ã€ŠBecause Of Loveã€‹


 CHAPTER 1

    Rafael DeLuca looked out the window and watched as the beautiful city of Boston came up to meet him as the ne made its descent. The city¡¯s night lights sparkled like diamonds. As the ne got lower, he could see those very lights dancing in the ocean water. He¡¯d never seen anything more breathtaking. He smiled to himself. Truthfully, he did. It was even more beautiful than Italy, his home.

    He sighed heavily. He would miss his home, his yacht and his weekend sailing trips, the best parts of his week, but he¡¯d been promised he¡¯d be able to do the same here. Hence why he had chosen these offices to inspect.

    He¡¯d been looking forward to this trip more than anyone could understand. Rafe unbuttoned his shirt to the mid of his chest and pushed the sleeves higher around his elbows, relishing the freedom. He¡¯d barely made it onto the ne with his sanity in check, and now, thousands of miles away, he still felt suffocated. But that would soon change.

    Restlessness crawled through him and vibrated under his skin. How much longer until wend? he wondered, looking at his wristwatch, seeing nothing but a ticking hand and numbers. He was stuck in his senses, the ones that told him the ne was slowly shrinking in size, closing in around him. He fought the urge to w at his neck as a phantom fist closed around his throat and settled for digging his fingernails into the palms of his hands. Just a little while longer, he told himself. A few more minutes and he would be able to breathe freely again.

    His private ne was about tond in a different country, on a different continent, away from the headaches of family and the pressures of being a DeLuca. Once the ne touched the ground, he would make his way straight to the harbor and spend his night floating in the Antic waters, open and freeing and not closed and ustrophobic, and finally just breathe easy. He couldn¡¯t ask for more. That very thought eased the restlessness, its tenacious grip around his chest disappearing just as the ne¡¯s walls moved back in ce and he inhaled a slow easy breath of cabin air.

    He fastened his seat belt and waited for the ne¡¯s wheels to hit the runway. With his home sanctuary invaded, he¡¯d been left with nowhere else to run but here or New York. He opted out of thetter because Gabrie loved it there and thest thing he wanted was an unexpected visit from her. Not that she wouldn¡¯t follow him here if inclined to do so, but there was nothing she hated more than humidity and water. Another plus to having a water bound sanctuary.

    ¡°Signore.¡±

    Rafe turned to his personal assistant sitting on the other side of the Embraer Lineage 1000. Though fitted for long business trips, it was still as luxurious as his standards demanded. Another one of his favorite toys, as described by his younger brother Renaldo. One other thing, besides the yacht and Rafe¡¯s Ferrari collections, he wasn¡¯t allowed to touch. Just thinking about that ragazzo annoyed Rafe. The boy was fine with being mediocre, leaving the burden of the family empire solely on Rafe¡¯s shoulders. The curse of being born first.

    ¡°Signore, your local assistant will be meeting us at the airport to send us straight to the hotel.¡±

    Rafe looked at his Bvlgari watch on his left wrist and then back at his PA with a raised brow. ¡°At this time of the night?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Si, Signore.¡±

    Rafe groaned inwardly. That was thest thing he wanted. The whole point of arriving at two in the morning was to not meet anyone. He was looking forward to some time alone after months of having everyone in his face, especially his family and Gabrie. Even his treasured weekends had been stolen from him. One stress free day alone was all he was asking for. There was no way he was giving it up.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    He waved his hand at this PA in refusal and turned to look back out the window. ¡°Send them away, Enzo. I won¡¯t be avable to anyone until tomorrow.¡± Rafe turned back to him with a look that said he wasn¡¯t up to discussing the issue further and with a hard tone added, ¡°Capisci?¡±

    Enzo leaned back into his seat. ¡°Si Signore.¡±

    Rafe bounced slightly in his seat as the ne wheels touched the runway. He undid his seatbelt and waited impatiently as the ne taxied in, his longing for solitude growing with each passing second.

    ¡°Is the yacht ready at the harbor?¡± he asked, his fingers tapping repeatedly on the arm chair.

    ¡°Si Signore ma¡­¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Rafe demanded, and maybe too loudly by how far up Enzo jumped from his seat, his eyes widening a fraction too big.

    Rafe knew all his employees were afraid of him. They nicknamed him il terremoto, the terror, or earthquake. Apparently he shook them to their very core with fear whenever he was around, but he didn¡¯t care. He was their boss, not their friend. With his father letting go of the reins more and more, a thousand plus employees, including his own family¡¯s livelihood, all depended on him. If being a terror made sure thepanies remained sessful, then the rest was inconsequential.

    ¡°It¡¯s aah-it¡¯s not as grande as you are used to.¡±

    Rafe raised an intolerant eyebrow in response.

    ¡°But I can find a recement by the time you wake up,¡± he added quickly.

    Rafe sighed, closed his eyes and rubbed his right brow with his right thumb. ¡°Quanto ¨¨ polo?¡±

    ¡°Not too small.¡±

    Rafe opened his eyes, sat straight and red at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s no DeLuca.¡±

    The DeLuca yacht was an Azzam that his family owned. They did more party hosting on it than anything else. They¡¯d never taken it out on a family trip. In fact, Rafe couldn¡¯t remember ever taking a family trip in all his thirty five years. The short trips they took around the world as vacations never included his father. When he dide, it was because he had business in that country or city. His mother worked hard to make them act like a family. Rafe inwardly apuded her efforts, but he wished she would stop trying anymore. It was heartbreaking to watch, and, quite frankly, he didn¡¯t have the time, nor the energy, to spare for the charade.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Rafe asked with an edge in his voice.

    Enzo quickly raised his phone that was forever stuck in his hand and browsed through it. ¡°Absolute Nevetta 58,¡± he rapped out.

    Rafe nodded. He owned a good part of the Absolute series, the 58 too, but the 73 was his favorite. ¡°It will do.¡±

    Enzo sighed to his relief, his entire body deting as the tension left him. Rafe snorted at that overreaction. Enzo was new to his pool of assistance and the only one without a workload to oversee, hence free to travel with Rafe. He would have preferred taking one of those he¡¯s worked a long time with, but this trip was unexpected, so unfortunately, he was stuck with this easily spooked man. He needed to learn how to master his emotions and monitor his reactions if he had any chance ofsting longer than he already had. This trip would be good for him to start learning.

    When the ne came to aplete stop Rafe stood. ¡°You can go to the hotel with whomever they sent. Just have a car send me to the harbor.¡±

    ¡°Si Signore,¡± he responded, standing up and heading to the cockpit.

    His day of freedom was here. Rafe smiled to himself, with no one to bug him. He couldn¡¯t wait.

 CHAPTER 2

    Talia McKenna stood on the airport tarmac next to the driver, her arms wrapped tightly around her shivering body. Her mouth opened with a long loud yawn. She couldn¡¯t smother that one, unlike the hundred others that came before, she¡¯d been able to hold in. Who would arrive in the dead of the early morning night and expect a greeting party? A DeLuca of course. And not just any DeLuca, the DeLuca.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Talia was still having a hard time believing that she¡¯d been appointed as a glorified tour guide to Rafael DeLuca II. Nobody called him junior and, from what she¡¯d heard, it was akin to calling a shark cute and cuddly. Unlike his father, Rafael DeLuca Senior, who was cold and ruthless and with questionable business ethics, baby shark here was on the up and up and sadly for everyone else, not easy to read nor predict.

    He hade out of nowhere, surpassing his father in a blink of an eye and with apany that had been long dered and widely considered dead for almost a decade. A blow to Senior¡¯s ego, Talia was sure. It would exin why he was loudly and very publicly handing over the reins. Talia was no shrink, but the way he kept throwingvish parties to announce that he had set everything up for his son to continue his aplishments said a lot. It didn¡¯t help much that his son doubled profits within a year of taking over everypany his father ¡®handed over¡¯. The DeLuca Empire had ten billion dorpanies with branches in numerous countries, hers being one of them, and tens more investments all over the world just as lucrative. With that kind of reputation, she reluctantly admitted he deserved a wee party in the middle of the night. She just wished it wasn¡¯t her doing the weing.

    Talia rubbed her hands together and blew into them before cing them back around her in a tighter hug. They said it was an assistant position, but she knew better. The man travelled with a posse; he didn¡¯t need an assistant. What the suits really wanted her to do was spy on him. Apparently, this visit was sudden and clearly unexpected since she was hired-she snorted, forcefully appointed was more like it-that very evening.

    The fact that she spoke Italian made her the perfect candidate. She could have said no, but a green light for her project and the promotion that came with it were at stake. But, she came to realize, it was also a very good opportunity. If she got the great DeLuca to say yes to her project, she could stop kissing those old fat asses and get to work. As she stood in the freezing night cold, she was going to let that thought warm her up.

    Talia was looking to start a global internship program that would allow disadvantaged young women from anywhere in the world to intern at all the DeLuca International offices, their holdings andpanies they invested in, located all the world. It would allow them to expand their horizons, learn newnguages, afford them equalized opportunities and travel to ces they could only dream of all on thepany¡¯s dime. The program would serve the giant globalpany well too. A PR golden goose, as far as Talia was concerned.

    Talia looked at her wrist watch then up at the sky. ¡°What¡¯s taking them so long?¡± Her teeth chattered together as her body shivered to shake off the cold.

    ¡°He¡¯s here,¡± Joe, thepany driver, spoke next to her, pointing up.

    Talia looked at him before following his white gloved finger¡¯s direction. He didn¡¯t look the least bit cold. The dude was tall and packed with muscle, or fat, she wasn¡¯t sure which one. The long cotton wool coat that made up his chauffeur uniform covered a lot. She understood chivalry must be numb in this cold but at least he could have offered her those gloves.

    She looked at those white cotton, warmed thanks to his body heat gloves with an envious sigh, her hands tucked under her armpits. She could kill for those gloves. She looked him over again. What would be her chances if she were to tackle him and snatch them off him?

    ¡°He¡¯ll bending any minute now,¡± Joe added, pulling her attention to what mattered.

    Talia watched the dot of light growrger and heard the sound that began as a whisper grow louder as the object of their attention drew nearer and lower. How had Joe spotted that? She could easily have mistaken it for a star. But who cares? She was finally going to get out of this damn cold.

    ¡°Finally!¡± she cheered, jumping up and down to get her blood pumping. She couldn¡¯t meet the DeLuca as a popsicle.

    In less than three minutes the ne touched down on the runway and made its way to the tarmac they stood at.

    ¡°Did you know that¡¯s his ne?¡± Joe asked. The awe in his voice told her he was more telling her than asking her.

    ¡°You mean thepany ne?¡±

    He shook his head and turned to look at her for a second before his eyes moved back to the taxing ne. There was actually a twinkle in his eye as he stared wide eyed at the aircraft.

    ¡°Nope. That¡¯s his!¡± he announced proudly like only a fan would. ¡°That¡¯s an Embraer Lineage 1000, custom fitted and designed for him. Just like his yacht and car collections. They say he is the only one who owns the entire Absolute Nevatta collection. And he doesn¡¯t drive anything but Ferrari, a different one each week. All stored in a hundred thousand square foot warehouse with security that rivals a bank vault.¡±

    Talia snorted, she wouldn¡¯t expect anything less. That one warehouse probably held over a billion dors in machinery. As ridiculous as it seemed to own that much in cars and yachts, oh and nes, and probably a helicopter-with all that he owned she wouldn¡¯t put it past him to have a helicopter-she couldn¡¯t help but smile at Joe¡¯s enthusiasm. He was no fan, he was a groupie. They called them sesangs in South Korea-obsessive fans.

    ¡°What¡¯s an Absolute Nevatta?¡±

    The look Joe gave her was simr to the one parents get when they ask their children what K-Pop is.

    ¡°Yachts,¡± he responded shortly.

    The only thing left for him to do was say ¡®OMG¡¯ and flip his hair over his shoulder as he turned away from her, his snobby chin up in the air.

 CHAPTER 3

    She nodded, stifling a smile, and turned back to look at the ne that had slowed down as it wasing to a stop. ¡°Gotcha.¡±

    ¡°How do you not know that? You reserved one for him just a few hours ago.¡±

    Ha? Talia turned to Joe a little shocked. This was the first she had heard of it. ¡°I did?¡±

    He nodded slowly with an even more incredulous look on his face.

    She definitely didn¡¯t, but she was sure it was one of his army of assistants. She sighed, an army she was now an honorary member of.

    ¡°Well then, at least we¡¯re sure he¡¯ll like it.¡±

    She made a little cheer when the ne came to a stop around a hundred feet away from them. After a few minutes, the door opened, and a step of stairs appeared as it lowered. Someone who looked like a pilot stepped out first. Following close behind was a man holding something in his arm pressed against his chest as he descended the steps.

    ¡°What are the chances he came alone?¡± Talia asked as she watched the man approach them.

    ¡°Not a chance. From what I heard, he travels with an entourage of around ten people. But judging by the size of the ne, probably five.¡±

    Right, because all groupies knew how their object of obsession travelled. Talia just hoped the one who¡¯d been nning for their arrival before the responsibility had suddenly been thrown on herp knew this. The bosses said everything had been taken care of and, considering she had no idea a yacht had been reserved, she really hoped they were right. She didn¡¯t even know where he was staying. She really hoped Joe did. She couldn¡¯t believe how clueless she was.

    ¡°Joe,¡± she began as the figure drew closer, ¡°you do know which hotel they are staying at, right?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±

    At the risk of sounding unprofessional, she admitted, ¡°No. I had already clocked out when they called about our guest here.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Me too. But yes, I do know.¡±

    She sighed her relief. ¡°Good. At least one of us does.¡±

    She pulled out her phone from her pants right pocket and tapped on the screen. Nothing yet. Peeved, she opened her mail app and quickly shot out another email to the executive secretary asking for the full itinerary, copying all the bosses who had been on that conference call appointing her tour guide. She didn¡¯t care who she woke up. If she was awake at this devil hour of now two thirty in the morning, standing in this cold windy airport, the least they could do was share the information that even the driver had and she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Ms. McKenna?¡±

    Talia looked up at the heavy Italian ented and clearly tired voice. The man looked haggard and even more tired than he sounded. But he was certainly not Rafael DeLuca. She was sure every woman with a pulse knew what the shark looked like. He was an office obsession. More than a few women had him as their office PC screensaver. Lucky him all pictures avable were of him in a suit. This man was around half a foot shorter, definitely half his size and blond.

    ¡°Yes, and you are?¡± she asked, holding out her hand to him.

    His brows pinched in clear distaste, but he took her hand in a short rough shake before he dropped it. ¡°Enzo Romano.¡±

    Okay, someone was offended.

    He looked past them. ¡°Is that the car?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir,¡± Joe answered. ¡°Joe-¡±

    ¡°What kind?¡± he asked, cutting Joe off as he was about to introduce himself.

    One with wheels, the snarky remark popped into her head. The man was either not a people person or he clearly didn¡¯t get any sleep on the flight over.

    ¡°Cadic Escde,¡± Joe answered.

    ¡°What make?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Talia blurted out. He couldn¡¯t be serious.

    ¡°2013 Hybrid,¡± Joe answered, not missing a beat. Enzo nodded his approval, stepping closer to Joe.

    What? Was DeLuca¡¯s royal ass really too preciously selective about what he would dare ride in?

    Calm down Talia. You¡¯re tired and sleep deprived. Just don¡¯t say it out loud.

    It was moments like these that she missed her friend Carrie. Now she didn¡¯t care who heard. When someone was being ridiculous, she called them out. Talia smiled to herself, admitting this was probably why the bosses didn¡¯t want her to bring Carrie along for this. She would have bitched about everything from the time to the cold and especially to this ¡®what kind of Escde¡¯ question. It was a Cadic Escde for crying out loud!

    ¡°Pull the car closer to the ne,¡± he instructed Joe. Then he turned to Talia and said, ¡°You can leave.¡±

    Talia¡¯s head reared back in shock. ¡°Excuse you?¡±

    Joe chose that moment to run and do as he was told, leaving Talia with Mr. Polite.

    ¡°Is there another car, or is that the only one?¡± he went on like he hadn¡¯t heard her.

    Testily, she responded, ¡°It¡¯s the only one.¡±

    He sighed, closing his eyes. ¡°Any chance of getting another one?¡±

    ¡°Why? Is one not enough?¡±

    He opened his eyes and with a raised brow asked, ¡°How am I to get to the hotel?¡±

    ¡°We,¡± she started, stressing on the ¡®we¡¯, ¡°were meant to ride together to the hotel, where I was to help you all check-in and meet you when the sun was out at a reasonable hour to escort you to the office.¡±

    He sighed heavily again. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±

    Damn, he was starting to sound like a Catholic school headmistress. She looked at her phone again, wishing someone would wake up and send her the stupid itinerary already!

    ¡°He won¡¯t being in tomorrow-today but tomorrow-the day after,¡± he stated, looking as confused as he sounded.

    She looked at her wrist watch. ¡°It¡¯s two forty in the morning. So he will be resting today?¡± One more thing that would have been nice to know sooner. Just like it would have been nice to know her presence wasn¡¯t required. ¡°Anding to the office tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± he responded, sounding unsure.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    Talia folded her fingers into her palm in a tight fist. She could have been sound asleep right now. ¡°Why do you need another car if you are going to the same ce? How many are you exactly?¡±

    His eyes pinched again and his mouth twisted in a half sneer. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know that already?¡±

    Talia forced a tight smile on her lips. There was a lot she should have known before rushing home, showering and changing into her new suit to wee the great DeLuca but, s, here she was, a snarkyment away from getting fired. She chose not to respond, instead she just stared at him and waited.

    ¡°It¡¯s just Signore DeLuca and I.¡±

    So why not ride with him? What, was three a crowd?

    ¡°And no, we are not going to the same ce.¡±

    As if to reiterate what he said, their only ride out of the sted ce pulled away from the ne and sped off towards the exit. Talia huffed an irateugh, rolled her lips into her mouth to keep in the curses bouncing eagerly at the tip of her tongue and took a very deep breath.

    After she was sure she¡¯d held her temper in check, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll call us a cab.¡±

 CHAPTER 4

    Talia groaned from under her pillow and cursed at whoever was calling. Once in the cab with Enzo, heading to his hotel that he¡¯d been so kind to inform her the name and location, she¡¯d shot her bosses an email with an update and, with much restraint, requested the morning off. After dropping Enzo off and heading home, she¡¯d never felt so excited to go back to that tiny one bedroom apartment. Shaking, almost frozen stiff, she¡¯d quickly changed into her pajamas and burrowed under her thick duvet and waited for warmth to thaw out her frozen limbs. It was the best morning sleep she¡¯d ever had.

    Correction, she thought with a groan as the persistent ringing grew louder, it was almost the best morning sleep.

    Back at home she pressed the pillow against her ear and pleaded with her phone. ¡°Just die. You always die on me when I don¡¯t want you to. Now I want you to.¡±

    The ringing stopped and Talia smiled with contentment, emerging from under her pillow. She should check the time-No! I want sleep. Nothing but hours of owed sleep. It couldn¡¯t be afternoon yet anyway. She still felt so tired.

    Just when the sweet pull of sleep started, the phone rang again.

    She turned her face into her pillow and screamed. Talia pushed up into a sitting position and grabbed her phone, not bothering to check the caller ID.

    ¡°What-¡± before she could scream the few choice words her tongue was begging to unleash, a louder voice cut her off.

    ¡°Miss McKenna, it¡¯s about damn time you answered your phone!¡±

    The words that followed, she didn¡¯t catch even one. She knew it was Italian, but he spoke in such rapid session it all went over her head. Enzo. She was sure it was him. It was impossible to forget that annoying, patronizing voice of his. He hadn¡¯t even bothered to say hallo-she looked at the rm clock on her bedside table-or even good morning.

    She whimpered, thinking of the two hours she had left of sleep before being rudely woken -why was he calling anyway?

    Talia rubbed her eyes with her fingers as she tried to pull her trantor out of sleep mode and concentrate on what Mr. Polite was saying. Talia looked up, lifting away from her hand and opening her eyes when she caught the words food and yacht.

    ¡°Signore Romano, why are you asking me about food for the yacht?¡± she asked in Italian.

    Silence was what she got in response and she wondered if feeding DeLuca and his grumpy friend were also part of her responsibilities. She pulled the phone from her ear and opened her email app. Still no itinerary. She was beginning to wonder if whoever was responsible for sending it was not doing so on purpose. The moment she found out who it was, she was going to give their number to Enzo Romano. Let¡¯s see how they like being chewed out in native Italian.

    ¡°Breakfast is long past Miss McKenna,¡± he shot back with clear restraint.

    She snorted, shifting the phone back to her ear. ¡°I¡¯m well aware of that,¡± she said. She¡¯d slept through it, like she had told everyone concerned she would. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± What? When all she wanted to do was pretend she never got the call and go back to sleep. ¡°I¡¯ll organize brunch for him. Will that do?¡±

    ¡°Si. Sii veloce al riguardo!¡± Then the line immediately went dead.

    Talia stared at her phone with a raised brow. ¡®Be quick about it.¡¯ This reminded her of her intern year when she¡¯d been close to adding axative in the coffee of one particrly bitchy superior.

    How long were they going to stay again? They were clearly going to have some problems. It was still day one, less than twelve hours had passed since they first met and she was already wondering if he had any allergies that would make his tongue swell up. Not kill him, just expand enough in his mouth to make him mute.

    Grumbling, Talia pushed off the bed and dragged herself to the shower. She stopped at the bathroom door wondering if she even had time for a shower. Hell yes! They may have stolen her sleep time but they won¡¯t take her bathroom time from her.

    She stripped, kept her satin sleeping cap on and pulled a shower cap over it and stepped into the shower. She started with warm water then a st of cold to wake her up. Once done, she walked out of the bathroom when a thought struck her and she startedughing.

    She had no idea where Mr. DeLuca was. ¡°Fantastic!¡±

    Calling Enzo back and asking was a hell no. The office was clearly not ying ball. Who else-Joe! He was DeLuca¡¯s designated driver so he must know where he is at all times.

    Talia dashed for her phone and dialed Joe¡¯s number. While it rang on loudspeaker, she reached for a pair of shorts, a tank top and a long flimsy sweater from her closet. Not professional? Too bad. It¡¯s not working hours-for her at least.

    ¡°Halo?¡± Joe¡¯s bass voice filled her room.

    ¡°Hi Joe. It¡¯s Talia. We metst night at the airport.¡±

    Livelier, he said, ¡°Yeah, hi. Did you get back okay?¡±

    It still annoyed Talia how DeLuca had left, taking the only means of transport with him. It had taken ages to get a cab, and with Enzo with her, the time dragged on even longer. He didn¡¯t speak to her once and every attempt to strike up a conversation was met with a ¡®why¡¯ stare. It would have been better to be stranded alone.

    ¡°Yes, we did. Hey, do you have DeLuca¡¯s address?¡± she asked as she got dressed.

    ¡°Address, you mean where he is currently staying?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    A chuckle sounded before he asked, ¡°You still don¡¯t have his schedule, do you?¡±

    She smiled unamused and responded, ¡°I guess it¡¯s being snail mailed to me.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Heughed. ¡°Let me text you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks Joe, you¡¯re a lifesaver.¡±

    Joe hung up. As she was getting her tennis shoes on, a message pinged on her phone. From Joe, with the address. She needed to remember to get him a cup of coffee to say thanks. He seemed to be the only one giving her information on DeLuca. She checked her text and doubled back.

    ¡°He¡¯s staying at the harbor?¡± she asked herself.

    Did he get a yacht Air bnb? She thought with augh. There was no way. Then she remembered he¡¯d hired some fancy collection item. Was that the Air bnb? Or should she say Water bnb? She snickered at the old man joke. But why, when there were perfectly good hotels he most definitely could afford? Personally, she could never live on water, just like how she was afraid of being in the air for more than ten hours straight. She couldn¡¯t do it without a Xanax or a knockout sleeping pill. She liked her feet on the ground. Steady. Firm.

    After tying her curly hair back and away from her face with a bandana and putting on her ck Bay Bronze wrist watch-a congrattory gift to herself for getting employed in one of the most covetedpanies in the world-she grabbed her boho fringe bag and her phone and made her way out of the apartment. She was lucky just a block away was a pastry store that also served breakfast to go. She looked at her wrist watch, it was nine thirty-now she could kill Enzo-and checked the Google map on the phone to find out how long it would take her by cab to her destination. If she was going to get a hot sandwich or eggs, she needed to be mindful that the food didn¡¯t sweat and be soggy. It may be the beginning of fall but the summer heat was still with them during the day.

    It took her twenty minutes from the pastry shop to the harbor. After her ten minute walk and wait, she made good time for brunch. Now, she just had to navigate thest problem. She looked at the numerous rows of boats and wondered how she was supposed to find the right one.

    What was that stupid boat-no, no, yacht-what was that stupid yacht called again?

    ¡°Sorry, are you Talia McKenna?¡±

    She turned to the scratchy voice that surprisingly belonged to a middle aged looking man. Cigarettes no doubt.

    ¡°Yes, and you are?¡± she asked cautiously with a polite smile. It was stupid to admit her identity to a total stranger, but the way her day was going and the pace it had set for the rest of it, being kidnapped didn¡¯t sound so bad.

    ¡°Your friend Joe just called, said to show you the right boat,¡± he said with a raised brow and a kind smile.

    If Talia was the hugging type, she would hug him, hell, even give him a kiss. ¡°That would be awesome.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°Follow me,¡± he said and walked ahead of her.

 CHAPTER 5

    Talia followed, thinking she now owed Joe a coffee and a box of donuts for saving her twice. And that idiot holding the itinerary hostage as some sort of prank, he or she was going to get it once she found out who it was. After a three minute walk on the wood walkway-she had no idea what the right name was-they got to DeLuca¡¯s boat-yacht. His was parked, or tiedst on the third andst rowing out of the main column. The ce was beautiful and so were the vessels, if she put the immediate danger of drowning away from her mind.

    Once he pointed it out to her, she thanked him and watched him walk away for a few seconds before she turned back to the boat-yacht. It was pretty and big. How one person piloted this thing without help was beyond her. But who knew, maybe he didn¡¯t go anywhere, and who said he was alone? For all she knew, this yacht was how he gotid.

    But that was all none of her business. She moved closer to the back of the boat-yacht, super aware of where the walkway ended and the water began and called out, ¡°Hallo, Signore DeLuca.¡±

    The sound of seagulls and water crushing against the yacht in tiny waves responded but no DeLuca. She looked at the stepping area to board and wondered if she would really have to get onboard the thing.

    Just do it. Remember he has the golden ticket for your project.

    And anyway, the thing was tied to the walkway, it wasn¡¯t going anywhere. Sucking up and psyching herself up, Talia carefully boarded the yacht, using her feet to keep her steady since both her hands were upied carrying coffee and breakfast. She got on, took the three steps up and ced the coffee and the breakfast on the table, relieved it hadn¡¯t rocked once since she had been on it.

    ¡°Signore DeLuca,¡± she called out again, cing her bag on the table too. Was she meant to go look for him? Did she have to? Did she want to? What choice did she have? If the food got cold as she stood here, he would definitelyin. And if she just left, she would most definitely get a call from Enzoining about herck of manners. Nope, better find the man and introduce herself while she was at it, since she¡¯d missed the opportunity to do so the previous night.

    Next to her, there was another set of stairs, five steps to be exact, but when she looked at the area it led to while she had still been standing on the walkway, it looked way too open to be a bedroom. And he would have heard her call too if he was up there. She looked through the window in front of her and wowed at thevished sitting area. She could definitely see the appeal over a hotel room. But where else could he be?

    On the left of the staircase was a narrow pathway leading probably to the front of the yacht but maybe to a room too? But the right side had a pathway too, where was that leading?

    Frustrated, she threw her hands up and tried calling out again, but a little louder ¡°Signore DeLuca!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± came a replying loud bark.

    With a short scream Talia jumped, her hands going over her poor startled heart. She turned to the course voice, and there standing on the right sided pathway was the most gorgeous man she¡¯d everid eyes on. Wow, she thought as she felt her mouth drop open.

    His thick, dark raised eyebrow and irritated look in his brown eyes matched the stern bark of his voice. But the rest of him made up for his prickly attitude. Standing in nothing but a long towel wrapped around his waist, hanging low and held by one big hand tapering off a thick hairy arm at his hip, Talia wished she¡¯d brought Carrie along for this show. She would sell her kidney just to watch those water droplets run down the dust of hair on his taut pectorals to his eight pack abs and the exposed one side of the V of his hips to soak into the white towel under the hint of hair. He was tall, with long legs and arms, thick and tight everywhere she looked. Even his exposed hairy calves and toes looked toned.

    By Elvis, was it normal to be this thirsty looking at a man fresh from a shower?

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he demanded, pulling her eyes to his face.

    Yup, he was irritated, but that wet, loose, dark strand of hair over his forehead was not delivering his message fully as intended. Hell he was sexy. The pictures on the inte didn¡¯t do him justice. She could make a fortune if she took a picture of him right now and sell it to thedies in the office. Hell, she¡¯d sell it online and take a world tour on the profit.

