Plain Return (The Plain Fame Series Book 4) Read online

  Now, however, his immediate tour obligations were over. They were finally home. Gazing at the ocean, she took a deep breath. The sun lingering over the horizon and the drained feeling in her body told her she hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Still, she couldn’t linger in bed all day. She needed to unpack their luggage, work outside in the garden, and help Señora Perez in the kitchen. Now that they were back in Miami, Amanda wanted Alejandro to have a nice home-cooked meal that evening. His eating habits on the road left a lot to be desired.

  Just as she was about to drop her hand from the drapes, she felt him standing behind her. Without even looking, she could sense his body. She smiled to herself as he wrapped his arms around her, his bare chest pressed against her back. Even though she wore a nightdress, she could feel the heat from his skin through the silk. His fingers tugged at the thin strap of her gown as he kissed the back of her neck.

  “What are you doing up so early, Princesa?”

  His voice sounded groggy, still thick with sleep. As she smelled the faded scent of his day-old cologne, an intense wave of warmth coursed through her body, leaving her light-headed and breathless. Being held in his arms, so muscular and strong, made her feel safe. She leaned back, her head pressing against the underside of his chin. His morning stubble tickled her skin, but she didn’t mind.

  “Come back to bed, Aman-tha,” he purred into her ear, her name rolling off his tongue and his thick Cuban accent heavy with sleep. “For once, let’s sleep until the sun sets. You and me. Alone with no interruptions, no cell phones, nowhere to go.” He held her tighter, his embrace protective and strong.

  “The sun has barely risen,” she replied, her voice soft and innocent.

  “All the more reason to stay together in bed. Just once, Princesa, sí?”

  The invitation was enticing, especially since she heard the unspoken suggestion in his voice, but she knew that he needed his sleep.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she had both gone to bed and arisen with him. No, on most nights, she either fell asleep first or awoke alone, sometimes both. After his concerts, there were always places for him to go and people for him to see. She knew that his obligation to interact with his public was the driving force behind his self-imposed sleep deprivation. Most of his concerts took place back-to-back from Thursdays to Sundays, which allowed them to fly to Los Angeles so that he could work with the recording studios and meet with other artists during the rest of the week. It had been a long time since she had seen him get a full night’s sleep, something that had not happened since Christmas, when they stayed at her parents’ farm in Lancaster.

  Reluctantly, she pulled away from him and, taking him by his hand, led him back to the bed. He followed her willingly, a half-smile on his lips.

  “You need more rest,” she said, helping him into the bed as if he were a child. “And I am no longer tired.” That wasn’t entirely true, but she wanted him to rest, undisturbed, while she took on the duties of the house like a proper wife.

  He shut his eyes and relaxed as she pulled the sheet over his chest, her hand purposefully grazing his skin. When her fingers lingered by his wrist, he wrapped his hand around hers and gently pulled her to his chest, shifting his weight just enough so that her back pressed against his body once again.

  “I will sleep,” he whispered into her ear, “but only if you stay with me.”

  With his arm holding her tight, she couldn’t say no, even if she wanted to. And once she felt his tight grip on her, she realized that she wanted to stay. Relaxing, she listened to his soft breath as it slowed down. She gently stroked his arm, feeling the muscles quiver beneath her touch. One of his legs was tossed across hers, another measure to ensure that she did not escape. With each breath that he took, she could feel his chest rise and fall against her back. She smiled to herself, shut her eyes, and allowed a light sleep to find her, once again.

  When she awoke later, she sensed that it was almost noon. Alejandro hadn’t moved; his arm was still holding her and his leg was now entwined with hers. Her body felt less weary, and she knew that with great care, she could slip from his embrace and start the long list of chores that she had planned. With gentle, deliberate movements, she slid out from under his arm and managed to escape his hold. For a long, quiet moment, she stood there, gazing down on this beautiful man that God had for some reason placed in her life. He barely stirred, his chest rising and falling in a rhythm that told her what she needed to know: he was finally catching up on sleep after those long months of eighteen-to-twenty-hour days.

