mouth until the
tip hit the back of her throat.
Sabrina moved her mouth and hand in tandem, sliding up and down the thick shaft. Their gazes
locked as she continued to suck him. The sounds of his pleasure-filled agony were like music to her ears.
She enjoyed making him feel good, felt so powerful when the calm exterior cracked and he lost control.
“Você é incrível,” he groaned. You’re incredible. Rendered almost helpless by her mouth, he was only
able to communicate in his native tongue.
He told her he was about to come and propped up on an elbow. He thought he could stop her,
said he wanted to come inside of her, but she had other plans. She refused to release him. She wanted
him to come in her mouth. She wanted his male essence splashed across her taste buds.
Renaldo’s face contorted and the fingers in her hair curled and tightened. He moved his hips
faster and muttered something unintelligible right before he burst inside of her mouth. Falling back
onto the bed, he let out a loud moan and shuddered as she sucked the last bit down her throat.
Sabrina crawled over him and straddled his thighs. Renaldo watched her from half-closed lids,
trying to recover.
“Mmm.” She licked her lips, and his nerves rippled at the image she presented.
Her mane of chestnut curls were disheveled and wild from where his fingers had run all through
them. She was sexy, sultry, her eyes now darkened to a smoky topaz in the throes of arousal. Her full
mouth was moist from the stroke of her own tongue after the decadent pleasure she displayed at
swallowing his seed.
Renaldo came up to a seated position and fanned his fingers over her soft buttocks. He pulled her
closer, and she propped back on her hands with her hard nipples pouting up to him. They tingled with
longing before he caught one in his mouth. She let her head roll back, lost in the sensation of his gentle
suckling. His tongue added another layer, stroking across the turgid tip.
“Feels so good.”
The sensitive flesh between her legs throbbed and ached for his possession. She grinded her hips
into his and felt his penis harden and swell between them. He was ready again and she was ready for
him.
Sabrina looped her arms around his neck, and with her knees on either side of his hips, she seated
herself on him. Her feminine core fit around the girth of his hard shaft. Her mouth fell open on a loud
cry and her body tightened backward in a deep arch at the pleasure that shot through her. His
penetration was shockingly good.
“Você está bela, meu amor.” He kissed her neck, her jaw line, and then claimed her lips. They
indulged in a long, slow kiss. Renaldo ran his hands up and down her back, and she held onto him as his
hips moved under her. She rode him, rocking back and forth, her breath coming in shorter and shorter
gasps at the nonstop pleasure.
Her nails bit into her palms as they continued to pump and grind. “Please don’t stop. Please,
please don’t,” she pleaded.
“You’re mine.” Renaldo continued to thrust, filling her, giving her exactly what she craved. “Say
it.”
“I’m yours.” She could barely breathe, let alone speak, but for him she made the effort. She was
his. She’d been so miserable without him, she didn’t know what she would have done if he’d sent her
away again.
Renaldo continued to push, and she continued to ride. It felt so good breathing almost escaped
her. Firm hands gripped her hips and guided her in the back and forth motion. Her body was so wet
from the pleasure he inflicted.
They moved even faster, and their heavy, panting breaths mingled together. She got wetter as her
excitement escalated. He spoke to her in a mixture of English and Portuguese while she clung to him.
They were words of praise, telling her how beautiful she was, how he could never get enough, how no
other woman had ever driven him out of his mind the way she did.
Renaldo rolled her onto her back. He drove his hard flesh in and out of her, afforded an easy
passage by the slick heat between her open legs. Their fingers threaded together and he stretched her
arms above her head. He worked his hips—those sexy Latin hips moved with precision to a primal
rhythm that satisfied her every desire and touched a spot deep in her heart no man had ever been able to
reach before.
Sabrina arched back and cried out, three times in succession, the orgasm erupting like a volcano.
Her fingers tightened around his and her entire body tensed. Then she convulsed as the explosion
ricocheted within the walls of her womb. “Renny, Renny…”
Still hard, he continued to thrust between her thighs. He was like a man possessed. As if he had
something to prove. His hips demanded, pushing into her like a piston and steadily guiding her back to
the peak.
“Minha, minha, minha…!” His voice was raw and thick, his dark eyes focused on her face. Emotion
punctuated each savage movement. The possessive words sounded torn from him, and she knew he
meant them with every breath he took.
Mine, mine, mine…!
__________
It seemed impossible that Sabrina and Renaldo could get any closer than they already were, with
her leg thrown over his thigh and their arms wrapped around each other as if they were never going to
be separated again. But when she kissed his throat, his muscular arm managed to pull her closer and her
still sensitive breasts flattened against his chest.
