by J Q Anderson
“Hi, beautiful.” A smug smile played on Sebastián’s lips. I leaned over to kiss him, and he held my jaw in his hand, pulling my mouth to his. Oh, my. He glanced over my shoulder. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”
I whipped around, blushing furiously. Oh. A six-foot-four Adonis in a black cleric suit greeted me with a full smile that showed perfect teeth. His deep cobalt eyes assessed me curiously.
“Camila, this is Father Juan Pablo.”
“Oh…Hi. Nice to meet you, um…Father?” Shit. Why had I said that as a question? Father Juan Pablo’s smile widened. He was probably well aware of the effect he had on women. Erasing the distance between us, he leaned down to kiss my cheek.
“Nice to meet you, Camila. At last.” He was charming and had the easy familiarity of someone who is good with people. My brain stalled. Maybe it was the contradiction between Father Juan Pablo’s stunning looks and his attire that had me at odds. It seemed paradoxical that God would keep such a treasure for Himself. Unless…Yup, God is a woman.
“Nice to meet you too,” I said.
“JP is a good friend. I’m helping him with his program to bring soccer uniforms to underprivileged schools to support education. It’s been a great way to get kids to show up for class.”
Father JP nodded. “Couldn’t have done it without Sebas’s help. This project would’ve failed without his contribution. Really, Sebas, I don’t think I can thank you enough.”
“No need, man. You know I enjoy doing it.”
Father JP looked at me. “He’s humble. This project is as much his as it is mine.”
I turned to Sebastián. “What a cool thing to do. Soccer for books. I love it.”
“Yes,” he said, “and it’s been successful beyond our expectations. JP here knows what he’s doing.” Sebastián’s phone buzzed from the kitchen bar. He frowned at the screen. “I need to take this. It’ll take just a sec. Don’t leave without the check, JP.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
Sebastián stepped away to take the call, leaving me alone with Father JP. I took a sip of coffee, a little uneasy under his confident gaze.
“Sebastián looks happy,” he said. “I suspect it has a lot to do with you. I’m glad we’ve finally met.”
“Me too. I haven’t met many of Sebastián’s friends. How long have you known him?”
“Ah, since we were kids. We went to school together, played rugby in the same club for a few years. He’s like a brother to me.” He smiled warmly.
I played with my spoon. Suddenly, I wanted to grill this man with a million questions about Sebastián.
“Something’s bothering you. What is it?” His tone was soft. I looked up at him in surprise. That was pretty direct. He seemed to be able to see right through me. I bet people confessed their darkest truths to this man. He had the face of an angel.
“I just…I don’t know. I’m wondering…I keep getting warnings from people around me about the Palacios family. Do you think I should be…worried? I mean, are they really as bad as people say?”
Father JP tilted his head to the side and pressed his lips. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Me and my goddamn mouth.
“Why are you asking me that?” he said.
Good point. I looked down at my hands and shrugged. “You’re a close friend of Sebastián’s and…a priest. I care about him. It’s tough to think objectively, you know?”
“Camila, Sebastián is a fine man. He has a big heart, but you must know that by now. He really cares about you too. As far as his family goes, I assume you’ve decided you can deal with it, or you wouldn’t be here.”
“I didn’t know anything about his family until I met him.”
“Oh?”
“I’m a ballet dancer. He and I don’t move in the same circles.” I smirked. “Not even remotely. My friends are all dancers too. Our world is the theater. It’s somewhat disconnected from the outside.” I bit my lip. This sounded a lot like a confession.
He rubbed his chin. “I see. Sebastián said you were unaffected by all of it. I guess I didn’t realize to what extent.”
“Tell me. What are they like?”
“Camila,” he said, “take your time. Get to know each other. You will find your answers.”
“Oh, come on, Father.” I smiled as sweetly as I could manage. “Be my insider here. I know you priests keep golden information behind that suit.”
Father JP chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re quite the negotiator.”
“You better believe it. Come on, tell me. Tell me about the Palacioses.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Sebastián’s father. People say he’s powerful, dangerous, even. Sebastián seems…I don’t know, kind of upset whenever he talks about him. What’s he really like?”