  Quietly, she made her way to the door that separated his bedroom from the room that had once been hers, just a few months back when she had first stayed here under his care. There, she could change her clothes without risk of disturbing him, and it was there that she still kept her increasing wardrobe, in the room’s large walk-in closet. But as she turned the door handle and pushed the door open, she heard him whisper her name.

  Tossing back her long brown hair, which hung in loose waves, she looked over her shoulder and saw that he was not asleep but watching her through hooded eyes. Those blue eyes! Always watching her with that look that made her feel so alive.

  “Ja, Alejandro?”

  “You are glad you are home, no?”

  She smiled, letting her hand slide up the side of the door as she slowly slipped through the opening, pausing just long enough to answer him. “There is no place like home, Alejandro,” she said softly. “But only if I am with you.” She raised her finger to her lips, indicating that he should cease speaking and go back to sleep. Taking great care not to make any noise, she backed through the doorway and softly shut the door behind her. His sleepy smile was the last thing she saw, and it remained engraved in her mind as she set about creating a new morning routine that would serve them, now that they would be home for a while. Routine, she thought with warm feelings of love and anticipation, will put everything on track, at last.

  Chapter Two

  For most of Thursday and all of Friday, Alejandro slept, a fact that didn’t really surprise Amanda. His energy and focus needed time to regenerate.

  The first day, she busied herself by checking on her garden and was pleased to see that it had survived her absence. After slathering sunscreen on her arms and shoulders, she happily devoted her time to weeding and trimming back the potted plantings around the balcony on the terraced patio. Occasionally, she glanced up at the bedroom window, half expecting and half hoping that she might see him standing there. But the curtains remained undisturbed and, although she was disappointed, she knew that sleep was the best thing for Alejandro after he’d spent so much time traveling to entertain his fans.

  The second day hadn’t been much different. Her only companionship had come from Señora Perez and Rodriego, one of Alejandro’s many assistants, who helped him at home.

  On Saturday, however, he awoke shortly after she did. She was already sitting on the terrace in the shade, writing another letter to her family, when she heard him greeting Señora Perez. After a few minutes, he emerged through the kitchen door, a mug of coffee in his hands and a smile on his face. To Amanda’s further surprise, he wore a light-blue short-sleeve polo shirt and khaki pants with a pair of tan leather shoes. Certainly not a Viper outfit.

  “Ah, Princesa!” He set his coffee on the table and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. Before he sat down, he glanced at the paper in front of her. “You are writing a letter to your parents, sí?”

  Delighted to see him up so early and in such a cheerful mood, she pushed the single sheet of paper toward the center of the glass table. The glow on his face and sparkle in his blue eyes, which almost matched his shirt, warmed her heart. “Why, Alejandro!” she exclaimed. “I do believe that you are relaxed!”

  He laughed at her. “I am not so sure about that. Not yet. But . . .” He took a long sip from his coffee, as he let her hang on to every word, a technique tha
t he had mastered when talking to his fans or being interviewed. He gave her one of his looks, the mischievous one that always made her hold her breath and bite the corner of her lip. “I do have an idea of what might do the trick.”

  Somehow she managed to exhale, just enough so that she could answer with a simple, “Oh?” Just a short year ago, the realization of what he meant would have left her aghast.

  “Sí.”

  From behind them, the soft shuffling of feet on the patio floor announced the approach of Señora Perez. The señora excused herself for interrupting them and set down a tray covered with jams, croissants, and freshly cut fruit.

  “Gracias, mamacita,” Alejandro said, a teasing tone in his voice. The devoted housekeeper tried to hide her smile, but she was obviously pleased to see him not just back at the condominium but also looking so well rested. Amanda watched her as she hurried back to the door and disappeared into the kitchen. Alejandro, however, wasted no time in taking a plate and scooping the fresh pineapple and cantaloupe onto it. “Have you eaten, Amanda?”