Sabrina ran her hand across the toned muscles of his back. His skin was like satin. “You feel so
good.”
“Not as good as you.” He squeezed her bottom.
She stretched her languid limbs and nuzzled his neck. She liked when he paid her compliments,
seducing her with his words.
“Renny?”
“Hmm?” He sounded content, and so was she, but they had to face reality and deal with the
problem of Mateo.
“We have to do something about those photos. He threatened to expose what happened that
night. The way he looked at us when we were leaving the market worries me. He’s going to do
something, sooner rather than later probably.”
Renaldo rolled onto his back and let his fingertips trail lightly up and down her spine. “After
looking at his criminal record, I think you’re right. He’s capable of anything.”
“I told him I wouldn’t give him any more money, but I know he’s not finished with us. What can
we do? Do you think we should pay him?”
“No. I will take care of it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I’ll get the photos and put an end to this.”
Noting the rigid set to his jaw, Sabrina was afraid to ask what he meant. “Honey, please be
careful.”
Renaldo slid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head in his hand. “You are
worried about me? You think I can’t handle that little boy?”
“I don’t want anything to happen to you. He seems dangerous.”
“I know where he lives. I know everything about him.” Renaldo captured her gaze with his. “I’m
not afraid of him, and you should not be, either. You are not alone in this. Trust that I will take care of
you. As long as I have breath in my body, you will never, ever have to fear anyone or anything again.
Entende?”
Sabrina nodded.
Renaldo’s hand reached for and caressed her backside. The gentle touch awakened desire inside of
her again. His member swelled between them.
“Eu te amo,” he whispered.
So many feelings bubbled inside of her. Love, appreciation, gratitude for the man who’d shown
her such unconditional love. She gently kissed the bruised skin of his swollen hand. She then rolled on
top of him and covered his face in kisses, as all her emotions rose up inside of her, falling as tears onto
his cheeks. It was like a new day. They were starting over. Truly starting over. The aching void inside of
her was gone.
He loved her. He forgave her. And they would face whatever the future held together.
“Eu te amo,” he said again and eased his length into her.
She took all of him, rocking gently, giving him her love. The rhythmic movement of their bodies
was gentle, but no less passionate than their last bout of lovemaking.
He took her to the heights of ecstasy with controlled movements and a steady stroke. Her body
shuddered as an avalanche of sensations had her whimpering his name and telling him how much she
loved him.
“I love you. I love you so much.”
She kept telling him. She breathed it into his mouth. Whispered it in his ear. Wrote it on his skin
with her lips.
Over and over and over again.
Chapter Eighteen
Sabrina sat on a stool in Renaldo’s closet, which doubled as a dressing room, watching him get
dressed.
“How do I look?” he asked, straightening his tie in the mirror.
This was the fourth tie he’d tried on and he still wasn’t satisfied. She’d never seen him so nervous
and agitated before.
“Honey, you’re not going to a meeting. You’re going to see your mother.”
With two impatient tugs he removed the tie. “This was your idea.”
“I told you from the beginning I thought a tie was too much.”
“Not the tie. This—this great idea about going to see her. If it blows up in my face, I’m blaming
you.”
Sabrina went to him. “It won’t.” She rose up on her toes and reassured him with a kiss.
“No tie?”
“No tie,” she repeated with a small smile. “She’s already agreed to see you. Relax.” She undid the
top button of his shirt and smoothed her hand over his chest. “That’s better.”
Renaldo took a deep breath. “I haven’t seen her in so long. It feels…strange.”
“I know. But no matter what happens, you’ll be glad you’re taking this step. At least you’ll have an
answer one way or the other.” She ran a fingertip over his full lower lip. “I love you.”
“Even though I’m an arrogant, hypocritical bastard?” The corner of his mouth hitched up.
“Turns out I have a weakness for arrogant, hypocritical bastards.”
Over a week had passed since the night he told her that he forgave her and still loved her. In all
that time, Renaldo hadn’t been able to find Mateo. He had someone staking out Mateo’s apartment, but
there’d been no sign of him. Sabrina worried about the outcome of this ordeal, but she was heartened by
the fact that they were facing it together.
She watched her husband brush his hair again, even though it didn’t need it. She understood his
anxiety. She hadn’t known he’d been thinking about contacting his mother until a few days ago when he
mentioned plans to meet her. Her words in Rio had stayed with him and made him think about how he
would feel if something did happen to the woman who’d given birth to him. He said he’d never forgive
himself if he didn’t take the steps to at least try to see if they could establish a relationship.
The scheduled visit to his mother’s had coincided with a visit from Jewel, who’d be there any
minute to have lunch with her. Sabrina had offered to postpone the lunch and accompany him, but he’d
been adamant that he wanted to go alone.