    ¡°How long are you going to stand and stare?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she said,ing awake from her lust stupor. ¡°Ahm, sorry. I¡¯m Talia McKenna.¡± She went to offer her hand but thought better of it. No need to melt in front of Adonis. Concentrate! ¡°I¡¯ll be your assistant during your visit.¡± She rushed back to the table and pointed to the content on it. ¡°Here. Your brea-ah brunch. Here¡¯s your brunch.¡±

    That raised brow went a notch higher. ¡°You mean what was meant to be breakfast?¡±

    Talia bit the inside of her lower lip. That thick voice with that heavy Italian ent turned her insides to mush. She should record his voice too, that would make her a millionaire overnight!

    ¡°My apologies. There seemed to be some misinformation about your schedule.¡± More like thepleteck of, she thought to herself silently. He didn¡¯t need to know that and think her ipetent. ¡°Especially about,¡± she went on, looking pointed around her, ¡°where you would be staying. Will you be staying here for the rest of your visit?¡±

    He nodded once, that eyebrow having already lowered to match its twin.

    ¡°You don¡¯t n on switching back to the hotel at some point?¡± she asked to confirm.

    A single shake of his head was his response.

    The look in his eyes moved from annoyed to unreadable. He was going to have fun in Boston. There was no woman who didn¡¯t like her man tall, broad and thick, with a heavy serving of mystery wrapped in a very handsome package.

    When the silence went on too long, she reached for her bag and pulled out her card holder. ¡°Here is my card,¡± she said, taking one out and cing it under the coffee cup. ¡°Please give me a call if you need anything, or you know, update me on your itinerary.¡± Since no one else was giving it to her. ¡°My email address is on there too.¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond. He didn¡¯t move even an inch, just stared at her nkly.

    Okaay then¡­ She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. ¡°Buona czione e benvenuto a Boston,¡± she said, then turned to leave.

    ¡°You speak Italian?¡±

    She turned to him at the question, genuine curiosityced his voice.

    The sudden thought that maybe she shouldn¡¯t have revealed that little fact filled her mind. The bosses had chosen her because of this specific skill set and she was meant to be spying on him.

    Slowly she nodded. ¡°Si.¡±

    For a moment he just stood and stared, and Talia began to feel over exposed. It felt like he was analyzing her, reading data about her life by just staring at her, breaking it down into parts and indexing the findings before he sorted the information out. She was just afraid he was deciding which box to check: ¡®spy¡¯ or ¡®not a spy¡¯. That made her more nervous than she was willing to admit.

    The right side of his lips rose in a slow half mocking smile and Talia immediately felt caught in a trap. He¡¯d checked a box, but which one? Judging by that subtle uplift of his mouth, it was definitely ¡®spy¡¯. She curled her toes inside her tennis shoes in an attempt to keep the anxiety at bay. Barefooted, he walked forward, leaving wet footprints behind. rmed by the sudden movement, Talia took a step back but held herself from taking another as she watched his approach. She couldn¡¯t help but admire how confident he was, in nothing but a towel in full view of everyone passing by or in possession of a substandard to powerful pair of binocrs. Then again, as good as he looked, he had no reason to not be confident. In Carrie¡¯s words, he had it, so why not unt it?

    He stopped at the table, picked up the card she¡¯d ced there and lifted it to his chin level. His eyes moved over the two by four inches card then shifted to her. The sudden jump from the card to her face made her stumble one step back.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Attento. Cadrai,¡± he said smoothly.

    ¡®Careful, you¡¯ll fall?¡¯

    Talia turned to look behind her and found she was right at the edge of the first step down. Half a step more and she would be rolling down into the water. Just the thought of it made her cold. She took a step forward and away from danger.

    She turned to him with a grateful smile, ¡°Grazie.¡±

    His brows pinched for a second. A shadow of a smile appeared on his lips, before they leveled off with his slight nod. ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± he announced, turned around and walked back to where he came from.

    Talia¡¯s eyes remained glued to his wide, wet back with a tiny stream flowing down to end in the thick white cotton towel as he walked away. She pulled at the front of her tank top wondering how it suddenly got so unbearably hot so fast.

 CHAPTER 6

    ¡°Carrie!¡±

    Immediately as Talia got to the office she went in search of her friend. Being fellow International Rtions Officer, they sat opposite each other, their backs to each other. Their curved cubicles made a nice private horseshoe enclosure around them, great for a midday nap.

    ¡°Carrie I¡¯ve got something juicy for you!¡± Talia said as she dropped into her seat and swiveled around to face Carrie. But her friend still had her back to her, and her head was on her crossed arms on the desk. Talia grabbed the back of her seat and forcefully turned it around, making Carrie sit up with a pained moan.

    Talia reared back, surprised, when she finally saw her friend¡¯s face. ¡°Why do you look like death walked all over you?¡±

    Carrie¡¯s eyes were red and puffy, her caramel skin tone looked two shades lighter and she gagged like she was about to barf. Talia pushed her chair back until it hit her desk, curbing her escape.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Talia warned, holding a finger up to her.

    With one hand Carrie covered her mouth, the other lifted and waved shortly to say she was okay.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± she burped out.

    ¡°Oh Carrie!¡± Talia whined, chasing the smell of barf and vodka away with her pping hands.

    ¡°Sorry, long night.¡±

    Of course. Talia shook her head. Though they were friends, Carrie was the type to go out clubbing every night of the week while Talia much preferred having her ss of wine at home. But then again, it was their differences that made them such good friends.

    Talia looked at her clothes and nodded. ¡°At least you went home to change this time.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± Carrieined loudly, only to double over a secondter with a pained moan, her fingers at her temples. ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again.¡±

    ¡°Sure you won¡¯t,¡± Talia scoffed, reaching behind her for the bottom draw of her desk. She opened it and pulled out an Advil. She handed it to Carrie and with her chin indicated the cup of coffee sitting on Carrie¡¯s desk.

    ¡°You say that all the time, and yet, here we are,¡± Carrie said with a pout. She took the pill and washed it down with the coffee.

    ¡°Did you at least get some sleep?¡± Talia asked.

    Carrie ced the cup back on her desk and with closed eyes leaned her head against the headrest of her chair. ¡°No, Miss Honorary Tourguide. Some of us didn¡¯t have the same luck of clocking in at noon like you.¡±

    Talia rolled her eyes at that, but speaking of which, she shot out, ¡°You want the dirt on DeLuca or not?¡±

    Carrie shook her head. ¡°Unless you saw him naked, I¡¯m not interested.¡±

    Talia smiled to herself and let the silence speak on her behalf.

    Carrie¡¯s eyes flew open and she sat up fast, quickly turning to her. She closed her eyes for a moment with a groan, her finger tips pressing against her temple. ¡°Damn!¡±

    Talia just shook her head. No matter how many times she suffered from a hangover, she still went out. Talia was sure after her bitching and moaning the entire day, at seven o¡¯clock, she would be in her favorite club. Carrie oh Carrie!

    After a second her hands dropped from her head and she opened her eyes. ¡°You saw DeLuca naked?¡±

    Talia nodded.

    Carrie leaned back with a whistle. ¡°You dirty girl! I thought you didn¡¯t do one night stands!¡±

    ¡°Shh!¡± Talia admonished. She peeked over the short walls separating their cubicles from the rest to make sure no one had heard Carrie before she sat down again. With a whisper she said, ¡°I did not sleep with DeLuca!¡±

    ¡°Then how did you see him naked?¡± Carrie challenged.

    ¡°Because someone didn¡¯t bother to give me his itinerary,¡± she said, suddenly remembering she had someone¡¯s neck she needed to wring. ¡°Long story short, I had to deliver brunch to him instead of breakfast and that¡¯s when I saw him.¡± She pped her hands with a squeal remembering DeLuca wet and naked. ¡°Girl, he is fine!¡±

    Carrie held up her hand. ¡°Wait. Back up. I feel there is something you left out.¡± She leaned forward and asked, ¡°How exactly did you see him naked?¡±

    ¡°On his boat, he¡¯d juste out of the shower.¡±

    ¡°You? On a boat?¡± she shook her head. ¡°Wait, he lives on a boat?¡±

    Talia nodded. ¡°Yacht actually. Don¡¯t ask me why. They are a prickly pair, those two-DeLuca and his assistant Enzo Romano.¡±

    ¡°If you can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯m happy to take over.¡±

    Both Carrie and Talia turned to the intruding voice. Of course, Talia noted with an eye roll, Nosy Becky.

    ¡°Of course you are,¡± Carrie responded sarcastically.

    Talia looked at Carrie and discreetly smiled at her twisted lips and re. While Talia called her Nosy Becky for always wanting to know about people¡¯s lives and being the head gossip in the office, Carrie called her Triple-D-Double Ds and Dick. Becky wasn¡¯t exactly known for being chaste. She was the female version of the hot office guy who made it his life mission to sleep with every woman in the office. While he would be considered a hero, Becky, to put it kindly, was just loose. The biased scrutiny of society.

    Talia turned to look back up at Becky with a strained smile. ¡°I¡¯m good. How can I help you today Becky?¡±

    With a pretentious sigh from her blood red lips and eye roll that was barely visible behind the curtain of her fake long eyshes, she held out a file to Talia. ¡°The itinerary you wanted.¡±

    Talia grabbed it. ¡°Finally!¡± she stated, flipping through it. ¡°Who had it? Was it just done?¡±

    Becky yed with her long fingernails, painted as red as her lips. ¡°Nope. It was done yesterday. I had it.¡±

    Talia rolled her lips into her mouth, praying for patience. ¡°I¡¯m sure I sent out numerous emails asking for this itinerary. Did you not get any of them?¡±

    She nodded with a pout. ¡°I did.¡±

    Talia closed her eyes and with her head bowed, pressed her fingers to her forehead. Becky did it on purpose, she was sure of it. As much as she would like to give her a tongueshing, Talia wasn¡¯t a fan of cursing people out, especially in public.

    ¡°So why didn¡¯t you give it to her when she asked for it?¡± Talia heard Carrie demand, not too kindly.

    Carrie, on the other hand, could teach a vulgar vocabry ss in the middle of a crowd. Talia peeped over the cubicle walls, hoping they didn¡¯t draw a crowd.

    ¡°Because I wanted to look after Signore DeLuca.¡±

    Talia found herself shivering with revulsion from the way she said that. Especially the way she said Signore. Arrgh!

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna barf,¡± Carrie said, echoing Talia¡¯s sentiment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when he needs a quick screw in the gents, I¡¯m sure someone will let you know you are needed.¡±

    A bark ofughter escaped Talia¡¯s mouth before she quickly covered it with her hands. Carrie had no chill. Talia always wondered if she thought about what she was going to say before actually saying the words. There was no way she did.

    ¡°Dur,¡± Talia asked Carrie to stop in Turkish, and Carrie just raised a brow in response.

    It was a requirement for International Rtions officers at DeLuca to know more than onenguage. While she spoke Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, Carrie spoke Turkish, French and German. They were teaching each other conversational phrases in differentnguages, which was actually how they became friends, plus the sitting arrangement helped.

    Talia turned to Becky whose face was red and pinched in ire. ¡°Thank you for this,¡± she said, then waved her away before Carrie or Becky said something and a fight broke out.

    Becky made a quick turn, her blonde pigtails swishing widely behind her as she walked away.

    ¡°Carrie¡­¡± Talia chastised, shaking her head.

    Carrie shrugged. ¡°What? I didn¡¯t lie.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Talia chuckled, not knowing what to say. Sadly, the quickie in the gents had happened before, and to make it worse, with a client. So, an office survey was done through the chatroom and, apparently, that client wasn¡¯t the only one who had gotten a quickie in the gents. But Talia just couldn¡¯t see DeLuca being that kind of guy. He looked the type to take total control and he wouldn¡¯t be able to do that in a bathroom stall.

    Just thinking about that made Talia hot and bothered all over again. She shrugged off her jacket and undid the cor button of her shirt.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?¡±

    Talia turned to Carrie to see her staring at her with a raised brow and a question in her eyes.

    ¡°Nothing. Just worried about my project and pulling double duty as DeLuca¡¯s assistant,¡± Talia lied.

    With a cheeky smile, Carrie said, ¡°Bet you Triple-D could help you get that project approved in no time.¡±

    ¡°Carrie!¡±

 CHAPTER 7

    Rafe fixed his tie, wishing he¡¯d taken an extra day of rxation on the yacht before he got to work but that would bepletely out of character for him. Actually, he¡¯d been feeling unlike himself recently and he couldn¡¯t understand why or even pinpoint when it started. He was exhausted. Not physically, he was sure of that, and he couldn¡¯t say emotionally either. Emotion was a foreign concept to him. But something inside him was just tired. Whatever it was pulled him down from his head right down to his feet. His arms felt like he had weights attached to them and there was this restlessness he couldn¡¯t get rid of no matter what he tried.

    ¡°Signore DeLuca,¡± Enzo started. Rafe looked at Enzo through the mirror. ¡°Miss McKenna is here to see you to the office,¡± he continued.

    Rafe clenched his jaw to tamper down his irritation. That and his temper had recently grown worse too. Another thing he couldn¡¯t exin.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t my first day of kindergarten Enzo,¡± he said, barely holding back his ire.

    Enzo stood stock still without responding.

    Rafe grabbed his jacket off the coat stand and turned to face him. ¡°Who is she?¡±

    Enzo cleared his throat before he said, ¡°Your designated assistant. She brought your breakfast yesterday and had your lunch and supper delivered.¡±

    Rafe nodded, that Miss McKenna. He¡¯d met her briefly the day before and it was the first time someone hade so casually dressed to see him.

    ¡°Did you know she speaks Italian?¡± he asked Enzo as he shrugged on his jacket.

    Enzo looked at him clearly confused. ¡°Is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°That depends, doesn¡¯t it?¡± he responded walking past him and up the short flight of steps to the upper deck. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°By the car, Signore,¡± Enzo said following him off the yacht.

    For the three minute walk to the parking lot, Rafe took in the ocean air and the sounds of water crashing against the vessels in gentle waves. He felt his mood get worse as he walked away from it, just imagining the still and stiff air conditioned enclosed space he was going to and would be trapped in for hours. It was a good thing he opted out of the hotel. Knowing he had this beauty toe back to at the end of the day would help control his mood throughout the day.

    Ady in a ck pantsuit with a white shirt approached him and Rafe noted she was taller. He wasn¡¯t sure why he thought that about a woman he¡¯d never met until he looked into her smiling face. That was where he¡¯d seen it. He had a terrible time trying to remember the night before, where he¡¯d seen that radiant smile and, even worse, why it was stuck in his mind.

    ¡°Buongiorno Signore DeLuca,¡± she said, holding her hand out to him.

    He looked at her hand then back up at her face again. She had the most beautiful brown eyes he¡¯d ever seen, he noted with unexpected difort.

    Quickly, he took her hand in a hard shake but instantly stilled. Immediately as their hands touched, a surge of electricity from their ce of contact shot through him bringing to a waking stand every sense in his body, including one he didn¡¯t want.

    Her hand was soft and tiny in his hold. His thumb rubbed lightly against the chocte back of her hand. She jumped slightly, her eyes widening like saucers and her smile dropping to form a startled O. His lips rose in half a smile, she was sensitive there. On their own ord, his fingers stretched further over the back of her hand, his grip tightening, but he stilled it just as it was about to tug her forward.

    Merde, what was wrong with him?

    He quickly let go of her hand and walked past her saying, ¡°I don¡¯t need an escort, Signorina.¡±

    He made sure to sound curt and annoyed. It wasn¡¯t difficult considering how very infuriated he was at how bothered by her he was. He got into the back seat through the door the driver held open. Though short, it felt like a long while before she and Enzo finally began walking towards the car. The driver rushed to the other side of the car and held both doors open. Though he never minded sharing the back seat with anyone, he wasn¡¯t particrly in the mood to do so now. But he reminded himself to be polite and just hope Enzo came to the back and not Miss McKenna. No need to ruin everyone¡¯s morning just because he was in a bad mood.

    Clearly the gods were against him that day, as Miss McKenna slid in next to him. As the driver shut her door, the burst of air pushed a pleasant floral scent in his direction. It was alluring and definitely not what he needed. He cursed under his breath as he crossed his legs to hide his inquisitive member.

    This was thest thing he needed.

 CHAPTER 8

    ¡°Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare in ufficio?¡± DeLuca barked next to her, making her jump. That was the second time he¡¯d startled her that day and for twopletely different reasons. The first one, she wasn¡¯t sure she wanted to examine.

    Why was he asking how long it would take to get to the office? Was he in a hurry? And why was he in such a foul mood? The only one in a hurry was her. She wasn¡¯t sure if she could sit still for the twenty minutes it would take to get to the office with mister mood swings next to her.

    ¡°Venit minuti,¡± Enzo answered, to Talia¡¯s relief, from the front passenger seat. She had temporarily lost her ability to speak.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you respond? I thought you spoke Italian?¡±

    Talia turned to find him staring at her, creases around his eyes at the intensity of his gaze that matched his terse tone. Talia stared back at him wide eyed. Was he trying to pick a fight? Why? If it was because of that little vibe that happened outside, that was all on him. She just wanted to shake his hand; he was the one who did weird tingly things to hers!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the question was directed to me,¡± she responded, carefully.

    Mr. DeLuca stared at her hard and Talia unconsciously leaned away from him until her shoulder touched the door. Well, she could see why they called him terremoto. The man was scary, even without doing a single thing or saying a single word. After what felt like an eternity, he turned away to look out the window and she finally rxed with a quiet sigh of relief. Maybe it wasn¡¯t such a bad idea to transfer this escort duty to Nosey Becky.

    She clenched her eyes shut, rolled her lips into her mouth and bit down hard. Guide. Guide duties. She probably shouldn¡¯t use the word escort with Becky and billionaire in the same sentence. That had the makings of a smut novel.

    The rest of the trip was fairly quiet with not even the radio on to kill the awkward silence, at least in the back seat. Joe was quietly driving and Enzo was on the phone talking, in Italian, about some files that needed to be sent somewhere.

    Finally the car pulled up at the building entrance and Joe rushed out to open Mr. DeLuca¡¯s door. She and Enzo opened their own but waited until Mr. DeLuca walked in front of them to enter the building. She was actually ready to run in the moment her foot touched the ground, but the second she took that first step, Enzo loudly cleared his throat next to her and gave her a withering look that she back tracked and waited. She felt like one of those characters in Korean dramas that followed the rich boss around in an entourage ready to leap at hismand.

    From the entrance to the lift to the door of his new office that had a beautiful view of the city, a number of the employees called out their good mornings and he didn¡¯t respond to even one. Not even a grunt of acknowledgement; not even from Mr. Polite, Enzo. So she was left awkwardly waving at snubbed employees. By Elvis, even Royals waved at onlookers. She could already tell that working for DeLuca was going to be grueling.

    Once the VIP was delivered, Talia dragged herself to her cubicle and copsed into her seat, already exhausted and it was just nine in the morning.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Carrie asked, with an amused smile. ¡°He can¡¯t possibly be that difficult?¡±

    Talia roughly shrugged off her jacket. ¡°I¡¯ve dealt with difficult. I can handle difficult, but he¡¯s just¡­¡± She had no words. But she was definitely sure of one thing: he unsettled her.

    She looked down at her right handying on the armrest of the chair and her entire body exploded with goosebumps-again. Just thinking about that touch and how aware it had made her of him made her feel lightheaded all over again! How was that even possible? What was wrong with her? These are things read in romance novels, fiction not actual reality. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d met a hot guy and it certainly wouldn¡¯t be thest. Men have flirted with her before; she¡¯d had dozens of crushes since she knew what a crush meant at the age of nine. She¡¯d gone on numerous dates and for crying out loud she wasn¡¯t a virgin, though the experience of losing it wasn¡¯t something worth mentioning-the forey had been great, the rest, meh. So what in the world was that?Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡±

    Startled, she looked up at Carrie.

    ¡°You¡¯re trembling?¡±

    Trembling? She was trembling? She snorted augh, clearly she was possessed. Why on earth would she be trembling? She looked back down at the back of her hand, at where his thumb had caressed, where his fingers had spread out to swallow her whole hand and she immediately shot out of her seat.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± she said, shaking her head wildly.

    ¡°What? Can¡¯t do what?¡±

    Without responding to Carrie, Talia left her cubicle and marched to her immediate boss¡¯s office. Becky wanted to look after him, well, she was weed to him. Talia was one hundred percent sure they would get along great.

    She knocked on the door and stepped in without waiting for an invitation.

    ¡°Miss McKenna,¡± Mr. Perez said, sounding startled. His bushy white eyebrows were practically in his hairline; the receiver of hisndline held to his ear. She¡¯d interrupted him. Well, this couldn¡¯t wait.

    ¡°Mr. Perez, I would like to go back to my normal duties. Please find Mr. DeLuca a professional PA,¡± she rapped out in a single breath.

    Mr. Perez just stared at her and she returned the look, her hands fisted at her sides to hold on to her determination. She couldn¡¯t work with him, she just couldn¡¯t. Whatever that was, frightened her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call you back,¡± Mr. Perez said into the receiver before cing it back in its cradle. With that same hand, he scratched the back of his ear and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    Talia swallowed hard. Why? If she could understand the why herself, she would-nope, she wouldn¡¯t tell anyone about it. ¡°I would like to focus on my project.¡±

    ¡°The one that needs the signatures of five executives. The very same ones who appointed you to this role you would like to give up.¡±

    Well shit. This again. This offer-if she could call it that-no longer felt like a dangling carrot but a hostage situation.

    ¡°And when exactly would I be getting those signatures?¡± she asked through clenched teeth.

    He sped his hands together and leaned forward on his desk. ¡°Now that depends on you, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°What exactly do you want me to do?¡±

    He shrugged casually, ¡°Just tell us what he¡¯s up to. Like what he¡¯s doing right now.¡±

    With a raised brow she challenged, ¡°You mean spy on him?¡±

 CHAPTER 9

    He leaned in closer. ¡°I mean stay employed.¡±

    Talia¡¯s fist clenched tighter, not to hold on to determination anymore but to hold back her temper. The old fat, she thought as she forced her lips into a tight smile. Without another word, she turned around and marched out of the office, careful not to bang the door behind her.

    ¡°Ohff,¡± she exhaled as she shook her fists in front of her. She turned her head to look back at the door. Were they even really considering her project? Probably not. Just as she¡¯d thought, DeLuca was her best bet to getting the go ahead on her project. But that thing, that moment¡­

    Forget whatever that was, Talia, Focus on the end goal.

    Fueled with new determination, Talia marched to DeLuca¡¯s office with her own agenda in mind. Screw the old fats, they could find someone else to spy on DeLuca. She came to a stop in front of the door, raised her hand to knock and froze, all the courage she had mustered abandoning her. On the way she¡¯d been so determined, now just a door away she was chickening out. She still couldn¡¯t get those few seconds of their handshake out of her head, nor shake the feeling off her hand. She was just going to acknowledge it and work her way to getting over it. Something happened, something unexpected and sincerely a little frightening. She¡¯d never had that instant reaction to a man¡¯s touch before. A shot of pure lust had run right through her.

    Had he noticed? she wondered, worrying about her trembling lower lip. The image of his knowing half smile popped into her head and she flinched with mortification. Yup, he definitely noticed. That smile, how his grip tightened around her hand, and that hand! A little rough to the touch-unexpected for a silver spoon-olive andrge just like the rest of him. Standing right in front of him, two arms away from him, he was so tall! She was d she wore her three and a half inch heels, otherwise her neck would have hurt leaning back any further to look him in the face.

    When she¡¯d seen him walk towards her, she¡¯d done a little fangirl squeal on the inside; her heart had hitched a little as the warm feeling of attraction filled her. Innocent, normal reaction. He looked good wet and in nothing but a towel, but that navy blue pinstripe jacket and matching tie over his ck shirt, and pants paired with some expensive looking shoes, with his hair slicked back, was an absolute heart stopper. She still couldn¡¯t decide which of the two was her favorite look.

    She brought her raised hand to her cheek and pped it three times. That was how the innocent normal reaction turned into lustful embarrassment. Focus! She needed to get her head on straight, now that it had been made clear that her job was on the line.

    If you want to stay employed, Mr. Perez¡¯s words rang in her head and she grumbled, stomping her foot on the ground. What in the world were they so worried about that they needed her spying on DeLuca¡¯s every move? Talia hoped that if there was something to be afraid about, it wouldn¡¯t end with massyoffs. She loved her job.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Quickly, before she really turned chicken, she rapped on the door with her knuckles and with baited breath, waited for a response. Judging by his morning attitude, she wouldn¡¯t be shocked if he yelled ¡®go away¡¯ instead of e in¡¯.

    ¡°Come in,¡± his muffled voice called out, to her relief-or distress. This was just turning into one of those days.

    Talia reached for the door handle; before pushing it down, she took a fortifying breath. She took a quick step in, ¡°Signore DeLuca how-what in the¡­¡±

    Before she could get the phrase ¡®how may I help you¡¯pletely out, her stunned eyes fixed on the pile of paperwork on his desk before moving to the two columns of boxes on the two guest seats. She followed the few on the floor to the coffee table and couch where Enzo was situated. What was going on? How in the world had this happened? He hadn¡¯t even been here an hour!

    ¡°How-¡± she began again, wanting to ask how the well-organized office she¡¯d left the day before when she clocked out, now resembled the archive room on the fifth floor. To think of the time she spent meticulously arranging everything in this room.

    ¡°How-¡±

    ¡°You can start by closing the door.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She looked up from the boxes on the floor to DeLuca and her traitorous heart leaped in her chest.

    DeLuca was seated behind the desk, his jacket off, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The tie was gone and the three top buttons of his shirt were undone with the frameless sses riding on the bridge of his nose. Forget look one and two, this look, she was naming three, was a deal closer.

    ¡°Vicino. Il. Porta.¡±

    Close the door, he repeated pointedly in Italian, and she instantly came awake at his forceful tone. Quickly she back stepped and shut the door before approaching the desk again.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked no one in particr. But since DeLuca had his eyes fixed on her, she was hoping he would answer.

    ¡°An audit,¡± Enzo responded instead.

    She turned to him with raised brows and repeated, ¡°An audit?¡±

    He nodded, looking a bit irate, but she really made his brows pinch when she asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Perch¨¦ vuoi sapere?¡±

    That came from DeLuca and she turned to meet his nk face, masked further by the sses. Why did she want to know? Honestly, she didn¡¯t really care, but when it came up and clearly why she was sent here in such a hurry, she would like to have some sort of an answer. But what was she to say? ¡®I want to know because I need to make a report¡¯?

    ¡°Honestly¡­ this isn¡¯t what I thought you¡¯d be doing on day one.¡± What she really wanted to know was what those files were? How and when had he gotten ess to them?

    It must have been Enzo, she thought, trying not to look directly at him. After his morning wake up call the day before, she hadn¡¯t heard a peep from him until that morning when she called to tell him she was on her way to pick up DeLuca. Impressive and yet scary, what a sly fox he¡¯d turned out to be. Must be a DeLuca assistant requirement, being resourceful.

    ¡°Cosa pensavi avrei fatto?¡± DeLuca asked and Talia wondered why he was suddenly speaking to her in Italian.

    In English, she responded, ¡°Well, for starters, your itinerary says your day is full with department status report presentations. But,¡± she looked down at the boxes again then at the open files before him on the desk, ¡°it looks like you prefer getting your information first hand.¡±

    He smirked, leaned back into his executive seat, elbows on the armrests and fingers weaved together. ¡°We¡¯ll do that tomorrow,¡± he said.

    She nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She pulled out her phone from her pants pocket and pulled up the schedule for the day. ¡°I¡¯ll notify all the departments-¡±

    ¡°No you won¡¯t.¡±

    She looked up. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know when they¡¯ll be notified. For now, tell them today¡¯s meeting is cancelled.¡±

    For someone who liked order and structure, the answer just didn¡¯t sit well with her. This spontaneous way of his was giving her a mild headache.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she started, sliding her phone back into her pocket. ¡°What would you like help with?¡±

    He leaned forward, his forearms shifting to the desk. ¡°Niente. You can go back-what exactly do you do here?¡±

    Chest out, chin lifting a notch high she answered, ¡°I¡¯m an IR officer.¡±

    He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why you speak Italian.¡±

    ¡°Si,¡± she answered, suddenly wondering why he¡¯d started speaking to her in English again.

    ¡°So why are you my assistant?¡±

    She turned her head slightly with a sigh, raised her hand and scratched the protruding neck muscle there with her index finger. She¡¯d been wondering about that for the past forty hours. It wasn¡¯t like she was the only one who spoke fluent Italian and she wasn¡¯t exactlycent with the suits either, unlike most employees.

    Heck if I know. She rolled her tongue in her mouth, looked up at the ceiling and huffed another sigh. She was no PA, just someone with a lot more to lose.

    ¡°Scusi?¡±

    Immediately she looked at him and met DeLuca¡¯s gaze and amused smile. She smiled back, lowering her hand to her side before her lower lip dropped and her eyes widened as a thought struck her. She didn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t have. Had she said that out loud? That always tended to happen when she was frustrated, thankfully there hadn¡¯t been any repercussions yet. There was always a first time to everything.