  She shook her head.

  “Why not?” He glanced at her as he spread some jam onto his croissant. The smell alone made Amanda feel at home. “Aren’t you feeling well?”

  “Oh no,” she said. “I’m feeling fine. Just not hungry is all.”

  He gestured toward the fruit. “You should have some, mi querida.”

  But she shook her head. All of the travel had taken away her appetite. Irregularities in sleep and changing time zones had left her body confused about when to be hungry. “Tell me about your idea,” she said. “My curiosity is piqued.”

  Placing the half-eaten croissant back on his plate, he reached for a napkin and dabbed at his mouth. “Ah, yes. You and your curiosity!” He leaned over as if he was about to tell her a secret. When she responded in kind, bending forward so that she met him halfway, he whispered, “You will have to wait, Princesa. It’s a surprise.”

  “Oh help!” But she couldn’t avoid laughing. “You and your surprises! Why, I think the last surprise you gave me was our wedding!”

  He shook a finger at her. “You are wrong. Thanksgiving, no?”

  “Ah yes. Thanksgiving.”

  For sure and certain, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade had been an amazing experience. To get to see the volunteers preparing the balloons as the workers inflated them was something that Amanda knew was special. Then they had actually ridden in the parade, waving to the crowds as Alejandro sang. It was a magical day, indeed. But for Alejandro, it hadn’t been special enough. He had surprised her after the parade with a private car that immediately whisked them from Midtown Manhattan to the airport, where a private plane stood ready for them. After all, he had told her, Thanksgiving was about family. They had returned to Miami for a family gathering at the condo, where the food had already been prepared and his mother, aunts, and cousins awaited their arrival.

  “Ja vell,” she said coyly. “I reckon that I have given you little surprises, too, ja?” When he gave her a questioning look, she whispered, “Kansas City?”

  Now it was his turn to laugh.

  Amanda had seen the photos in the scandalous tabloids, caught the entertainment television shows, and read the gossip websites. She knew that her surprise appearance at his Kansas City concert had caused an uproar with his fans. Indeed, the more that the media covered their relationship, the more his social media currency increased. And that currency also did something that Alejandro had never thought possible: it doubled almost overnight. After Kansas City, almost fifty million more people followed Viper on the different social media applications: YouTube, Vine, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He was rapidly becoming the King of Social Media, and all because he had declared Amanda his queen.

  The value her role added to his career was proved by the steady rise of those numbers. Fans began demanding more of Amanda, both onstage with their beloved Viper and with him at his interviews. Every public appearance request included Amanda. Unlike less secure celebrities, Alejandro was only happy to oblige.

  Of course, all of that had been before the last little unexpected drama that played out in the media: the situation with his former manager, Mike, as well as Alejandro’s former friend-with-benefits, Maria. She had always been Alejandro’s go-to person to help him out of unwanted publicity, often posing as if she were his date so that he could keep the paparazzi away from his real love interests. Last December, at the Los Angeles after-party, Mike had set up Alejandro, making it appear as if he had broken his marriage vows with Maria. Neither Alejandro nor Amanda had had any prior knowledge of Mike’s sinister plan, and they both had fallen victim to it. From the moment the story broke until well after the truth was revealed, they both had declined to discuss the alleged indiscretion with each other or with the media. As far as Amanda was concerned, there was no need to relive the unpleasant conspiracy Mike had planned to separate them. What was done was done, she reminded herself on the few occasions that her thoughts lingered on what could have happened: a tragedy resulting in two broken hearts, caused by one person’s endless greed for money and fame.

  Alejandro picked up his fork and speared a piece of fruit. “After breakfast, let me make a few phone calls, Princesa, and then we can leave.” She heard his phone start to vibrate in his pocket, as if on cue. He groaned and rolled his eyes, but he reached into his pocket nonetheless, withdrawing and answering it in one fluid motion. “¿Sí? Dígame.” He stood up and walked away from the table, his rapid-fire Spanish words rising and falling in a fast-paced rhythm, almost similar in tune to his songs.