Finally, Renaldo heaved a sigh and turned to Sabrina. He pulled her into his arms and rested his
forehead against hers.
She wrapped her arms around his torso, hoping to transfer some positive energy.
“I’ll call you when I’m done,” he said.
“Call me from the car as soon as you leave her house. I want to know every single thing that
happens.”
“I will.”
A few minutes later he was gone, and Sabrina prayed that the meeting went well.
__________
Renaldo sat in an elegant room that looked more like a furniture show room than a living room.
After he’d pulled into the driveway, he’d gazed at the house where his mother resided. He was familiar
with this exclusive neighborhood located a few miles outside of Sao Paulo. He’d looked at a house
nearby a few years back but preferred to stay in the city—for now. Once he and Sabrina had children,
this would be the kind of place where he’d like to buy a house and raise them.
His mother entered the room with a tray of pastries and coffee. Despite his protests, she
disappeared soon after leading him into the room while she went to get the refreshments.
The years had been good to her. She looked the same as the last photo he’d seen. Only her hair,
with a few gray strands throughout, hinted at her age.
She was very tall, and he remembered once hearing someone comment that she’d given up her
dream of becoming a model when she’d married so young.
The fine lines at the corners of her eyes deepened as a nervous smiled touched her face. “I wasn’t
sure what you’d like, so I brought you a little bit of everything. When you were little you used to love
—” The walk down memory lane ended abruptly, and the bone China coffee set rattled on the tray in
her unsteady hands.
Renaldo eased the tray away from her. “Have a seat.”
In the moments that followed, they exchanged pleasantries until they ran out of ideas for
conversation and the room fell quiet.
“Why?” Renaldo had to ask. He had to know. “Why didn’t you ever try to see us after you left?”
His mother stared at the coffee set. “Because I didn’t deserve you after what I’d done. I-I couldn’t
live with myself. And I’ve regretted it all these years.” She fingered the cross hanging from the rosary
beads around her neck. “I prayed this day would come, and my prayers have been answered.”
Renaldo averted his eyes at the prick of regret in his chest. All this time he and his sisters had
stayed away because they’d feared her rejection. So much time wasted when all along they’d all wanted
the same thing.
“I wanted more children, but…I wasn’t able to have them, and I thought that was my
punishment for what I did. Why should I be blessed with more when I gave up the ones I had?” She
hung her head and suddenly looked like an old woman—much older than her forty-something years.
Renaldo took a deep breath. Was he ready for this? “I’m not making any promises, but…I
could…visit again soon.”
Her head snapped up. “Yes.” She covered her mouth with trembling fingers and her eyes
moistened.
Renaldo cleared his throat, which ached with the weight of the emotion filling it. “I’ll bring my
wife next time. And I’ll talk to Beatrisa and Carolina. See if they want to come, as well.”
“Yes. Yes.” Tears trickled down her cheeks.
“I’d better go.” Renaldo got up. He hadn’t planned to stay long anyway, and her emotional
response made him uncomfortable. He couldn’t handle her emotions and his own, and his were more
than enough to deal with. But it was good that he’d come. Healing.
She followed him to the door. “Thank you for coming. It… it was good to see you.”
He turned slowly. She’d wiped away the tears, but her cheeks were still damp. Feeling compelled
to comfort her, Renaldo kissed each side of her face. She was his mother, after all.
Before he could pull back, she captured his head between her hands. “I love you, son. I’m so sorry
for what I did. Thank you for coming. Thank you.”
She kissed him before letting him go.
Renaldo felt a sense of relief on the ride home. The dark cloud that had been hanging over his
head all these years had disappeared.
Next time he would not only bring his wife and sisters, he’d have Beatrisa bring her children, too.
What grandmother didn’t love to spend time with her grandchildren? And those two, being as
rambunctious as they were, would certainly bring a smile to her face.
The phone rang. It was Paulo.
“I have information about Mateo Sousa.”
“It’s about time.” Ever since he’d told Paulo to get the photos, he’d been demanding an update
every day, but each day Paulo didn’t have any news for him. “Where did you finally catch up with him?”
“We didn’t, and I found out the reason we weren’t able to.”
Paulo’s enigmatic conversation was frustrating. He wanted this situation behind him once and for
all. “Well, what is?”
“He’s dead. The police found his body in his apartment a couple of hours ago.”
The news shocked him, but Renaldo couldn’t summon a smidgen of sorrow. “And the pictures?”
“No sign of them yet. I have a source on the police force who said they haven’t found anything,
not even a cell phone with a camera.”