    Recover now! Fixing her expression, and with a strained polite smile, she said, ¡°The executives believe I have the skill sets to assist you.¡± Quoting Mr. Perez word for word.

    From his slow suggestive nod, she got the impression he didn¡¯t believe that either.

    ¡°In other words, you speak Italian,¡± he stated with a raised brow, and that feeling of entrapment she¡¯d had on the yacht the first time they met when he asked her if she spoke Italian filled her again. ¡°You¡¯re excused,¡± he dismissed her, going back to the documents before him.

    With a prompt, ¡°Good day,¡± Talia quickly turned on her heels and made her escape. The door barely closed behind her before she half ran out of the executive wing to the IR side of the office floor. The man was unsettling in both action and speech. His nk expressions and cryptic words just gave her the hibbie jibbies. Her obvious attraction to him was the worst.

    ¡°What exactly did he have nned for tomorrow?¡± she asked herself, slowing her steps as she approached her desk.

 CHAPTER 10

    Rafe stared at the closed door, his mind numb from the image of Miss McKenna walking away. Now he got where the saying ¡®I love watching you walk away¡¯ was coined from. The ck pants she wore, though loose, were fitted from her waist to the mid of the curve of her hips. Her long sleeved white shirt, though fitting, was sadly loose around her bust. It was the two open top buttons that gave a hint of whaty underneath. She was dressed professionally, not provocative or revealing, but that was the thing. He shifted in his seat ufortably. He¡¯d had naked women throw themselves at him but none had turned him on like she just did. If she only knew that was what men like him found seductive.

    But then again, if he were to imagine her naked, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to fill in the nks. The memory of her unexpected visit was still stuck in his mind. Those blue jeans shorts that reached the mid of her thigh in freys, her long dark legs exposed to the ankle. The light grey tank top¡­ his throat grew dry, and he quickly grabbed the ss of water at his right and took a drink. That tank top, now that fitted her perfectly, exposing the outlines of her bra that carried the full cups of her breasts; the hemline cutting low enough to expose their round top curves, partially covered by the ankle long cardigan she had on.

    He hadn¡¯t had much interest then to pay attention, but it was a good thing he had such a great memory. Though he was willing to admit he found how she wore her hair mildly attractive. In the casual attire, her big mass of ck-brown curls was held back and away from her face with what he thought was a headband. Her professional look now with her hair slicked back in a low ponytail; the mass bush of hair sat on her back like a tied bouquet of ck and brown baby breaths.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He reared back catching himself. Had he justpared her hair to flowers?

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll report what she saw?¡± Enzo said, breaking his thoughts.

    Rafe looked down at the open files on his desk. He was currently reviewing the financial records for thest three years, from the day hest visited this office. Unlike now, he hadn¡¯t been appointed an assistant which made him even more curious as to what they were doing that they were so cautious of him.

    He looked at Enzo for the first time with respect. It mustn¡¯t have been easy to get all the records from the archives, hard and soft copies, since they hadn¡¯t been very co-operative when he¡¯d asked nicely-another thing that piqued his interest. Rafe was curious as to how Enzo had managed to get the records but he wouldn¡¯t ask. He never did ask any one in his team about how they aplished their tasks, and he didn¡¯t much care as long as it wasn¡¯t illegal.

    ¡°Who else knows I live on the yacht and not the hotel?¡±

    Enzo¡¯s brows pinched in thought for a moment before he answered, ¡°Besides Joe the driver and Miss McKenna, none that I am aware of. The top management asked if you were enjoying the hotel and when you nned to take the yacht out.¡±

    Rafe rxed a little but notpletely. That could mean two things-they didn¡¯t know about his living arrangements or they knew and were pretending not to. Either way, they wouldn¡¯t be paying him any unexpected visits anytime soon.

    ¡°Then no, I don¡¯t think she will.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure?¡± Enzo questioned.

    Rafe was stumped for an answer. How was he so sure? She just didn¡¯t look like the type to speak beyond what she was meant to. If she did tell anyone about the yacht it would probably be a friend not a boss. He will admit that he was very attracted to her but not to the point that it would cloud his judgement. He was going to chalk it up to him being a good judge of character and that she looked like the type to mind her own business. Rafe looked back at the documents on his desk, not seeing a thing but the vision of McKenna¡¯s ass as she hurried away. His judgement wasn¡¯t clouded, but until he got past that vision, his mind was currently numb with lust.

    ¡°Just a feeling,¡± he finally said. And then some.

 CHAPTER 11

    Talia stretched as she rose out of her chair. It had been a long day of dodging Mr. Perez, checking on DeLuca-including making sure he ate like a good assistant would-and doing her own work, the stuff she had been officially employed to do. She¡¯d been forced to work overtime to finish the tasks under her job description, but it was just as well. The suits didn¡¯t want DeLuca being left alone in the office at day¡¯s end, which was made very clear by the short text ¡®you leave when he leaves¡¯ she had received at four in the afternoon. They must have found out about the boxes of records he was currently pouring through.

    Talia chuckled cheekily, imagining them running around like headless chickens, panicking about what DeLuca might find.

    She dropped her hands to her hips, her head tilting to the side. What was it they didn¡¯t want him to find?

    ¡°Miss McKenna.¡±

    Talia jumped, startled, crying out with a curse on her lips. She turned her head to look back to find Enzo standing behind her, his eyebrows at his hairline. She looked forward with an eye roll. Of course it was him. There was no one else in the office besides them, plus DeLuca. After a deep calming breath, with her hand still over her racing heart, she turned around to face him.

    ¡°How may I help you Mr. Romano?¡±

    He cleared his throat, getting back hisposure and said, ¡°Signore DeLuca will be here a while longer, you don¡¯t have to wait.¡±

    Talia looked at the bag in his one hand and the coat over his other forearm. ¡°You are leaving?¡±

    ¡°Si. The driver will drop me off ande back for DeLuca.¡±

    ¡°And what time would that be?¡± she asked with a little tart in her voice. She wasn¡¯t going to suffer anotherte night and early morning on watchdog duty because of DeLuca. The suits better get more people and put them all on rotating shifts around the clock if spying on Deluca was so important.

    He shrugged nonchntly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    With a raised brow she repeated, ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°You can go if you want to. The driver will be sent for him. He doesn¡¯t need an escort.¡±

    Talia rolled her tongue between her lips to keep from huffing her annoyance. He said that as if she wanted to be DeLuca¡¯s babysitter.

    She turned to her desk and reached for herndline. ¡°I¡¯ll call for the night driver.¡±

    ¡°No need, Joe will bring him back.¡±

    Talia turned to look at him, phone still in hand, and said, ¡°Joe isn¡¯t a night driver. His shift is during the day.¡± With that one exception they had to pick up DeLuca from the airport at two in the morning.

    Enzo shook his head. ¡°No, he¡¯s DeLuca¡¯s driver now.¡±

    Talia was about to argue that point but thought better of it. When it all came down to it, DeLuca paid Joe¡¯s sry and everyone else¡¯s in the building, including hers. So she put the phone back on the receiver, pulled her lips into a polite smile and said, ¡°Have a lovely evening.¡±

    ¡°Buona notte,¡± he responded, walking away.

    Once he was gone, Talia looked around the dimly lit office floor that had gone eerie quiet now that she was back to being alone. No, that wasn¡¯t true. There was one more person, DeLuca -she spun on her heels to face the direction of his office- and he didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to go home any time soon. She grumbled, tossing her head back. Was this going to be another night she wouldn¡¯t be getting any sleep, all thanks to him?

    Her phone rang, startling her. She needed to leave this set of an urban legend movie. She picked up her cell phone from her desk and slid her thumb over the screen when she saw Joe¡¯s name pop up. She raised it to her ear and said, ¡°Hey Joe.¡±

    ¡°Talia,¡± he started sounding out of breath, ¡°I need a favor.¡±

    Concerned, she responded, ¡°Sure, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°I need to go to the hospital. My mom got into an ident. Please cover for me with DeLuca. I already got Mike to drive Mr. Romano to the hotel.¡±

    Mike was the night driver. She was a little surprised Enzo went with him, but maybe it was DeLuca who didn¡¯t want the change in drivers. She had no idea how she was going to swing that, but she still answered, ¡°Sure. Don¡¯t sweat it. Let me know how your mom¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± he said, then immediately hung up.

    Talia slid her phone into her pocket and wondered what exactly she would tell DeLuca. First, she needed to see who else was avable for the night, just in case DeLuca decided right that minute he needed to leave and with Mike out¡­ she was too tired to calmly swallow any attitude. She reached for herndline and dialed security.

    ¡°Perch¨¦ sei ancora qui?¡±

    She gasped, startled, dropping the phone as she quickly spun around on her heel. She ended up losing her footing and began to fall. As she fell to her side, she felt her body get yanked in the opposite direction only toe to a stop when she collided with something hard.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she breathed with relief, staring at the tiled floor she¡¯d almost kissed.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    A warm puff of air touched her temple, sliding into her hair line at his hoarse whisper. It was only then did she be aware of where she was. Around her waist was his thick long corded arm; two of his fingers pinched at the right side of her abdomen, the others pressed into her ribs. From thigh to chest, her body was pressed flush against his hard warm body, her breasts squeezed against his torso. They felt tight and she wasn¡¯t exactly sure if it was because of the vice hold he had on her or somethingpletely different. The more she examined their positions, the morebored her breathing got. She shifted ufortably as she felt a tingle in a ce she hadn¡¯t explored since senior year in college.

    This is not good, she thought, her fingers instinctively clenching. She realized then she was holding onto something hard and warm under the softness against the palm of her hands and fingers. She looked at them, eachy over the biceps of his arms. Thick, hard, fabric stretching biceps.

    Well hell, she was done for.

    Cautiously, slowly, she turned to look up at the owner and met eyes that held such intensity she flinched back. His arm around her tightened, pulling her tighter against him and Talia realized then, she wasn¡¯t the only one feeling the lust vibe.

    Step back! Step back!, her mind screamed.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER 12

    ¡°I ah,¡± she began but the air was so thick with sexual tension she couldn¡¯t breathe well enough to get the rest of the words out. Then suddenly, he let go and she fell backwards, but thankfully against her desk.

    ¡°Cosa ci fai ancora qui?¡± he demanded, a meter away, his hands in his pants pockets, his gravelly voice harsh.

    Talia stared at him wide eyed and huffed her surprise. What in the world was he mad about? His attitude was a cold ssh of water to her libido. She was the one who should be pissed. She almost became Triple-D!

    ¡°I asked, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I heard, and understood, you the first time,¡± she retorted tartly. She pushed off the desk and stood straight, straightening her clothes and responded, ¡°Waiting for you. Isn¡¯t that what a good assistant does?¡± She was hating the role more and more and it was officially just day one.

    ¡°Enzo left,¡± he shot back.

    ¡°That just makes him smart and fortunate,¡± she returned. If her job wasn¡¯t being dangled in her face, she would have left too. How had she gotten herself in this predicament? Oh yes, her project and promotion.

    His eyes narrowed behind the frameless sses with clear irritation and his lips pulled up slightly on the right side with belying casualness. There was something there in his expression, a little dangerous, but she chose to ignore it.

    Before he could say anything she announced, ¡°Joe can¡¯te. I was about to call the night driver for you.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± hemanded.

    ¡®Why?¡± she retorted.

    Hands still in his pockets, he took a step forward, a third of therge one he took when he jumped away from her, she noted with ire. He took another and she wasn¡¯t sure why but there was something in that second step, the way his body swayed forward that instinctively made her move back, but her escape was curbed by the desk. What am I doing? She wasn¡¯t the type to get easily intimidated and she was letting this man and his sexual vibe unnerve her.

    ¡°You¡¯re only other option is a cab,¡± she spat out before he could take another step towards her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t own a car?¡± he asked with a raised eyebrow.

    ¡°No,¡± she answered shortly; no need for long exnations. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know how to drive, she did, she just didn¡¯t enjoy it. She lived walking distance to everything and her office was just ten minutes away by cab so owning a car was unnecessary.

    ¡°Purchase one tomorrow,¡± he said bossily.

    ¡°You want me to buy a car? Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I need one.¡±

    What did that have to do with her? ¡°So I should buy one? Why not just use the night driver?¡±

    He took another step forward and she stiffened her muscles to remain still.

    ¡°Buy one for me, I can drive myself.¡±

    Buy one for him? People bought cars for long term use. He was only going to be around for, what? A few days. Her body grew instantly cold. Unless he was nning to stay here for months. No, she wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that. As things were at the moment, she was giving her resistance a week tops before she found herself under him, if he was so inclined to put her there. He needed to leave as soon as possible.

    ¡°How long will you be staying?¡± she asked, internally crossing her fingers and toes.

    ¡°Perch¨¦ lo chiedi?¡±

    Talia was beginning to notice a trend here and it was annoying her. ¡°I ask because it makes no sense to buy a car if you¡¯re here-are you testing me?¡± she demanded, unable to keep pretending not to notice. One proud brow went up in response and Talia plowed on, ¡°You always speak Italian when a topic remotely close to you being herees up.¡±

    ¡°You are spying on me,¡± he stated bluntly.

    Talia didn¡¯t bother to act surprised or affronted. She heard the usation in each word and that trapped feeling she always got when he yed that stupid mind game with her flew away. It was better this way, she decided. She refused to be anyone¡¯s pawn or chew toy. It would be one less ufortable thing between her and DeLuca.

    ¡°You are right, but inurate.¡±

    That raised brow went up higher, but he didn¡¯t speak.

    ¡°They want to know what you are up to,¡± she continued honestly and he just stared at her nkly.

    ¡°How many people speak Italian in this office?¡± he asked after a beat or two.

    That wasn¡¯t the question she was expecting, but she went ahead and did a head count in her mind and answered, ¡°Five.¡±

    ¡°You are the most fluent,¡± he stated matter of factly.

    She appreciated the vote of confidence, but sadly that wasn¡¯t it.

    ¡°No,¡± she responded with a slight shake of her head, ¡°I¡¯m just the one who needs the carrot they¡¯re dangling.¡±

    ¡°What would that be?¡±

    Someone else in this situation would be showing some sort of emotion -anger, impatience, betrayal, hell amusement- but this guy was just nk, even his tone of voice was one level. That famous mask of his was firmly on. Being in a rtionship with him must be frustrating.

    And how is that any of your business?

    A small voice in the back of her mind chastised her. It wasn¡¯t. The man probably collected women the way he did his cars and yachts. She refused to have a designated number stamped on her ass.

    ¡°Their signatures on my project,¡± she responded, getting her mind back on track.

    With a slight lift in his right brow he asked, ¡°So, you decided to be my PA because you need their approval on your project?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Yes and no. Truthfully, I have my own agenda.¡±

    That brow went a notch higher. ¡°Really?¡±

    There was emotion in that one word, Talia noticed, and it was the type that would lead a weaker woman to be a collectible item. She was not a weak woman! She felt the sudden need to put on her jacket when his eyes roamed her body, taking a long pause at her breasts.

    ¡°You can approve the project,¡± she said. She wanted to add ¡®ethically¡¯ but that would insinuate something that might ruffle his feathers. She would just pretend she hadn¡¯t noticed him scoping her out just as she was pretending not to notice how affected she was by the suggestive look.

    ¡°What¡¯s to stop them from sending another person to spy on me?¡±

    The words ¡®that¡¯s a you problem and none of my concern¡¯ sat at the tip of her tongue but instead she said, ¡°You¡¯ve done a great job fielding me so far, I¡¯m sure you can handle another nosey nellie.¡±

    He slowly nodded. ¡°Mhm, I¡¯ll think about it, for now, get me a cab.¡± He turned on his heel and began to walk away.

    ¡°Think about what? The new PA or the proposal?¡± she called after him.

    He stopped and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    What? She wondered at the ridiculous question. He couldn¡¯t remember her name? Seriously!

    ¡°It¡¯s McKenna.¡±

    ¡°First name,¡± he demanded.

    ¡°Talia.¡±

    Something shifted in his eyes and that slow burn inside her began again.

    ¡°Talia,¡± he repeated.

    The way the L in her name rolled off his tongue in that heavy Italian ent was like he was licking. She could actually feel that wet tongue over her sensitive nipples. It made her breasts tighten and her panties wet. Oh hell no, she was about to be Becky. How long was he going to be in town for again?

 CHAPTER 13

    Daintily, with the tips of her fingers, she pulled the cor up to her nose and took a long deep draw of the scent. Just as she thought: strong, wild and masculine. She let go of the cor and dropped her hand to her shoulder, lightly. She ran it down the soft Italian cotton sleeve to the open cuffs hanging low at the tip of her thumb. Smiling, she stared at her reflection in the six foot tall mirror, swinging side to side in nothing but the shirt that hung on her like a thigh high dress. She loved how the fabric of his shirt felt against her skin. She loved it even more that it was on his body just a moment ago. Besides his scent, it still held his warmth.

    Her eyes fluttered, closing at the feel of hisrge palm at the back of her neck. She tilted her head to the right, trapping his thick digits between her cheek and shoulder. His thumb pressed down on the pulse at her nape, then swept up and down the curve ever so lightly, sending shivers down her body. Distracted by the havoc his thumb was causing her body, his other hand was expertly flipping open the buttons of the shirt down to the mid of her chest. Slowly, she opened her eyes as he pushed the shirt off her left shoulder, his intense gaze holding hers through the mirror as he lowered his head, his lips lightly touching the skin he¡¯d exposed. He kissed his way from the curve of her shoulder to the nape of her neck, recing his thumb with his lips; he sucked hard at her erratic pulse. She gasped, coiling backwards as her thighs squeezed together at the powerful pull she felt in the naked flesh between them.

    Talia leaned back, her heading to rest at his bare chest as her ass pushed back searching for contact. His hands left their positions in a seeking mission, leaving a trail of fire and goosebumps where they touched. Her eyes fluttered but never closed, held hostage by the intensity of his lust filled gaze. She sighed in pleasure as her body danced to his strumming of his hands making their way to their targets. His left hand slipped under the shirt and cupped her right breast. Her hands slipped back to grab hold of his pants at his thick thighs. She needed something to hold onto before her weakening knees gave way under her.

    Rafe weighed the soft mass, moved his fingers over the curvy flesh and pinched her nipple between his index and middle finger, shooting a jolt of electricity to the middle of her wet squirming thighs. She gasped as her legs began to tremble threatening copse. She squeezed them tighter together but started when he pinched her thigh and her legs automatically fell open. She bit her lower lip and whined, rising to her toes when he cupped her sensitive spot.

    ¡°You¡¯re wet,¡± he whispered breathily into her ear as the heel of his palm rotated over her clit. As the other fingers held the passage open, his middle finger moved over it, up and down teasingly.

    Her grip trembled at his thighs as they tightened their hold; her mouth fell open without a sound; breath stuck in her chest as she bowed over with each pass of his finger. With eachplete circle his hand made, his index and middle finger tightened around their hostage. His fingers dug into the tender flesh of her breast as he pushed her back upright against him. She panted as he pulled as he pushed, forcing her to the very tip of her toes, his hold supporting her trembling jelly legs. On their own ord, her hips danced, her pelvis pushing back and forth seeking more friction as she rode his hand seeking release.

    ¡°Cosa vuoi?¡±

    ¡®What do you want?¡¯ he asked, squeezing her breast in his hand making her wince at the painful pinch but still wanting more.

    ¡°y with me,¡± she whispered, panting.

    ¡°Come vuoi.¡±

    ¡®As you wish.¡¯ Those words almost made her cry, but she did whine in protest when his hands deserted her. He moved to stand before her, then slowly she watched as he lowered, his hands on her waist. On his knees, he pushed the shirt up. She flinched when she felt his warm breath on her. His right hand moved to the back of her left thigh and pushed it up. Her hands fell to the top of his head as her thigh came to rest on his broad shoulder. Her fingers unconsciously sunk into his thick tresses and she gripped the ones right at the base of his skull; her chest moving up and down in deep pants waiting eagerly, knowing what was about toe next.

    She watched the reflection of herself through hazy eyes. She was a panting mess; her curly hair open and freely hanging around her face; the shirt hanging off her left shoulder was held up by a very sensitive pointy nipple, exposing the curves of both heaving breasts as it was open to right above her navel. With her legs held open with one thigh over his shoulder and his head between them, she looked the same as she felt. She was ready to explode like an over shaken Coke bottle.

    His hand moved from her suspended thigh to the base of her back, and his hand on her waist tightened to hold her in ce. Finally, she thought, her head tilting back, her eyes closed-

    Ring!

    Talia vaulted up from the bed with a desperate cry on her lips, panting with unquenched need.

    What was that?

    She looked around for the offensive sound. It was the rm on her phone. She grabbed it from beside her pillow and turned the rm off before falling back into bed.

    What the hell was that? she wondered aloud as she stared up at her ceiling; her breathes finally beginning to even out. Her hands in her hair, the silk sleeping cap having slipped off during that vivid dream.

    Gosh, what was wrong with her? She didn¡¯t have sex dreams, especially as vivid as that one. Rafael DeLuca was a no go zone, any kind of thoughts of him were not allowed. He was her boss and-and- she groaned her frustration, kicking at her bed covers. She couldn¡¯t think of anything else, but he was a big no no. She got up from the bed and marched to the shower. She might as well get ready to go to work. There was no way she was going back to sleep and risk a part two.

    After half an hour of a mix of hot and cold showers, she stepped out of the bathroom. Just then, her phone began to ring.

    Who could be calling this early in the morning? she wondered as she rushed to her bed where her phone was by the pillow. It was barely six am and not even her mother called her this early. Unless something had happened.

    Talia looked at the number shing on the phone screen with a frown. It wasn¡¯t one she recognized. Any other time, she would have been too sleepy to answer. She would have just red at it, muted it and stuffed it deep under her pillow. Now, since she was awake, she might as well speak to the inconsiderate person. She swiped her thumb over the screen to answer and lifted the phone to her ear.

    ¡°Good-¡±

    ¡°Meeting at nine am with the finance department,¡± the familiar surly bark came through the receiver.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± Talia found herself returning sourly. He was making an already terrible morning worse. She was sure if he was asked to point out the word polite in the dictionary, he wouldn¡¯t be able to find it.

    ¡°If you had answered ten minutes ago then maybe there would be time for polite salutations.¡±

    His voice was so tight with restrained impatience. It irritated Talia so much she wanted to remind him that she didn¡¯t clock in for work for another three hours.

    Instead she bit her tongue, took a deep breath and said, ¡°Nine am it is.¡± Then she realized he¡¯d already hung up.

    ¡°Oww!¡± she screeched through clenched teeth as she raised the phone over her head. She really wanted to throw it and watch it shatter as it hit the wall, but it was a victimless crime. Now, if that ass DeLuca was standing in front of her, then throwing it would make more sense and would be very enjoyable.

    But, despite him being an ass early in the morning, the rude interaction had just served to distract her momentarily from the wet dream she¡¯d woken up from. In less than three hours she would be meeting the star of that dream and she wasn¡¯t looking forward to it.

 CHAPTER 14

    Rafe tried to concentrate throughout the presentation, but with Talia seated right next to him, her scent washing over him, it was near impossible. He couldn¡¯t understand why the hell he was reacting so strongly to her-or it. What was it? It wasn¡¯t flowery nor a brand he could easily recognize, but it was very much designed to entice a man. He was reacting way too strongly towards her for it to be anything else. It wasn¡¯t like he was a curious, horny teenage boy. Rafe has always prided himself for being in control, especially of his emotions, and now that control was being threatened and it shook him to the very core. It was that damn scent. Surely she must know that? She must know the effect her perfume had on men? The kind of frenzy it instigated? He was tempted to look at the man seated next to her and ask him if he was having the same problem. It couldn¡¯t possibly be just him getting drugged by that scent.

    And that stupid pen she had in her mouth! He was beyond distracted. Was she baiting him? Rested on the arms of the chair and hidden under the table, he fisted his hands to keep his itching fingers from grabbing for her. From his side view he watched as she turned the ball pen cap at the end of the ck pen-twice clockwise, thrice anticlockwise-between her purple painted lips. Her entire focus was on the man standing on the other side of the boardroom pointing at the projected whiteboard as he spoke. He might as well have been speaking alien for all that Rafe could understand. His mind waspletely on a different topic-a different gxy altogether. He couldn¡¯t stop wondering if her tongue was rolling over that ball pen cap as well. Just imagining those lips and that tongue on him had his ears ringing and his head swimming in a lust fog. If the room wasn¡¯t filled with people, he would have pulled her under the table already, sunk himself inside her and exorcised the spell she¡¯d cast on him.

    But Rafe wasn¡¯tpletely sure if her attention was on the presenter or something was on her mind too. Her free hand, resting on the arm of the chair, from the way her thumb swiped the tip of her fingers, there was almost a rhythm to it, and he was dying of curiosity to know the tune ying in her mind.

    Rafe¡¯s jaw clenched tighter as he forcefully pulled his gaze away from the skinny fingers to stare at the board. She was a distraction. And the worst part of all, she was obstructing him from his work. That never happened. Ever. It didn¡¯t matter if a woman was seducing him actively during a meeting -which had happened more frequently than not- he never lost focus, but this witchy vixen was just sitting there. She was doing nothing but sitting there and sending his hormones into overdrive. If he didn¡¯t get control over his body, he was never going to make it through this meeting, let alone the few weeks he¡¯d nned on staying in the country, without doing something stupid. Merde he was engaged!

    That thought put a bitter taste in his mouth and deted a part of him that had been active just a few seconds ago. That situation and tempting Talia were two things he didn¡¯t want to think about at the moment, not singrly and especially not as abination. With his hand to his forehead, he pressed his left thumb to his left temple. He was already getting a migraine just thinking about the boat load of crap thatbination would bring him.

    The proposed marriage wasn¡¯t a love match. It had been arranged when he and Gabrie were still in high school. The joining of the two powerful families was a given, ording to his father. The DeLuca¡¯s and Rossi¡¯s had been family friends for years, and since the only son Alex was just as unproductive as his brother Renaldo, and Gabrie, though the first born, was uninterested in everything that didn¡¯t involve travel and shopping, his father had decided they were fated to be together. Signore Rossi, for no other reason but for the sake of his family¡¯s survival, was very agreeable with the arrangement.

    Rafe scoffed at that thought. He saw a few heads turn his way at the sound he made but chose to ignore them, keeping his eyes fixed to the graphs on the white board. Rafe wasn¡¯t very sure about the friendliness of the two families. This marriage was just a scheme by his father to absorb the Rossi¡¯spanies into DeLuca. He wondered how old man Rossi hadn¡¯t realized that-that the moment Gabrie said I do, it was the end of the Rossi Empire. The DeLucas and Rossis were knownpetitors and unlike all the others, his father hadn¡¯t tried to buy out or sabotage the Rossis, which meant one thing: Signore Rossi had dirt on his father. Or they possibly had dirt on each other, bad enough to keep them out of each other¡¯s way.

    Rafe¡¯s fingers tapped unconsciously on the mahogany table. He would love nothing more than to find out what that was. Maybe, just maybe, he could use it to get out of the stupid arrangement. Before, around two months ago in fact, just as the wedding talks began, a distaste for the match had begun to grow inside him. Until that very moment he hadn¡¯t cared much about his marriage to Gabrie. To him, it was just another acquisition but with the added use of sharing his bed with the heir of half the multibillion fortune. From a business point of view, it was a win-win situation. But what he hadn¡¯t considered was that it wasn¡¯t simply another person in his bed, it was a lifelong contract. The ¡¯til death do us part¡¯ kind, no divorce allowed. Signore Rossi had made that very clear.

    Before, during their almost twenty year engagement made when they were teenagers, it had been uplicated, and when there had been a chance of the arrangement being broken thanks to Alex¡¯s birth, the Rossi¡¯s second child and only son, he and Gabrie had an agreement. They did what was expected of them when duty called but lived their own lives when they were free. They dated other people and never lied about their engaged status. How could they? It was public knowledge. Of course the added bonus of free sex between rtionships suited him perfectly. Gabrie was a stunner and well educated in pleasuring a man. And that was one of the problems.

    Before, he didn¡¯t care who she slept with or how she knew to do half of the things she did, especially with that tongue of hers. He was reaping the benefits. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to wear a condom with her. He hoped she was smart enough not to have unprotected sex. But once he said ¡®I do¡¯, that would have to change. He was always going to wonder. When he walked into a room during a social function, he would always question, with every man he saw, who she hadn¡¯t slept with. Gabrie¡¯s taste in men was just as expensive as her other luxuries. And the children they would be required to have, would he have to take a DNA test immediately after they were born?

    The other problem was a major one. She didn¡¯t arouse him like she used to. Sex with her was¡­ uneventful and he had no ns of keeping a mistress after getting married. One, it would be too much work and he barely had enough time to himself with all his work responsibilities. Two, Gabrie wasn¡¯t the type to share and he didn¡¯t need the drama. They had lost the only thing that made her presence bearable to Rafe, leading to issue number three.

