Escape to Paradise Page 19

  “I don’t understand how you ended up marrying a man who cared so little about you.”

  “William was wealthy and ambitious and I was impressed by how well-connected he was. I didn’t love him, but I figured in time I would.”

  “And did you?”

  Claudia shook her head.

  “Then why did you stay with him all those years?”

  “Because I had nowhere else to go,” she confessed, her voice tinged with despair. “I got used to the lifestyle and didn’t want to give it up, or risk losing my business that he’d invested heavily in.”

  “So, he was the one who initiated the divorce?”

  “No, I did, after he…”

  “After what?” he prompted, resting a hand on her lower back. Santiago loved that Claudia was independent and fully capable of taking care of herself, but if they were going to make it as a couple she had to learn to trust him, had to believe that he’d never intentionally hurt her. “Tell me everything, Claudia. Don’t hold anything back. I want to know what happened in your past, so we can move forward.”

  Claudia shook her head, but when she opened her mouth, the truth spilled out. And the more she talked about her dysfunctional marriage, and the heartache and pain her ex put her through, the stronger and clearer her voice got.

  “In public, William was a loving, doting husband, but behind closed doors he said cruel and vicious things to me. His insults were as crushing as a physical blow, and for days after one of his verbal assaults I was an emotional wreck. It was hard to believe that a man who attended church faithfully and donated to charity was capable of such abuse, but he was.”

  Santiago cracked his knuckles, imagined his fist connecting with her ex-husband’s eye. “Why didn’t you move in with your sister?”

  “Because Max has been rescuing me my entire life, and for once I wanted to prove that I could take care of myself.”

  “So what did you do?”

  “I tried to save my marriage.” Claudia pushed a breath past her lips. “But the more I tried to please him the more aggressive he became. I couldn’t sleep, I started losing weight, and I got so sick that Maxine dragged me to the doctor. I…” She paused, then said in the quietest, softest voice he’d ever heard her use, “I found out I was pregnant a week before Christmas.”

  Santiago swallowed hard. The wheels in his head were spinning, and his thoughts were racing a hundred miles an hour. Claudia had a child? Why hadn’t she said anything before now? He scanned her face, but saw nothing that revealed her true emotions. Waiting for her to continue was nerve-racking, as stressful as playing high-stakes poker, and when she resumed speaking, Santiago found himself hanging on to every word.

  “William had been miserable all week and I thought the news would cheer him up, but before I could tell him about the baby, he started in on me about his dinner being cold. He went berserk. Yelling, swearing, calling me a sorry excuse for a wife. He grabbed my shoulders and slammed me so hard into the bedroom wall I blacked out…”

  To this day, Claudia still remembered the panic that seized her when she woke up. Her limbs felt heavy, like stone. Monitors beeped, and the air smelled like bleach and despair. Around her, people spoke in hushed tones, but she recognized her sister’s voice. Max explained how she’d found her, how long she’d been in the hospital and the painful details of her miscarriage. It was in there, in Room 1264 at the Chippenham Medical Center, that Claudia decided to end her marriage. William was never going to change, but she could. Forty-eight hours after being discharged, she filed for divorce. “I should have left William the first time he put his hands on me. If I had, my baby would be here and I’d be a mother…”

  Santiago swallowed hard. The heaviness in his chest spread to his heart, and as he listened to Claudia, the woman he loved more than life itself, talk about the devastating loss of her child, he felt the same crippling sadness he’d experienced at his sister’s funeral.

  To overcome his feelings of despair, he drew Claudia to his chest. He savored the warmth of her flesh, the sweetness of her scent, and how perfectly she fit in his arms. “You had no way of knowing what he would do,” Santiago said, placing tender kisses along her forehead, “just like I had no idea I’d be in a fatal car accident that night after I left my cousin’s wedding.”

  Deep down, Claudia knew he was right, knew that she wasn’t to blame for what William did, but her guilt still remained. Santiago whispered in her ear, told her she was strong, and beautiful and worthy of his love. Claudia felt his hands on her shoulders and shivered when his fingertips grazed her neck. She pulled out of his arms, closing the door on her past and her desire. “You should go. I have a 5:00 a.m. flight, and I still haven’t packed.”

  “But the celebration bash is this weekend.”

  Claudia pushed herself up. Unsteady on her feet, she gripped the back of the lounge chair and slid over to the balcony doors. “Everything has been done. The only thing I have left to do is finalize the menu with Chaz, but I can easily do that from home.”

  “You promised to see this project through to the end, and I intend to hold you to that. If you leave tomorrow, you won’t receive your final payment for the job.”

  It was a calculated attack, one Claudia never saw coming, and when she composed herself enough to speak it was with righteous anger. “That’s not fair. I’ve been working my butt off for the last three weeks. Waking up early, going to bed late, running around all day making sure things will be perfect for the celebration bash.”

  Santiago stood his ground. “I’m aware of how tirelessly you’ve worked, and appreciate everything you’ve done, but you need to be here on Saturday in case something goes wrong.”

  “You’re trying to get back at me for breaking up with you.” Scared she’d end up saying something she’d regret, Claudia stormed inside the suite, and down the hall into the master bedroom.

