Page 15 of Thiago (Family Ties #6)

Chapter Fifteen

“ W hat about this?” India held up a red dress so Kiara, who was watching her from FaceTime on her iPad, could see.

Her friend scrunched her nose. “Ehh.”

India dropped her arms in defeat. “You haven’t liked anything I’ve shown you. He said to wear a pretty dress.”

“Did he use those exact words?”

“Unfortunately, yes. He’s about as charming as a bull.” And yet she was crazy about him and doing her best to satisfy his ask, her pulse beating with the promise of something new and exciting.

“Sweetie, that’s a pretty dress— if you were going to the Oscars , but I know he has family in the entertainment industry. Is he taking you to the Oscars?”

“Sarcasm is ugly on you.” In a huff, India tossed the dress onto the pile on the bed. “I have nothing to wear!” she exclaimed.

“Now I know that’s a damn lie. I can’t believe how difficult you’re making this.”

“He and I have never gone on a date before. I’m nervous!” She blurted out the truth unexpectedly.

Suddenly, Kiara lowered her gaze and whispered, “Yes, you can show her, but you have to hurry, okay? We’re having a very important conversation.”

Three-year-old Jayden squeezed into the frame by climbing onto his mother’s lap. “Auntie India, look what I find. A sparkly rock!” Jayden held up his treasure, eyes bright and excited.

India leaned in close as though inspecting a rare jewel. She gasped. “Oh my goodness! It’s very pretty and so sparkly. What a find! That’s a special rock, Jayden, and only the best explorers find those.”

Grinning, Jayden’s little chest puffed out, and he looked at his mother. Kiara kissed his cheek.

“Good job, pumpkin. Go put it on the shelf with the others, okay?”

“Okay. Bye-bye, Auntie India!” Beaming, Jayden hopped down and took off.

“He has not stopped talking about his sparkly rock since he found it this afternoon,” Kiara said, amused.

“I guess that’s his favorite now. Where were we?

Oh, you said you were nervous. Nervous about what?

You’ve been putting your tongues down each other’s throats for months. This should be easy. It’s just dinner.”

“It should be easy, yes, but it’s not. It’s different. It’s a date . We’re past that stage. It’s like going backwards. As you pointed out, we’ve put our tongues down each other’s throats for a while now.” Not to mention he’d stuck his body parts in her various holes.

“You have to relax. You’re going to eat a nice dinner and have some conversation, that’s all,” Kiara said in a soothing voice.

“We’ve never done that. That’s not true.

We’ve done dinner and conversation, but not like this.

It feels strange. Official . He’s changing the parameters of our relationship, and I don’t know how to act.

Dating is for normal people, not Thiago Santana.

We’re supposed to have amazing sex, talk for a bit, and then go our separate ways.

” India marched into her walk-in closet and yanked the hangers left, searching for another dress.

She pulled one from the closet and held it up. “What about this?”

Kiara squinted. “Bring it closer.”

India walked over and held it pressed against the front of her body. “What do you think?”

Kiara tilted her head to the left. “I like it. I like it a lot, actually. It’s sexy without being over the top, and the apricot color looks good against your skin. It’ll be a nice date outfit. That’s it. That’s the dress.” She grinned and clapped.

“Finally,” India said with a sigh.

“What does this mean for my boy, Leo? He liked you.”

“I liked him, but…” India sighed. “How do people cheat? I’m trying to juggle two men and a lover, and I’m already exhausted.”

Kiara laughed. “Maybe you need more vitamins.”

“Something’s gotta give. Honestly, Kiara, I liked Leo, but the spark wasn’t there. He’s a nice guy, but I think someone better is out there for him.”

Kiara stuck out her bottom lip. “Too bad, but I understand.”

“I called him before I called you and talked to him. I didn’t want to waste his time. He took it well.”

“You’re right, he’s a nice guy, and I’m sure he’ll find someone else. What about your doctor friend, Simon?”

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll make a decision depending on how tonight’s date goes with Thiago. I better go. I still have to shower and get dressed, and if there’s one thing I know about Thiago, he’s never late. Matter of fact, he’s often early.”

“Before you go, I have something to tell you,” Kiara said.

“Okay, what’s up?” India examined the dress from arm’s length away.

“I’m pregnant.”

She dropped the dress to stare at her friend. “Again?”

Kiara burst out laughing. “Stop.”

“You stop. Have you two ever heard of birth control? Hell, the pull-out method?”

Kiara giggled shamelessly, looking content and happy—as she should.

“Listen, I don’t want to be old and gray running after these children, okay?

I’m already tired, and I’m only in my thirties.

God bless anyone who has a kid after forty.

Josh and I are getting them out of the way, right the hell now. ”

“I don’t blame you. Is this the last one?”

“If we have a girl, yes. If not, we’re going to try one more time.”

India shook her head, her face breaking into a smile. “You know I’m happy for you.”

“I know.”

“When are you due?”

“September. The boys are less excited than I had hoped they’d be.”

“Because they told you they wanted a puppy, not a baby sister or baby brother.”

“Well, they’re getting another sibling, at least for now. Until I can convince Josh that we should let them adopt a puppy. He said the boys aren’t old enough to take care of a pet yet, and he doesn’t want the responsibility. When they’re older, they can have one.” Kiara rolled her eyes.

“I’m on Josh’s side, but I’ll let the two of you figure out how to proceed. Whenever you’re ready for the puppy, Auntie India will take Jayden and Josiah shopping for a dog bed, toys—the works.”