    The third problem was he couldn¡¯t stand her long term. He could only take Gabrie in small doses. Most of their past interactions involved them being naked from the waist down. They didn¡¯t talk, they shared no same interests, and she wasn¡¯t interested in anything that didn¡¯t involve herself. The thought of being stuck married to her felt like a death sentence. His cor felt tight just imagining it.

    Merde! After he left here, where else could he escape to? If he could escape the marriage even for one more day, he would, happily. He clenched his teeth so tight his back teeth hurt. The great Rafael DeLuca II was running away from a woman? His reputation would be ruined if anyone knew that. Rafe wasn¡¯t a coward, he had never shied from anything no matter how hesitant he may be, but the prospect of marrying Gabrie and the pressures that woulde with it¡­

    Rafe wrapped his fingers tightly around the arms of the chair to keep from reaching for his cor and ripping it off, the tie with it.

    The sting in his eyes when the light brightened brought him to the present. His mind focused on the white board to find it empty. Dannazione a tutto! He¡¯d missed the entire presentation. First, because of the vixen next to him and then to the thoughts of one of the few reasons he¡¯d escaped back home.

    Rafe looked at the head of finance, still standing in front of them, looking at him with a mix of expectation and trepidation. He¡¯d seen that look a hundred times before and he was never going to get used to it. It annoyed him to no extent. But then again, he had to remind himself he wasn¡¯t exactly an easy person to speak to and his position only made things worse. When had that happened? When was it he became ostracized? Or had he done that to himself? He¡¯d been very easy going and social all through his school years. When had he be so scary, the terremoto, that people broke into a cold sweat when he looked at them or simply in their direction?

    ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there like some deity deciding whether or not he gets to go to heaven or hell,¡± Talia whispered.

    Rafe frowned and stared at Talia from the side of his eye.

    She¡¯d leaned close to him, that hand holding the pen lifted over her mouth as she whispered more harshly, ¡°Say something. Or blink for crying out loud!¡±

    His lips pulled up as he chuckled softly. No one had ever said that to him, if it had happened before he couldn¡¯t remember who or when. It was unexpected and, quite frankly, refreshing. He looked around the room again and caught all the startled stares directed at him. Some bounced between him and Talia and he could see all the insinuations already forming in their minds. That sobered him up. Thest thing he needed was office gossip that could make its way to his father¡¯s ears.

    He cleared his throat and sat up straighter and said, ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    The head of finance gave him a confused look. ¡°From the beginning?¡± he squeaked. ¡°I just finished the presentation.¡±

    Rafe held out his right hand to Enzo seated behind him on his right and said, ¡°No. From my beginning.¡±

    Enzo ced a folder full of questions and notes of discrepancies Rafe had finishedpiling just that morning in his hand. Rafe ced it down on the table in front of him and opened it, his eyes fixed on the man who stood before him. What was his name again? Rafe was sure he¡¯d introduced himself during the presentation, but thanks to the vixen next to him, he couldn¡¯t remember.

    The poor man¡¯s eyes widened, he turned a shade lighter and his Adam¡¯s apple moved up and down frantically as he swallowed heavily. A deity, Talia had called him. From the look on that man¡¯s face, Rafe was more like an executioner. But that would depend heavily on how he answered Rafe¡¯s questions, then maybe he¡¯d bother to find out what his name is.

 CHAPTER 15

    Talia had hummed throughout the entire meeting. Sitting so close to DeLuca had her mind going back to that dream about him and his mouth between her legs. It didn¡¯t help that he kept on side eye spying on her. She¡¯d wondered from time to time if they were meant to be reproaching nces because her knees just wouldn¡¯t stop bouncing! But he would have said something; he wasn¡¯t exactly the type to spare someone¡¯s feelings and avoid public humiliation. Poor Harry had been sweating from the moment DeLuca had entered the boardroom. How she had even found herself sitting next to him was a mystery to her.

    Usually, there was just one seat at the head of the boardroom table, but the ce had been so packed with executives, she¡¯d been forced to shift to sitting behind DeLuca. When she saw all the suits file in, she¡¯d forced herself to smother augh. She was willing to bet her left kidney they were beyond curious about what DeLuca was up to and how it would affect them. It was finance, the money report after all that was being exposed-audited.

    If DeLuca was trying to bait them, this was it. Mission aplished. She hadn¡¯t had any ns of joining, but Perez had forced her to attend the meeting. She was pissed at first but the thought of watching a public frying of a suit or two held some appeal. After the hard time they were giving her in gaining approval for her project, she was going to enjoy the show. She¡¯d been quite content with sitting behind DeLuca to his left, just like Enzo had sat to his right, but, to her shock, and everyone else who had had their eyes trained on him, he grabbed the cushion of the seat, right by her right thigh, and pulled the chair forward with one yank. Hands out with a startled gasp, she caught the edge of the table, stopping the chair before her belly rammed into it.

    This was the worst possible position for someone trying to run away from sexual temptation. The man sat in a single chair, and yet it felt like he upied the entire room with his presence. Everyone was aware of him. Sadly, herdy parts were ten times acutely aware of him. She was screwed, big time. One time, she thought to herself. She should just sleep with him one time and maybe just maybe she could exorcise herself of him. She just couldn¡¯t afford any more dreams of him like the one she had that morning. She felt the heat rise inside her again and immediately began humming a Beyonc¨¦ song in her head. Screw the presentation, she didn¡¯t have a horse in this race. This was a tug of war between DeLuca and the big bosses.

    When Harry was done talking, Talia breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she could leave and go find her sanity back at her desk. Everyone turned in her direction and for a moment she was confused before she reminded herself it wasn¡¯t her they were looking at, it was DeLuca. She turned to him as well. Her heart skipped a little at the sharp, and yet so attractive, profile of his face. Just once, she thought to herself again. She could allow herself one self-indulging, mind blowing experience.

    When the silence drew too long, Talia cautiously touched her elbow to his. DeLuca didn¡¯t move, he didn¡¯t speak and he didn¡¯t even blink. He just stared at Harry with that intimidating nk look on his face. Talia turned to the front. Poor Harry, bouncing from one foot to the other, wide eyed and pale faced, looked like he would faint if the silence drew any longer.

    Hand over her mouth, she leaned close to him and whispered, ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just sit there like some deity deciding whether or not he gets to go to heaven or hell.¡± Moving closer, she added, ¡°Say something. Or blink for crying out loud!¡±

    To her utter shock, he chuckled. It was low and soft but still enough to draw everyone¡¯s attention. They looked at him weirdly, some with contempt. She could guess what they were thinking, that he was ridiculing Harry. She was sure that wasn¡¯t it. There was something in that soft sound that told her that wasn¡¯t it at all. Just listening to him chuckle made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. It felt so naked and real. Completely unguarded. So much so, it made her heart ache. It waspletely different from the persona he yed.

    Was this the real him? Who was this man behind the famed Rafael DeLuca mask?

    Just as suddenly, he cleared his throat and sat up straighter. The hard nk expression fitting in ce over his face. ¡°Shall we begin?¡± he said, his voice hard and cold.

    Her heart mourned the honestly that had passed just a moment ago. She found herself wishing she¡¯d recorded that chuckle. She wanted to hear more of it. She wanted to know more about him, and as she realized, her curiosity had nothing to do with the huge sexual tension between them.

    She spent the rest of the half hour meeting listening to the back and forth between DeLuca and Harry. At some point the top bosses intervened on Harry¡¯s behalf when he was stumped for an answer a few times. Things weren¡¯t looking good. For everyone else at least, DeLuca looked like he was on the hunt. Calm and collected with every arrow he shot at his targets. A shark, yes. A shark in rough waters getting ready to swallow the unsuspecting surfer whole. Or take a big chunk out of his leg.

    When DeLuca finally stood, effectively and wordlessly ending the meeting and the first audit, they all looked battered and pissed off, which told her one thing: he¡¯d found what he¡¯d been looking for, or he was certainly very close to doing so. So what did that mean for the rest of them? If there was a problem with finance, how would it impact the rest of thepany? Her project was sure to be affected by this. With an annoyed groan, she pushed out of the chair and made her way out of the boardroom and began her walk to her desk. She would just have to wait and see where all the cards fell after the DeLuca storm had passed.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°McKenna!¡±

    Talia came to an abrupt stop with a groan on her lips, her eyes closing in exasperation. Not now, she thought, wishing she¡¯d just pretended not to have heard him.

    ¡°McKenna!¡± Mr. Perez called out to her again and she reluctantly turned around to face him with a hard pressed smile on her face.

    ¡°How may I help you Mr. Perez?¡±

    The man came to a huffing stop right in front of her with a scowl on his face. Looking harried, he reached for his tie and pulled it loose with two side to side yanks, puffed out a breath that spoke of the numerous cups of coffee he had that morning and looked around them before his re settled on her.

    Oh boy! she thought, instinctively knowing that whatever he was going to say was not going to be good.

    ¡°Thanks for the heads-up McKenna!¡± he whispered harshly, his hands at his round waist.

    He was being sarcastic, she knew that, and the teenager inside her wanted to return in kind, but she rolled her lips into her mouth and quietly watched as his neck grew a shade redder with each passing second.

 CHAPTER 16

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± he demanded a little louder, making her flinch.

    ¡°I was notified of the meeting just this morning. And right after Mr. DeLuca hung up, I called Henry to let him know.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± he screeched, drawing the attention of those walking by them.

    Fabulous! There was nothing Talia hated more than public attention, especially if she was being scolded.

    ¡°I did. I even sent a text,¡± Talia responded with strained patience.

    She¡¯d called him right after she¡¯d called Henry to tell him about the meeting. It wasn¡¯t her fault he never picked up, nor was it her fault he didn¡¯t read the text message. He had the habit of never reading texts, ying the old school card of texts being a younglings thing.

    Ha! I wonder how that excuse passed with the suits, she thought with a snide innerugh. But then again, nothing was stopping him from ming it all on her.

    Talia watched as Mr. Perez went stalk still when the bosses passed by them, each one leveling a re at him. She looked down to hide her smile. The petty side of her was enjoying those new worry lines forming on Perez¡¯s forehead. This was definitely a teachable moment, a lesson to be learned. He¡¯ll definitely be reading his text messages now.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on between you and DeLuca?¡±

    Her head went up in surprise. That definitely came out of nowhere. Had he noticed something?

    ¡°What?¡±

    With eyes narrowed he asked suggestively, ¡°What did you say to him to make himugh?¡±

    Yeah, she was definitely not telling him that. She shook her head, her eyes a little wide with false innocence and said, ¡°Nothing.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Mr. Perez¡¯s eyes narrowed a little more. He didn¡¯t believe her. She didn¡¯t care, but she couldn¡¯t have him spying on her too. Thest thing she wanted was anyone finding out about the tension between her and DeLuca.

    ¡°I think that¡¯s just his personality. He didugh, but then went on to make sure Henry would have PTSD.¡±

    The analogy was a tad bit severe, but needed. Also, Talia wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Henry quit after that inquisition. Her nerves were fried just watching and it wasn¡¯t her taking the DeLuca brand shots.

    After a moment of pregnant silence, Perez said, ¡°Next time, make sure I answer the phone!¡± Then he proceeded to stomp past her.

    Talia rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh. When were things going to go back to normal? When would she be back to doing her job and not ying spy to a very astute man? Whatever the bosses were trying to do wouldn¡¯t work, not with DeLuca. It was like ying hide and seek in a very well-lit, empty room.

    She turned to leave, but right before she took that first step, something stopped her. She felt a shiver run down her back as all her senses became hyper aware. She looked to her left. There was no one there, well no one looking at her. Everyone was busy going their way, talking about the roasting that had just happened in the boardroom. She turned to her right and her breath caught in her throat.

    Casually leaning against his open door, arms crossed over his chest, there he was, watching her. Her fingers rolled into her palms as her gaze caught his, steady and deep. Her heart beat a little faster as he stared at her unblinkingly. She wasn¡¯t sure why but there was a pull right at the pit of her stomach, pushing her to close the canyon gap between them and take that first step towards him. With that look in his eye, he was luring her to him like a moth to a me and all her resistance was quickly breaking down.

    One hand lifted from under his crossed arms and he waved her over, calling to her. Without a thought, as if answering a siren¡¯s call, her feet began to move. cing one foot ahead of the other, the sound of her heels hitting the ceramic floor echoed in her ears, the sound getting louder as she drew nearer to him. Eight steps, within eight steps she was standing right in front of him, every nerve in her bodying awake like a live wire. He stepped to the side; she took the invitation and walked into the office. She heard the door close-no, to be urate, she felt the door close in her chest. The soft click of thetch vibrated through her.

    ¡°Are you in trouble?¡±

    She tightly shut her eyes and held her breath. That voice was way too soft and way too close. He was standing right behind her. She could feel how warm he was. How was that even possible?

    ¡°Talia.¡±

    She flinched. Oh yeah, she was definitely in trouble. How in the world was this happening? Why did she feel this way, stuck in a web of emotions she didn¡¯t understand? Her body was responding to unseen signals like dogs do to dog whistles. He hadn¡¯t touched her, he hadn¡¯t even made the slightest suggestion of any kind. Maybe she was imagining things, and if she was, she was in bigger trouble than she was. She needed to get out of there and fast.

    ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t handle,¡± she said, wincing at how scratchy and strangled her voice sounded.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to turn around and look at me?¡±

    There it was! The need in his voice made her shiver. He was right there, standing right at her back. She wasn¡¯t imagining things. She wasn¡¯t one of those people that made up rtionships in their heads, then turned into stalkers, then destroyed not just her life but the object of her obsession as well. She should be relieved, but she only grew more anxious.

    ¡°Talia,¡± he said louder, more forcefully.

    Don¡¯t risk it!

    She shook her head telling herself more than him that she wouldn¡¯t. She wouldn¡¯t dare turn around, she just couldn¡¯t look at him. At that point in time, they stood at the precipice of making a huge mistake. She was sure now, more than ever, that the attraction was mutual, and right at that moment the air was too thick with lust for them to not avoid the inevitable. If she turned around now, if she looked at him, if he saw that need she had boiling inside her and she was sure it was reflected in his eyes¡­ she was going to do something or allow him to cross a line they would never be able to go back over.

    ¡°Guardami!¡± hemanded.

 CHAPTER 17

    Startled, she sucked in a breath, her heart beating a tattoo in her chest, but she still couldn¡¯t move. She refused to. Her breath came faster and her left hand went up to her neck, rubbing down to the exposed part of her upper chest then back up again to her neck as she forced herself to take deep and even calming breaths.

    She went rigid when she felt his body brush up against her back. The breath from his lips was right at her left ear. She swallowed hard, eyes tightly shut; she held herself perfectly still. His forehead brushed against the side of her head, from her chin to her cheek and up to her temple. His lips quickly and lightly swept over her earlobe. Her knees buckled then and she bit down hard on her lower lip.

    ¡°Talia,¡± he whispered heatedly into her ear.

    She swayed on her feet. She felt his hands on her waist. A light pressure followed as his fingers pressed into the sides of her abdomen, his thumbs into her back in a light squeeze.

    She shivered as she felt his lips travelling down to her neck, barely touching her. Her head unconsciously tilted to the side and on its own ord; her body swayed back to press against his chest; her neck reaching up for more of his tititing touch.

    Her eyes flew open but she stilled herself when she suddenly realized what she was doing, what she was allowing to happen and, most importantly, where they were.

    Nope. This can¡¯t happen. Especially not here. Wake up Talia!

    She quickly pulled away from him, turned around and immediately stepped back, putting two steps distance between them.

    Don¡¯t look up, shemanded herself, keeping her eyes on his chest but that seemed to only make things worse. The wall of muscle seemed to push out and sink heavily as he heaved for breath. She looked up then and what she saw made her want to run. Desire. Unadulterated, ravenous desire shown in his eyes. He looked like he wouldn¡¯t be able to take a steady breath until he sated that desire. But what direction was she to take? What would be the smart choice, and not the lust muddled one, or the fearful one, or one she might regret? As she stood there, staring at him, waiting for her to go to him, she was sure no matter what choice she made, there was bound to be some regret. So, which one would she regret less?

    Forward.

    A little voice she was sure was not the smart side of her brain urged her to move to him. It would be a mistake but he was right there, within arm¡¯s reach. They both wanted this. Hell, she was going crazy from wanting him. They were both consenting adults, with no attachments ¨C Please Aphrodite let him not have a girlfriend or wife back in Italy.

    Once, she told herself. Just let it happen once.

    But what if he did? The only thing she¡¯d heard about his love ¨C no sex life ¨C was that he was the love them and leave them type. Was she really willing to be just another notch on his bed? Unremembered as a person but only as an attribute, saved in his ck book as the ck girl from the Boston office, a kind reference. Her heart hurt a little bit. What was his system? He must have a system, every Casanova did.

    She jumped when a knock at the door came, breaking the tension. Without a word or a second thought, she hurriedly went around him and rushed out the door past Enzo as he stepped inside without sparing him a look. Her eyes were shamefully on the ground during her escape but she made sure to pull the door shut behind her.

    Her hand still on the knob, she leaned against the shut door and let out a shaky breath. That couldn¡¯t happen again.

    ¡°Oww Talia.¡±

    Surprised, she turned to find Becky standing next to her. How long had she been there?

    With a smug smile she said, ¡°Something tells me you¡¯ve been doing a little more than just ying tour guide to Signore DeLuca.¡±

    Talia¡¯s lips twisted in revulsion at how she said Signore DeLuca. Without bothering to give her an exnation, or acknowledging how close she was to the truth, Talia let go of the door knob and walked away. Nothing had happened between her and DeLuca, yet. And she knew, as she approached her desk, something was bound to happen and there was little she would be able to do to stop it.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Talia immediately looked away from Carrie when she saw the concern on her face as Talia took her seat at her desk.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look so good. Are you in trouble?¡±

    Talia chortled an unnervedugh. That was the second time she¡¯d gotten that question. Yes, she was in trouble. Only, it wasn¡¯t the kind of trouble they were referring to. But unlike the first time, she gave a different answer.

    ¡°Yes, big trouble,¡± she said, answering to the DeLuca kind of trouble. She felt Carrie tap her shoulderfortingly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can handle it.¡±

    Talia appreciated the vote of confidence. The bosses, sure, that would be a strong maybe that she could handle them. It was their mess anyway with very little to do with her.

    It was the other thing that came packaged in Rafael DeLuca II. Could she really? She wondered with a heavy dose of anxiety, as she powered up her desktopputer.

    ****

    Rafe stood perfectly still, his body trembling from the force he exerted on his muscles to remain in ce. He knew if he moved even an inch, he¡¯d chase after her, drag her back into the office and-and probably ruin her career. But he was tempted, merde; she tempted him to madness. It was good to know he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that crazy pull, that intoxicating need for each other. If she had taken that step¡­

    With her back to him, he saw how much she fought it. Her hands fisted at her sides, her body rigid, and yet still trembling like she was standing out in the winter cold. Her clenching and unclenching right hand told him of the internal battle that was being waged between her erratic hormones and hermon sense. It also told him she recognized how dangerous that pull between them was. If he didn¡¯t do something about it soon, it was bound to drive him crazier than it already had.

    He¡¯d been beyond pissed when he saw Perez taking her to task over the surprise audit meeting. She was stuck between a rock and a hard ce, and she was bound to suffer because of it. This conflict between wanting to protect her and doing his job was too new to Rafe and he found himself confused about his next move. At first he wanted to call her over and maybefort her and give her a quick out away from the middle of the cross fire, but the moment she looked at him, his mind went nk and he wanted somethingpletely different from his original intentions.

    It was why he called her over. It was why his blood pumped harder when she immediately went to him. It was why he hurriedly shut the door not caring how many eyes followed Talia in. He¡¯d wanted to touch her, he¡¯d wanted to kiss her, and he¡¯d wanted to do a whole lot more than was morally allowed with a number of people on the other side of the door during work hours. The need to have her grew stronger each time he saw her. Soon he wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself, no matter where they were.

    When she refused to look at him, like a ma, his body was pulled to hers. He took those few steps, closing the distance between them hoping, wanting her to make that final decision for the both of them, and for her to be the one to cross that line and put them out of their misery. It was like a prayer on his lips as he silently begged her to cross that line.

    He couldn¡¯t be the one to make that decision. He couldn¡¯t be the one to start things. There was too much at stake, for the both of them. But if they did-no, not if, but when. It was clear that it was only a matter of time before the inevitable happened. When they did, it would be an experience that would stand out in his life and one he would want to repeat every moment of the day, he was sure of it. But the repercussions¡­ he may be able to bear them, but could she?

    The sound of the doortching closed made him bite down hard on his back teeth, his fists clenching tighter until they shook. She was gone and so was the moment. What was worse, she¡¯d left but that damn scent behind. It still lingered around him, taunting him of what could have been, what almost was. The escaped opportunity to taste nirvana. Regret filled him at how close they¡¯de to sate this distinct thirst that only proimed itself when they were in close proximity. Animalistic anticipation boiled his blood for their next encounter.

    ¡°Signore DeLuca?¡± Enzo cautiously called from behind him.

    ¡°Enzo-¡± Rafe began but immediately stopped, feeling too exposed by the quiver in his voice. He coughed slightly to clear his throat and began again, ¡°I can¡¯t be around her anymore.¡±

    After a short pause he responded, ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an ass about it,¡± he warned.

    ¡°Understood.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

 CHAPTER 18

    Talia stared at the screen not sure if she was reading the words right. Her throat tightened and her heart pounded hard against her ribs as she looked in disbelief at the words on the page. After several more seconds of reading and re-reading the email, with the mouse in her right hand, she clicked refresh but nothing changed when she read through it again. The words on the screen remained the same. Her hands grew mmy as she clenched and unclenched them, tension like a circuit ran up and down her body, through her arms and down her legs repeatedly. Surely those words couldn¡¯t mean what they said. She thought to herself seekingfort as the words settled heavily on her head, the reality too great for her to admit. There must be a mistake, there had to be. No, no, she was reading the words wrong, that had to be it.

    ¡°Carrie,¡± Talia called over her shoulder, a slight tremor in her voice, e here real quick. Just for a sec.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Could you read this,¡± Talia chuckled nervously. ¡°Coz I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not reading this right.¡±

    Talia heard Carrie¡¯s chair swivel and roll as she turned. She then heard the sound of her standing from the chair and finally felt Carrie lean over her shoulder. Talia¡¯s eyes refused to leave the ck words on the white page, glued there by surprise and a growing sense of betrayal.

    ¡°Damn. Sorry babe,¡± Carrie said, patting Talia¡¯s shoulderfortingly.

    Talia¡¯s heart dropped to her feet. That was what she was afraid of. Talia¡¯s left hand fisted tightly next to the keyboard, her right had a death grip on the mouse. So there was nothing wrong with her eyesight, but there was definitely a mistake and someone was going to pay for it. Just thinking of all the work that went into researching for her project, convincing the suits to consider it, working and reworking it ¨C months of hard work that took a juvenile turn when she was asked to babysit DeLuca. Her skin stretched over her tightening knuckles. The two hours of cold airport wind she had to endure, and lest to be forgotten, Enzo¡¯s sparkling personality. Someone was definitely going to bleed for this!

    Could it be a typo? she wondered with false hope, and yet she knew it wasn¡¯t. She was grasping at straws when what she should be reaching for was a string guillotine.

    ¡°I¡¯m not reading that wrong, am I?¡± she asked for confirmation through gnashed teeth.

    Carrie squeezed her shoulder, ¡°No honey, you¡¯re not. Your project proposal got rejected.¡±

    Damn it all to hell! Talia vaulted out of her chair, the yell of surprise Carrie made distant to her ears.

    ¡°Those lying -¡± she sucked in her tongue to keep the rest of the colorful words in.

    Talia turned to her right and marched straight to Perez¡¯s office, her anger mounting with each step she took. How could they do this to her? After all the hoops she¡¯d jumped through. Forget courtesy. When she reached Perez¡¯s door, she grabbed the door knob, twisted it and charged in.

    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the deal!¡± she half yelled as she charged him. He was seated behind the desk, each footfall determined, militant.

    ¡°It¡¯s rude not to knock.¡±

    Talia scoffed. He hadn¡¯t seen rude yet. She pressed her fists knuckles t on the desk and leaned forward towards him. ¡°You rejected my project proposal.¡±

    With a smug smile, he leaned back into his chair. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±

    Talia raised an impatient brow. ¡°How do you exin the email I just got?¡±

    A challenging brow went up. ¡°Did you read the entire email? Including the signature at the bottom?¡±

    Talia felt her brows scrunch together in her confusion. Perez reached for his mouse with one hand, the other turned the monitor around towards her. She looked at the screen, the email she¡¯d received was open. She looked at him in question and he smiled, making her heart leap in apprehension. What was he so smug about? What didn¡¯t she know?

    ¡°The moment I got this, I knew you¡¯de charging in here and me me for it. So I left it open on the browser. Look,¡± with his chin he pointed at the screen.

    She followed his direction. Her eyes grew wide as the words at the bottom of the page sunk in. It wasn¡¯t Perez¡¯s, or the other bosses¡¯ signature that featured there.

    ¡°That son of a -¡± she bit her tongue, her irritation climbing ten folds.

    It was DeLuca. He was the one who rejected her proposal. To think, she had yed dumb with the suits just to stay on his good side. He was meant to be her golden ticket, instead, he¡¯d turned out to be a stocking full of coal. She cut her eyes at Perez and caught him just as he was rolling his lips into his mouth to hide his amusement.

    Without a word, Talia made her way out of his office and on to her next target. He¡¯d rejected her proposal after days of treating her like a nuisance. Of all the rotten things he could have done, he¡¯d gone and killed the one thing that she had taken all their crap for. Had he even read the proposal? Between the department audits and traumatizing the staff, had he actually had even a minute to go through the fifty page proposal? She doubted it. For some reason, it felt personal to her. She was sure this had to do with why he had been an ass to her recently. What was he trying to do, get her to hate him? Because if that was it, it was working! It was practically magic how fast she¡¯d gone from lusting after him to wanting to kill him.

    Talia sped up when DeLuca¡¯s door came into sight. She was going to find out exactly what his problem was. She reached the door and grabbed for the handle, but before she could turn it, someone stopped her.

    ¡°He¡¯s not in.¡±

    Talia turned to find Enzo sitting behind the secretary¡¯s desk. This was a first. He was always seated inside DeLuca¡¯s office, working off the table. Why the change?

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Because he¡¯s not in,¡± he answered smartly.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡®Where is he then?¡± she demanded impatiently.

    ¡°Gone for the day.¡±

    Quickly she lifted her wrist and with her other hand, pushed the wrist cuff back to look at her wrist watch. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me! she thought, as she choked on a shocked breath. It wasn¡¯t even lunch yet!

    ¡°Since when?¡± she demanded, her voice going up a notch higher.

    ¡°Since when what?¡±

    She rolled her lips into her mouth and prayed for patience. ¡°Since when did he clock out early ¨C hell, since when did he take days off?¡±

    ¡°Since today.¡±

    Talia clenched her fists at her sides and red at him. That wasn¡¯t what she meant and he knew it. Then something dawned on her and she chuckled humorlessly. Of all days, he chose that day, the very same day he¡¯d killed her dreams to knock off work early. No way. He was hiding from her. That yellow bellied ass knew she would be going for him so he ran!

    Of all the dirty, low down tricks!

    With narrowed eyes she looked at Enzo, ¡°Let me guess. If I go looking for him I probably won¡¯t find him, will I?¡±

    Enzo pulled his lips up in a mocking smile and said nothing. Talia bit her lower lip and nodded. That was as much of a response as she was going to get. But the sad thing for them, they didn¡¯t know her well enough.

    ¡°Fine. Two can y this game.¡±

    She turned on her heels and marched back to her desk. She needed her phone. As far as she knew, DeLuca hadn¡¯t gotten his car yet, so Joe would definitely know where he was. And once she found him, he was going to need the week off!

 CHAPTER 19

    Rafe sat at the yacht¡¯s bow sofa, a ss of whiskey in one hand and his head filled with thoughts of Talia.

    She must have gotten the email by now, he thought to himself, flooded with a mix of guilt and shame.

    For the first time in his life, Rafe had run from a fight. Knowing Talia¡¯s reaction and refusing to face it had chased him out of the office early. He had also for the first time in his life knocked off work early and, making it worse, not for the most honorable of reasons. He had taken the cowards way out and scheduled the email to go out an hour after he had left the office, all to avoid the confrontation that was sure toe. The shame, also due to another cowardly act, had him reject her project proposal without even opening the cover page to read it.

    He sighed heavily, rubbing his free hand over his face. She haunted him, in his sleep and in his waking hours. He closed his eyes and sighed. He couldn¡¯t count with both hands how many times he¡¯d made love to her in his dreams, and soon he¡¯d be counting over his toes. He swallowed hard, ran the tip of his tongue over his lower lip, pulling it into his mouth and pushing it wetly out with his teeth. The crazy part was, he could taste her on his lips, on his tongue. He could feel her soft heated skin on the palms of his hands. The memory of her body pressed against him made his blood boil with need. Talia McKenna brought out emotions inside him that he had never experienced before. He wanted her ¨C no, needed her like a bad habit he didn¡¯t want to quit, and yet he hadn¡¯t even tasted her. Yet, he hadn¡¯t tasted her yet, and his resistance was beginning to fail like a badly constructed wall, falling one brick at a time in rapid session.