“That doesn’t make sense. They have to be somewhere. Pay him. Do whatever you need to, but get
those photographs before they fall into the wrong hands.”
“Renaldo, there’s more. He was friends with someone close to home.” In a grave voice, he told
Renaldo the name of the person.
Renaldo swore. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
Renaldo swore again.
“I’m sorry,” Paulo said.
Renaldo couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t just disappointed, he was devastated.
Chapter Nineteen
Sabrina hugged Jewel when she stepped off the penthouse elevator. “You’re late, but I forgive you
because I’m happy to see you. It’s been so long since we’ve spent time together.”
“You’ve been busy fixing your marriage,” Jewel said with a smile.
Sabrina stepped back and took a good look at her cousin. Her long straight hair hung past her
shoulders, limp and unwashed. Her eyes were glassy and her skin didn’t have the same healthy glow from
a few weeks ago. “What’s going on, Jewel?”
“Nothing. Why would you think there’s something going on?” Jewel breezed past her. “Mmm.
What did Vera make for lunch? It smells delicious.”
“Moqueca.” Sabrina watched her cousin lift the pot lid and sniff. The steam from the fragrant fish
stew disbursed the scent of garlic, onions, and cilantro in the air. “Have you been going to your
meetings?”
“Don’t start.”
“I have to. You don’t look good, and you were doing so well.”
“I still am. Stop worrying.” Jewel covered the pot.
“Promise me you’re not using again.”
Jewel placed both hands on her hips and looked her in the eye. “I promise I’m not using again.
Satisfied?”
Despite the unflinching response, Sabrina didn’t believe her. Like so many addicts, Jewel lied
easily, and she was very convincing. “Jewel—”
“Brina, please don’t start. We haven’t seen each other in a while and I just want to hang out and eat
some of Vera’s delicious food. Can we do that? Please?”
When she used that puppy-dog face, it was hard to deny her. “Okay.” This conversation wasn’t
over, but she gave her a break for now. “Let’s get our food and go up to the terrace.”
They piled rice into wide bowls and spooned the golden broth filled with seafood over it. Once
they reached the terrace, they settled into chairs and dug in.
Jewel smacked her lips and moaned. “One of these days I’m going to steal Vera away from you.”
Sabrina laughed. “No way, and it’s not me you have to worry about; it’s Renny. Vera’s been with
him for a long time. He’s not about to train someone new, so you’ll have to look for a gourmet chef
somewhere else.”
“I’ll think of something,” Jewel said past a mouthful of rice.
Sabrina watched her cousin with concern as she shoveled food into her mouth. “Slow down, it’s
not going anywhere. You act like you haven’t eaten in days.” Had it been days since her cousin had
eaten? If she was using drugs again, it was possible. She’d spend all her money on getting high.
Jewel’s cheeks colored a light shade of red. “It’s just so good,” she explained with a sheepish smile.
Sabrina sipped her lemonade, watching her closely.
“You know, Brina, I’m glad everything worked out for you. I was worried about you and Renaldo
for a while. You two belong together.”
Yes, they did. “Thanks for being there when I needed you. Being able to stay with you and have
you listen to me whine and cry—well, you have no idea how much it meant to me.”
“Hey, we’re family. What did you expect? How many times have you helped me over the years?
Too many to count! Hell, you pay for the apartment I live in.”
“I’m glad that period of my life is over. Renny said he’d take care of the situation with Mateo and
the pictures, but when I asked him about it the other day, he said he’s still working on it.” She pushed
the food around in her bowl. “I hope this gets resolved soon. After their confrontation, I’m even more
worried than I was before that he’ll use the photos against us somehow.”
“Don’t worry. Sometimes things have a way of working themselves out.”
“They do, but I would hate for anyone else to see those pictures. They made my skin crawl.”
“They were hard to look at, but at least you and Renaldo were able to work everything out. That’s
what’s important.”
Sabrina nodded. “I guess you’re right. We’ll deal with Mateo if he causes any more problems.” She
put the last bit of rice and moqueca in her mouth. “Make sure you save room for dessert. Vera made
brigadeiros.”
Her cousin loved the sweet confection made from condensed milk and cocoa. She’d asked Vera to
make up a separate batch just for Jewel, which was going home with her when she left.
When they finished, Sabrina left her cousin to take the dishes to the kitchen. As she placed four
brigadeiros on a plate, she replayed the conversation with Jewel. Something her cousin said didn’t make
sense.
Frowning, she went back upstairs and put the plate in the middle of the table.
Jewel rubbed her hands together like an excited child. “Ooh, I love these things.” She bit into one
of the candies and moaned. After swallowing that piece, she looked up at Sabrina, who still stood beside
the table. “Why are you frowning?”