  “This is business,” he said, trailing behind her. “It’s nothing personal.”

  “Of course it’s personal! You’re blackmailing me!”

  Her cell phone rang, but Claudia made no move to answer it. She tossed her travel bag on the bed, unzipped it, and started hurling toiletries inside. “I can’t believe you’d do this to me,” she raged, stomping around the room snatching things off the dresser and end tables. “You’re no different than any other wealthy, powerful man. You’re a hard-nosed bully.”

  Santiago looked wounded, as if she’d shot him in the face with a BB gun, but his voice was strong. “I’m not bullying you. I’m simply asking you to honor the deal we made.”

  “No, you’re holding me hostage. Twelve thousand dollars is chump change for someone as rich as you, but that’s a lot of money to me, and I’m not leaving here without it.”

  “So I have a little money in the bank. Big deal,” he said with a dismissive shrug of his shoulders. “I’m not living off my family’s wealth or dipping into some mysterious trust fund, either. I’ve worked hard for everything I have, and I’ve never used my name to get ahead. I don’t need to. I’m damn good at what I do.” He added, “Just like you.”

  “Fine,” she conceded, throwing in the towel. “I’ll stay until after the celebration bash.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  Claudia searched his eyes to see if the sincerity in his voice was painted on his face. She’d never seen him look so vulnerable, or sound so intense, and when a soft smile touched his lips, she felt a pang of guilt. Comparing Santiago to her ex was a low blow. The two men had nothing in common, and for as long as Claudia lived she’d look back on this month with Santiago as the most magical, romantic time in her life.

  “Is my wealth going to be an issue between us? Because if it is, I can donate every penny I have to charity, pack up and move in with you!”

  His eyes were aliv
e with laughter, but Claudia could hear the anxiety in his voice. She felt the tension that remained in the room and knew this conversation was far from over.

  “Claudia, I don’t care where I rank on the Forbes list, or how many times I’m featured on the news. None of that matters to me. If I lost everything tomorrow, I wouldn’t care as long as I have my family and…you.” Santiago took the bottle of hair spray out of her hand and tossed it on the bed. He cupped her chin and leaned in so close their noses were touching. “You’re everything I could ever want or desire. You’re the one, my dream, my destiny, the woman God created specifically for me, and I plan to spend the rest of my life showering you with love.”

  Words didn’t come. Santiago was putting her on. Just sweet-talking her so she would stay, right? Claudia read the expression on his face. He looked serious. Like he wholeheartedly believed what he was saying. She cut him off. “I can’t deal with this right now. My life is a mess, and until I fix things I can’t think about being with you or anyone else.”

  “So that’s it. You’re giving up on us…on me?”

  Claudia turned away and stared intently out the window. The obstacles against them were overwhelming, and just thinking about them—the fraud case, his father, their backgrounds, and the stress of being in a long-distance relationship—caused her temples to throb in pain. “Take care of yourself, Santiago. You’re an incredible man, and I wish you nothing but the best.”

  “This isn’t over,” he declared, lowering his head and kissing her softly on the lips. “I’ll give you the space and time you need, and then I’m going to make you mine.”

  Chapter 19

  “Did you hear me?” Claudia glanced up from her electronic notepad in time to see the head chef squeeze a female server’s butt. The celebration bash was in three hours, but the reality TV star was too busy goofing off to listen to her final instructions. He was sampling appetizers, joking with the waiters and dancing to every song that came on the kitchen radio. “I just need five more minutes of your time and then I’ll be on my way.”

  “Relax, Claudia. The extra shipment of crab will be here.”

  “Today’s a big day for the resort,” she said. “Everything has to be perfect.”

  He tossed back a shot of tequila. “I was hoping Santiago’s calm, relaxed vibe would rub off on you, but you’re still as high-strung as ever.”

  “I’m not high-strung. I’m organized and efficient and—”

  “In need of a good lay!”

  At least I don’t have the attention span of a toddler, she thought, grinning inwardly. But when Claudia thought about how lonely she’d been all week, and about how much she missed Santiago, her smile faded. She hadn’t seen or heard from him since the night she broke up with him, and if she hadn’t run into Ana at brunch, she never would have known he’d traveled to Guadalajara for business. He was meeting with architectural genius Warrick Carver to discuss… Claudia couldn’t remember. She’d been daydreaming while Ana was chatting and all she knew for sure was that Santiago would be back in time for the celebration bash.

  “How are you really doing?” Chaz asked, wearing a concerned face. “I heard about the dust-up at the pool party. Are you still mad at Santiago for dumping you?”

  Claudia snapped out of her thoughts. “Santiago said he dumped me?”

  “No, the gardener did.” He cocked his head to the side and stroked his chin reflectively. “Or was it that hot tamale in housekeeping with the nipple piercing?”

  Uninterested in hearing any more resort gossip, she closed her electronic notepad. “I have to check in with the flamethrowers, but if you have any problems just page me.”

  Chaz followed Claudia out of the kitchen and into the restaurant. “Do you want me to talk to Santiago for you? You know, help smooth things over?”