    She was a temptation he just couldn¡¯t afford. He needed to keep a huge distance between them and since the project was the only thing keeping her near him, he decided to cut off that string. Now the management had nothing to force her to spy on him anymore. She had no reason to be around him anymore. On a more personal note, he thought, as downed arge gulp from his whiskey ss, he¡¯d gotten rid of any chance of the two of them getting entwined. He was putting crazy glue between those bricks, the question was, would it hold?

    If she hated him, the attraction between them would soon fade. At least on her part he believed. As for him, he would have to leave. He scoffed, run again, from a different woman in a different situation. Unlike Gabrie, Rafe wanted to run to Talia so badly, that want was bound to make him lose control if the situation wasn¡¯t handled. And nothing got a woman more bat shit mad than denying her the one thing she wanted. Now to just let her give up on her own,pletely. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but she was bound to.

    He snorted at that. Even he didn¡¯t believe that. Talia didn¡¯t appear to him as the giving up kind. She didn¡¯t retreat if she found the door locked, on the contrary, she would just look for a slightly ajar window. Case and point: the project he¡¯d just killed, the management was using it to get her to do their bidding, and she brought it to his attention with such a subtle, suggestive manner. Smart. He¡¯d asked Enzo to find him a copy. He¡¯d nned to go through it when he¡¯d had the time, but after that wired moment in his office, his curiosity turned into a desperation for sanity. But maybe, he¡¯d only made things worse.

    He was willing to bet his entire yacht collection that the moment she finished reading the email, she went in search of him. In fact, she was probably on her way to the yacht to rip him a new one. That made him smile, but it also set him on his feet. He needed to get going before she arrived, guns zing. It was Friday so he had an entire weekend reprieve; hopefully by the time he returned she would have calmed down some.

    Why did her feelings even matter? He wasn¡¯t a heartless bastard, but he never invested much in other people¡¯s feelings. She wasn¡¯t exactly the first woman he¡¯d held such an attraction to, but, unlike the others, it was like being taken hostage by his desires, and quite frankly, he didn¡¯t like the distracting hold it had on him.

    Rafe froze when he heard a noiseing from the stern of the yacht. Someone was on the yacht. Surely it couldn¡¯t be her already. His heart banged hard against his ribcage and his feet moved quicker under him, half running down the walkway to get to the stern with veiled excitement.

    Once at the stern, his feet stopped moving and his heart dropped. ¡°You¡¯re not her,¡± he said, disappointment heavy in his voice.

    ¡°Sir?¡± the man in a delivery uniform said, his brows pinched with confusion.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Right, he wasn¡¯t meant to be thinking of her, let alone expecting her. It was the whole point of knocking off work early in his great escape.

    What¡¯s wrong with you Rafe! You rejected her project proposal to keep her away from you, remember?

    Yes, he did remember, but he wasn¡¯t going to lie and say he wasn¡¯t disappointed. He wanted to see her, he wanted to touch her. He missed her alluring scent, that inviting look in her eyes that she¡¯d had thest time they had been alone together, both fighting and losing to their mutual attraction. He wanted her¡­ he was also half drunk and needed to take a step back from those thoughts.

    He bit down hard on his back teeth and said, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    The man jumped back a bit, his face pulling down with surprise. He quickly held up the two bags in his hand and said, ¡°Your delivery.¡±

    Right. He¡¯d ordered food for the weekend.

    ¡°Thanks. Put it on the table.¡± Rafe reached into his cargo shorts pocket and pulled out a hundred dor bill and handed it over to him. ¡°Keep the change.¡±

    Excited, the delivery man reached for the money. ¡°Thanks sir.¡±

    Before he let go of the money, Rafe said, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t get onto someone¡¯s vessel without their permission. Understood?¡±

    The man nodded vigorously. ¡°Understood.¡±

    Rafe let go of the cash and the delivery man rushed to disembark.

    Pissed at himself and his irresolute behavior, Rafe followed him onto the pier, released the mooring rope, got back onto the yacht and ran up the steps to the fly bridge. He needed some air. He needed to get away. The open ocean was what he needed at that very moment.

    An hourter, once he was far enough to see nothing but water, Rafe stopped and headed down to the stern to release the mooring buoys. He¡¯d barely got it cast off when a dragging sound caught his attention. A low painful moan followed then quiet indistinct mumbling. Someone was on the yacht!

    Alert, he quietly and quickly walked to where the sound came from, the left side walkway. How had someone got on the yacht without him noticing? When had they gotten on?

    He saw a figure hang over the railing making retching noises. The stowaway was sea sick. The figure slumped even further, but towards the wrong direction. Quickly, Rafe rushed to it and pulled it back before it went overboard. As he held the jelly legged person close to him, he realized then it was a woman. A low moan then a painful groan followed; the heat of her breath burning his chest where her face was pressed against. His heart beat a little faster in hopeful anticipation. Gently, with his arm band around her waist to hold her up against him, his hand at her neck, he pulled her back to look at her face.

    Perspiring forehead, eyes tightly clenched shut in difort with lips twisted in disgust, he looked down at Talia¡¯s beautiful face and his lips pulled up in unchecked excitement and joy. He¡¯d never been so ecstatic to hold a vomit smelling human being before. An alien feeling of fluttering filled his chest as he watched her struggle in her distressed limbo,pletely exhausted from losing the day¡¯s meals. He knew he should be more worried. She was probably dehydrated and in need of some medical attention, but he couldn¡¯t deny that he was happy that she was here with him, in his most favorite spot, doing the one thing he loved most in the world. It was kicking her ass, but she was here, sailing with him.

    Careful not to shake her up more than the yacht already had, he lifted her up in his arms and made his way below deck. As he looked at her sickly small figure curled up in his arms, her face burrowing into his shoulder, her hands fisted at his chest, he realized then, the problem wasn¡¯t just his attraction to her. Sleeping with her was an easy fix for that. If he could, he would, and be done with it once and for all. The problem was, he wasn¡¯t sure once would be enough. He wasn¡¯t sure once he took that step, he could ever let go of her at all.

 CHAPTER 20

    Talia stirred, turning onto her belly and burrowing further in the soft plush pillows under her cheek. She didn¡¯t want to wake up. She couldn¡¯t remember thest time she¡¯d slept so well and sofortably. It felt like she wasying in a bed of clouds. Had her mother been here? She didn¡¯t remember her beddings being so soft and wonderful. Just as she was drifting off back to sleep, the bed swayed from side to side under her and Talia froze. What was that? Was that an earthquake? No, earthquakes didn¡¯t sway, they shook, loudly, and when was thest time there was an earthquake in Boston?

    Talia opened her eyes then, blinking a few times to clear her vision. She tilted her head a little in wonder, pushing her chin further into the pillow. Since when was the wall so close to her bed?N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Were those shutters?

    She turned her head to face the other side. That window did not look familiar.

    Shouldn¡¯t there be a building out there?

    She wondered as she looked out at a darkening sky over empty space instead of the sun blocking, red brick four story building.

    She faced forward, bncing her head on her chin against the pillow. Directly in front of her was what looked like a tan leather headboard instead of the white wicker tropical style which had always stood over her bed. The more she looked, the more confused she felt. Just to be sure, she pulled her hand from under the pillow and touched it. It was soft, smooth and cool to the touch.

    Huh?

    She looked further up to the wall and for a moment, she needed to close her eyes.

    Was the wall texted? And that color¡­

    She opened her eyes and assessed with more scrutiny. Her walls were a sky blue not a ¨C she squinted her eyes to see clearer in the dimly lit room ¨C white. The wall was white. Like a vacuum, the sleep fog got sucked out of her head.

    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m in my bedroom¡­

    Fully alert, she pushed herself up to sit on her knees and the thickforter pulled around her folded legs, falling off her back. She stared at it. It matched the rich gold and ivory color tones of the room. She stared at the bed, twice the size of hers, and the pillows looked too high end to be hers. Her eyes widened, she quickly turned, falling on her ass and looked around her.

    ¡°Where the hell am I?¡± she spoke into the quiet room.

    Just then, the wall right in front of her that she suddenly came to realize was a wooden partition slid out to the left, creating an opening that let in a small amount of light. It was a door. Then someone stepped in, a tray in his hand.

    ¡°DeLuca?¡± she called out in her surprise.

    He looked up and paused, his hand still on the sliding door and stared at her nkly. She¡¯de to learn that hard, unrevealing stare was his way of assessing people without letting his thoughts show. But why was he trying to read her?

    ¡°Where am I?¡± she asked, without moving from where she sat.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± he said in the form of a response as he stepped fully into the room, letting go of the door and holding the other end of the tray. ¡°I made you something to eat.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± she eximed in surprise, both eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. ¡°You cooked. For me?¡±

    His face softened then and one side of his lips pulled up in a half smiled with a soft short chuckled, ¡°What is it that you can¡¯t believe? The fact that I can cook or that I cooked for you?¡±

    Talia blinked several times, rolled her tongue in her mouth then answered, ¡°Both.¡±

    He ced the tray on the dark varnished, slick finished waxed wall unit under the shutters. He then reached for something she couldn¡¯t see and immediately the shutters pulled up to expose arge window that allowed some streams of lights toe in and fill the room. He then turned to face her with his arms crossed over his chest.

    ¡°Come ti senti?¡± he asked, concern inly in his voice.

    Talia pinched her brows in confusion, ¡°Why?¡±

    With a raised brow he asked, ¡°Why what?¡±

    ¡°Why would you ask me that?¡±

    After a short moment of silence he asked, ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±

    Concern piqued inside her, ¡°Remember what? What happened?¡±

    His head tilted slightly to the right, ¡°Do you even know where you are?¡±

    She snorted, ¡°Not home, that¡¯s for sure.¡± The bed swayed again and her hands fisted around the bed sheet under her, her eyes shooting around the room with rising urgency. ¡°Why does the bed keep moving?¡±

    He moved then,ing to sit by her on the bed. ¡°Are you feeling any dizziness, nausea?¡±

    Her stomach flipped a few times, but she shook her head. ¡°Nope. Just wondering why you are so calm when we might be in the middle of an earthquake.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not an earthquake,¡± he answered tly.

    He raised his hand and pressed the back of it against her forehead. Talia held her breath and sat perfectly still, her pulse jumping at the contact.

    ¡°You¡¯re on my yacht.¡±

    Talia reared back, breaking the contact, ¡°Come again?¡±

    DeLuca dropped his hand, ¡°You passed out from exhaustion.¡±

    Confused, Talia looked down at herself and gasped. Her legs were bare,pletely exposed to the thigh where the tails of the shirt that was three sizes too big and definitely not hersy. Quickly she grabbed theforter and pulled it over her legs. Her head snapped to DeLuca and she red at him.

    He snorted augh, his lips lifting in a half smile and said, ¡°Not that kind of exhaustion.¡±

    Her heart leaped then and Talia had to swallow hard to catch her breath. He sat too close and too calmly for herfort. Considering where they were at the moment, some space was required.

    With a hand on his upper arm she pushed him away from her. ¡°It better not be. What then?¡±

    Catching on that she wanted him off the bed, he stood to resume his early position. ¡°From puking your guts out. How can you not remember that?¡±

    Oh yes, that had happened. A spell of dizziness had hit her the moment the boat had begun to move. The next thing she knew, her stomach was trying to exit her body through her mouth. She remembered rushing to the railing, but after that first heave, everything was hazy. She ced her hands on her belly, expecting to feel the tightness and pain that came after a violent vomiting session, but there was nothing.

    ¡°Huh, I don¡¯t feel like my stomach has shrunk to the size of a walnut.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve been feeding you soup on the hour. You¡¯ve been out for over three hours.¡± He pointed to his side where the tray with a bowl sat. ¡°I believe this marks hour four.¡±

    Talia stared at him, speechless. Every time she thought she had him pegged as a cold business tycoon, he surprised her. Warmth burst in her chest and spread out to her limbs.

    ¡°You looked after me?¡± she said.

    He shifted from one foot to the other, one hand going up to rub the back of his neck. ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so strange.¡±

    She smiled at his difort. ¡°Easy for you to say. You¡¯re not the one staring at an enigma.¡±

    Immediately, as if realizing what he had allowed her to see, his arms quickly resumed their crossed position over his chest.

    She shook her head amused. With a wide grin she added, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    He gave her a short nod, a shadow of a full smile on his lips. ¡°Il piacere ¨¨ tutto mio.¡±

    They stared at each other, their eyes speaking and revealing emotions that honestly frightened her.

    Suddenly, he cleared his throat, dropped his arms from his chest and stood up straighter and said, ¡°Since you are up, let¡¯s go watch the sunset.¡±

    With a raised brow she echoed, ¡°Watch the sunset?¡± Her eyes narrowed and her brows pinched. ¡°Who are you and what have you done with the famed Rafael DeLuca II?¡±

    With a cocky grin, he slowly approached the bed. He bent down, cing his fists on the mattress for support and leaned closer to her. Talia fingers curled into her palms, taking the soft cotton with them. She didn¡¯t dare move, just watched him with baited breaths as he drew his face close to hers.

    ¡°There are drawstring shorts over here,¡± he jerked his head slowly to the right to indicate where they were but never once did he break eye contact. ¡°And the bathroom is over there,¡± he jerked his head to the left. ¡°You have half an hour before you miss the show.¡±

    His voice grew even deeper when he said thatst part, fanning her arousal like strong wind to a bush fire. She wouldn¡¯t mind missing that show for a different kind of y that would require both their involvement.

    As if to echo her thoughts, his eyes dropped to her lips and unconsciously, she slid the tip of her tongue over her lower lip and sucked it into her mouth only to slide it out free once wet.

    His eyes unblinkingly held and he said, ¡°You do that a lot.¡±

    It didn¡¯t escape her how hoarse his voice had grown. She squeezed her thighs together as her core pulsed with need.

    ¡°Careful where you do that.¡±

    DeLuca then quickly pushed off the bed and turned towards the doorway. Without a backwards nce he said, ¡°Trenta minuti. Andare.¡± Then he grabbed the sliding door and slid it closed behind him.

    The moment the doortched, Talia let out a heavy tense breath through her mouth. She was going to need a quick cold shower to calm her hormones down. Actually, what she needed to do was head home as soon as possible. She looked around her, remembering where she was and why she got sea sick andughed at herself. Since he¡¯d kept her on the boat ¨C yacht and taken care of her instead of going back to shore, he clearly had no intentions of going anywhere any time soon. She was stuck in that small space with nowhere to run to.

    She pulled theforter off her legs and got off the bed, grabbing the shorts he had left out for her and with shaky legs walked to the door he¡¯d pointed to. Forget cold showers, they were going to need to dunk into the freezing ocean waters if they were going to survive the night without jumping each other.

 CHAPTER 21

    Twenty minutester, Talia made her way out of the room. In the short corridor, straight ahead the open door allowed her to see into another bedroom. That bed appeared to be just asrge as the one she had upied.

    Was that his room? The nosey part of her wanted to go in for a little tour. She had thought that the one she was using was his because it smelled of him. But then again, he had been in there a few times when he looked after her. As she walked ahead a few steps, on her right was another room but with two single beds. The yacht was like a small luxurious three bedroom apartment, she could see its appeal. Why stay in a hotel when he had such a beautiful space? And even better ¨C depending on who was asked ¨C he could take his floating home anywhere in the wide, quiet ocean. Just thinking about her noisy neighbors, the loud car horns, and the kids ying in the alley, she could definitely see the appeal. If she wasn¡¯t so afraid of being surrounded by nothing but water, she would seriously consider getting a water home.

    With that reminder, Talia swayed on her feet as she felt another dizzy spell. Her hands reached out to the close corridor walls to keep her steady. At least this time she barely felt nauseous. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, inhaling with her nose and exhaling with her mouth. Maybe she shouldn¡¯t have watched Titanic a hundred times. Unlike others who watched the famed movie over and over again solely for the romance, she had an additional reason. She just couldn¡¯t understand how no one saw the bungalow sized iceberg in their way. It was like walking into a tree with her eyes wide open and staring right at it.

    When the spell passed, Talia took the steps to her left above deck, emerging in a room that made her jaw drop. She stood at the top step and let her eyes roam over the exquisitely decorated space.

    ¡°This¡­ is supposed to be a boat!¡±

    ¡°Actually it¡¯s a yacht.¡±

    She looked up to see DeLuca standing in front of the table a few feet away.

    He lifted his hand and with his index finger pointed to the big grey chair to her left. ¡°That right next to you is called the helm station.¡±

    Talia turned to look at it. It looked simr to the cockpit of a ne except this one had a steering wheel.

    ¡°Where the sofas are, is called the salon.¡±

    She stared at the grey corner couch with white cushions, the ck finishing coffee table and right opposite a white moon chair. She began wondering how they would look in her small apartment.

    ¡°Right ahead, is the galley.¡±

    She walked across the wooden panel floor and took a step down. To her right was a dining area, and to her left was a sink, and adjacent to it was a fixed electric t cooktop, on an eggshell texted counter cab.

    ¡°Aka my dream kitchen,¡± she said with a heavy envious sigh. She needed a new crib. Good thing she was already looking.

    He chuckled softly then said, ¡°Right here is the cockpit.¡±

    He stepped aside so she could see the wooden table and yet another couch, more on the outside and in the open. She knew that ce, it was where they had their first conversation. The memory of him standing there in nothing but a towel, dripping wet from his interrupted shower made her all hot and bothered. She pulled on the cor of her shirt ¨C no, it was his shirt.

    By Elvis! Someone save me.

    She swallowed the sexually frustrated whine in her throat and turned to him just in time to see the inquisitive look he was giving her. Before he could ask what was wrong with her she said, ¡°What¡¯s upstairs?¡±

    ¡°The flybridge lounge,¡± he answered, his searching eyes still on her.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She did not want to remain the subject of curiosity, especially on thoughts she didn¡¯t want him to find out from looking at her. So she quickly walked in his direction, turned to her right, grabbed the railing and quickly took the seven steps up.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Talia whispered,ing to a stop at the top most step. Beautiful wasn¡¯t enough to describe that ce. Under the dimming light of the setting sun, it looked like a dream. She walked fully into the open space. The grey tones against the white were quiet, clearly meant to not take away from the beautiful sight of the open ocean. She closed her eyes, a pleased grin taking over her face at the gentle caress of the ocean breeze against her cheek, gently fluttering the oversized clothes on her body.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    She drew in a quick breath at DeLuca¡¯s whisper, his warm breath fanning against her ear.

    ¡°¡­ is why I love sailing. Isn¡¯t it beautiful?¡±

    ¡°Which part?¡± she found herself asking,pletely taken in by her beautiful surroundings.

    His soft chuckle in her ear made her shiver. That sound had such an effect on her, she couldn¡¯t exin what it was or why that was. The only thing she knew for sure was that he needed to do it often. Her eyes shot open when she felt hisrge hand slide against hers. She looked down at their joining hands; his sped hers, then opened and rotated, his fingers moving to weave with hers, folding over and the pads of them, finallying to rest at the back of her hand.

    ¡°That¡¯s the helm. Simr to the one in the middle deck.¡±

    She nodded absentmindedly, her eyes still fixed on their joined hands, his olive hand against her chocte one. He just held her hand without missing a beat, as if it was the most natural thing to do. Years long couples are the ones whose hands unconsciously seek and find each other, as if being separated was as unbearable as it was unnatural. This felt like that¡­ so right, and yet it went against all rtionshipws. Rtionship? They were just co-workers and not very good ones at that.

 CHAPTER 22

    She jerked frontward when he tugged her forward by their sped hands to follow behind him, and as he was exining, whatever it was that he was exining, she watched the emotions y on his face. His eyes lit up, his grin spread from ear to ear and his free hand waved around as he pointed behind them at what he called the aft, unchecked and like he had not a care in the world. When he was this animated, he looked¡­ human. She could see now why he preferred the yacht over the hotel.

    Freedom.

    He was free to be himself, his true self without having to put on a front for anyone, always guarded, always watchful, always predatory, and, depending on the situation, ready to defend or attack. Talia wondered if he even realized that at that moment, he was doing none of that. Did he know he was acting differently than normal? Did he recognize that he had twopletely opposite personas?

    It must be exhausting. How does he handle it?

    Considering who he was, she understood why he found it necessary to constantly wear a mask of indifference on his face, but she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, did he have any friends? Ones he wouldn¡¯t care about being a mess in front of? Was his family that respite for him? She shook her head, guessing not. From what she¡¯d heard, DeLuca and his father didn¡¯t have the normal father son rtionship. They were more business associates than anything, ording to the rumor mill. But even with that thought, she hoped she was wrong.

    She watched him with an ache in her chest as he tugged her along, pointing at the different screens at the helm station and exining things that she had zero interest in. But the way he acted, like a little boy with his favorite toy, it kept her riveted. He lookedpletely unconstrained as he told her about the yacht¡¯s features and what he loved most about that particr model. She smiled to herself remembering she never once asked.

    ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll show you the bow,¡± he said, turning them around and leading her to the steps.

    ¡°There is more!¡± she eximedughingly.

    Heughed as he guided her down the steps, ¡°Just one more ce.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    With his hand still around hers, he led her down the walkway and to the front of the yacht.

    ¡°Another sofa,¡± she said once they reached the ¨C what had he called it? Ah yes, the bow lounge, but this one, unlike the others, was covered in grey leather.

    There was what looked like arge bed, also covered in grey leather. She wondered why it was there, seeing how much space it had taken up. DeLuca let go of her hand and she found herself frowning in her displeasure, already missing hisrge hand wrapped around hers. She knew she was being ridiculous and she shouldn¡¯t be behaving like a clingy girlfriend, but it was the truth. She wondered if he nned on ever holding it again any time soon.

    Had he even realized he had been holding her hand in the first ce?

    Therge bed looking thing suddenly came up at one end and that¡¯s when she realized what it was.

    ¡°Is this a sunlounger?¡± she asked him, pointing to it.

    He nodded. ¡°Yes. And that,¡± he continued, pointing outwards to the open waters and the brilliantly red and orange, cloudless horizon, ¡°is the show I promised.¡±

    She nodded knowingly. ¡°It looks like we arrived just in time,¡± she said. Then she turned to him and jokingly asked, ¡°No popcorn?¡±

    He grinned without reservation. ¡°There¡¯s wine.¡±

    She nodded animatedly. ¡°Of course. An Italian without wine is just criminal.¡±

    He let out a bark ofughter that surprised her so much she couldn¡¯t help butugh with him. He truly was an enigma. Or just someone who needed to take a breath from his life. Her smile shrunk at that thought  but steadied as she stared at theugh lines around his eyes and lips. She was willing to bet his cheeks probably hurt with this new unfamiliar use.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t youy here on the lounger and I¡¯ll get you a ss,¡± he said. He started to move then stopped and stared at her, his eyes full of concern. ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Talia was stunned by that. He was truly concerned about her. Go figure!

    With a sweet smile she responded, ¡°I¡¯m fine, surprisingly.¡±

    He returned her smile. ¡°Good,¡± he said, then disappeared down the other walkway.

    Talia took his suggestion and spread out over the sunlounger. She looked around her with keen and open interest. She had been busy analyzing DeLuca when she too had some disparities in her own life.

    When was thest time she¡¯d just stopped and taken in her surroundings? Well, where she lived didn¡¯t exactly encourage that but, even when she had been to the pier all the three times, thanks to DeLuca, she never really looked out to the ocean or appreciated the fresh cool ocean breeze. She¡¯d been more worried about identally falling into the water and drowning. She¡¯d been too distracted by life.

    She looked out at the setting sun with newfound appreciation. This was where DeLuca went to get away from the distraction.

    ¡°What else do you do?¡± she wondered aloud, loving that she¡¯d gotten to see a different side of him, a very opposite side of the man she thought she knew, and wanting to know more.

    ¡°Here is your wine,¡± he said, going round on the other side of the sunlounger and cing a silver tray with a ss of white wine on it next to her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she said as she picked up the wine ss, her eyes following him as he moved to sit on the sofa behind her.

    She quickly looked forward, raising the ss to her lips to hide her disappointment. She had hoped he wouldy by her, but, she thought with a sad sigh, maybe it was for the best. Silently, they watched as the sun lowered and disappeared, tucked under the horizon to settle into sleep, as the moon and stars took their turn to watch over them, as her mother used to say when she was a little girl.

    Her eyes squinted automatically when a light shone above her head. She turned to find an overhead light had been turned on and DeLuca was missing. She hadn¡¯t even noticed him leave. What is he up to? she wondered, leaning back to see if she could spot him on the dimly lit walkway.

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    Startled, she jumped with a loud gasp, quickly turning around to the voice. ¡°For the love of ¨C don¡¯t do that!¡±

 CHAPTER 23

    His lips pulled in a short smile as he approached her holding yet another tray.

    ¡°Here. Some fruits, cheese and crackers.¡± He settled the tray next to the one he¡¯d carried the wine on. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping your stomach doesn¡¯t revolt.¡±

    She ced her hand on her belly and tried to sense some sea sickness. There wasn¡¯t even a dizzy spell. Ha¡­ maybe her fear of open waters was all in her head, catalyzed by sinking ship movies. Maybe she could even take a swim. She chortled at that.

    And end up in a Jaws sequel? No thanks.

    ¡°So far so good.¡± She pinched a grape from its stem. ¡°Grazie.¡±

    ¡°Prego,¡± he returned with a slight nod of his head. He moved to reim his seat, to Talia¡¯s irritation.

    Why won¡¯t he sit next to me? she wondered, popping the grape into her mouth. Why do you care? That¡¯s not why you are here.

    True, that wasn¡¯t why she was there. She ced the wine ss on the tray and turned around to face him with her legs crossed. The hand lifting the drink to his lips paused and he looked back at her.

    ¡°Why did you reject my project proposal?¡±

    He cleared his throat as he lowered his hand. ¡°I was wondering how long it would take for you to remember why you are here.¡±

    Her eyes slit. ¡°So you did leave on purpose!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like public humiliation and I had a feeling I had a tongueshinging my way.¡±

    ¡°Did you read it?¡±

    He stared at her.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t, did you?¡±

    As he looked away, he rolled his lips into his mouth, then looked back and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have the time.¡±

    I knew it! She pushed up to her knees and with her fists pressed to her waist demanded, ¡°So why reject it?¡±

    ¡°It solved a problem.¡±

    ¡°What problem?¡±

    ¡°You are no longer in the middle.¡±

    In the middle? Of the big wigs and him? That was his excuse?

    Of all the ¨C she threw her hands up with a huff. ¡°epting it would have solved it just as easily.¡±

    ¡°Then they would threaten you with cancetion right beforeunch or halfway through once I¡¯m gone,¡± he shot back without missing a beat.

    It was like they were in a verbal tennis match and he was Serena to her Venus. As annoying as his logic rang true, it was the gone part that gave her a bad taste in her mouth. Boston wasn¡¯t his home. He was here on a short visit and once his business was done, he would leave. He would leave her.

    She winced at the sudden ache, quickly turning away so that he wouldn¡¯t see it. What¡¯s wrong with you Talia? You aren¡¯t together, so he wouldn¡¯t be leaving you. He would just be going back to his proper ce, while you stayed in yours.

    Even with that internal chastising, it didn¡¯t help. She needed to focus on what she had some semnce of control over because her feelings were clearly not it.

    What had he said, cancetion? Right. Talia hadn¡¯t really considered retaliation for going over the bosses heads, but she wasn¡¯t exactly incapable of handling such issues.

    She turned back to him and stated, ¡°I¡¯m not a pet.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± he asked, confusionmanding his face.

    She took a resolute breath. ¡°I¡¯m not a damsel in distress. I can handle my own business, and when and if I need help, I will be sure to ask for it.¡±

    His face softened, ¡°I was helping.¡±

    Yes, he probably thought he was, but it was the one thing she hated ¨C people thinking she was incapable and making decisions on her behalf. If she was a fan of that, she would still be living with her mother. And besides, he wouldn¡¯t always be here to pave ways for her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember screaming for superman.¡±

    After a short pause and an intense staring match, he blinked first and said, ¡°Noted.¡±

    Her chin dipped in a jerky nod as she congratted herself on this rare win. She might as well capitalize on it.

    ¡°You will read it, and give me proper feedback with an unbiased response,¡± she stated, making sure her voice brokered for nothing less than what she demanded.

    ¡°Summarize it to one page and prepare a ten minute presentation,¡± he returned.

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± She already had all that ready anyway.

    ¡°You have a boyfriend Miss McKenna?¡±

    If she had been on her feet, she would have stumbled and fallen. Instead, she lowered, unsteadily into a sitting position.

    ¡°Where did thate from?¡±

    ¡°Answer the question,¡± he demanded, his signature face mask back in ce.

    ¡°No.¡± she responded honestly, refusing to let her mind skip into fairytalend.

    ¡°Siblings?¡±

    ¡°Only child. Single mother.¡±

    He nodded as if the world suddenly made sense. It annoyed her.

    ¡°What?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Nothing. I just understood where the fierce independencees from.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Ow, the sudden interest in my personal life is nothing but another analysis on his part.

