14. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
I'm sorry, but I can't continue working as Jasper's nanny. It's way too dangerous.
S ky typed an understanding message back to Taegan, thanking her for the time she had spent with Jasper, and offering any help she could with finding a new position. To ease the sting of the loss of income, she Venmo'd Taegan two weeks of salary.
After she closed the Venmo app, she noticed another TikTok alert with her name on it. She hesitated before tapping the notification to listen to the nasty hit piece.
Tequila Tycoon and the Teen
Sky’s stomach lurched as she broke her promise to Rafael that she wouldn’t go online and look at what people were saying.
Why didn’t I warn him? Why didn’t I tell him that Beverly had been watching us?
Shame.
It always came back to shame.
She’d been ashamed of her mother and the horrible relationship she had with Beverly. She had been ashamed of having sex with Rafael after the wedding. She had been ashamed of his rejection. She had been ashamed of the way she fled, causing all that worry and panic on Maddie’s end.
And, then, when she’d finally come back to San Antonio and made a stable home for herself with Jaime and Maddie and Jasper, she had been ashamed that someone would find out her secret.
Now, everyone knows .
Guilt soured her gut. She glanced at the double doors leading out to the balcony of Rafael’s bedroom. The urge to flee was so strong, but even if she managed to scale the drop without breaking her ankle, the security team at the estate would be on her in seconds.
Coming back to Mexico had been the best and worst decision. Rafael had insisted it was the best place to keep her and Jasper to safe, to shield them from the viral ugliness that had exploded. She did feel safer here, more protected, but she also felt so humiliated. She couldn’t bear to leave his wing of the estate. She didn’t even want to make eye contact with her mother-in-law, and the pity she had witnessed in Lola and Dina’s eyes had nearly broken her.
And Camila.
She whimpered at the horror of discovering her teenage niece had seen the video. Granted, the grainy recording didn’t show any skin or anything X-rated, but it showed enough.
Of me.
Being a dirty little slut at my sister’s wedding.
The bedroom door opened, and Rafael entered looking haggard. He hadn’t changed since they’d fled San Antonio only an hour after the news broke. It was now three in the morning, and like her, he was exhausted.
“Rafael,” she pleaded tearfully, “I’m so sorry.”
His tired gaze fell to the phone clamped in her hand. He frowned. “I told you not to read any of that shit.” He stormed across the room and flicked his fingers. “Give me your phone.”
She gladly handed it over, never wanting to use it ever again. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop apologizing.”
She flinched, and he immediately tossed his phone and hers onto the closest chair and then knelt in front of her. He took one of her trembling hands in his and palmed her cheek. “Look at me.”
She couldn’t do it. Not at first. When she worked up the courage, she was taken aback by the tenderness in his dark eyes. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, and it took every bit of her self-control not to throw her arms around him and sob against his neck.
“None of this is your fault. None of it. Do you hear me, mi amor ?”
It wasn’t the first time he’d called her that. Mi amor . My love . She wanted to believe he meant it, but she wouldn’t let herself hope only to get her feelings destroyed.
“Sky?”
She nodded weakly. “I hear you.”
“But do you believe it?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head and fresh tears erupted. “I should have told you as soon as it happened. I should have warned you that Beverly was out there, that she saw us.”
“The only person at fault here is that vindictive bitch,” Rafael insisted. “She’s disgusting. Spying on us like that? Recording us? Sharing our personal, private moment online? Making up those filthy lies! If I had known back then, I would have buried her.”
Rafael’s forceful reply shook her out of her self-pitying state. She lifted her head from his now tear-soaked shirt and met his stormy gaze. She searched his eyes, trying to find any hint of a lie. Finally realizing he meant every word, she went still as the horrible truth hit. “I wasted all those years!”
She shoved away from his grasping hands and jumped to her feet. The pain and torment of those years she spent everywhere but home with Maddie threatened to overwhelm and drown her. “I’m so stupid!”
“You are not stupid!” Rafael was on his feet, pacing after her. “Did she threaten you? Back then? After the wedding?” His hands were suddenly on her shoulders, holding her still as his dark eyes burned into hers. “Is that why you left? You were trying to protect me ?”
Sky nodded stiffly. “I knew how it would look! I was a teenager, Rafael, and you were older. I made the first move, but she could easily edit that out and then what? Even if we told our side of the story, it would still be embarrassing for everyone. Your mother was so nice to me, and your whole family welcomed me and I threw myself at you like a—.”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Rafael warned. “You are not any such thing. You were a young woman caught up in a moment. I was the adult with more experience. I should have been stronger, but you are so beautiful, so full of life. Being close to you was like standing next to a wildfire, and I wanted to burn with you.”
Startled by the ferocity of his declaration, Sky blinked up at him. “Rafael.”
He exhaled roughly and let his hands drop from her shoulders. His gaze never left hers, and he looked pained as he said, “You missed out on all that time with your sister because of me.”
“No.” She hated to see the guilt etched into his face. “It was because of Beverly.”
“I’m sorry, Sky.” He dragged her into his arms, nearly crushing her in his embrace. “I failed you. I should have gone after you. I should have made sure you were safe, but I was ashamed of what I’d done to you.”