“I know you’ve got us. Okay, girl, I’ll leave you alone so you can enjoy your first date with your boss, the man you’ve been swapping body fluids with since last year.” Kiara smiled sweetly.

“Thank you for putting it so poetically.”

“You’re welcome. Have fun!” Kiara blew a kiss before she disappeared from the screen.

India turned toward the pile of clothes on her bed and groaned inwardly. Her OCD wouldn’t allow her to leave them there. She had to put them away before she left on her date with Thiago.

She moved quickly and hung each article of clothing back in the closet. As she stepped into the bathroom, she recalled her friend’s words.

I don’t want to be old and gray running after these children, okay?

India pressed a hand to her flat belly, happy for her friend but also envious.

From the time she received her diagnosis, she’d known nothing in her life would be simple when it came to the disease living in her body.

Once, a doctor had told her, quite bluntly, “You have to plan very carefully if you ever want children. You need to be in remission first—at least six months. Pregnancies are already risky on their own, but in your case, it’s worse because you have lupus.

You could have a flare, and your kidneys could fail, your heart or lungs could become inflamed. You could die .”

He had scared the crap out of her. The message was clear: women with lupus had babies all the time, but they took a big risk.

Perhaps that’s why she’d worked so hard all these years.

Not only because she wanted to have a better life than the one she’d grown up in.

She knew, deep down, she might never have a family like other people.

So she adjusted, making her world revolve around work and climbing the corporate ladder.

Like she’d adjusted when she lost her hair five years ago.

After the big flare hospitalized her, her hair started falling out for months afterward.

Her thick, beautiful, curly hair was no more.

Her edges were gone, and her hair growth stunted.

She touched her head now, the phantom weight of her old curls pressing on her shoulders, cruel in their absence.

A lump rose in her throat, sharp and unexpected.

She swallowed hard to push it back down.

For a while, she had mourned the loss, wearing wigs, visiting trichologists, hoping for a miracle.

Until she finally swallowed her pride and accepted her fate.

One Saturday, she walked into a barber shop and asked for a fade.

Leaving the shop, she had been a little uncertain about the new style until an older man stopped her on the way to her car.

“Excuse me, honey, I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but I love that cut. You are stunning.”

“Thank you,” she had said, her face blossoming into a smile.

The compliment warmed her from the inside out and chased away the last of her doubts. The fade had become her standard hairstyle ever since.

The new drug her rheumatologist had told her about could put her lupus into remission and change her life. Maybe it was worth trying. Maybe it was the answer she’d been hoping for.

Energized by the positive thought, she stepped into the stall. After her shower, she started getting ready.

The apricot dress had a ruched waist with short sleeves capped at her shoulders.

She was ultimately pleased with this choice.

The dress was elegant without being overdone.

She slipped on a pair of gold heels and an ankle bracelet, added large gold hoops to her ears, and then checked her appearance in the mirror.

Using her pick, she gave her curls a little lift on top and then turned her back to the mirror. Looking over her shoulder, she smoothed a hand down her hips. No panty lines, and her butt looked round and firm.

Minutes later, she picked up her purse as the doorbell rang, announcing Thiago’s arrival.

She was on her way to the door when she remembered the bangle and rushed back to the bedroom.

She removed it from her jewelry box and snapped it onto her wrist. The stunning piece of jewelry was sleek and elegantly made of gold and platinum with diamond clusters meeting in the center at a diamond halo.

Knowing he had picked it out himself was a pleasant surprise and made the piece more special.

The doorbell rang again, and India turned off the light and made her way down the hallway. After a quick check on the monitor, she opened the door.

Thiago stepped inside. His gaze slowly trailed down her body, pausing briefly at the bracelet on her wrist. Her skin prickled under his scrutiny.

Then without saying a word, he stepped forward and placed a hand at the back of her neck.

The warmth of his touch had been sorely missed, and she welcomed the possessive way he held her.

“Hello,” he said in his deep, accented voice, which sounded sexier than ever. He dropped a kiss on her parted lips, and a little electricity danced under her skin. “You look exquisite, but I’m sure you know.”

She practically melted. “Thank you. You look nice,” she said, eyeing his outfit.

He had obviously gone home to change, which was a surprise. He must have left work early before coming to pick her up, and there was no doubt he did because instead of a suit, he wore a long-sleeve powder blue shirt and dark slacks.

He also smelled incredible. A mix of his cologne and the fresh, clean scent of soap, reminiscent of a sea breeze. The combination was dangerously tempting. They hadn’t made love in weeks, and she could feel her core tightening as she imagined him sliding between her thighs later tonight.

“Are you ready?” Thiago asked.

India nodded and followed him, experiencing an unusual, overwhelming amount of emotion. Tonight was so different from how they usually interacted outside of work.

“Where are we going for dinner?”

“Someplace exclusive, where it’s typically hard to get a reservation,” Thiago said as they entered the elevator.

“Not hard for you, I imagine,” she replied, casting a glance at his profile.

There was a satisfied, smug expression on his face. “No, it was not,” he admitted. “It might be difficult for your doctor friend, though.”

“If I didn’t know better, I would think you were jealous,” India remarked.

“Why would I be jealous? I have the upper hand.”

“How so?” India asked as the doors eased open on the first floor.

He smirked, this time meeting her gaze. “I know you, better than the doctor does. And I’m going to make sure that when this evening is over, you do not even remember his name.”