    His little way of trying to get to know her better. But who knew? He wasn¡¯t exactly like most men she¡¯d met.

    ¡°Good. Nowe here and watch the stars with me. I have a few questions,¡± she said, turning around and settling against the sunlounger, crossing her legs at the ankles.

    He appeared at the corner of her eye, pushing the trays to the middle. His hand disappeared for a second and the other side of the sunlounger raised. Heid down, one arm going behind his head, his legs crossing at the ankles as well. She was a little disappointed he wasn¡¯t right next to her but he was here. She would take that win.

    ¡°What¡¯s the question?¡±

    She made herselffortable against the raised back of the sunlounger and stared up at the darkened sky with bright spots where the stars stood.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know anything about constetions would you?¡±

    ¡°Not much, no.¡±

    ¡°Then how can you tell directions? Don¡¯t you read the stars¡­ like ck Beard?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Heughed, loud and hard.

    She smiled cheekily at him. ¡°You¡¯re not a real sailor if you can¡¯t read the stars.¡±

    He shook his head, still smiling. ¡°I have a question.¡±

    ¡°Shoot.¡±

    ¡°First time on a yacht?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I meant, is this your first time sailing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Not much of a water fan.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with the Titanic, would it?¡±

    She groaned, feeling a little bit ashamed. ¡°Ridiculous, I know, but it was based on a true story.¡±

    He chuckled softly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There are no icebergs here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you watched the movie ¨C a movie in fact.¡± She just couldn¡¯t see it, him sitting in front of a screen for two hours straight let alone half an hour watching anything that wasn¡¯t numbers, graphs and the stock exchange.

    ¡°I¡­ dated.¡±

    She heard the hesitation in his voice and it told her he wasn¡¯t sure whether or not to bring up that particr subject.

    Yeah, she didn¡¯t want to talk about that either, so she asked, ¡°Why do you love sailing?¡±

    ¡°Freedom,¡± he responded immediately.

    Just as she¡¯d guessed. Not only was it free, she thought with a shiver, it was getting cold too.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± he asked.

    She nodded, rubbing her hands up and down her forearms. Her exposed legs were worse off.

    He stood from the lounger and disappeared down the walkway on her right. After a few minutes, he reemerged holding what looked like a nket in his hand, to her relief. He sat back down, then pushed up to a kneeling position next to her, opened it up andid it over her legs.

    She sighed and smiled in relief as the cold began to dwindle thanks to the thick woven nket. She tried not to move much as she waited for him to let go of the nket and move back, but he stayed still hovering over her.

    Was something wrong?

 CHAPTER 24

    She looked up and caught his eyes, but the piercing look in them made her lean back, away from him. A lump formed in her throat and she swallowed hard to remove it as her breaths came a little faster. His hands pressed into the leather on each side of her, the throw still clumped in his fists as he leaned closer to her, unblinking, the intensity of his gaze reflected by the pulsing muscle in his neck.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    He was staring at her lips with such passion that it heated her up so much so she wasn¡¯t cold anymore. It might as well have been summer already. In fact, she needed an iced drink at that very moment. This, this was¡­ Talia swallowed again, this was so not going to end well. His eyes looked down and she breathed a little easier, grateful for the respite. She needed to get herself together and out of that situation before it became unbearable to resist any longer.

    ¡°DeLu ¨C mmh!¡±

    Caught off guard, Talia stayed frozen staring at his closed eyes as his lips closed around hers. He kissed her, he was kissing her!

    As quickly as it began, it ended. He didn¡¯t pull back though, he leaned his forehead against hers as he breathed heavily, his eyes clenched shut and a tick in his jaw. She didn¡¯t have to see the rest of him to know, the tension rolled off him in waves. He was fighting himself.

    Talia felt like grabbing at her neck as she fought to pace her breathing but she was too scared to move. She didn¡¯t want to spook him, nor did she want to encourage him. Clearly he was having a tough enough time stepping back. She needed to gather her wits and take control of the situation.

    They just couldn¡¯t do this. She needed to get away from him. She should run, but to where? The yacht was his and currently in the middle of the ocean with nond in sight. And how was she to move from her current position? She was practically surrounded by chiseled arms, broad shoulders and a sculptured chest, trapping her on the sunlounger with its raised back. Not forgetting the throw he had over her legs that he was still holding. There was no quick nor easy escape for her.

    She parted her lips slightly and tried to silently take in arge enough breath to fill her lungs. As she exhaled, he moved. Unlike the first time he kissed her, that felt more like a trial, he pulled her lower lip into his mouth and suckled on it. Gentle, soft like he was trying not to startle her, but she could feel him tremble from the restraint of not losing control. His hands on the lounger by her hips, his face against hers, she could feel the effort it took to hold back from what he really wanted. Knowing that gave her a heady feeling. A rush of tingling sensations began from her lip, trapped between his, and quickly spread like wildfire throughout her body.

    Should she just give in? The thought ran through her mind as he slowly pulled away, releasing her lower lip to capture her upper one. Her hands fisted in herp, a slow burn began in the pit of her stomach; the kiss just as gentle, just as slow. Unconsciously, her body tilted up, her lips moving on their own to return the kiss as the slow fire spread in the pit of her belly, all thoughts of precaution flying away.

    She wanted him to touch her, to hold against his chest as he kissed her. She wanted more. The kiss grew fierce and with his lips against hers he pushed her back, pressing her into the raised back of the sunlounger. Her body jerked, surprising her into breaking the kiss. She looked up at him as he leaned over her, one arm raised to rest above her head. His eyes still tightly shut, his lips moist and slightly ajar as he panted for breath. Her body jerked again and she finally realized the warmth against her naked skin at her hip. It was his hand. His fingers were mped around the waist band of the shorts at her left hip in a fist full hold. Her eyes ran over his hand, his veins had popped up, then up his wrist to the taught muscles of his veiny forearm. He was shaking.

    Immediately as she turned to look up at his face, he caught her lips with his in another frenzied kiss. The little me that had started inside her grew to a roaring fire. His tongue pushed into her mouth to im more of her and her lips weed him as her legs parted in invitation. As the kiss grew wilder so did his tugging on her shorts. She wanted him to stop yanking at the stupid thing and just take them off already. She wanted him on top of her, pressing her into the leather covered mattress of the sunlounger so that she could feel every inch of his body against hers. She wanted to be naked with him in the open ocean and under the dark starry sky.

    So many feelings crushed into her: panic, desire, excitement, apprehension, and she was drowning in them. She was in the waters that surrounded them, her head barely above the surface. There was only one thing clear to her, she was done holding back. She wanted everything.

    Decidedly, Talia opened her fisted hands on herp and raised them to pull him down onto her only to grab air. She felt DeLuca leave her as if he was being yanked away from her by someone behind him. Breathlessly, she opened her eyes and stared after him. He stood right at the railing, his back pushed into it. His hands were mped around the metal rod so tightly his veins from the back of his wrists to his biceps popped. She watched as his chest heaved up and down heavily as he panted for breath, his eyes fixed on her face were filled with unfulfilled hunger.

    He wasn¡¯t the only one. So why did he stop? Had she done something to make him think she didn¡¯t want this?

    Talia rose to her knees and DeLuca quickly turned his back to her.

    ¡°You need to go back to the room,¡± he ordered forcefully through his strained voice. Talia felt the fire inside of her get doused. ¡°We can¡¯t do this,¡± he went on, unaware of what he was doing to her.

    With her bruised pride, she got off the sunlounger and without a word marched herself to the cockpit. She couldn¡¯t believe she¡¯d let that happen.

    What was wrong with me? What was wrong with him? she thought angrily. He said that as if I was the one who seduced him!

    ¡°Talia.¡±

    She stopped before she took the first step down and looked at him through the windshield ss. Her heart leaped a little at the imposing figure he made, standing between the sofa and the sunlounger.

    ¡°Lock the door.¡±

    Her legs suddenly turned to jelly under her and she grabbed the stair railing for support. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want her, on the contrary, he wanted her too much. So what was holding him back?

 CHAPTER 25

    ¡°I almost slept with him.¡±

    Talia made the announcement in the dark and noisy dance floor of the club to Carrie. After agonizing and overthinking about what had happened on DeLuca¡¯s yacht the previous night, she¡¯d decided to join her friend on her weekend club hopping, hoping the loud music and dancing, and of course the alcohol, would help take her mind off things, but she just couldn¡¯t get over the frustration of that night. What annoyed her most was she wasn¡¯t sure what frustrated her most: the almost that never happened or what happened that led to the almost.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t think I heard you right.¡± Carrie stopped bobbing and turned fully to face her, her brows raised right up to her hairline.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Talia took a sip of her martini and said again, ¡°I said, I almost slept with him.¡±

    Carrie¡¯s head reared back and she blinked several times before she chuckled, an evil snarkyugh, her shoulders bouncing in her mirth. She shook her head, waved her hand in front of her face and said, ¡°Okay, before we dissect that, I¡¯m going to need to know which direction we are going. So who did you almost sleep with?¡±

    Talia turned to look straight at the mirror set behind the shelves of different alcohols at the bar and silently chewed on her inner cheek.

    ¡°Mama, you brought up the conversation. Don¡¯t be going silent on me now.¡±

    Talia winced, leaning away when Carrie half yelled close to her ear, presumably to be heard over the music, but she was sure it was more from the alcohol and the excitement of gossip. Maybe not gossip, but the fact that she hade close to breaking her vow of abstinence before marriage. Yeah, Talia could see how the hypocrisy could be amusing.

    ¡°Hold up. You left the office like the devil was nipping at your ass to find Delicioso about your proposal, so¡­ it¡¯s him isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Talia took a frustrated sip out of her martini ss and said, ¡°He¡¯s Italian.¡±

    ¡°Reigning from the same hot species. Is it him or not?¡± she shot back.

    Talia cleared her throat, turned her head away to the side, her left hand rising to rub at her cheek and ear. She jumped when Carrie screamed, quickly turning to face her.

    ¡°Damn girl!¡± she giggled, beyond tickled.  ¡°What? He said no to reassessing your proposal so you decided to take Triple D¡¯s route?¡± She shook her head in a mockingly disapproving way. ¡°She is not going to like that. Be careful, she might just charge you with copyright infringement.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, very funny!¡± Talia retorted as Carrie doubled over in a fit of giggles.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t understand why you are so bothered by it. You saved yourself from what you would call a mistake and what I would call the best ride of my life. Damn, why wasn¡¯t I the one who almost did the boss?¡±

    Talia chewed over her decision before she finally decided to admit that embarrassing little truth she¡¯d been keeping inside. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t you what?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who cooled the train tracks.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Carrie eximed with a pinched brow. When the lines on her forehead straightened and her mouth dropped open, Talia felt the knob of embarrassment turn up a dial.

    ¡°Wow. Okay¡­ wow. Sweetheart, you need another drink?¡±

    ¡®Nope,¡± Talia pouted, but refused to be pitied.

    ¡°You know what?¡± Carrie began, rubbing Talia¡¯s bareback. ¡°Forget him. I bet you all the straight men in this club would give up a limb to do the dirty dance with you.¡±

    Talia just snorted at that. If only it was that simple. The draw she felt to DeLuca wasn¡¯t the one night stand kind of itchy lustful feeling. It was¡­ she couldn¡¯t exin it in words, but it had more weight than that.

    ¡°Did he at least say why you two shouldn¡¯t get naked?¡±

    Talia shook her head, feeling a little more depressed as she remembered how quickly he hurried her away.

    ¡°He couldn¡¯t possibly be married could he?¡±

    Everything inside Talia stilled. There was no way! He would have mentioned that¡­ and especially since his life was practically at par with a celebrity, it would have been mentioned somewhere on a society rag, wouldn¡¯t it?

    But how would she know? She didn¡¯t subscribe to those kinds of newspapers or sites. Maybe she should Google him? She shook her head no, shivering at the thought of happening on a blow up picture of a sexy Italian wife and perfect kids. She was just going to go by the office gossip and live in ignorance for a while. She wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if he was married.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s it. His cult following would have opened a hate page on her on Facebook already.¡±

    Talia rxed at Carrie¡¯s nod, confirming her thoughts.

    ¡°But Talia¡­ maybe it was for the best.¡±

    For the first time since her confession, Talia turned to look at her friend, meeting the worry written all over her face.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know him well enough, and you seriously don¡¯t want to cross more lines than you already have since he came here.¡±

    Talia nodded solemnly. She was right. She¡¯d worked way too hard to risk her career and professional future on a dalliance.

    Remember Talia, he isn¡¯t here to stay. Her heart plummeted to her feet with that thought.

    ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll hook you up on a date,¡± Carrie said cheerfully. Talia groaned, turning away from her friend. ¡°No, no. Hear me out.¡± Talia faced her friend again. ¡°I know a guy whose cousin is a doctor. And the best part is, he¡¯s local.¡±

    Talia snarled at the jab.

    Carrie smiled cheekily. ¡°He might help you get your mind off¡­¡± she tilted her head to the side. ¡°What was it you called him again, the first time he came?¡±

    Talia smiled quietly. ¡°Baby shark?¡±

    Sheughed. ¡°Right. Every shark movie ever made can testify that a human and shark mix never ends well. That kind of rtionship just isn¡¯t meant to be. And besides, your mama loves doctors.¡±

    Talia groaned, reaching for her ss. ¡°She has the misconception that a man who is a doctor is always honest. They took an oath.¡±

    Carrie snorted. ¡°Yeah, to do no harm in their profession.¡± Lips twisted in disgust, she added, ¡°I dated a doctor once. Slept with all willing hospital staff.¡±

    With a slow nod, Talia took a sip out of her ss, not at all surprised. Carrie had dated almost every profession under the sun.

    ¡°The men too.¡±

    Talia spat out half the sip she took and choked on the rest. Her eyes watered and her throat burned as she tried to catch her breath.

    ¡°At least he stayed away from the patients¡­ I think.¡± Carrie patted her back hard as Talia¡¯s coughing fits subsided. ¡°And leave your mother be. We are all allowed our delusions in the pursuit of happiness.¡±

    Talia nodded wordlessly. She just wished her own delusion wasn¡¯t six foot something, olive skinned, dark haired and mysterious with a heavy dose of sex appeal. Nothing good ever came from falling for your boss.

 CHAPTER 26

    Rafe stood, stretching from the chair he¡¯d been glued to for over ten hours now, and turned to sit on the desk, his back to the closed door, as he watched the sky turn a burned orange through the floor to ceiling ss wall that had always been behind him. He always ignored it, but now it had his full attention. He never once looked out of this ss wall and at the beautiful view it provided since he arrived. He always had the shutters down and the lights and air conditioner turned on for light and air cirction.

    Why exactly was that?

    He wasn¡¯t one to get distracted easily. He also wasn¡¯t well known to pay attention to things he believed inconsequential or not worth his time. He snorted sadly at himself. He was too busy with important things to waste his attention. But now, with this deep hole in his chest, he wondered if it would have made some difference if he¡¯d just paused once in a while.

    He sighed heavily, as he looked out at the concrete jungle, wondering if before, he¡¯d ever even once, stopped working and just looked out the window. In fact, what was outside his window at his office in Italy? His brow pinched as he tried hard to remember, but absolutely nothing came to mind. He was sure it was situated in the best part of Rome and next to the water because his father only wanted the best for himself, but¡­ he just couldn¡¯t remember what was outside his window.

    Was this it? The reason why he felt everything was closing in on him, suffocating him? The fact that he hadn¡¯t taken even one minute to just stay still and look around him? He wasn¡¯t sure which analogy fit best, being buried alive or drowning in work and his responsibilities. All in all, he was being robbed of breath right out of his lungs. He swallowed hard, feeling the telltale signs as his heart began to ram against his rib cage like a bull charging it¡¯s pen door eager for freedom.

    Maybe it was time he put down that immense ego of his and talked to someone. Things haven¡¯t felt right in a long time and he needed to figure it out before they got worse. He was Rafael DeLuca II for hell¡¯s sake! It took a lot of effort to step outside of his father¡¯s shadow, to be himself, to coin a name for himself and curve it on the wall of the most respected businessmen in the world. All that effort couldn¡¯t go down the drain because of a nervous breakdown. Just the thought of losing everything because he couldn¡¯t control this need to break out of the cage that his body had be, made his throat constrict as his cor tightened around his neck.

    He yanked his tie down forcefully and kept his gaze focused on the ball of fire descending behind the tall buildings, knowing that what seemed like a stone¡¯s throw away, was the wide open waters that had be his refuge. Freedom, calm, peace. He closed his eyes and imagined himself on his yacht, out in the vast smooth waters surrounded by the ocean breeze. He took a deep breath and his body deted, the tension disappearing, the sound of his heartbeat wild and erratic in his ears getting slower and lower, as it faded away, and suddenly, he could breathe again.

    This couldn¡¯t keep happening. He needed to fix this before it happened in a room full of people. But hadn¡¯t that already happened? Or to be precise, almost happened? He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging like a punctured tube quickly losing air.

    His body immediately stiffened when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Whomever it belonged to had a light touch ¨C no, a seductive touch. Definitely not Talia.

    He felt her shift to stand in front of him and that was when he opened his eyes. When had shee in? How long had she been there? How had he not heard the door open?

    ¡°And who might you be?¡± he asked ndly, staring at the pale blue eyed woman, her red lips pushed out in what was meant to be a seductive pout.

    If this was before, way, way before, his dick would be rising to the invitation of those red lips already. He would be buried deep inside her, hiding from and exorcising the demons that gued him, stealing a few moments of forgetfulness. Oblivion. But sadly, nothing. Another victim of his messed up head.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    But no, that wasn¡¯t correct. He did rise to the asion but only for one person. His dick twitched then at the memory of thest time they were together. What had almost happened, what he had stopped from happening even though he was dying for it to happen, but something in him wouldn¡¯t let him. He was afraid of using her like he had all the other women, like he would like to with the one offering herself to him at that moment. To forget. But Talia, she wasn¡¯t a tool, she wasn¡¯t faceless. She was way too imposing, prepotent in the way she walked, talked and even red to fade into the countless directory of one night stands.

    Talia¡­

    Her name sang in his mind as the memory of how turned on she was was filling his head. He closed his eyes so he could relive that moment. Her heaving breasts right under him. Her gyrating hips as he fought to rip his own running shorts off her. He hadpletely lost his mind with want for her. He never thought the t-shirt and shorts looked good until they were on her. Until this very day, they were where she left them, on a bed he hadn¡¯t dared to upy since shest slept in it. Merde, she had been ready and willing for him. He could smell the arousaling off her, even at that very moment, that sweet scent filled his nostrils and he unconsciously took a deep breath.

    For days the angel and the devil on his shoulders had been going at it: one calling him an idiot for letting that opportunity of a lifetime go by, a night that promised boundless pleasure after a very long dry spell after countless nd nights, and the othermending him on not crossing the line, for not using her like he¡¯d done countless other women. But hell, he was dying to taste her, to have her!

    ¡°I could help you with that if you like?¡± she said, moving to stand between his legs, her hands moving up and down his thighs, close to his crotch.

    He opened his eyes and watched as ¨C what was her name?

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked roughly, his voice heavyden with desire for another woman.

    Her head turned up from where she had been staring at his bulging erection to face him wide eyed. Her eyebrows shot up higher in what he read as disbelief and she blinked several times before she answered, ¡°Becky.¡±

    Clearly, she expected him to know who she was. Had they met before? Something about that name rang familiar but he wasn¡¯t quite sure what. He slowly stood from where he sat on the desk and moved around her to stand by the ss wall.

    ¡°What do you do here?¡± he asked, grateful that the arousal had cleared from his voice.

    From the twitches of uncertainty on her face, he could see hering to the realization that the situation had changed and she wasn¡¯t in a very good position at the moment. It was time for her to recover and backtrack before she truly crossed that line. But as quickly as that moment of hesitation hade, it disappeared and made way for a sultry look of determination. Clearly her n of action was a full force seduction attack as she slowly swayed her way to him, pressing herrge breasts against his chest.

    ¡°Right now, I want to do you,¡± she said, biting her lower lip as she looked up at him from under her thick eyshes.

    People always relied on what had always worked for them before. How many times had she done this and how many had taken her up on her offer? What had she gotten in return, unless she was a crazed nympho? Clearly, she was expecting him to do the same, so it was safe to say she hadn¡¯t batted zero, yet.

 CHAPTER 27

    Talia rose from her desk, proposal in hand, and headed to Rafe¡¯s office. Her steps faltered when she realized how personal she had referred to him. No, she should go back to referring to him as DeLuca, keeping things uplicated. Three days had gone by since that night and, though she¡¯d barely seen him the whole day, she was sure he was going on with his life like nothing had happened, unlike her. She was in her own game of hide and seek, actually a part two of it.

    Before, he was the one avoiding her, now she was the one doing the hiding. But enough of that, she needed her proposal approved and signed. On the yacht, he¡¯d told her to brief the proposal into one page and she¡¯d done just that in three short paragraphs. For her presentation, she had only three minutes to convince him that the project would benefit thepany and she was sure she¡¯d done that too. Now the only thing that was left was presenting it to him and there was no way she wanted an audience or her bosses finding out what she was doing. So, here she was again, one of thest two left behind in the dimly lit, quiet office, a horror movie in the making where the ck girl dies first. She really didn¡¯t like stayingte. The normally lit and semi noisy ce creeped her out when it got so quiet and dark.

    She got to DeLuca¡¯s door and found it ajar. Unusual. He liked to keep everyone out so the door was always shut. She peeked in and quickly took a step back, her heart taking a hit. Breathlessly, she grabbed at her chest and shook her head from side to side. There was no way she saw that right.

    ¡°McKenna.¡±

    She drew in a startled breath and closed her eyes as she sought to settle her upheaved mind. DeLuca couldn¡¯t be that much of a bastard. She may not know himpletely, but she knew him well enough to know he wouldn¡¯t dick around with two women in the same office building, let alone the same floor. Or she was deluding herself and he was the type of guy who required castrating!

    ¡°McKenna.¡±

    That came from too close. She opened her eyes to find him standing right in front of her, the door wide open. She looked past him to see Becky seated on his desk, her mini skirt was so short Talia could see her red panties. Her blouse was so tight, it made her double Ds look like they were busting out of it. She¡¯d changed. That wasn¡¯t what she was wearing during the day. Clearly, she¡¯d carried her other work clothes just for this. How did she even know DeLuca workedte? Talia thought only she and Enzo knew about his bad workaholic habits. But then again, most of the time Becky was like a bitch in heat, so Talia wouldn¡¯t put it past her to spy on DeLuca¡¯s every move. Irritation popped through her like a mint in a shaken Coke bottle.

    Without a word to DeLuca, she pushed past him and walked into the office, a forced smile on her lips. ¡°Becky, I see you are living up to your reputation,¡± she said, forcibly rxing her jaw so that she wasn¡¯t speaking through clenched teeth. No need to lose good teeth over dogs in heat.

    Becky touched the edges of her red lips as she slid off the desk, pushing the skirt higher, making Talia¡¯s lips twist in disgust.This content ? 2024 N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Just doing my job.¡±

    Talia nodded mockingly with an equally mocking smile. ¡°Of course, your moonlighting gig. But,¡± she pointed behind her at DeLuca without turning to look at him, ¡°he¡¯s not a client.¡± She snapped her fingers. ¡°Ah right. Employees get a ride too,¡± creasing her face in fake concern. Then Talia added, ¡°But this isn¡¯t the men¡¯s room. Are you sure you can get in the mood in such a clean ce?¡±

    Becky¡¯s smug smile faltered.

    Talia pped her forehead lightly with her finger tips. ¡°How silly of me. He has a private toilet right there,¡± she pointed to DeLuca¡¯s private washroom. ¡°There¡¯s even a shower,¡± she turned to DeLuca then with a re and sneer. ¡°For when he needs to clean the filth off after.¡±

    The only reaction he gave was a bemused smirk and a raised brow. His hands remained in his pockets.

    Talia looked back at Becky with a tight smile and said, ¡°Could you postpone that? I have a presentation I need to give. You know,¡± she added, waving the file in front of her, ¡°the only job I do for thepany.¡±

    Becky quickly recovered and before she could say what Talia knew she was about to and already hinted at, she said, ¡°You are wee to listen if you would like. There are a lot of clients here, and other employees from different branches and DeLucapanies that you may want to provide your special services to. You might actually help in smoothing things over during implementation?¡±

    Becky cleared her throat, yanked her skirt lower and said, ¡°No thank you.¡±

    She moved to leave but Talia stepped into her path. ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m sure we can work out a favorable schedule for you.¡±

    Becky¡¯s eyes went wide and they quickly shot behind Talia to DeLuca before returning to hers. Talia knew what she was doing was wrong, but the vicious vindictive bitch in her just wouldn¡¯t stop! How dare she try to add DeLuca to her fuck list?

    ¡°It would take a few years, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll fuck ¨C I mean, work your way through the existing list eventually.¡± With a short p of her hands, wide eyed and shrilly giggle she added, ¡°Think of the bonus you¡¯ll get and of course I¡¯ll be sure to make sure you get premium health care benefits to keep,¡± she pointed at her breasts and then her vagina that had been on disy just a few minutes ago then back at her reddening face, ¡°the work tools of yours in tip top shape.¡±

    With ring eyes that would have put holes in Talia if they weresers, she marched past her and out of DeLuca¡¯s office without a backwards nce.

    Talia followed after and watched from the door as Becky disappeared around the corner and waited to hear the elevator ding before she turned around to face the other culprit. He was smiling. Full blown, easy going and rxed smile. She would have smiled back if he wasn¡¯t sitting in the exact same spot that Becky¡¯s naked ass had upied just a few moments ago.

    ¡°You should get your desk disinfected.¡±

    He looked down and then up at her again with a smug smile, ¡°She was on it only when you were in here.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Before that she was standing between your legs while you sat on the other side of it.¡±

    He chuckled which only pissed her off more.

    ¡°Are you trying to catch an STD?¡± she half yelled, pissed. Why she even cared was a wonder to her but hell the image of him and Becky tangled up in naked sweaty sex irritated her to no bounds.

    ¡°So, she is the office whore?¡± he asked in the form of an answer.

    Talia winced at that. ¡°Let¡¯s just call hermunity property.¡±

    After a moment, the smile shrunk and something else took over his face. He looked almost lost.

    ¡°I¡¯m restless,¡± he confessed hesitantly.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she asked, a little confused.

    He took one small step after another,ing towards her; Talia fought not to retreat. His right hand reached out to her left hip and she stepped away then.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your toy,¡± she shot out.

 CHAPTER 28

    He slowly shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. Sex doesn¡¯t fix it, otherwise you would have walked in on a whole lot more.¡± He exhaled heavily, taking a step back, ¡°I tried that countless times before I came here.¡±

    Talia wasn¡¯t quite sure what to say or do. This was a side of him she had never seen. In fact, she was sure he had never shown anyone this version of him. The mask waspletely off and he looked lost, frustrated and tired. Was he at the edge of his rope? Why had he chosen to reach out to her?

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± she asked concerned, her foot sliding forward, wanting to go to him.

    He ran a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh, disheveling it and it was like the action stripped him of thestyer of control he had clearly been holding onto tight with both hands. He looked utterly andpletely worn out.

    ¡°Exhausted, annoyed, antsy, depleted.¡±

    He sounded like it. He also sounded like something else¡­

    ¡°Depressed?¡± she added cautiously.

    He snorted a harsh humorlessugh and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have time to be depressed.¡±

    Concerned, she allowed herself to take those steps to be closer to him. ¡°How are you sleeping?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    He looked down at her with deep solemn eyes. After a long pause he added, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±

    Despite how perfect he may look, Talia realized that mask hid a lot more, probably more than he realized or intended. She was sure there was something very wrong with this man.

    ¡°How about we don¡¯t work for now. Let¡¯s order pizza and watch a movie.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    She chuckled at how shocked he looked and sounded. She moved around him, ced the proposal on his desk and turned back around in time to find him watching her with a puzzled look that made herugh hard.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get myptop as I order pizza. Any movie you would like to watch in particr?¡± she asked as she made her way to the door.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    She stopped and turned to him. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    He shrugged those big shoulders of his and said, ¡°I don¡¯t exactly spend my time watching movies.¡±

    ¡°Or living at all,¡± she said under her breath. Just as he was about to ask her what she¡¯d said, she quickly added, ¡°Give me three minutes. In the meantime, make yourselffortable on the couch.¡±

    When she came back to his office, pizza ordered andptop in hand, she came to a stop at the door and watched him, seated on the three-seater couch adjacent to his desk. He was slouched in it, moving his head side to side and rubbing the back of his neck with a wince or two. Dark bags hung under his almost bloodshot eyes and the days fuzz hade in on his chin and on top of his lip. His skin had lost that rich olive she liked so much and looked pale and discolored. He looked like something the cat dragged in. He looked like he needed to be in aa to get the rest he needed.

    He groaned tiredly then opened his eyes. Talia jolted then and began to walk into the room with a smile on her face. She had a feeling he would not take any kind of pity well.