He let out a heavy sigh. “Don Martín loves Sebastián more than anything, but he also has a firm grip on him. Sebastián has tried to break away from the family businesses several times, but Don Martín always manages to lure him back in. He’s smart about it too. Doesn’t confront him. But ever since Sebas’s mother died, Don Martín relies heavily on him. It’s hard for Sebas to completely turn his back on things. If you are willing to accept that, then you will be all right. No matter what Sebastián thinks, the Palacioses are a package deal. That’s the truth.”
“A family is always a package deal as far as I’m concerned.”
“I agree. But the relationship with his father is an ongoing struggle for Sebastián. Constant negotiations that don’t always end the way he wants. His love is architecture. It’s been that way since he was a kid.”
“I guess I don’t really get it then. I do what I love and there is no compromise there.”
His full smile took me off guard. “Then you may be just what he needs.”
“Just what who needs?” Sebastián stepped in and pulled me into his arms from behind, kissing my neck.
“Camila, here,” Father JP answered. “She’s the real thing, man. You’re lucky I’m off the market.” He winked at me and I blushed beet red. “Now about that check?”
“I’ll leave you two to it.” I kissed Sebastián’s cheek. “I need to call Nata, I don’t want her to worry.” He nodded and I gave a small wave at Father What-a-Waste.
I fished my phone out of my bag to call Nata and cringed. My screen was filled with five missed calls and a string of text messages from Nata. Shit. I had completely forgotten to take my phone off silent mode after work. I tapped on her name, bracing for the storm.
“Jesus, Camila. What the hell? You don’t call me all night? I left you a thousand messages. I’ve been worried sick.”
“I’m sorry. My phone was on silent. I’m fine.”
“Shit, really.” Her tone softened. Despite her outbursts, she could never stay mad at me. “You’re out with that guy…You expect me not to worry?”
I rolled my eyes. “His name is Sebastián. And yes, I expect you to stop worrying. I’m fine.”
“Camila, look. We have to talk. There’s just…stuff you need to know about them.”
“Nata, enough, okay? I appreciate your concern, but this is a bit much. I’m not asking you to support all my choices. Just accept this, please. Sebastián is important. I don’t get why you’re so determined to convince me I shouldn’t be with him. Or, I do, but that ship has sailed.” My heart pumped hard. Nata had always been my cheerleader. A long silence went by, and I wondered if the call had dropped.
“Look.” She sighed. “There’s a lot you need to know, not just about him, but also…about me and my family.”
Part 2
Kingdoms
Chapter 21
“Christ, Nata. There’s more?” I said, pacing around Sebastián’s massive bedroom with the phone pressed to my ear. “I mean, who are you? All of a sudden I feel like I don’t know you.”
“Let’s talk when you come home. You on your way?”
“No. I won’t be home till tonight, or tomorrow. Sebastián invit
ed me to his cousin’s birthday party.”
“You’re going to Julián de la Viña’s house?”
“You know him too?” Seriously.
“Everyone knows him. Does the last name De la Viña really not even ring a bell?”
“No!”
“Will Don Martín be there too?”
“You know Sebastián’s father?”
Nata sighed in exasperation. “Look. Let’s talk when you get home. Will you please do me a favor and keep your phone with you tonight?”
“Nata—”
“Shush. Shut up and listen. I will explain all this later, I promise. I’m just asking you to trust me for now. Keep your phone with you, and if you need anything, anything, you call me, or Sergei. We’ll stay close.”
“Nata, I really don’t need you to go into panic mode. Sebastián would never let anything happen to me.”
“Just promise. Please.”
“Okay, okay. I promise. And you promise to chill.”
“Everything okay?” Sebastián leaned on the door frame.
I nodded, slipping my phone in my pocket. “Let’s go have lunch. Somewhere by the river?”
After a long lunch overlooking the water, Sebastián went into his office to make some calls while I soaked in the egg-shaped tub in his guest bathroom. When I came out, there was a dress on the bed. I approached and immediately recognized the design. It was the Inés Fernandez that the model was wearing at Amsterdam the other night. Holy shit. How? I grazed my fingers over the soft velvet. It was gorgeous and surely cost a fortune.