“I was thinking about something you said about the pictures. You said they were hard to look at.”
“Well yeah, they were.” She finished off the candy by stuffing the rest of it in her mouth.
“That’s the thing,” Sabrina said. “How could they be hard for you to look at? I never showed
them to you.”
Jewel finished chewing and swallowed before she responded. “Of course you did. Why else would
I say that?”
A horrible suspicion sprouted in Sabrina’s mind, and pain swelled inside of her, spreading like
ripples in a lake. “I never showed them to you.”
Jewel swallowed and looked away.
“Tell me you didn’t have anything to do with this.”
Jewel refused to look at her. “Brina, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Look at me.” Jewel continued to stare down at the table. “Look at me!”
Jewel lifted her gaze, and Sabrina saw the guilt in her eyes. Sabrina shook her head. “Jewel, no.
No.” Her heart was breaking. They were practically sisters.
Jewel’s lower lip trembled. “I’m sorry, Brina. It wasn’t supposed to go so far.”
Sabrina drew a shaky breath. “What wasn’t?” Then Jewel explained.
Through a prison outreach program, Mateo got a job as a dishwasher at the same restaurant where
Jewel worked. They’d become friends when they found out they were both addicts in recovery. She’d
bragged about her cousin Sabrina on numerous occasions, talking about how smart she was and how she
was well off financially. When Mateo was fired from the restaurant, they remained friends. The
friendship evolved into a sexual relationship and eventually they both started using drugs again.
He asked Jewel why she was working as a waitress at a restaurant when her cousin was living the
good life, being chauffeured around town and living in a top floor penthouse apartment. Subsequently,
they formulated a plan. Mateo knew where he could get his hands on chloral hydrate.
“You let him drug me?”
Jewel remained silent and tears filled her eyes. She shook her head.
Sabrina’s hand covered her mouth. Mateo had told the truth. “You drugged me. You encouraged
me to have a drink, loosen up and stop moping because of the argument Renaldo and I had before he
left. You put the drug in the drinks.”
Jewel nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I slipped the mickey in the second one. Then
I went out on the dance floor and left you with Mateo. When the drug took effect, we took you out of
there. I used your key card to get into the penthouse.”
Jewel had removed Sabrina’s clothes while Mateo waited outside the bedroom. He kept on his
boxers and then slipped under the covers with her and took the photos on his camera phone. He took
them instead of Jewel to give the impression no one else was in the room with him and Sabrina.
“We never had sex?”
“No. We wanted you to think you had, but I was there the whole time.”
She’d gone to Jewel’s apartment after Renaldo had thrown her out. Jewel had acted as if she didn’t
remember who Mateo was, but not only did she know, she’d schemed with him to set up the entire plot.
Even to the point of leaving messages on Sabrina’s phone and acting as if she had been worried and
looking for her after they left the club.
Nausea churned in Sabrina’s guts. “I don’t feel good.” She rushed to the side of the terrace and
emptied the contents of her stomach into a trashcan.
Jewel came to her side with a glass of water and rubbed her back. “Here.”
Sabrina shoved her hand away. “Get away from me.”
“Take it.” She pushed her hand back in Sabrina’s face.
Sabrina straightened and reluctantly took the glass. She rinsed her mouth and spit into the can.
“You have to go. I can’t stand to look at you.”
“Brina, I’m sorry. I-I didn’t mean to hurt you. Everything got out of hand. It wasn’t supposed to
get this far.”
She’d always forgiven Jewel for the wrongs she’d done to her in the past, but she couldn’t this
time. All these years she’d been protecting her, and in return she’d almost destroyed her life. She almost
lost her husband, tossed out like garbage because he thought she’d betrayed him, and the whole episode
had been a set up.
“You know how much I suffered with guilt,” Sabrina said. “You knew how much you made my
husband suffer because he thought I’d cheated on him. All along you could’ve told us the truth, but you
didn’t.”
“If I said anything, you’d have known I was involved. Besides, Renaldo was never supposed to
find out. We were only going to get money one time, but then…one time turned into a second time.”
“You ungrateful—”
Whack!
Sabrina slapped Jewel as hard as she could across her face, the blow landing so hard her palm
stung. Jewel cried out and stumbled backward, pressing her hand to her cheek. Shock filled her eyes.
Sabrina felt no remorse. It felt good. She wanted to beat her into the ground for what she’d done and
the pain she’d caused. Instead, she restrained herself from the natural inclination and took her cousin by
the shoulders and shook her until her head flopped back and forth on her neck.
“Haven’t I done enough for you? How could you?” They were both crying. “Why?”