    ¡°Pizza will be here in ten. Until then, take a shower and rx a little.¡±

    ¡°Shower?¡± his lips pulled up in a tired smile. ¡°Nothing to do with Becky?¡±

    The smile died on her lips and an annoyed brow went up. ¡°Two for one.¡±

    Heughed, quietly shaking his head. He pushed off the couch like an old man with a crinkly back and headed for the bathroom. Talia took the space next to where he had upied earlier and turned on herptop. Bringing up Netflix, she searched for a movie that would put a child to sleep. She was going to bore this insomniac to slumbend. As she searched, she remembered his earlier admission in confused wonder.

    ¡°Who doesn¡¯t watch movies?¡± she wondered aloud with a slight shake of her head.

    Ten minutester, her phone buzzed with a delivery notification. Talia spared the closed bathroom door one look, listening to the running shower water for a minute before she stood from the couch and headed for the elevator. She went down to the ground floor reception area to pick up the pizza, saying a quick hello to the night guard. Since she started workingte ¨C thanks to DeLuca ¨C she¡¯d be friends with the night security guard. Just in case something happened he would care enough toe up to her floor to warn her the nights she was therete. A few images of the Korean Netflix drama Sweet Home popped into her mind and a chill went down her back. Maybe she was the one who needed to watch less movies.

    Back in the elevator with a hot pizza in her hand, Talia suddenly remembered she¡¯d never asked him what kind of toppings he wanted. What if he was allergic to cheese?

    ¡°No way, he¡¯s Italian!¡± she said aloud to herself. But that was worse. Being Italian, what if the pizza didn¡¯t match up to standard? ¡°Forget it. I love the Mexicano pizza. If he doesn¡¯t¡­ well too bad. He¡¯ll have to eat it anyway.¡±

    The elevator dinged on her floor and she came out, walking slowly to hopefully give him time to get out of the shower and dressed. The way they¡¯d left thingsst time had been awkward enough, she didn¡¯t need a repeat.

    ¡°DeLuca,¡± she called out from the door, refusing to walk in on him wet and naked, again. The image of him the first time they met popped into her head making her whimper with unmet desires. She groaned at the butterfly attack in her belly, turning her back to the room. He didn¡¯t need to be jumped. He needed some long overdue rest.

    Sex, has been known to put people to sleep ¨C no! ¡°Talia¡­¡± she warned herself.

    ¡°Do you need to use the bathroom?¡±

    Talia jumped with a gasp, quickly turning around. DeLuca stood by the desk, a towel held up to his wet hair with one hand. He hadn¡¯t bothered to shave but he at least looked like he belonged to the living. He wore cks and a ck button down shirt. They were so casual that they made her question something.

    ¡°You¡¯re shifting from one foot to another like you need to go.¡±

    Ow, if only that was it. ¡°DeLuca, do you sleep in your office?¡± she asked, changing the subject.

    He lowered the hand that held the towel and confessed, ¡°Sometimes.¡±

    She walked into the room. ¡°That¡¯s not good for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Rafe.¡±

    Huh? ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Call me Rafe, not DeLuca, not Rafael. Rafe,¡± he said, slowly approaching her with the smooth movements of a wildcat.

    Talia swallowed hard as she watched him, his wet hair spread out over his forehead, shiny ck and magnifying the intensity in his eyes. That shower hadn¡¯t just refreshed him, clearly.

    She swallowed hard, cleared her throat and asked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s my name.¡±

    ¡°You call me McKenna,¡± she rebutted, the air around her thickening, the butterflies in her belly fluttering around in a spooked craze.

    ¡°Only at the office,¡± he returned, slow, hard.

    ¡°We are at the office,¡± her voice was shamelessly shaky.

    ¡°We are alone, Talia,¡± he said clearly, determined.

    That was a loadedment if she¡¯d ever heard one. She already felt faint from the way he said her name, she didn¡¯t need himing any closer. If he touched her¡­ hell, she was in trouble.

    Her hands tightened around the hot pizza box held in front of her. Good, a barrier between them, for now at least. She let that burn remind her of her original intention. Put Raf ¨C DeLuca, put DeLuca to sleep without being under him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s watch that movie.¡±

 CHAPTER 29

    Talia stretched as she slowly came out of slumber. A muscle in her neck pinched and she winced, wondering if it was time to get a new pillow. As she opened her eyes, she realized her surroundings were unfamiliar to her.

    Where am I? she questioned as she tried to push herself up onto her elbow. Then suddenly she stilled when something moved behind her, almost bumping her arm right from under her. She looked down to see arge sleeved arm next to hers.

    Her eyes went wide. I guess it is safe to presume that that was the pillow.

    She squeezed her eyes shut and bit the inside of her cheeks. No, no, no, no, no!

    First, she took stock of her clothes, running her free hand over them and sighing in relief when she found everything still in ce. Then, slowly, she turned her head to look behind her, trying to not make any sudden movements that would wake him. That was thest thing she needed. There was no need to turn too far, the man was sorge he was everywhere. Talia stared straight into his face and smiled. His head on the arm rest, he was asleep, and from the look on his face, the feel of his heaving chest at her back and how still his eyes were behind his closed eyelids, the man was in deep sleep.

    Mission aplished! Talia cheered quietly in her head, her lips spread out in a wide grin. Yes, it was ridiculous for her to be dancing an internal jive just because the man was asleep, but considering how vulnerable and exposed he¡¯d been with her the night before, it was something to celebrate. She remembered they had started the movie with each of them on the furthest ends of the couch, for obvious, lustful reasons. Then halfway through the movie, somehow his head ended up on herp. Surprised she¡¯d almost pushed him off her but then she noticed his breathing. It was long and deep, like that of a person who¡¯d fallen in slumber. She¡¯d watched the profile of his face, itching to trace out the lines of his nose and lips, to touch his thick long eyshes¡­ but she held herself back and just watched him sleep, the movie all but forgotten.

    She gasped, pressing her free hand over her mouth to mask the sound when DeLuca¡¯s hefty legnded heavily on her thigh. His hand that had beenzily draped over her mid tensed, pulling her tight against him. She lowered, cing her head on his bicep and allowing him to press her back flush against his chest. Surrounded by his warmth and strength, Talia was tempted to just stay there and never leave, but she knew better than that. For one (slowly she turned and lifted her left wrist), the office would be flooded within the hour. She was grateful that DeLuca wouldn¡¯t let the cleaningdy into his office to clean every early morning like the rest of the office. Speaking of which, how did she not hear the loud noise of the hoover? She was a deep sleeper but not that deep of her sleeper. What was she saying? From what she could remember, she fell into slumber in a sitting position, with DeLuca¡¯s head in herp. At some point in the night, their positions shifted and the only exnation was someone shifted her and she hadn¡¯t felt a thing.

    Wait, so did he not sleep well, or had something woken him in the middle of the night?

    The couch wasn¡¯t exactly a king sized bed and his neck was probably hurting something fierce right now. But that wasn¡¯t what she should be thinking about at that moment. Slowly, she wrapped two fingers around the wrist of the arm that had banded around her mid. Ever so slowly, she raised it off her and gently ced it on the thigh of the leg thrown over her. Once that was done, she let out a breath of relief that he hadn¡¯t stirred once and began to calcte how she was to free the lower half of her body. Gingerly, she slid her lower leg off the couch, tightening the muscles of the one above to hold DeLuca¡¯s leg weight as she did, her eyes shut tight and her lips pressed hard together.  Once that one was off, she slowly grabbed one of the couch cushions on the floor and smoothly slid it under his leg as she slowly pulled out her tiring leg from under his. Once that was done, she gingerly sat up and quickly leaped off the couch, careful not to hit the table in front of her. She held still, watching his face to see if she¡¯d disturbed him. He stirred but she quickly grabbed another cushion off the floor and ced it at his chest. He wrapped his free arm around it, shifted to make himself morefortable, then finally, his breathing went back to the deep rhythm of sleep. She sighed her relief then watched him for a few more moments feeling very proud of herself. She¡¯d helped him sleep and she hadn¡¯t needed a sedative or to get naked to do it. Now, she just needed to look like she¡¯de into work and not like she¡¯d slept here.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Quickly but silently, she left the office barefooted and made a dash for her desk. She grabbed her go bag from under her desk and rushed back to DeLuca¡¯s office. Impromptu out of town business trips, client meetings, and of course spilling coffee on herself, had taught her to always have some spare clothes and toiletry within reach. She snuck into DeLuca¡¯s office bathroom, hoping he wouldn¡¯t mind so much if she used his shower.  Fifteen minutester, showered, changed, but sadly with no makeup except for a lip balm, she stepped out of the bathroom with her go bag in hand. She took a look at DeLuca and realized he hadn¡¯t moved since thest time she checked on him. Amazed, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder when was thest time he had slept for so long ¨C no, ording to him, he didn¡¯t sleep at all, so when was thest time he had slept like this? Sadly he would have to wake up soon. She looked at her wrist watch, maybe not so soon. When was Enzo due to arrive? After a few minutes of contemtion, Talia set an rm on her phone and ced it on the table next to him and left, quietly closing the door behind her.

 CHAPTER 30

    ¡°Signore.¡±

    Rafe gave a small grunt of acknowledgement when Enzo called out to him, his mind focused on the paperwork in front of him. It had been a long time since he¡¯d felt energized and not forced to work. He was going to capitalize on that before things went back to normal.

    ¡°You look different.¡±

    That got his attention. With his brows pulled together, he looked up at Enzo where he stood across from him on the other side of the mahogany desk and asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Lips pulled, eyebrows raised, he answered, ¡°Rxed, rested¡­ unlike your normal self.¡±

    One side of Rafe¡¯s lips rose in half a smile. He looked rxed and rested? He sat still and thought on those words and, truly enough, he didn¡¯t feel that ton of weight on his shoulders, his chest didn¡¯t feel packed and congested and he didn¡¯t have that headache that had be normal to him. He was lighter, freer and if he could dare to say, happy. He hadn¡¯t felt happy for the hell of being happy in a very long time. That was something he never imagined he would ever be again.

    So this is how it feels, he thought to himself, to be unburdened.

    His responsibilities were still there but they didn¡¯t feel like they had a choking hold on him like they used to.

    Why was that?

    Talia McKenna, that was why. He had been confused as to why she suggested watching a movie after he¡¯d shown her the one thing he was ready to die before he did ¨C vulnerability. He had expected¡­ well he wasn¡¯t sure what he had expected, but an invite to watch a movie wasn¡¯t it. If he had been open with other people, including his own father, they would have used it against him, capitalized on it for their own benefit, but she¡¯d suggested a shower, pizza and a movie. He looked to the corner of his desk where her proposal sat. There was still time for her to exploit it.

    No, he thought, slowly shaking his head, that just isn¡¯t her.

    So who is she?

    She¡¯s the person who¡¯d helped him sleep. The first to invite him to a movie, the first to pay for dinner even though it was just a pizza. He turned and looked at the couch with a small smile and a burst of emotion in his chest that made him feel elevated. She was the first to let him sleepfortably on herp no matter how ufortable it made her.

    At some time in the early morning, he was pulled from sleep by the sound of a vacuum hoover. He woke up to find his head on herp, when and how it got there he had no idea. What surprised him more was the sleep fog that filled his head and his body dragged, actually draggedzily as he sat up. He watched her for an incoherent moment as she slept, her head lolled back, resting against the wall. It took a long moment for the thought ¡®she must be ufortable¡¯ to process in his mind. It took a lot of effort to shift her on the couch, as he fought off the drag of sleep to ce her in a position where he could cuddle her and they could both sleepfortably.

    Well, somewhatfortably, he thought as he stretched his stiff neck with a smile. Any other time, the slightest difort would have not only woken him but made it impossible for him to get back to his normal fitful sleep.

    Sleeping with her in his arms worked better than any sedative he¡¯d ever been prescribed.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Will you be workingte again?  he wondered, hoping he could get the same treatment that night as the night before.

    He looked at the cellphone on his desk, Talia¡¯s. Thanks to her rm, he¡¯d woken up just as Enzo had walked into his office. She hadn¡¯t bothered toe pick it up yet. He hadn¡¯t seen her the whole day and he questioned if she was avoiding him. But there were two things of hers he had, her phone and her proposal. Sooner orter, she woulde to him and he would be waiting.

    ¡°Will you be workingte again tonight, Signore?¡±

    ¡°Si. You can leave now if you like.¡±

    He gave a single nod, said, ¡°Buona giornata.¡± Then he turned to leave.

    It was an hour or twoter when the sun began to set that Talia finally knocked on his door. With havoc ying in his belly, he watched with a schooled face as she stepped into his office and walked straight to him with easy determined steps. She stopped at his desk, shoulders back, chin slightly raised, all business like. It was amusing how she was working so hard to keep it professional. It was good that she knew they were beyond that now. He still didn¡¯t know what they were but they¡¯d gone past a few gates and were heading to a destination that might keep their lives intertwined for a very long time. For a moment he wished the barrier that the desk presented standing between them would suddenly vanish. Itching to stand and quickly go to her, he leaned back into his chair and fisted his hands on the arm rests, holding himself back.

    They stared at each other in heavy silence that made Rafe antsier for a long while before she finally spoke.

    ¡°You sleptst night.¡±

    Those words weren¡¯t what he had expected to be the first thing out of her mouth. That made his heart skip a little. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, she cared about him. The fact that she stayed all night with him was confirmation enough.

    He smiled openly and honestly, and returned, ¡°Yes, I did.¡±

    She returned the smile with a small nod and said, ¡°So animated movies are like counting sheep to you.¡±

    ¡°No, a warm soft human pillow was what did the trick,¡± he said even more honestly. He recognized he waspletely disarmed.

    She settled him, he realized soberly. All the noise in his head went silent around her. That wired, restless feeling he always got that required him to keep moving or lose his mind disappeared when she looked at him with those illuminating eyes that just seemed so filled with life. A doctor would say she was just what he needed, so why couldn¡¯t he keep her?

    Gabrie? His father? He didn¡¯t need to marry to take over the Rossi¡¯s business. He woulde up with a n to aplish that. It was what he was good at, why he was so sessful. With that settled, it was decided he would keep her. He had to for his own sake. Selfish yes, but he never imed to be a saint.

    Was he really going to keep her? Yes, but for how long? For a day, a month, a year? No, longer.

    He knew instantly as he stared at her smiling calm face that he would never be able to let go of her. He wanted all the time in the world with her. He wouldn¡¯t be able to survive without her; she fixed him. She was a cure he¡¯d been searching for, for years.

    He didn¡¯t love her, he admitted truthfully. He lusted for her that was for sure. For crying out loud her mere presence cured his limp dick. She was the kind of woman who deserved the moon and the stars, the kind of love that only existed in fairytales. But that wasn¡¯t him, he was no Prince Charming. He was worse than Cassanova and had no business bringing her into his world, but damn he was going mad from wanting her and just imagining her with other men made his entire body shake with fury.

    ¡°Did you hear me?¡±

    Her loud exmation cut into his thoughts.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I said I can¡¯t watch with you tonight. I have a date.¡±

    His entire body went still with tension at the announcement. What was this? Was he psychic? As he felt the rage boil in his blood, he at least confirmed one thing. Whether or not she would ever be his, there was no way in hell she was going to belong to someone else.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± The rage simmering in his gut echoed in his voice and he didn¡¯t care if she heard it or not.

    Her eyebrows jumped up to her hairline. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    He shot out of his chair and rounded the desk in three quickrge steps until he was face to face with her. She gasped, startled, and took two quick short steps back. He reached for her before she could take another, his arm going around her waist. She gasped when he yanked her to him, mming her against his chest.

    ¡°There is no way in hell I¡¯m going to let you be with another man.¡± He gritted his clenched teeth.

    He was sure he looked crazy, reconciled that he was acting irrational and out of ce. It was none of his business what she did in her personal life but to hell with that. She needed to understand that her being with anyone else who wasn¡¯t him was never going to happen. Not whilst he was still around, if ever.

    ¡°Excuse you!¡± Hands on his chest, she tried to push away and break free from him. He tightened his hold. ¡°I don¡¯t remember requiring your permission with what I do in my private life!¡± she yelled angrily.

    He didn¡¯t care. She could be pissed all she wanted but it would be a cold day in hell before he let her kiss another man, get touched by a man who wasn¡¯t him, or worse¡­ his jaw clenched so tight his back teeth hurt. Just the thought of her having sex with someone else drove him crazy with rage!

 CHAPTER 31

    She fought harder to break free but he only tightened his hold, wrapping his other arm around her to cage her in. When it was clear to her that he wouldn¡¯t budge, she gave up with a p at his chest followed by a re that could reduce a lesser man to a whimpering fool. He wasn¡¯t that. In fact, the sexual charge running through him made him even more arrogant.

    ¡°Permission? No. Consultation? Most definitely.¡± He lowered his head and kissed her then, punishingly.

    She gasped in his mouth and pushed at him. He moved his other arm to wrap around her shoulders and held her firmly against him, not even air could pass between them. Her protests then changed as she fiercely kissed him back, rising and sliding up his body, as her pelvis pushed up seeking his. He lost it then.

    Rafe dropped his hands to her waist and hoisted her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist immediately. One moment of sanity told him that his door was still open. Yes, it waste and mostly everyone had gone home but he didn¡¯t want an audience ¨C no, he didn¡¯t want any interruptions. Quickly with her still wrapped around him, her fingers fisting in his hair as their tongues dueled aggressively, he quickly closed the distance with fiverge steps, kicked the door shut then pushed her up against it when ittched in ce. Freeing his hand for a moment, he turned the lock to the door then let it roam free all over her body while the other held up her weight. He wanted to touch every part of her and each pass of his hand was full of greed.

    Her pelvis began to push demandingly against him. He shifted her, lowering her to line up his yearning dick and her core, sadly breaking the kiss for a moment. She whined her protest but that quickly changed to whines of pleasure when he began to rotate his hips, grinding against her. With each circle against what he could only picture in his mind as a swollen throbbing clit, her eyes squeezed shut, her mouth opened at a gasp and her body tensed and shook like she was being electrocuted.

    His breaths came hard and harsh as his mind ran wild with imagination. Merde, he wanted her in every which way possible. First he wanted to see her make those little sounds and flinches of pleasure while she waspletely naked, but his hungry dick just wanted to remain pressed up against her core.

    Wet and swollen, the words yed on repeat like a broken record in his mind until his entire body began to shake with unquenched need. His feet moved then and they quickly headed to the couch. He fell on it, with hernding heavily on his swollen and eager member. He hissed in pain and pleasure, his hips shooting off the couch to push up on her as if seeking more. He needed to be in her, now! His hands moved erratically around her waist, searching for a zipper or a button but his mind kept nking out and his fingers shook like a junky needing his next fix with every pass as she rubbed against him, her breasts in his face. Her arms bracketed his head as her hands grabbed onto the back rest of the couch making it impossible to look elsewhere even if he wanted to.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He watched muddled as they bounced right in front of his eyes, heavy wet pants and an apanying sound in his ear as she sought to fulfill her own pleasure in wild abandonment. He wanted them in his mouth, to lick and suck them until she erupted in ecstasy. He wanted them in his hands, the weights cradled in his palms ¨C fuck they would feel great in his hands. As if reading his mind, she leaned back, his head followed eagerly and her hands lifted to her breasts.

    Fuck! He should close his eyes. He was a breath away from losing his load and he wasn¡¯t inside her yet. She shifted her hips and her body immediately seized. Her hands at her breasts squeezed therge molds as tightly as she squeezed shut her eyes as she bit her lower lip. She rolled her hips again, and again her body seized. She was going toe, he could see iting and he hadn¡¯t done anything yet.

    With an arm around her, he slid off the couch and onto the floor between the couch and the table. If his legs weren¡¯t shaking so hard, shifting to the floor would have been more graceful. Immediately his body was settled over hers and between her legs, his hips moved, ramming against her. His body trembled when she gasped in his ear, her body vaulting up as if demanding for more. He felt her hands on his shoulders moving over them as if she was trying to pull him up, urging him to move. He hissed when he felt her teethtch around the flesh at his neck. He felt her tug on his tie and it choked him for a moment before she seeded in pulling itpletely off. She squeezed her hands between them and he felt her undo each button of his shirt with shaky fingers. She wanted him naked just as much as he did her. As he rode her, he expertly undid the buttons of her shirt and immediately reached for her ckce covered breast. Her hand covered his as he molded it, massaged it, fighting to be gentle, but losing to the mounting need to im.

    When she rolled her hips under him, rubbing herself against his pulsing dick, her fingers racking over his bare back, he went with it. Forgetting about finding the buttons or zipper to her trousers, he humped her, pressing down against her with each roll of his hips. She gasped and cried, spurring him on, sending him into a frenzy of need for release. He kissed her, dipping his tongue inside her mouth, imagining all the things he would do to her without the barrier of clothing. Suddenly, she went stiff, her body coiled under him then straightened. With a choke scream, her body erupted in seizures under him as she came. He watched as the emotions yed out on her face and when she went still, he immediately wanted to see here again. He shoved against her, harder with each pass, her body still trembling from the aftershocks of her orgasm. When she lifted her leg over his back, he pressed his naked chest against hers, thece of her bra, the only thing between them.

    He felt her building frustration when she dropped her leg then raised her knees and both of her hands dropped to his ass and squeezed both cheeks as she pulled them up. If he could find the zipper to those damn pants he would have had his fingers inside her ¨C no, his dick would be wrapped inside her eager pussy getting gently milked for every bit of ecstasy he could give. He changed the direction of his hips and grinded on her. Her body shook, then jumped as if she¡¯d had a hundred volts shot through her. Her head fell back, exposing her long neck. The new position pushed her breasts out to him and he reached into the bra and released them both. His fingers went to work, pulling and pinching her nipples as he teased the heavy moulds, his face buried in her neck sucking on the erratic pulse there. After a few seconds, her body began to tremble again, and this time he didn¡¯t want to be left behind. With his elbows on the floor at her shoulders, his forehead pressed to hers, he shoved against her hard repeatedly. The string along his spine got tighter and tighter and his thrusts grew shorter and jerkier. When he felt the string about to break, eyes tightly squeezed shut, he captured her lips in his and in a deep kiss. Her muffled scream and his low grunt in each other¡¯s mouths announced their back breaking release. Rafe fell to the side, pulling her with him. Instinctively, they wrapped their arms around each other, her bare breasts pressed against his naked chest, neither willing to let go of the other. He ced her leg between his as he rode off the embers of best not-sex-but-damn-close-to-it high in his life.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± she asked after a very long while, her voice strained.

    He swallowed hard, trying to get his heart to beat in a normal rhythm again and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. That¡¯s the first time that happened to me.¡±

    She snorted her disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±

    He held her tighter. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe me either. But since it happened with our pants still on, trust me when I say, it was a first for me.¡±

    ¡°What sex?¡±

    After a long pause he admitted, ¡°That wasn¡¯t sex. That was something else.¡± With his fingers at her chin, he turned her head up so that he could look her in the eye and confessed, ¡°I¡¯ve had sex more times than I can count. It has never felt like that.¡±

 CHAPTER 32

    Elbows on the desk, thumbs at her temple and her other fingers intertwined over the forehead of her bowed head, covering her shame-filled face she said, ¡°Carrie, I¡¯m losing my mind.¡± She chuckled dryly. ¡°No,¡± she continued, ¡°I already lost it.¡±

    ¡°Where? I¡¯ll help you look for it,¡± she sniggered.

    Talia knew Carrie was trying to be funny but there was nothing the least bit funny about what had happenedst night. Hot, mind blowing, and a little embarrassing, but not funny.

    ¡°DeLuca¡¯s office floor.¡±

    The sniggering stopped and Talia could almost hear Carrie¡¯s mind work as what she¡¯d said churned in her head, processing those three words and reading in between the lines. She felt a hand wrap around her wrist and begin to pull. Talia tensed her muscles, refusing to budge.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I heard you right!¡± Carrie yelled in a shrill voice.

    Talia¡¯s head shot up to face her with a re. ¡°Sshh! Are you trying to get the entire office¡¯s attention?¡±

    She lowered herself so she was hidden by the cubicle walls and whispered harshly, ¡°Well, you have mine! Do those words mean what I think they meant?¡±

    Talia ced her head back in the position of shame. ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered, too embarrassed to say it any louder.

    ¡°Oh¡­ my¡­ god!¡± she cackled, pping her hands together repeatedly. ¡°You got stuffed with Italian sausage.¡±

    ¡°Carrie!¡± Talia rebuked.

    Carrie grabbed her arm and shook her hard. ¡°Was it good? He¡¯s Italian, I¡¯m sure it was. How did it taste? I bet it was big, damn sure it was! You probably felt like he was breaking you in half when he put it in you! Did your toes curl up? Did you scream? Did you ck out from the mind blowing pleasure?¡±

    ¡°Carrie, will you stop it!¡± Talia forcefully extracted herself from her crazy friend¡¯s grip. She knew telling Carrie would invoke some slutty reaction but this excitement was way over the top. The woman watched too much porn.

    To answer a few of her non-gross questions, Talia had to admit, it was good ¨C no, it was out of this world damn good. It definitely didn¡¯tpare to her one sexual encounter before and yet they hadn¡¯t really done the deed.

    ¡°Talia, answer me!¡± Carrie shrieked, in half a whisper, thankfully, as she grabbed her arm again and shook her.

    Talia pped her hands off and said, ¡°Sorry to burst your porno bubble but all clothes under the waist stayed on.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    With pinched brow, head rearing back, Talia could hear the disappointment in that one sound she made.

    ¡°So what, you dry humped?¡±

    Talia felt her face begin to burn. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°No pration?¡±

    ¡°Carrie!¡±

    The confused look slowly gave way to a cheeky smile. ¡°But he still rocked your world?¡±

    Okay, Talia was done. She needed to go back to work before someone eavesdropped on this rather inappropriate conversation. Why had she even begun it in the first ce? Oh right, she¡¯d lost her mind.

    ¡°Storytime is over,¡± she said, powering up her desktop.

    ¡°Yeah sure, for now,¡± with a sing-song voice Carrie added, ¡°until the sequel that is.¡±

    ¡°There will be no sequel,¡± Talia stated firmly.

    ¡°You trying to convince me or yourself of that?¡± she said with a brattyugh. Then Carrie went back to her seat. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you now, he¡¯s not going to want to end it with just a preview.¡±

    Talia tried to ignore Carrie¡¯s words but she¡¯d also been contemting the same thing since she took off and left him calling after her the night before. Preview? That happened on the yacht when he kissed her. The memory of how he¡¯d tugged on those shorts on the yacht filled her mind and slowly moved to him searching and failing to find her trousers inner zipper on his office floor. He¡¯d pulled at them hard at some point, tearing a hem she noticed, when she¡¯d sent them out to the dry cleaners that morning. She wasn¡¯t sure she would be able to look at that particr outfit the same way again. And the bra, it was stuffed way in the back of her closet. It was her favorite one too, and now it was exiled because of the memories and body reactions it invoked every time she looked at it.

    Talia had to admit Carrie was right, damn her. It wasn¡¯t going to end there. He wouldn¡¯t let it end there and if she was being truly honest with herself, denying it was the biggest bluff she¡¯d ever pulled. She remembered for a moment, as she wasing down from the high and was contemting taking another ride on the wild roller-coaster ride of lust, he¡¯d asked her where the buttons or zipper to her trousers were and her mind kicked into gear and began to work again. Without a word, she¡¯d made a mad dash out of that office without a backwards nce. That should never have happened, and much less in the office, for crying out loud. She stared blindly at the desktop screen, her hands fisting at the sides of the keyboard. She was close to graduating to Triple-D status!

    Becky would be so proud! At least for a second before she skinned me for trespassing on her territory. She sighed at the self-depreciating thought.

    She was a hypocrite. After running Becky off, she went and did the exact same thing she¡¯d been angling to do. She was a slutty hypocrite, and one that needed to avoid Rafe ¨C no, DeLuca, like the gue. But that wouldn¡¯t be so easy. Yet again she¡¯d left her phone in his office and she still needed to get her signed proposal from him. But¡­ what if she sent Carrie for them, or asked Enzo to hand them over? Yeah right, Enzo doing her a favor. She would have to ask Carrie, but arrgh, the brat was enjoying this too much to say yes.

    ¡°Miss McKenna.¡±

    Talia jumped in her seat with a gasp, startled. She looked up with a hand pressed over her racing heart to find Enzo standing over her with a school ma¡¯am look on his face.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Damn Enzo, make some noise next time,¡± Carrie said from behind her. Clearly Talia wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d had ten years of her life stolen from her.

    ¡°It¡¯s Signore Romano to you,¡± he stated arrogantly, his pinched mouth pushing his nose up.

    Talia rolled her lips into her mouth to hide her smile. Lightning was about to strike.

    ¡°Stick that nose any higher and you¡¯ll catch more than you bargained for,¡± Carrie warned in a veiled threat. If there was one thing she hated, it was a man looking down on her as if she was beneath him, and Enzo fit the criteria of getting punched in the face.

    Before it escted to bloody noses and pink slips, Talia said, ¡°Signore Romano, how may I help you?¡±

    With a dismissive sigh, he turned to Talia. Quickly she pushed her seat back against Carrie¡¯s to trap her against her desk. As fun as it might be to watch Miss Unfilter and Mr Rude go at it, she cared too much about her friend to let her end up in jail with assault charges.