I did my makeup and changed into the dress. It was black with a very low back, and a perfect match for Nata’s stilettos. This was so much nicer than the gown I’d brought. Feeling ecstatic, I looked at myself in the mirror, but the knot in my stomach hadn’t eased. The thought of the party and meeting Sebastián’s family pulsed in my mind like a ticking bomb.
A nostalgic tango melody traveled down the hallway. I followed it to the great room, then stilled at the sight of Sebastián strumming chords on an acoustic guitar. Holy mother of all hotties. I held my breath. He was lost in the music, his low voice humming the melody. I waited till the song ended, and took an unsteady step into his line of sight. His eyes widened, he blinked, then shook his head.
“Wow.” A sly grin stretched on his lips. He stood and held my hand up, making me twirl so he could get a full view. “This dress is a weapon. I won’t let you out of my sight. You look exquisite.” He kissed my neck while his hand traveled down my bare back, sending chills up my arms.
“You don’t look bad yourself,” I said. He was dressed in soft, gray linen shirt and black slacks. “Thank you for the dress, but—”
“What?” He pulled me to him, and I nuzzled his body wash-kissed skin.
“It’s too much. I’m not sure… how I feel about accepting it.”
“Please don’t overthink it,” he whispered, kissing the path from my ear to my shoulder. “I remembered how much you liked it, and I thought it would make you happy. That’s all. Though it will be very hard to keep my hands off of you when you’re wearing so little.”
I bit my lip and smiled. “Then don’t.”
Chapter 22
Julián’s house was only a few minutes away from Sebastián’s. The property was massive, and when we passed the gate that separated this kingdom from the outside world, my stomach clenched.
At the end of a long, cobblestone driveway, two valets opened the car doors and greeted us. The young valet on my side offered me his hand to help me out. A slight blush rose to his face when our eyes met. His fingers held mine a second too long, then let go quickly when a firm hand clasped his shoulder.
“I’ve got it, man,” Sebastián said in a frosty tone. The guy blanched, recognizing who it was, and hurried to get the next car. Sebastián kissed my shoulder, wrapping a protective arm around my waist. “I’m going to have my hands full I see.”
“Possessive, are we?”
“Very.” He kissed my temple softly.
We followed the arriving guests through the main entrance, guarded by security guards who nodded at Sebastián as we passed.
Julián’s home was nothing short of stunning. Like Sebastián’s, it was an architect’s dream, but this house had an ultramodern, minimalist design. Every detail of the estate and its surroundings had been carefully drawn with the clean, elegant sophistication of someone with taste and money. Lots of money. The one-story home wrapped around a rectangular infinity pool, its mirrorlike surface glimmering under a blanket of floating candles. A forest of mature willows peppered the property, a thousand white lights twinkling from within the branches as far as the eyes could see. The atmosphere was dreamy. I felt like Cinderella at the ball.
In the garden, the party was already in full swing, framed by a bar on each end. Waiters in crisp uniforms mingled with the guests, balancing trays of champagne flutes and mini delicacies. It was like a scene in one of those Beverly Hills parties you see in movies, loaded with everything imaginable, and holy shit, one of Buenos Aires’s top indie bands was playing on a nearby stage. I squeezed Sebastián’s hand, slowly letting out the breath I had been holding as I stared wide-eyed at Buenos Aires’s elite, dressed in what I guessed were nothing less than Valentinos and Diors. I reassured myself that if you didn’t know I was a middle-class girl with borrowed shoes and a dress that cost twice my salary, maybe you would think I fit in too. Maybe.
Sebastián’s thumb stroked my back rhythmically as we sipped perfectly chilled Cristal. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other.
“You’re nervous. You have no reason to be,” he said, leaning down to kiss my bare shoulder.
“I don’t belong here,” I said, glancing at the guests.
He held my chin and gently turned it so I would look at him.