Jewel caught her wrists and squeezed. “I’m sorry. When Renaldo found out, I wanted to die. He
wasn’t supposed to ever see those photos. I told Mateo to stop, and he did for a while, but then—then
he got desperate. He needed the money, and that’s why he called you the other day.” Her face crumbled.
“I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t let you find out I had fallen back into my addiction. Brina, it’s
really, really hard to-to stop. And I tried. I did. You’ve always been there, and I didn’t want you to be
disappointed in me.”
“So you almost destroyed my life?” Sabrina wrenched her hands away from her cousin and stared
in disbelief. But why was she so surprised? Hadn’t she seen worse growing up? Women offering to do
anything for drugs—some even doing the unthinkable by offering their children in exchange for a hit. “I
tried to help you, you bitch. I almost lost everything because of you. I doubted myself and my own morals.”
“I know. But the truth is, I’ve never had to be independent or face the consequences of my actions
because you’ve always fixed everything. You’ve always taken care of me.”
“You’re blaming me?”
“No, I just…I’m not like you. I’m like them—everybody we left behind.”
“We were supposed to be different. We are different.”
“You’re different. You’re smart, and you never got caught up in that world. This is who I am, and
you can’t save me. Just like you couldn’t save Momma or your mother.” Her voice broke.
Sabrina turned her back on her, and that’s when she saw Renaldo was home. He walked out onto
the terrace with two police officers behind him.
“What are they doing here?” Sabrina looked from one to the other.
“The officers came to speak to us about Jewel.”
After that, everything moved fast. The police spoke in rapid Portuguese, using unfamiliar terms
while they arrested Jewel. Sabrina barely caught what they were saying, but she did understand three
words that needed no translation.
Mateo Sousa. Murder.
“What’s going on?” Sabrina asked.
“They’re arresting her for Mateo’s murder.”
“Murder? Is this some kind of mistake?” The policemen locked Jewel in handcuffs.
“There’s no mistake, Brina.” Jewel’s sad eyes met hers. “I told Mateo not to bother you anymore,
but he wouldn’t listen. He became very upset because Renaldo hit him, and he threatened to hurt you
guys. I couldn’t let him do it. You were finally happy again. He and I argued and struggled for the phone
that had the pictures in it. He fell and hit his head. It was an accident.”
Surely this was a nightmare. Not only had her cousin conspired to extort money from her, she was
now being arrested for the murder of her co-conspirator. This couldn’t really be happening. She’d run
from this kind of drama, yet it had found her. No, it hadn’t found her. She’d brought it with her.
Sabrina reached for Renaldo, and when he put a supportive arm around her, she slumped against
him.
Jewel didn’t fight when the officers led her to the door. “I’m sorry, Brina. I messed up big time,
but it’s fixed now. No one will ever see those pictures again.”
They hauled Jewel out the door, and Sabrina stood frozen, numb.
“Are you okay, meu coração?”
She looked up at Renaldo, unsure if the last few minutes really happened. “She admitted
everything. She was involved with Mateo, drugged me, and helped him set me up to blackmail me.”
Renaldo nodded, his expression grim. “I suspected as much after I spoke to Paulo about Jewel’s
relationship with Mateo. Once the police found his body, she became the prime suspect. I wish I’d had
time to warn you, but the police arrived downstairs at the same time I did. Are you all right?” He looked
into her eyes, his face etched with concern.
“I’m sorry I brought this kind of—”
“Shh. It’s not your fault. Your cousin made a lot of bad decisions, and you tried to help her. You
did the best you could, but she is not your responsibility.”
“But she’s the only family I have.”
“No. You’re a Silva now. Whether you like it or not, you’re one of us.”
“I am, aren’t I? How could I forget?” Sabrina still felt stunned. “Could you just hold me?”
Renaldo pulled her into his arms.
She was angry and hurt by what Jewel had done, and she hated that by bringing her here she’d
hurt her husband, too. But the ordeal was finally over, and now she knew the whole truth about that
night.
Sabrina clung to Renaldo and closed her eyes. It seemed like her world was falling apart, but in his
arms, nothing else mattered. She was so lucky to have him.
Renaldo brushed his hands soothingly up and down her back.
She felt safe and protected. She stayed in his warm embrace for a long, long time.
Epilogue
Sabrina had been attracted to Renaldo’s strength when they first met, and for a short period she’d
learned to lean on him. But at some point, she’d gone back to her old ways. It was hard to reverse years
of behavior, but that’s exactly what she planned to do. It was time to free herself from guilt.