  “No,” she said, ignoring the pain she felt at the mention of his name. “We’re done.”

  “Why? Because his dad had too much to drink and insulted you?”

  That’s putting it mildly. She remembered the scene in Santiago’s uncle’s backyard—the deadly silence, the stunned faces of the other guests, the contempt in Mr. Medina’s tone. To keep from breaking down, she pushed his insults to the furthest corner of her mind.

  “You guys are a perfect couple and everyone around here is rooting for you to get back together.” He added with a smile, “Especially Señora Ana! She misses her daughter terribly and having you around has eased some of her pain.”

  “Did you know Marisol well?”

  “No,” he said sadly. “I was hired a few months after she passed away.”

  “I’m doing something special at the celebration bash to honor her memory.”

  “Really? What is it?”

  Claudia told him, and when he cheered, she knew her plan was a winner.

  “I hope Santiago and his family like it. The last thing I want to do is—” Claudia stopped when she heard her cell phone ring. She pulled it out of her pocket and put it to her ear. “Hello, this is Claudia Jeffries of Signature Party Planners,” she said.

  “This is Bert Stimpson from the Richmond Police Department,” a raspy male voice said.

  Claudia swallowed. Had she been indicted? Was this the beginning of the end?

  “I regret having to inform you of this, Ms. Jeffries, but someone broke into your house last night. A neighbor spotted the perps fleeing the residence and immediately called 91l.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked, trying to make sense of what the officer said. “My security company would have contacted me if someone had tripped the alarm.”

  “You live at 56 Cherokee Road…”

  Claudia nodded, though he couldn’t see her.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s been no mistake.”

  “How bad is it?” she asked tentatively. “Is there significant damage to my place?”

  “Honestly, it’s one of the worst home invasions I’ve ever seen. It was probably a bunch of neighborhood kids who had nothing better to do, because the whole place was trashed.”

  Claudia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. It felt like someone was holding her head underwater, pushing her deeper into the dark abyss.

  “I was about to head back to the station, but I don’t mind hanging around until you get home,” the officer said. “We’ll need to walk through the house to determine what’s missing, and then we’ll head down to the station to fill out an official report.”

  “I’m not in Richmond,” she explained. “I’m out of town.”

  “I can be reached anytime at the police department, so give me a call when you return.” Then he hung up.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “That was the Richmond Police Department…someone broke into my house.”

  Chaz put his arms around her. “I’m sorry, sweetie. That’s terrible.”

  “I have to…to fly home.”

  “I’ll take you to the airport. Just let me go grab my keys.”

  “No.” Claudia shook her head. “Stay here and make sure things run smoothly.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”

  “Tell Ana I’ll be in touch.” Claudia hustled down the corridor as fast as her sandal-clad feet could take her. And as she dashed past the newly built wedding chapel and into the Oasis Row apartments, she prayed that Santiago would forgive her for breaking her promise. And his heart.

  Santiago was blown away.

  He’d been to countless parties and had even attended the inauguration ball of the country’s former president, but Santiago had never seen anything this grand, this magical. He stood at the entrance of the Bajo La Luna Lounge, drinking in the lively atmosphere. The spacious outdoor lounge was drenched i
n green, red and white, and the scent of cotton candy filled the air. Guests in sombreros and multicolored beads shook their hips and their maracas to the music the flamenco band was playing on stage. There were pony rides for the kids, boat races for the teens, a photo booth and everything in between. Dozens of people were gathered around a slim redhead cradling a brown capuchin monkey in her arms, and when Santiago saw the jubilant smiles on the children’s faces he felt guilty for ever doubting Claudia. She was right, having exotic animals at the celebration bash was a crowd-pleaser.

  “Tiago, can you believe all of this? It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Ana said, shaking her head. “I feel like a little girl again, and I haven’t even gone on a pony ride yet!”

  Santiago chuckled. His mom had a Mexican flag painted on one cheek and a flower bouquet painted on the other. Her party hat was sliding off her head, but she was too busy admiring the ice sculpture to notice. An eclectic mix of food, sure to appease even the fussiest eater, was spread out along six buffet tables, and waiters served guests seated in the oceanfront cabanas.

  “You’re right, Mom. This is pretty spectacular.”

  “Claudia went above and beyond, and I can’t believe how amazing everything turned out.” Ana gave her son a one-arm hug. “Did you see the tribute to Marisol?”

  Santiago nodded, gazing up at the sky so his mother wouldn’t see the sadness in his eyes.

  “Your sister would be so proud to see her art displayed in the courtyard. She used to love working outdoors, and she created some of her best paintings right here at the resort.”

  “It’s an amazing exhibit that’s been very well-received.” Santiago didn’t know when or how Claudia put the display together, or where she’d gotten the idea to donate all the proceeds from the exhibit to charity, but he was deeply touched by her thoughtfulness. “My favorite painting is the one she did of you and Dad on your anniversary.”

  “That’s mine too,” she admitted, wearing a soft smile. “Your father broke down when he saw it. It’s the first time since your sister’s funeral that he’s shown any emotion, and we both had a good cry as we strode through the rest of the exhibit.”