“Don’t ever say that,” he said, serious. “You are a queen, Camila. These people are just posers.” I looked at him skeptically and he smiled, then pressed a soft kiss on my lips. “I don’t think I like this dress anymore. I can’t wait to take it off,” he murmured. A shiver traveled up my bare back.
“You bought it for me,” I said coyly. “But you don’t like it?”
“No.” His eyes darkened.
I shrugged nonchalantly and took a sip of my drink. “I don’t have any clean clothes, so I’ll have to walk around your house naked.”
“Hmmm. I don’t object. Let’s say hi to Julián and get out of here,” he whispered in my ear, tracing open-mouth kisses on my neck. I nearly expired. That perfect mouth…Jesus. But I knew this was important to him. And I was eager to prove to Papá and Nata that the gossip around Sebastián was nothing but that. We could be a normal couple at a normal party. I summoned all my self-control.
“Sebas,” I breathed, “we are here. Let’s meet your family.”
He groaned against my neck.
We joined the party and Sebastián introduced me to his cousins, Gonzalo and Rami. They smiled easily and confidently. Each kissed my cheek and pulled Sebastián into a man hug. They engaged in casual chatter while I rested my head on Sebastián’s shoulder and listened absentmindedly. Rami ran a quick hand through his hair (a family trait?), and a gold Rolex slid down from under his cuff.
A few other cousins and uncles stopped to greet us, all dressed impeccably, the trademark Etiqueta Negra and Ralph Lauren logos embroidered on their shirt chests. I felt their eyes assessing me while they spoke with Sebastián about their family and kids. They were all very affectionate toward him. But something in their eyes made me uneasy. I couldn’t say exactly, but each time I met a new member of the Palacios family felt like stepping into one of those airport scanners. Damn my paranoia. Damn Nata.
My glass was never empty. I lost count after the second refill, and soon the overall glamour, conversations about yachts, houses in Punta del Este, and vacations in Gstaad, all spun in my head. I figured I had probably drank the equivalent to my salary. Every few seconds a new person stopped by
to greet Sebastián and his new girl. I felt like a purse Chihuahua. I couldn’t remember anyone’s name and wondered how on earth you could know that many people and keep track of them in your head.
Massimo, a tall polo player with russet skin and a crooked nose, greeted Sebastián with the usual man hug.
“Massimo, this is my girlfriend, Camila,” Sebastián said.
Massimo kissed me on both cheeks. “Finally, a girl worth the wait, no doubt.”
I blushed and his grin grew wider. The beat of the music picked up, and Massimo stepped closer, pulling me into a sexy dance, brushing his body against mine.
“Hey. Easy,” Sebastián said, stepping between us and pulling me away. “Keep your paws off my girl.”
“Ah.” Massimo chuckled, shaking his head. “He’s worried that you’ll find me more charming, which undoubtedly, you will.” He winked.
Sebastián shook his head.
“It was a pleasure, Camila.” Massimo gave a friendly punch to Sebastián’s shoulder, then blew me a kiss before joining a group of girls dancing beside him.
With so much alcohol flowing in my veins, the fatigue from the week settled in. I was beginning to wonder if we would ever meet Julián or his twin sister. By now, a good hundred guests were spread around the garden, dancing, laughing, clinking flutes constantly refilled with Cristal. From where we stood, the house looked like an oasis of massive windows and light, overlooking its own private paradise. I rubbed my arms, wishing I was back at Sebastián’s house, in his bed. My gaze stopped at a figure on the other side of the pool. He nodded at Sebastián and I immediately knew it was Julián. He set off in our direction and a slow chill traveled down my back.
Shit. This was it.
Julián de la Viña was almost as tall as Sebastián and, if I hadn’t found him terrifying, I would’ve thought he was extremely good-looking. Just like Sebastián, his most defining feature was his stunning eyes. Julián’s reminded me of a cougar. They were shrewd and of an intense emerald green, blazing against his olive skin. Strands of auburn hair brushed his forehead. His jawline was sharp, square, masculine. He was in great shape, the outline of his broad shoulders and defined biceps undisguised under his pale blue shirt. His presence was striking. He was the epitome of confidence.