  Because his attention was diverted, and most likely for more than a few minutes, Amanda returned to her letter writing. Almost a month had passed since Christmas and so much had happened. She managed to write to her family once, if not twice, a week, but no letters had been waiting for her upon their return to Miami—a fact of which she was all too aware. She told herself that her family was busy; it was a lot of work taking care of the farm and her daed. And with Anna having recently returned from Ohio, she would be busy visiting people on the weekends to introduce her husband, Jonas. Traditionally, newly married Amish couples spent upward of three months visiting with friends and family on the weekends. It enabled them to get to know each other’s family.

  She tried not to worry. After all, the hired man, Harvey Alderfer, still helped Jonas with the chores. Both her mother and Jonas had spoken to Alejandro, telling him that he need not continue to pay for Harvey to help at the farm. While Alejandro had listened politely to their concerns regarding the expense of the workman’s wage, he had responded, rather firmly, that he felt the contribution to the family was the least that he could do, given the fact that Amanda was no longer there to help.

  “¿Listo, Princesa?”

  Surprised, she looked up as he returned to the table. “So soon, then?”

  He reached for her hand and helped pull her to her feet. Walking backward toward the door, still holding her hand, he acted nonchalant about her comment. “Did you think I would let a phone call interrupt our private time?” He raised an eyebrow and peered at her over the rim of his sunglasses. “Especially when I have a wonderful day planned for my beautiful wife?”

  “A whole day? Whatever have I done to deserve such a treat?”

  Her teasing evoked another eye roll from him. “Perhaps you haven’t,” he teased back. “Yet.” He pulled her toward him and wrapped his arm around her neck, turning as he guided her to the front door that led to the elevator.

  The Porsche was waiting for them at the curb, and he opened the door for her. “Princesa,” he said, bowing gracefully before her.

  She couldn’t remember the last time he had driven her anywhere.

  Once he was seated beside her, his foot tapping the gas pedal to rev up the engine, he pursed his lips and gave her a half-smile. “Listen to that purring engine.” He tilted his head, as i
f that would help him hear better. “Beautiful!”

  It sounded noisy to her, just another loud car. She much preferred the quiet of the hired cars that drove them from place to place. Even better was the sound of a horse and buggy trotting down the road. For a moment, she felt a sense of longing for Lancaster County. The emotion overcame her, and she fought the urge to say something. After all, it had only been four weeks since they had left her parents’ farm after Christmas. Perhaps it was the lack of correspondence from them that had triggered her sudden ache for her family. Regardless, she remained silent, not wanting to spoil Alejandro’s good mood or his surprise.

  The valet was waiting for Alejandro when he pulled up to the marina. Amanda tried to contain her excitement. Only when they were walking down the dock, their fingers entwined together, did she finally lean against him and whisper, “I’m so excited!”

  He didn’t say anything, but she could tell that he was pleased with her reaction.

  “Viper!”

  The captain stood at attention on the dock beside Alejandro’s boat. His white uniform was perfectly pressed, not one wrinkle anywhere. His attention to detail, particularly when it came to his personal grooming, was obvious, and Amanda suspected it was one of the things that endeared him to Alejandro. “¡Buenos días, Capitan!” Alejandro extended his hand to shake the captain’s. “Everything is ready, no?”

  “Absolutely.” The captain gestured toward the boat. “Whenever you are ready.”

  “¡Buenísimo!”

  Alejandro stepped aboard and turned back to help Amanda. Carefully, she stepped on board and waited to take her cue from him. He held her hand and led her inside the cabin. “Señora Perez packed a few things for you.” His phone must have vibrated in his pocket because he reached in to get it, pausing to look at the screen. “Ah, Geoffrey,” he said. “Let me take this while you get changed. The bag should be in the bedroom.” Without waiting for her to respond, he swiped his finger across the screen and raised the phone to his ear. “Dígame, hombre.”