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It was unlike him to rush anything, but getting Cerys in his bed permanently as soon as possible had seemed like the best way to control this obsession. Now, though, he wasn’t so sure about that either. Because the more he had Cerys, the more he seemed to want her.
‘I’m really not interested in hearing about your latest conquest, Andro,’ he replied tightly. ‘I’m just glad you finally showed up.’
His brother arched a sceptical brow, but as usual appeared unbothered by Santiago’s criticisms.
‘You look tense. Wedding nerves,hermano?’ he goaded.
‘Why would I be nervous?’ Santiago replied, annoyed by the suggestion. ‘Marriage to Cerys fulfils my requirements.’
However swift his decision to offer Cerys marriage had been, he did not regret it. She wasn’t just diverting in bed, she called to some elemental part of him which he could no longer deny—not yet anyway. Her innocence, of course, had also been a decisive factor—the realisation when he had thrust so heavily inside her the first time that she had never given herself to another man had been both disturbing, and deeply unsettling, on one level—but also strangely cathartic on another. Because as soon as he had realised the truth, he had been consumed with the possessive urge to ensure he remained the only man ever to touch her.
He had wondered, late at night, if it was this urge which had driven his father to finally choose one of his many mistresses over his mother. Was it this same elemental obsession which had made his father choose to run off with that British tourist? Because, if it was, surely it made Santiago’s marriage to Cerys even more imperative. And while Cerys’s lack of a past might have been an issue, if she were a virgin at twenty, surely her life must have been sheltered. Plus, he found her personality—that impulsive optimism, her willingness to see the best in him, while also challenging and exciting him—surprisingly enchanting. And surely her desire to be a part of his family could only be beneficial if it meant he could concern himself less with Ana’s constant disobedience and Alejandro’s determination never to take any damn thing seriously. To have Cerys act as a go-between with his siblings suddenly seemed like a perfect solution. She was so sunny and bright. Ana already adored her and he knew Alejandro had been charmed by her, too.
‘Uh-huh? Really?’ Alejandro said, not sounding convinced. ‘You’re marrying a girl you’ve known for less than a couple of months. A girl you don’t know anything about—and neither does she. I know she’s hot,’ he murmured. ‘And according to the staff you can’t keep your hands off her, but why the hell are you marrying her when you could just keep her in your bed until she remembers who she is and goes home?’
Fury consumed him. Lunging forward, he grabbed his brother by his lapels and thrust him back against the doorframe.
‘Don’t speak of her like that, as if she is no better than one of our father’s whores,’ he growled.
Instead of fighting back, though, Alejandro stared at him, his gaze direct.
‘Calm down, Tiago,’ he said. The nickname which Andro hadn’t used since they were boys cut through the surging fury, to the familiar shame. ‘That’s not what I meant.’
Santiago unlocked his fists and released his brother.
The fury had come from nowhere. He had revealed too much. What was wrong with him? Why had he reacted so strongly to Alejandro’s familiar attempts to goad him?
‘Have you got feelings for her, Tiago, is that it?’ his brother asked.
The thought struck fear into his heart.
‘Don’t call me by that name,’ he said, struggling to control his panic. They weren’t those boys any more. They had once been close, but that was before Santiago had betrayed them all by keeping his father’s sordid secrets from the rest of his family.
‘I told you months ago I was in search of a wife,’ he continued, knowing he was reasoning with himself now as much as his brother, but determined to make his motivations clear. No one had said anything about love. Nor would they. ‘And we are well matched.’
Sexually. Which was the only connection which mattered to a man like him.
But why did he sound so defensive? He had nothing to explain, nothing to apologise for. This had always been his intention. Yes, the marriage was sudden, but it still served his purpose.
‘Obviously, her lack of memory is an issue, but Pérez believes he may have located some of her belongings. It is only a matter of time before we will know her identity.’
‘And you don’t want to wait until then?’
‘We are saying our vows in…’ he glanced at his watch ‘…precisely ten minutes. So, no. I do not wish to wait.’ He glared at his brother. Why did he care so much about this marriage? ‘She was innocent, Andro, so I also have a responsibility here that you would not understand.’
His brother stiffened and hurt flickered in his eyes. But Santiago dismissed it.
Given Alejandro’s reputation as a womaniser, he had probably deflowered a thousand virgins in his time.
But then his brother swore under his breath. ‘I knew it, this is because of what happened to ourmadre. It’s all part of your dumb white knight complex, isn’t it?’
Santiago tensed, resentment burning under his breastbone.
His brother did not understand. Wouldneverunderstand. Because he had not been there when their mother had… He swallowed, forcing the raw memories back, and thrust his fingers through his hair. Alejandro did not need to understand.
‘If you don’t wish to stand as Cerys’spadrino,’ he said, forcing the bleak memories back under control, ‘I will find someone else.’
He should never have asked Alejandro to fulfil the role when his brother was so unreliable.