“You didn’t do anything to me,” she interrupted. “We had sex, Rafael. We were adults.”
“I didn’t act like one. I acted like a scared little boy and left you to deal with the aftermath.” He gritted his teeth. “I was a selfish prick, and I’ll never forgive myself for putting you in this position.”
“Please don’t,” she all but begged. “Please. I can’t bear for us to be miserable, to be torn apart by shame and hurt. No more secrets and no more lies.”
Rafael tipped her chin. The fiery heat of his gaze melted her heart. “No more secrets?”
She nodded. “Please.”
“All right.” He lowered his face a few inches, his lips so dangerously close to hers. “I love you, Sky.”
Her heart burst with the brilliance of a radiant sun. The words she had dreamed of hearing from him settled over her like a soothing balm, easing away the hurt and pain Beverly had inflicted. A sob tore from her throat, and she confessed, “I love you, Rafael. I always have.”
“ Mi amor .” He whispered so tenderly. “My wife.”
When he kissed her this time, it was different than all the others. He held nothing back, and she surrendered wholly. His tongue swept against hers, and she tasted the bite of tequila. His fingers tangled in her messy hair, tipping her head back so he could claim her with increasingly possessive kisses.
She grasped his shirt, holding on with both hands as her head spun. He began to walk backward toward a sofa, and she followed happily. Their kisses were wild and insistent, neither wanting to break apart any longer than necessary.
When Rafael reached the couch, he dragged her with him, pulling her onto his lap. She let her legs fall on either side of his thighs and suddenly wished she had changed into something other than leggings and an oversized t-shirt for bed. She wanted to feel his body against hers.
“God, baby, you’re burning up,” Rafael whispered against her neck. His hands had slipped under her t-shirt and caressed her bare skin. She was on fire for him and clasped his face, stabbing her tongue against his in the wickedest way.
Rafael’s groan sent shivers of delight right down to her throbbing core. Desperate to have finally have him, she brought her shaking fingers to the buttons lining the front of his shirt. It took her a long time to get them undone, mostly because his talented hands had discovered her breasts. They ached, and she muffled her cries of joy against his mouth when he brushed his thumbs over her nipples.
“Rafa!” She arched her back and lifted her arms as he tugged her shirt up. He tossed it aside and then attacked her chest, licking and nipping at her breasts until her thighs were trembling. It felt so, so good, and she wanted to feel his hands and mouth a little lower.
“Sky,” he groaned against her skin. “I promise I’ll make it good this time.”
“You better,” she replied, her voice husky with need. Memories of the desperate, throbbing, and ruined orgasm he had left her with the last time were still all too real.
Rafael laughed and then suckled her nipple, drawing a moan from her. She rocked against him, grinding herself against the stiff heat between her legs. He groped at her bottom, grabbing her ass in both hands, and pressing her firmly against his cock.
“Rafa, I need—.”
Jasper’s cry tore through the haze of lust. Panting, they clutched at each other, their foreheads touching as the reality of being parents hit hard. Rafael groaned and peppered tender kisses along the curve of her neck. “I’ll get him.”
“You sure?”
“Yes.” He gently shifted her off his lap and onto the couch. He managed one final passionate kiss before Jasper wailed again.
Craving her husband, she watched him disappear into the adjacent room that had been hastily turned into a makeshift nursery. While she waited for her heartbeat to slow down, she listened to him soothing Jasper and talking to him quietly. It became clear after a few minutes that Jasper wasn’t going to settle back down easily.
She joined Rafael in the makeshift nursery where he stood rocking Jasper side to side. They weren’t cries of hunger. She stroked Jasper’s head, checking for fever. His temperature seemed normal. “Do you think he’s teething?”
“Or maybe his ears from the flight?” Rafael suggested. “I gave him his pacifier when we were landing.”
Sky bit her lower lip. “Should we give him some baby Motrin or Tylenol?”
“Maybe?” He gently shushed Jasper while rocking him side to side. “Or we could ask my mom?”
“Your mom?” she said at the same time.
Rafael smiled. “Let’s hope she doesn’t decide he caught ojo . She’ll want to rub an egg on him.”
“Rafael!” Sky rolled her eyes at him. “Stop!”
“What? I’m serious!”
“Well, if it works, I’ll go get the eggs myself.”
Jasper’s fussing summoned his grandmother even before they reached her bedroom door. Soila calmed their fears, and after peeking into Jasper’s mouth, she agreed it was likely his ears were hurting after their flight. She insisted on staying awake with them until the Motrin took effect and Jasper fell back asleep.
By that time, it was nearly five in the morning. Exhausted, Sky followed Rafael back to their wing of the house and settled into bed. They took all the pillows off the bed and placed Jasper between them on the mattress. They curled around him, holding hands just below his feet.
“Are you crying?” Rafael asked, his voice heavy with concern.
“A little,” she admitted, not bothering to wipe the tears from her face.
“Why?”
“Jaime and Maddie used to fall asleep with him like this,” she said softly. “I always thought they looked so peaceful.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say anything else. Grief blocked her throat. Rafael didn’t press. He understood exactly what she was feeling.
“I love you, Sky.”
“And I love you, Rafael.”