Page 21 of Thiago (Family Ties #6)

Chapter Twenty-One

T hiago entered the plane’s cabin and settled on the soft, cream leather seat. He and India were flying to Brazil on the company jet, and he was early, so India hadn’t arrived yet.

They would first go to S?o Paulo, where the Santana International offices were located, and stay at his penthouse for a couple of days before flying to Rio de Janeiro on Friday after lunch.

“Mr. Santana, can I bring you a drink while you wait?” a pleasant-looking flight attendant asked.

“Not right now. I will have one when my colleague arrives—a Yamazaki 18, neat. You can start steeping the tea I requested. She should be here shortly.”

“Yes, sir.” The woman nodded briefly and then left him alone.

Spending more time with India, he had noticed she enjoyed drinking tea and had made note of the brand he saw at her apartment the other day—a blend of ginger, turmeric, peppermint, black pepper, and cinnamon.

He gazed idly out the window, thinking about the potential minefield their affair could set off.

Being a female executive who was sleeping with her boss could be problematic for India.

If people found out, he could well imagine the rumor mill speculating about how long they’d been together and whether she had earned her current position on her back.

Never mind that his father had promoted her to VP of marketing before Thiago took over as CEO.

So he’d made sure to arrange for her to have real work to perform in the S?o Paulo office, but he had also arranged for her to have time off.

While he worked full days, her schedule consisted of half days, which meant time for sightseeing.

In the evenings, they would spend time together, and he could show her some of the nightlife of the city.

S?o Paulo was known as the financial capital of Brazil and had a diverse population, which included Europeans, Arabs, and the largest concentration of ethnic Japanese outside Japan. In addition, there was an impressive culinary scene and plenty of museums.

India had seemed most interested in the art scene, so he’d recommended several museums. Her excitement for the trip had been palpable, and he’d felt gratified he was the reason for her pleasure, beyond making her toes curl and her thighs tremble as they clenched around him.

Their relationship had certainly changed in the past few weeks.

He had never hidden his relationships, but he was good at compartmentalizing.

With India, the two worlds—business and personal—were bleeding together.

While they continued to meet in secret, they spent more time together and touched base much more often during the week, during which he had learned something shocking, which he teasingly told her almost made him want to break up with her.

She believed oatmeal raisin cookies were superior to chocolate chip cookies.

Appalled, he had threatened to end their relationship, to which she had put her foot down.

“You can’t change my mind,” she had said, an obstinate set to her mouth.

He promised if she ate his stepmother’s chocolate chip cookies with macadamia nuts, then he could change her opinion, and made a mental note to have Rose make some for her.

He shared more stories about his childhood, opening up to her in a way he hadn’t to other women, and after a particularly annoying business luncheon the other day, he’d called her on the way back to the office just to hear her voice. She had instantly calmed him.

The woman had even turned him into a texter! He had never been one to text much, using the option sparingly. But every day he found a new reason to send her a message.

I like that color green. It looks good against your skin.

I’m missing a cufflink. Did you happen to find it at your place?

He had also taught her Portuguese words in preparation for their trip:

“To say thank you, women say obrigada and men say obrigado , regardless of the gender of the person they are speaking to. Informally, you can say brigad?o , which means thank you very much.”

They had also begun sharing weeknight meals more often. Several times they had dined out. One night he had Amir pick up dinner and bring it back to the office before he left for the day. If his assistant thought the bags contained a ridiculous amount of food for one person, he gave no indication.

After everyone had left, India came down the hall.

Thiago locked his door, and they ate at the conference table.

Then he fucked her against the wall, his blood running hot from her cries of passion, stifling the sounds with a hand over her mouth in case someone was in the office or had come back for some reason.

Then they took a shower together in his bathroom, the first time they had ever shared such intimacy.

Twice they had eaten dinner at his home…

Thiago shifted in the chair. He hadn’t wanted to analyze his feelings, but the truth was, those two nights were extra special because India had spent the night.

The first time had been on a Friday night, two weeks ago.

That particular day, he had told her they would eat dinner at his place.

She followed him home in her car, and upon arrival, discovered the delicious spread his chef had prepared for them.

They talked until late, made love, and then fell asleep.

He had enjoyed waking up to her in his bed. So of course, when he invited her to come over Monday night, he told her to pack an overnight bag. They had left his house at the same time in the morning to go to work. His only regret was that they couldn’t ride to work together.

Thiago’s peripheral vision was snagged by a flicker of movement, and he turned to watch the limo he had sent for India ease to a smooth stop beside the plane. When she exited the vehicle, his body came alive at the sight of her.

One corner of his mouth lifted higher when he saw she had done as he had asked. April was early autumn in Brazil, and the climate was temperate. Last night, she texted him a picture of a sundress.

Thinking about bringing this on the trip. Too much? she’d asked.

He’d immediately picked up the phone because a simple text could not properly convey his feelings. “It’s perfect. Wear that tomorrow for our flight.”

She had laughed, insisting she had already picked an outfit for the plane, so he hadn’t been sure if she would wear the dress.

But he watched with heat flickering in his veins as it billowed in a soft breeze.

She wore a light jacket over it because the temperature had dropped lower than usual for an April afternoon, but he would promptly have her remove the jacket when she came on board.

As she approached the stairs leading up to the plane door, he got to his feet to greet her.

When she saw him, a smile spread across her face.

“Hi,” she whispered.

Thiago immediately pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. It was impulsive. He couldn’t stop himself. Traveling together had added another dimension to their relationship, cementing their couplehood.

“You look amazing. Thank you for wearing the dress,” he said.

“You were so insistent, I didn’t want to disappoint,” she replied.

Thiago became momentarily lost in her eyes before he realized the chauffeur was standing at the door with her bags, his eyes politely averted as he waited.

“I will take those,” Thiago said.

“Have a safe flight, sir—ma’am.” He nodded and left them alone.

Minutes later, they were seated beside each other in the middle of the plane when the flight attendant approached with a steaming cup of tea and his whisky on a tray.

“We will be in the air shortly,” she said, placing their drinks before them.

After she was gone, India turned to Thiago. “Tea for me?”

“It’s the herbal tea you drink,” he answered.

Her eyebrows lifted higher. “How did you… you ordered the tea I like?”

“Of course. I saw the box in the cabinet at your apartment.”

“You didn’t have to do that, but… thank you,” she said quietly.

“You’re welcome.”

A moment passed between them. Something indefinable. Something heavy. He knew she felt it too because she suddenly focused on her cup, lifting it to her lips.

“Good?” he asked.

“Perfect,” she confirmed. “What are you drinking?”

“Yamazaki 18, whisky made in Japan’s first and oldest malt distillery. Would you like a taste?”

Thanks to the large Japanese community in S?o Paulo, he had been introduced to Yamazaki whisky and had fallen in love with its delicious flavor, reminiscent of blackberry and dark chocolate.

“Sure.” India lifted the glass to her lips. “Mmm, that’s really good. I’ll need a glass of that later with dinner.”

Thiago chuckled. “There’s plenty,” he said, as the captain announced they were preparing for takeoff.

Moments later, they were in the air.