So much had happened in the months since Jewel’s arrest. During this period, Sabrina had only
visited her once while she was in prison. She couldn’t bring herself to see her any more than that. It was
still too hard. She couldn’t believe all that her cousin had put them through, but she’d decided to extend
one last kind gesture to her. At her request, Renaldo hired a team of lawyers to work on Jewel’s defense.
The attorneys explained that according to the law, if they could prove Mateo’s death was an
accident, Jewel may only be in prison for a few years. No matter how long her sentence, once she was
released, she’d have to leave the country. There was a time when being separated from Jewel would have
broken Sabrina’s heart, but not anymore. Jewel was in capable hands, and whatever the outcome, she’d
have to live with the consequences of her actions. She was no longer Sabrina’s responsibility.
Renaldo had officially made her a partner at SDG. He held controlling interest, but the title and
added responsibilities demonstrated his confidence in her abilities.
Leonardo and Alexa had welcomed their third child, another girl, into their family. They had
already moved back to Atlanta, where Leonardo’s business was headquartered.
The relationship between Renaldo and his mother blossomed, and so did the relationships Sabrina
had with his sisters and her mother-in-law. She put forth more of an effort to make friends and spend
time with her in-laws.
Last Saturday, for instance, his mother, his sisters, and Beatrisa’s children had come to the house
for dinner. Sabrina suffered through Beatrisa’s stifling meddling when Beatrisa was being…well,
Beatrisa. Carolina surprised everyone by showing up with a male friend, which caused Renaldo to give
the man a cold reception.
When they were alone later, Sabrina pointed out Carolina had sprung it on them in that manner
because he’d probably want to have the man investigated. He didn’t deny the charge and vowed to get
Paulo on it first thing Monday morning.
It seemed she’d exchanged one set of family problems for another, but she welcomed these kinds
of problems. They made her smile instead of cry.
Today, she and Renaldo sat at a small table on the beach in front of their bungalow in Corumbau,
the same one where they’d spent their honeymoon. They’d both gotten darker from being out in the sun
the past few days, and Renaldo had barely managed to keep his hands off of her when he saw her in the
gold bikini. He, as usual, looked devastatingly handsome in his dark blue trunks.
Under the table, her feet rested on his thighs. As she ate moqueca and sipped a blend of fruit juices,
she watched the blue-green waves roll up and retreat back into the ocean. This was the life.
“You’re never allowed to sell this place,” she said before she put a spoonful of stew in her mouth.
“Never?”
“Never.”
Renaldo’s dark eyes smiled into hers. He caressed her calf under the table, sending darts of
pleasure up her legs. “Then I will never sell it.”
Sabrina pointed at the bowl with her spoon. “I never thought I’d say this, but I think this is better
than Vera’s.”
Renaldo shook his head. “Impossible.”
“You’re biased because you’ve known her so long.”
“Hmm…maybe I’ll tell her what you said and see what she thinks about it.”
“Don’t you dare.” Sabrina picked up a chunk of papaya and tossed it at his bare chest.
“Behave yourself. If you do that again, I’ll spank you.”
Sabrina lifted an eyebrow, but she didn’t throw another piece. “I’ve been thinking…I know we
talked about waiting a few years to start a family, but what do you think about starting right away?”
He sat back. The smile on his face broadened. “I think it’s a wonderful idea.”
“So you’re ready?”
“I am if you are.”
“Well, we don’t have much choice but to be ready.” She watched him below a veil of lashes with a
soft smile playing around her lips. “The doctor’s office called right before lunch and confirmed we’re
pregnant.”
“Pregnant!” The spoon he held dropped to the bowl. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I wanted to be sure.”
“Come here.”
Sabrina jumped up and went to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re
excited.”
“Of course.” The smile on his face threatened to outshine the sun. “I can’t believe it. We’re going
to be parents. How far along are you?”
“Six weeks.”
“So in a little over seven months we’re about to meet the first of our three children.” He spread
his fingers over her flat belly and gave her a kiss.
“Hey, wait a minute, just because we’re starting earlier doesn’t mean we’re having more. We
agreed to have two.”
“Two, three.” He shrugged.
“Um, I’m the numbers person, and I can tell you they’re not the same thing.”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
“You’re not getting your way in this, Renaldo da Silva.”
“We’ll see.”
Sabrina punched him in the chest.
“Now I have to spank you,” he said.
“No, you said if I threw another piece of papaya at you. Besides, you can’t spank me. I’m pregnant
and fragile.”
“Nice try. Turn over and let me get that bottom.”
She hopped out of his lap and twisted away. “Stay away from me.”
“That’s not what you said last night, meu coração. Or this morning. Come here.”
Sabrina took off down the beach with Renaldo right behind her. The wind blew through her loose
curls, and she laughed when he caught her and swung her up into his arms. She clasped her arms around
his neck and welcomed his loving kiss.
