Chapter 12

I spent most of the next day alone with my thoughts, my ache for my life back, for answers, for the end of this limbo state I was in. I was pleasantly surprised when Dolores stopped by in the evening and told me to get ready for dinner.

I was still surprised when Alejandro was there to get me again. He was wearing a dark pair of jeans and a shark-skin-blue button-down shirt. His thick black curls were slicked back. I did not like seeing him in my space, filling my bedroom with his presence and his intoxicating scent. How was I to stop thinking of him when I saw him in my room, so close to my bed, looking all male and primal?

He stayed by the door this time, thankfully, waiting for me to walk to him. I was wearing my favorite dress—a tasteful, see-through, white lace mesh dress with a corset-like top, thin sleeves, and a flowy skirt. It made me feel like a princess. I left my hair curly and adorned it with the pearl pins. My cheeks were flushed from all the sun I had been taking in during the day on the balcony.

"Already done with yet another book?" asked Alejandro when he saw me holding one as I got to the door.

"Yes, I wanted to return it," I explained, looking up at him. We were both at the door.

I made an effort to break from his gaze and walk forward. We headed to his office.

"Are you okay with just some appetizers tonight?" he inquired. "I know you ate lunch very late."

"I am not very hungry, to be honest."

"How about I show you around the house a bit, then?" he offered.

I hesitated, but if this was another peace offering, I wanted to take it.

"I would love that."

I followed Alejandro out of the office. We headed to the living room. I had passed by there a few times without having an opportunity to stop.

The room was impressive. It was the perfect combination of modern and classic with thick, dark-mahogany wood and French-style doors. The furniture was exquisite, some of the wood in the chairs clearly hand-carved with extreme care.

"I have one more room to show you," he said as we headed to the main hall. Alejandro took me down a set of stairs that I had never noticed before. I thought we were going to a basement, but the stairs went a bit lower than that.

We arrived in a humid, dimly lit cave. I barely held in a gasp. It was one of the most beautiful wine cellars I had ever seen. The cave had very small, separate rooms holding different kinds of wine. The smell of dirt, mold, and wood providing the perfect condition for wine storing.

"I am a collector," he joked with a smile.

He seemed in his element, proud and protective of his cave and the jewels it contained. The workmanship was exquisite. The cellar was made of wood and bricks, with slight curves into the ceiling. The wood wine racks were floor to ceiling, blending seamlessly into the cave.

Alejandro proceeded to explain the importance of storing wine at a certain temperature and in a specific type of environment to allow it to continue to age gracefully once bottled. This was Alejandro's favorite place in the house and a big selling point when he bought it, he explained.

We stopped in the tasting room, where there was a gorgeous wood countertop with drawers directly built into the back wall, as well as a table with a few chairs. There were about a dozen French and American oak barrels, laying on their sides in two rows, on top of each other.

"And I thought I was obsessed with wine," I joked as I walked to the countertop to look at the bottles showcased on it.

"Well, I enjoy traveling quite a lot, and I love getting to learn about new places through their wine. You'd be surprised how much you can learn of people's cultures, their temperament and personalities through the cultivation of alcohol. It also helps to be in the industry," explained Alejandro as he came to a stop next to me.

"In the industry? Are you a wine maker?"

"Something like that," he said as he grabbed a decanter he had already filled.

"So that's your job? Winemaker?"

"Not quite." He smiled. "I manage an investment fund. I started by buying tequila plantations here and exporting the products. It evolved into a passion for alcohol making and distribution, so I focus on the business side of things now."

He poured the red shiny liquid into two glasses and brought me one.

I swirled the wine a bit in the glass to get the notes flowing. I took my time appreciating the oaky smell of the wine, my taste buds enjoying the hint of sweetness. I looked up from the glass to find Alejandro too close for comfort. He was doing the same, savoring the wine, without ever moving his intense gaze away from mine.

"Hmmm, this is amazing!" I exclaimed.

"I'm glad you like it," he said with a sensual smile, testing my sanity.

We sampled multiple wines, Alejandro explaining what was unique about each glass he poured. It wasn't hard to do, as he had multiple Coravins, allowing him to pour small glasses of wine without opening his precious bottles.

I was in heaven.

The alcohol coursing through my veins was a pleasant feeling. But the real source of intoxication was him. Always him. His dark presence, his passion for the wine, the way he slowly drank from his glass, lingering on all the notes of the wine with his eyes slowly undressing me.

