Victor rejected her four years ago, and even though they only spent one night together, it has broken her down. His words broke her in two. She married Dominic and foolishly hoped she could be normal again, but she failed because Victor was always there, in her head, in her memory, in her studio, and in her heart.She instinctively shies away from any deeper self-analysis because it would be disastrous if she started thinking that she did something stupid and fell in love with him. Even the thought made her stiffen and break free, creating space between them, physically, she hoped, emotionally. It's one of her favorite things about being on the island with Victor.Walking aimlessly and directionlessly along his private beach, the sand warm under his toes, the sea lapping on his feet, the sun half-hidden on the horizon, throwing them a blanket of gold, so it looks like There was something magical in the air there. As they walked, easily conversing, or just silent, side by side, his

Something tightened inside of her, but she refused to let it disturb her. Over lunch, Amy described Paraiso to them, and whenever she missed any detail, Victor was there to fill in the blanks, answering questions about the history of the island house, so she listened to him with rapt attention. But then, whenever he could leave things to Amy, he would do so, defer to her, and let her charm her parents with beautiful stories of the sanctuary.When they sat down to enjoy their coffee, Amy was too full to eat anymore, and Victor brought it up. "I can find a way to allay your concerns, but, of course, this is a big decision that you should weigh carefully." He went on to outline his proposal for how much he would be willing to pay for a controlling stake in the company. The corporation is a dizzying figure, and how he juggles his responsibilities in three large multinational corporations."My father's company and my own run like well-oiled machines. When I take on Robles Manufacturing,

She nodded slowly. "That's the way it is here." She felt like she was drowning. "Aren't you serious? Again?" "You forgot?" "Rules?" If anything, his sarcastic response strengthened her resolve. "Nothing happened to change them." "Everything changed," he replied, briefly giving her hope. She felt it burning and tried to hold it down, but hope was a powerful force and now it was rolling through her."Have you?" "Of course." He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Look how much we've gotten to know each other, Amelia. When you came into my office and we negotiated that damn contract, you were my—." "A mistake," she interjected. There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. He ignores this. "Now you're my wife." The last word was so possessive and passionate that it made her body startle, but she stood still, holding her ground."What does that mean to you?" His anger was palpable. "We got married, we are a team now. A great team."Her heart was beating wildly with tensi

Every moment is painful. He longs for Paraiso. Not just home and the beach and the breeze, but everything out there - so easy and free. He longed to make her laugh, to make her cry with joy, to hold her so close he could feel her breath through his chest wall. His heart aches for her. But he still keeps his distance because his own needs pale in comparison to hers. He won't hurt her anymore.It hurts his heart to know what he suffered all those years ago because of him. He was a jerk to her. Just thinking about it made him feel a deep, mortifying sense of shame. He's mad at himself, but he's mad at her. He punishes her because he wants her so badly. He pushes her away because he knows he betrayed Carlos and needs her to go and understand the end result of what he said, but he ruined her in the process and he will never forgive himself. It's amazing that she can do that. As the weekend wore on, he thought about their original agreement, and the fact that she had agreed to it Saturday-

Here she is now—the only option other than going inside the house is to insist that he fly her back to Cordova, which leaves her with a bag full of cement. "Okay," she agreed rebelliously. "I'm going in." But it's like going back in time. The last time they left, they both thought they'd be back soon, and the house had that feeling - as if they'd left soon and everything was just as it was.Her heart churned in her chest as she stepped into the depths of the living room, memories flooding her, her pulse racing wildly. "You're obviously happy here," he said softly, walking behind her. "And I like to see you happy." She closed her eyes because she heard what he didn't say. He didn't like seeing her hurt. He didn't like knowing he was going to hurt her. He fears becoming like his father, fears that their marriage will spiral into the same horrific merry-go-round of squabbles.She turned to face him, needing to reassure him. "I'm happy in Córdova, too," she lied. "You're avoiding me