He spun around with her in his arms and growled low in his throat, smiling at her with half-
closed eyes. “A baby.”
“Our baby. We’re starting our own little family.”
“You’re going to be a wonderful mother. I love you,” he said.
She ran her fingers through the silky black strands of his hair. “I love you, too, honey.”
The End
More Stories by Delaney Diamond
Hot Latin Men series
The Arrangement
Fight for Love
Private Acts
Second Chances
Hot Latin Men: Vol. I (print anthology)
Hawthorne Family series
The Temptation of a Good Man
A Hard Man to Love
Here Comes Trouble
For Better or Worse (winter 2013)
Bailar series (sweet/clean romance)
Worth Waiting For
Short Story
Subordinate Position
The Ultimate Merger
Free Stories
www.delaneydiamond.com
About the Author
Delaney Diamond is the bestselling author of sweet and sensual romance novels. Originally from the
U.S. Virgin Islands, she now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She has been an avid reader for as long as she can
remember and in her spare time reads romance novels, mysteries, thrillers, and a fair amount of non-
fiction.
When she's not busy reading or writing, she's in the kitchen trying out new recipes, dining at one of
her favorite restaurants, or traveling to an interesting locale. She speaks fluent conversational French
and can get by in Spanish. You can enjoy free reads and the first chapter of all her novels on her
website.
Join her distribution list to get notices about new releases.
https://www.facebook.com/DelaneyDiamond
Find out how Renaldo da Silva and Sabrina Porter met in The Ultimate Merger, the prequel to
Second Chances
Two workaholics slow down long enough to find love when they least expect it.
Renaldo da Silva is on the verge of entering the U.S. market with the purchase of a hotel in
downtown Chicago. After working hard for several days straight, he heads to a local bar and sees a
woman who instantly makes him reconsider how to spend his evening.
When another one of her male counterparts unfairly becomes the lead on a project, Sabrina Porter
leaves work intent on drowning her sorrows in wine and loud music at a local bar. Instead, she meets a
sexy Brazilian who’s intent on showing her a different way to unwind.
From The Arrangement, Book 1 of the Hot Latin Men series
Brazilian millionaire, Leonardo da Silva, is still seething from when his African-American wife,
Alexa, walked out on him four months ago. Now she’s in his office asking for a business loan to help her
brother. Instead of a loan, he’s willing to give her the money, but only if she resumes her role as his wife
for the next two months. She reluctantly agrees, and she soon finds herself wishing their arrangement
was permanent. But when she finds out about Leonardo’s betrayal, there may be no way for them to
mend their broken marriage.
Excerpt
Intuitively, she sensed Leonardo’s gaze on her, and she caught sight of him near the entrance to the
balcony. He was watching her, though he should have been engrossed in the conversation with the two
other people with whom he was standing, one of which was the redhead. Even from that distance across
the room, she could sense his desire for her, and there was an answering pounding of the blood in her
veins as their gazes locked.
Maybe it was the kiss between Russell and Joan and the romantic notion of long-lasting love, but
Alexa found her thoughts straying to memories of sharing passionate kisses with Leonardo. She carefully
placed her glass of wine on the table before it slipped from her damp fingers and crashed onto the
expensive white carpet. She felt nervous and jittery because she knew the reason for Leonardo’s
smoldering scrutiny. She was fully aware what was expected of her, and she found herself breathlessly
anticipating the end of the evening.
Leonardo came toward her, his lithe, graceful walk a surprise for a man of his size. The tuxedo jacket
hugged his broad shoulders and fit his muscular frame like a glove. As he neared her, Alexa realized she
was holding her breath. The undercurrent of sexual tension flared between them.
“Are you nervous?” Leonardo asked.
“Why would I be nervous?” Her voice came out breathy, husky. She cleared her throat.
Leonardo smiled knowingly. He must feel the same charge, know that she longed to be kissed and
touched, despite being coerced into resuming her role as his wife.
He didn’t answer her question. “You haven’t eaten a thing all night.”
It was true, but how could he possibly know that? She didn’t have an appetite for much except the
tall, dark man standing before her.
“I’ve had my eye on you all evening,” he said in response to the unspoken question.
The thought that he’d been watching her even during the periods when they were separated
generated tiny little shivers across Alexa’s skin. Her fingers tightened around the clutch in her left hand.
“I’m not hungry.”
The knowing smile widened. “You should eat something,” he said. His dark gaze lingered in
appreciation on the split in her dress. “You’re going to need your energy.”
Want more? Buy it now from all major online retailers.
https://www.facebook.com/DelaneyDiamond
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