I could feel my body responding to his toxic presence, his jaw so straight I wanted to draw it with the tip of my finger. Alejandro took our empty glasses and put them on the table behind him. I already knew what he was doing—or at least I hoped. Alejandro walked back to me, his eyes burning through my soul, only stopping once his legs brushed against mine. He slowly and tenderly moved some of my curls away from my face. A burning sensation swept through me as the tips of his fingers brushed my cheek. He looked even taller in the shadows of the cave, the low light adding to his enigma and mystery. He ran his hand down my left arm, leaving goosebumps in its path. He caressed my wrist, running his fingers over my gold bracelet.

"This is an interesting piece."

"What?" I asked, too distracted by the sensations coursing through me.

"Your bracelet."

"Oh."

I looked down at the antique piece of jewelry I always wore. It was a simple gold band with Aztec designs. Richard had kept a few pieces of jewelry from my mother. This one was my favorite, and I wore it every single day as a way to feel closer to her.

"It was my mom's."

"I gathered as much. I like it."

"Thank you."

"I also love your hair like this," he whispered.

"Thank you." I was sounding like a broken record, my lips unable to make any sound more than basic words.

"You say you don't know me, but I know you" he added, his voice a bit hollow, his expression devastatingly ravenous.

My lips parted, inviting him, daring him. This wasn't part of the plan, but I wanted to feel him so much, the wine reducing my inhibitions and sense of reason.

Alejandro suddenly put his right arm around my waist and took my lips with his, stealing the air from my lungs.

I urged my body to keep cool, but my hands had a mind of their own and craved feeling his muscles contract under them as he intensified his kiss, hot and wet. My fingers got lost in his hair, drawing him closer to me. Alejandro groaned and lifted me on top of the table, positioning himself in between my thighs. I felt the heat rise between my legs, my labia pounding. Alejandro abandoned my lips to bury his face in my neck, kissing, sucking, driving me mad with painful but sweet desire.

"I know you're trying to fight it, but you want me as much as I want you."

I let out a shaky breath. I grabbed his back and pulled him closer to me, his words unleashing something in me. Alejandro was traveling lower down my neck, getting dangerously close to my inviting cleavage.

I so wanted to feel him there.

His hands lifted my legs and pulled me closer. I could feel his length growing against me, already hard and promising so much, accelerating my pulse, making me desperate to feel him inside of me.

His hands hungrily traveled from my ankles to my knees, then to my thighs. I could feel my nipples hardening under the soft fabric. I was out of breath, so high on desire that I felt like I could explode. His hand made its way to my panties, his fingers sliding under them to touch my wet folds. I put a hand behind me for balance.

"Oh god," I whispered, feeling myself about to fall over the edge.

I wanted nothing more. Nothing else mattered other than the sensations coursing through me in that moment.

Alejandro groaned with pleasure when he felt how much I wanted him. I moaned, my body trembling in anticipation, feeling the tips of his fingers, eagerly waiting to feel them warm and hungry inside of me.

"Can he get you wet like this?" he whispered in my ear.

I suddenly opened my eyes, confused, processing the wake-up call. He was referring to George. I was just a competitive game to him. He was using my attraction to him to satisfy his pride. I pushed him away violently.

"How dare you?!" I shouted as I stood up, trying to compose myself.

He was breathing very heavily, but he had this perverse look of anger and satisfaction on his face. That smirk, making me understand that he had done all of this to prove a point, to prove how much control he had over me.

Disgusted with myself, blinded by shame, I approached him and slapped him with all my strength. He grabbed my other hand and pulled me close to him, grabbing my wrists and strongly holding them behind my back.

"UGH! Let me go!" I shrieked, hating my weakness.

"Stop moving!" he ordered, but of course I wouldn't. Having him so close and being so angry drove me mad, and I needed to get away, but he refused to let me go.

"Calm down!"

"Let me go! Let me go home! I can't take this anymore!" I yelled as the tears I was holding in rolled hot down my face.

Alejandro's smile disappeared to make space for tight lips and sudden concern in his eyes. He let go of his grip, and I pushed him away with all my strength.

"I hate you!" I screamed at him.

I was in so much pain I felt like I could faint. I ran away from him, going up the stairs as fast as my trembling body would allow.

"Amelia, wait!"

There was no waiting. I was choking. I finally got to the stairs and was about to run up to my room when I almost ran into Karina. She looked at my swollen, red face with a smile. She was wearing a very revealing negligée, clearly ready for a night of passion with Alejandro.

I knew he had quickly caught up to me, but I couldn't look back. It would kill me. I continued running until I made it to the bedroom. As I broke down on the bed, I felt like life had just left my body.