    ¡°He wants to see you.¡±

 CHAPTER 33

    Talia¡¯s blood ran cold as she sat frozen in her seat. Then just as quickly her body flushed as the memories of the previous night invaded her thoughts. This can¡¯t be happening! Her mind screamed at her. She wasn¡¯t ready to step into that office again just yet. The shame was still too fresh.

    ¡°Why?¡± she squeaked.

    His brows pinched together confused and she realized then it would have been better if she hadn¡¯t sounded like a mouse in a trap when she asked that.

    ¡°You¡¯ll find out once you go.¡±

    That was just it, she was scared to. What if what he wanted was that sequel Carrie was so excited over?

    ¡°Do I have to?¡± she asked. The words quietly slipped out without a thought.

    ¡°Any reason not to?¡±

    That caught her guilty ass by surprise. What was she doing? Thest thing she needed was anyone getting suspicious about her and DeLuca¡¯s¡­ interaction. If she dared call it a rtionship, she would be opening doors to possibilities that her career couldn¡¯t afford.

    With a jolt of courage, she stood up from her seat and with a forced smile said, ¡°Nope, none at all.¡±

    He gave her one critical once over, a short nod then turned on his heel and left. Talia turned to look at Carrie, silently screaming for help. She shook her head slowly side to side with a shit eating grin on her face.

    ¡°You better wipe off that ¡®I¡¯m about to get skinned¡¯ puppy dog look off your face if you don¡¯t want to raise any more suspicion than you already have,¡± Carrie said. She giggled with evil smugness. ¡°Highbrow isn¡¯t as stupid as he looks.¡±

    Talia sighed heavily, dropping her head till her chin touched her cor bone. She was bound to face him at some point; it was best to get it over with now.

    ¡°It¡¯s a full building, he wouldn¡¯t risk you getting heard when you scream in ecstasy.¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Talia leveled a withering re at the snickering witch and said, ¡°Not, funny.¡±

    With that she summed up whatever courage she had left and began her long walk to the crime scene. On her way, she spotted a few females huddled outside DeLuca¡¯s office, all whispering with a particr interest in one thing: for the first time in weeks he¡¯d actually returned a salutation. So he was in a good mood. She was d for him and the rest of the people who had to work with Mr. Sourpuss. But Talia couldn¡¯t help but worry what this new jolly mood meant for their situation.

    Once at the office entrance, she took a deep calming breath then rapped three times on the open door. He looked up and the moment his eyes settled on her face, a slow smile began at the side of his full lips growing into a full blown one that for a moment, muddled her head and turned her knees to jelly. Yup, she was in trouble.

    ¡°Come in and close the door behind you.¡±

    Talia stepped inside, she reached for the door and froze. Closing it may not be such a good idea, she thought as she stared at it like a life raft. Yeah, leave it open and risk his loitering fan club hearing about my slutty night? No thanks. With great effort, she pushed the door and watched it swing shut, like a person facing life in prison the first time the cage bars slid shut in their face, the sound of ittching echoing in her chest. Now what?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to jump you. I just got tired of being watched like a zoo animal.¡±

    Said the lion to the stupid sheep who walked right into his den. She should be relieved with that surety but she didn¡¯t believe it for one second. Keep the topic light and focus, she said to herself before she turned around, keeping her eyes far away from that spot.

    ¡°They want to know why you¡¯re wearing a turtleneck,¡± she said as she approached the desk, proud of how calm and leveled her voice sounded considering her nerves were fried. She¡¯d caught that particr interest as she¡¯d walked by them. Apparently a change of style required an investigativemittee.

    The side of his lips lifted in a smug half smile as he pulled at the ck cloth at his neck. ¡°Someone left this here. Thought it would be best to cover it.¡±

    A little confused, she leaned a little closer to see, only to jump back flush faced. It was a hickey. He was hiding the evidence ofst night. She needed out of that office immediately.

    ¡°Why do you want to see me?¡±

    ¡°Have a date tonight?¡± he asked.

    If she heard right, there was a warning in his tone. ¡°Why?¡±

    He slowly stood, unfolding all six foot plus of him out of the seat and said, ¡°Say yes and you¡¯ll find out.¡±

    Surprised, Talia took three quick steps back. This was a mistake. She shouldn¡¯t havee here. Forget her phone, she¡¯ll just buy a new one. The proposal, she felt her fingers and toes burn with restless anxiety, there was no way around that. She needed to get them fast and escape that room and the sexual charge that had already begun to fill it before he made good on that threat. This was howst night started and she wasn¡¯t looking for a repeat with his fans on the other side of the door.

    Her eyes surveyed his desk until she found them. Her phone and proposal were seated on the far corner of his desk, within reach.

    She looked at him and asked, ¡°You signed it?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±

    With a darkening gaze, he took one step to the side and Talia¡¯s hands immediately clenched at her sides. She needed to leave, now! With a mad dash, she grabbed her phone and the proposal off the desk and quickly took several steps back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll set up a meeting with finance about the budget,¡± she rapped out.

    When he rounded the desk, she took off for the door. All she needed to do was open it, hopefully. She grabbed the handle, turned it down and yanked it open. She turned just in time to see hime to an instant halt just five steps away. The jerky muscle in his clenched jaw told her he wasn¡¯t the least bit amused by her stunt. She, however, smiled, taking the win to her threatened virtue.

    ¡°Have a nice day,¡± she announced triumphantly, stepping out of the office and leaving the door open as she¡¯d found it.

 CHAPTER 34

    Rafe red at the closed door, his good mood disappearing as fast as she¡¯d ran from him. That hadn¡¯t happened as he¡¯d expected, but then again neither hadst night. He had an inkling of the type of woman she was, but he¡¯d thought that she would want to be with him as much as he wanted to be with her, or for the very least to cling to him. He¡¯d had women glue themselves to him for much less than a kiss and they¡¯d, they¡¯d gone beyond just a kiss, though not far enough. But still! He¡¯d never given a wider opening to anyone to get what they wanted from him. He was more than ready to give her whatever she wanted, he even signed the proposal without reading it for crying out loud! Not his finest moment, but at the instance he wanted something priceless from her, so parting with a few million a year was worth it. Hadst night meant nothing to her? It had meant everything to him. For one, he¡¯d slept again, not as well as he had with her in his arms but enough to put him in a good mood. He¡¯d evenughed at the hickey on his neck, but now¡­

    He stood for a while beside one of the guest chairs, his left fist punching down on the back rest in rhythm as his frustration slowly mounted. He was clearly wrong about this whole situation. The struggle wouldn¡¯t be with his family epting his rtionship with Talia, it would be getting Talia to be in a rtionship with him. Eventually his fist stilled and his head turned towards the ringing of his cellphone on his desk. He watched the lit screen for a while before he finally decided to answer it. He stepped closer to his desk, leaned over it and grabbed the noisy device. His thumb slid over the lit screen before he lifted it to his ear.

    ¡°Che cosa?¡± he barked into the receiver.

    ¡°Good morning to you too,¡± His cousin Angelo¡¯s surprised voice came through.

    Rafe stayed silent, his jaw clenched, an itch at the back of his neck. He wasn¡¯t in the mood for sarcasm.

    ¡°Cugino, stai bene?¡±

    The concern in his cousin¡¯s voice only made the itch worse as the heel of his foot started to bounce. No, he wasn¡¯t okay, he was far from it, but that wasn¡¯t something he wanted Angelo to know. Of all his family, his cousin was the only one who knew him best, or to say it inly, Rafe¡¯s confidant. When he¡¯d told Angelo that he¡¯d wanted to crawl out of his skin, he suggested getting away, and knowing that his father would give him a difficult time over it, he discovered a problem in the Boston office, a perfect excuse for his escape. Yes, because that was what this trip was, an escape, and it didn¡¯t seem to be working until he met her.

    Talia, the stubborn siren!

    ¡°Rafe?¡±

    ¡°Si?¡± he finally responded.

    ¡°Do you need me toe down there?¡±

    Rafe bit down at the back of his teeth harder. That was thest thing he needed, a nanny. Angelo had been the first one to voice out the word depression and Rafe had an inkling he was where his mother had picked it up from.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need a babysitter,¡± he hissed through clenched teeth.

    ¡°No, but you need someone. You are not okay Rafe, and as much as your macho self won¡¯t ept it, your sanity is hanging on by a thread. Maybe this going away wasn¡¯t such a good idea.¡±

    With a heavy sigh, Rafe closed his eyes and rubbed his brow with the fingers of his free hand. ¡°I¡¯m not seeing a shrink.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± he said. Rafe could hear the sneer in his voice. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly have your family¡¯s reputation ruined.¡±

    When Angelo started cursing in Italian he was tempted to hang up but didn¡¯t. His concern was valid, as annoying as it may be. Rafe was grateful for that, for him. He was probably the only one who didn¡¯t want, nor need, anything from him. Rafe¡¯s aunt married an average man. His father said it was her way of rebelling, but as he watched how happy she was in her normal family, Rafe realized she wasn¡¯t rebelling, she had run away from the unrealistic demands and expectations, the farce that was the DeLuca family. She chose her happiness over a billion dor inheritance. He envied that, the quiet free life. He envied even more how free Angelo was raised with normal expectations and no demands as to where he should go to school, who he should associate with, his grades, his girlfriends, his livelihood, his wife. Just thinking of Gabrie put Rafe in a bad mood. He always thought that once he took over from his father, he would be able to make his own decisions, live his own life, but he was never more wrong. The leash around his neck seemed to tighten with each passing year. Sometimes Rafe wondered if this sess was even his. How much of it was his father and his strings behind the scenes and how much of it was Rafe¡¯s own effort? Angelo was a self-made man. A sessfulwyer who had offers from every topw firm in the country before Rafe begged him to join him at the DeLuca Empire. Rafe knew he wouldn¡¯t have done it if Angelo hadn¡¯t seen how desperate he was. He just couldn¡¯t walk into that lion¡¯s den alone. Rafe smiled quietly. There was no fronting with Angelo. He was the only one who saw him, ws and all. Well, not anymore, there¡¯s Talia¡­ but she¡¯s currently on the run from him. Maybe she saw his baggage and didn¡¯t want anything to do with it? Or maybe he¡¯de on a little too strong? He couldn¡¯t be med! She was the oasis to a mad driven thirsty man under a burning sun.

    Rafe snorted a shortugh as Angelo kept going with the insults, all attacking his ego.

    And everyone says I¡¯m the one with the short fuse.

    ¡°Cugino, how long is your tirade going to take? I still have work to do.¡±

    ¡°Inferno! Fine! You have a date with the boys tonight. Don¡¯t miss it.¡±

    With that deration he hung up and Rafe was left wondering why he hadn¡¯t told him about Talia. They had no secrets, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t feel like sharing anything about her. He threw up his hands and went back to his chair. What did it matter anyway? The way she was acting, something was bound to turn into nothing.

 CHAPTER 35

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you are here with me, again!¡± Carrie shouted over the loud music as she jumped around to the beat.

    Talia nodded, amazed herself. She was more of a jazz lounge kind of girl, and yet here she was again, at a club, skimpily dressed again, hoping to get Rafael DeLuca out of her mind, again. What was wrong with her? He was just a man, and yet he had her doing things she normally wouldn¡¯t, like having an orgasm on the boss¡¯ office floor. Talia ran her hand down the single braid of her hair. She needed to figure her life out. She needed to get a grip on reality and her sanity. Nothing good coulde of it.

    ¡°Instead of getting an ulcer over it, why don¡¯t you just get it over with?!¡±

    ¡°Get what over with?¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t act stupid. You know what I mean. Sleep with him.¡±

    Talia red at her friend, wondering again, how they became and remained friends for so long. Carrie was way too liberal when it came to sex and Talia was not. She still believed in the one and having her first being the only one. Granted, that hadn¡¯t gone very well for her, but she was hoping it would with the second guy and it happening with her boss wasn¡¯t what she¡¯d imagined. Did she want to sleep with him? Hell yeah! Dreamt about it almost every night, came close to it twice and convinced herself that doing it once wouldn¡¯t be so bad. The saying did go ¡®third times the charm¡¯, but still, it wouldn¡¯t be so simple with Mr. Would-be-second. She liked him a lot. Like a teenage girl¡¯s first crush a lot. Falling in love with DeLuca felt as simple as taking a breath and she¡¯d taken several already. But nothing good ever came from falling in love with the boss, especially one of his caliber who was around temporarily, despite what all the romance novels ever written on the subject say.

    ¡°Or, get under him.¡± Carrie wiggled her eyebrows and with the jerk of her chin, pointed behind her.

    Talia turned around to find a man seated on her bar stool, his eyes moving over her as he mentally undressed her of her short ck halter dress. Did he not see my jacket and bag? She thought with a strained smile.

    ¡°Let me buy you a drink,¡± he yelled over the music as she approached him.

    ¡°You¡¯re in my seat,¡± she returned.

    He nodded slowly, his lips pulling in what was meant to be a seductive smile and then he patted his thigh and said, ¡°We can share.¡±

    She snorted, shaking her head slowly. What happened to men being gentlemen? And here it was, in the flesh, the other reason why she avoided clubs.

    ****

    Rafe entered the noisy dark club wishing he hadn¡¯t listened to Angelo. This was thest thing he needed. What he needed was Talia, but for some reason, her phone was off. He rubbed his temple, a headache alreadying in thanks to the loud pounding of the music beats. He hated clubs. Thest time he¡¯d been in one was in college, then thankfully he¡¯d discovered bar lounges, his favorites were jazz lounges. Now that was therapy. When the music changed and the beats got more unbearable, Rafe¡¯s feet stilled as he debated leaving all together. He hadn¡¯t seen most of his college friends in years and they kept more in touch with Angelo than him. He wouldn¡¯t be missed if he didn¡¯t show up.

    ¡°Were you just about to ke on us?¡±

    Rafe looked up to meet the owner of that voice. Standing a few steps up, drink in hand, suit a little disheveled and a Wall Street smile on his face, Rafe wondered who the hell he was.

    ¡°Your cousin was right to have me meet you at the door.¡±

    He rushed down the remaining steps and came to a stop right in front of Rafe, holding his hand out. Rafe shook it, a tight smile on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, DeLuca.¡±

    Rafe just nodded. He didn¡¯t have the right response for that. He couldn¡¯t remember the man, not even a slight impression.

    ¡°How are you?¡± he asked instead to be polite.

    ¡°Great now that you¡¯re here.¡±

    The man stepped beside him, put an arm around Rafe¡¯s shoulders and tugged him forward. Rafe¡¯s fists tightened beside him at the contact as he reluctantly followed. He didn¡¯t like being crowded.

    ¡°Angelo says you¡¯re paying.¡±

    ¡°I bet he did.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we won¡¯t bankrupt you. If anyone could ever!¡± he added with a loud obnoxiousugh.

    Rafe took in a deep draw and held it. Somehow, he had the feeling that this wasn¡¯t going to be the harmless fun Angelo had nned it to be. But it may be better this way. Rafe wasn¡¯t good at small talk and he couldn¡¯t even remember the man next to him to reminisce. At the top of the steps they took a turn and, thankfully, the music wasn¡¯t as loud.

    ¡°Gentlemen, look who¡¯s here!¡± hispanion announced stepping into the room.

    The crowd of around ten men, each with a woman who looked hired next to him, stood with a cheer, all calling out his nickname as if he was their long lost best friend. As much as he didn¡¯t like being called Rafael, he liked it even less when people he didn¡¯t know called him Rafe.

    ¡°Where is Diggle?¡±

    The man Rafe, yet to know his name, asked from where they still stood by the door. The menughed and sniggered, then pointed out therge window at their backs.

    ¡°Trying to hit the chick in the little ck dress,¡± one of the men answered, pointing out the window.

    Hispanion rushed to it like a green teen and whistled loudly. ¡°Damn, she¡¯s hot. Look at that ass! Rafe,e see.¡±

    Rafe pulled at the neck cor of his shirt, irritated and yet bemused at the idiocy of the situation he was in. He should probably leave before he said something to ruin this little party of theirs. Clearly, not reading his mood, the man came to him, grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the window.

    ¡°Look, there they are.¡±

    The tightness in his neck told him it was time to leave. Just as he was about to excuse himself, something familiar caught his eye. He stared at the object of everyone¡¯s fascination and his whole body went rigid. He recognized that body and he didn¡¯t like how close that asshole was to it.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go down for a closer look?¡±

    They moved to a VIP section downstairs with a full view of the bar, no ss between. The rest of them were still giggling like school boys, taking bets on how long it would take that idiot ¨C what was his name? What did he care! He was an asshole asking for a beating as far as Rafe was concerned and these other assholes were taking bets on how long it would take him to close the deal. What annoyed Rafe the most was that, from where he was seated, there was no reason whatsoever for her to not be able to see him. That asshole had turned around a few times to wink at the group of horny school boys!

    One hour had gone by and Talia still hadn¡¯t acknowledged his presence. She must be doing it on purpose. How interesting could that guy she was standing at the bar with be? Her friend, he¡¯d noticed she was always with from the office had gone to the dance floor with someone else, leaving Talia alone with the idiot. Rafe felt all the muscles in his body clenched when the asshole got off the bar stool and stood close to her, whispering in her ear. Talia then leaned back against the bar, looking in his direction, in fact, she looked right at him, but she might as well be staring through him. Did she really not see him or was she trying to get on his nerves? Because it was working.

    Yes, they kissed and dry humped to nirvana, but were they dating? No. They weren¡¯t anything and she certainly wasn¡¯t his. But was that going to stop him from putting his fist in that idiot¡¯s face and im her? No.

    Just as he stood to do just that, Talia grabbed her purse and coat and walked towards the exit.

    ¡°Rafe, where are you going?¡± what¡¯s-his-name called out to him, stopping his progress.

    He shouldn¡¯t follow her just yet. He needed to calm down first, and besides, he knew where she lived.

 CHAPTER 36

    The banging on the door woke her. At first she thought the banging was the headache thanks to the several shots Carrie had shoved down her throat, but then she began toe fully awake and her mind shifted to the thoughts of someone trying to break into her house. That was until she heard a familiar ented voice call her name. Confused, Talia dragged herself out of bed and shuffled her heavy feet to her bedroom door. She opened it only to flinch at the loud banging that shook her door with such force, one would think there was a bulldozer on the other side. Thinking of her neighbors, especially the olddy down the hall thatined about every little thing ¨C it was amazing she wasn¡¯t already outside yelling about the noise ¨C Talia ran the short distance of her open space living room and kitchen, between the two doors and yanked it open.

    ¡°What is your problem?¡± she yelled at the intruder a decimal above a whisper.

    It took her a moment to realize who the six feet plus wide frame in different clothes than he had earlier that day, though disheveled matching his hair, stood in front of her, his hand interrupted mid knock, slowly lowering to his side. It was the look on his face that made her flinch. Leave alone a bulldozer, he looked like a raging bull ready to stomp her into the ground with his Italian leather d hooves.

    ¡°Signore DeLuca?¡± she started when his ring down at her with twisted lips finally got to her. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond, just kept ring, his chest moving up and down in deep heaving breaths. What exactly had she done to piss him off so much? She opened her mouth to ask when the sound of Mrs. King¡¯s door opening alerted her of more troubleing down her way. She had a cat door cut out at the bottom of her door with a little bell on it that alerted her of when her cats came and went. Three other people lived on that floor, all grateful for that little bell. Quickly, Talia grabbed thepels of DeLuca¡¯s overcoat and pulled him in, quickly and as quietly as she possibly could, shutting the door behind them. She leaned back against it, with her eyes closed tight waiting for her to knock and yell herints like she always did, but the ringing came again and the sound of the door closing followed. Talia sagged against the door and sighed her relief.

    She turned to face the intruder who was at least no longer puffing hot air out of his nose and ears like he was a moment ago, but he still stood stalk still, fisted hands at his sides, his eyes wide with ire and lips pressed in a t line.

    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?¡± she asked beyond irritated.

    She should be the one who was pissed. He¡¯d woken her up like a loan sharking to collect ate payment. Her eyes narrowed and her head tilted to the side when she realized something.

    ¡°How did you get my address? How did you even get into the building?¡±

    ¡°Are you alone?¡± he demanded. He didn¡¯t yell, his voice was one leveled, but there was a lethal tone to it that made her step back.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    DeLuca took a small step towards her, but that step, the way his body moved, wasrge and threatening, like a predator advancing on its prey and it made her slide back until her back pressed against the door, her hands pressed t against it.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    His eyes moved over her with a re in them, moving from her bare legs and stopping at the hem of the loose fittingrge t-shirt that ended right below her crotch, barely covering her ass. His eyes kept moving up, stopping at her chest where her braless boobs hung free. She pulled up the sagging neckline over her shoulder and crossed her arms over her chest.

    His eyes, effectively rejected, moved up to hers. He asked again, ¡°Are you alone?¡± Each word delivered hard and pointedly.

    The brat in her wanted to say ¡®it¡¯s none of your business¡¯ but the reasonable part of her that was fully aware of her situation responded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    She yelped when he grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her to him. She banged against his hard body, her toes twisting painfully at the high hold he had on her, forcing her to the very tip of them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever let a man touch you like that again.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± she huffed, her brows pinching in her confusion. ¡°What are you mmm!¡±

    He cut her off by pressing his lips hard against hers in what she recognized as a punishing kiss. She pushed her hands between them and forced them up to his shirt cor. She grabbed each side and dragged him back. The kiss broke and she gasped for air. She knew what kissing was but that felt like he was trying to suck the air out of her lungs.

    ¡°What is wrong with you? What man?¡± she asked with heavy pants for air.

    His grip tightened around her arms.

    ¡°I saw you today at the club,¡± he said harshly through clenched teeth.

    Talia sighed tiredly, bowing her head, closing her eyes. Going to the club had been a desperate attempt to get her mind off DeLuca. The little dirty dancing on the dance floor, though unexciting to her, seemed to send the wrong message to her handsy partner, forcing her to leave early after she¡¯d made sure Carrie was okay and with her clubbing crew. She felt very stupid about her actions, but she was d she hadn¡¯t made a dumber mistake just to exorcise DeLuca.

    Speaking of her demonic possession, she looked up, her eyes catching a red print on his neck, the cor held open by her hands. Angry, she pried that left side wider. ¡°You seem to have had a great time yourself.¡±

    She red up at him and pushed out of his grip forcefully. His hands on her arms dropped. She¡¯d only taken a step back before he drew her back against him, his arm around her waist, the other wrapped around her back to trap her against him.

    ¡°I was pissed when I saw your public forey.¡±

    She chortled, unamused. ¡°So what? You decided to have revenge sex?¡± she spat out angrily as she fought to get out of his hold but his arms only tightened around her.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    She stopped fighting and looked up at him dumbfounded. A sane man would have made all the excuses under the sun before they admitted that, but what did she care? She wasn¡¯t his girlfriend. They weren¡¯t an item, they were nothing!

    ¡°Get out!¡± she yelled, and she began her struggle in earnest.

    His hands moved to the back of her neck and held her still. ¡°I told you, sex doesn¡¯t work for me.¡±

    ¡®Then why are you here?¡¯ the words held on the tip of her tongue, but she knew it would lead somewhere. Instead she said, ¡°I quote, ¡®don¡¯t let any man touch you like that,¡¯ end quote. I think you should let go now and head back to wherever you came from.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the exception.¡±

 CHAPTER 37

    Rafe grabbed the back of her head and brought her lips to his, devouring them like a man starved. Of what? He couldn¡¯t exin, but there was something about her that made the animal in him want to im her. All of her. The thing inside him that had been restless for months, wanting to w out of his body but remaining stuck inside, it wanted her. Like a drug that calmed the storm inside him, he couldn¡¯t be without her, he needed her. Just remembering how that bastard had his hands all over her made him so crazy, as he held her lips hostage with his, he let his hands run over her, recing the touch of that asshole with his.

    Talia broke away from him, gasping for air. ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t breathe. This is way too intense!¡±

    Intense? She didn¡¯t know half of it. Her flushed face and discedrge and loose shirt that didn¡¯t hide the tight pebbles that her nipples had be only made it worse. He was so hard, his pants felt so tight that it hurt. He was ready to explode and not just in that way, something inside him was trying to w its way out with such force; it made him dizzy with need. As he stared at her chest, moving up and down heavily, his vision began to blur and he could hear the sound of his blood pumping in his ears like a loud echo. The cor around his neck grew tight and he pulled at it. This was what had sent him running out of that hotel room half an hour ago, away from a very willing and naked woman. His feet dragged forward, one after the other, his focus on the barely worn t-shirt on Talia¡¯s body as his heart beat a tattoo in his chest. Someone, someone who wasn¡¯t him, almost got to take that off and see what was under. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat but it would go down.

    Someone almost took her from me!Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°DeLuca. DeLuca. Rafe!¡±

    He could hear her calling him, but for some reason, it sounded so far into the distance he wasn¡¯t sure if it was really true. How long before he couldn¡¯t trust his own mind? How long before it rebelled against him? This isn¡¯t normal, nothing about the charge rushing through him, making every nerve in his body twitch, was normal. All he did was touch her and it was driving him half crazy.

    He felt a light touch on his arms and a barely discernible squeeze on them.

    ¡°Rafe, there is nowhere else for me to go. Are you awake? Can you breathe?¡±

    He heard her again, this time more clearly. Maybe it was the shaking that cleared the cotton out of his ears or was she yelling? It was happening again, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Cosa non ¨¨ normale? cosa sta sedendo di nuovo? Stai avendo un atto di panico?¡±

    His head shot up at that phrase. He heard that loud and clear. Thest person to ask him that was his mother. What happened around that was a haze but he remembered those words clearly because his mother was in tears when she said them. Panic attack? No, he wasn¡¯t panicking, he was just losing his mind, all because another man had dared to touch what was his!

    His hands shot up and pressed against the wall above her head. ¡°Why are you speaking to me in Italian?¡± he asked, as his mind journeyed slowly back to the here and now.

    Her brows pinched and she said, ¡°What? Did you not hear what I asked?¡±

    He wanted to shake his head to clear the remaining cobwebs to give her a fitting answer, but he needed his mind to work to do even that.

    ¡°Are you drunk or high?¡±

    ¡°None,¡± he answered simply.

    ¡°Well something is wrong. I spoke to you in Italian because you were mumbling in Italian!¡±

    Mumbling? He¡¯d truly lost it. He shut his eyes and swallowed hard. Focus on the here and now. Damn it, wake up!

    He needed¡­ the painful pulsing in his pants drew his attention. Clearly that hadn¡¯t gone down despite his brain taking a momentary leave of absence. Without wasting another moment, he shed the extrayers he had on, his overcoat, suit jacket and dress shirt, reached down cing his hands at Talia¡¯s thighs, picked her up and pushed her up high against the wall. She gasped in shock, quickly wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What I¡¯ve wanted to do for months.¡±

    He freed up one hand, gathered the side of her shirt that wasn¡¯t dangling off her shoulder and pulled it down, baring her breasts to him. Full andrge, they made his heart jump and his chest filled with need. He stared at them, wondering where to start, his eyes moving down to the chocte drops tightly clenched and begging for his attention.

    ¡°DeLuca!¡± Talia eximed, pushing at his shoulders.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± he ordered.

    When her chest pushed out as she was struggling to push him away, her breasts pushed closer to his face, like an offering, begging for attention so he did just that. He pounced, capturing the pebble between his lips and sucking on it like he would an edible flower before he feasted on it. He heard Talia gasp above his head. She stopped pushing him away, her hand going to the back of his head as she tried to shove more of her into his mouth. This was what he loved most about her, it took the slightest touch to rouse her desire. She wasn¡¯t very experienced, he realized. The lightest touch would bring out the biggest reaction out of her and that drove him nuts with lust.

    Maybe this is why he was so attracted to her, he wondered as his hand moved down to find the spot he was sure was already wet, crying for his attention. He remembered the first time he¡¯d had physical contact with her, as he made his way under her wet panties. It was a simple hand shake, but the charge of awareness that shot through both their bodies, he could tell that if he had pushed it she would have willingly followed him back to his yacht and into his bed.

    Would the same have happened with that guy in the club tonight?

    The very thought unsettled him and he released her nipple with a pop to stare up at her face, contoured with desire. She whined her protest and tried to pull his mouth back by grabbing fistfuls of his hair with both hands and pushing her breast, glittering with his saliva thrust out at him.

    No, she wouldn¡¯t. Otherwise, he would have found the asshole here. But still¡­

    ¡°Would you have brought him home?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she demanded, her voice strained.

    ¡°That asshole from the club.¡±

    Her eyes shot open. ¡°You want to talk about that now!¡± her voice, echoing the annoyance shining in her eyes.

    ¡°Answer me.¡±

    She stared at him, looking him straight in his eyes and he watched as the lust began to drain from them slowly. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the best time, but he needed to know.

 CHAPTER 38

    ¡°Contrary to what you think, I¡¯m not easy. Now get out,¡± she responded, venom in her voice, and she began to push him away in earnest, wiggling to get down.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to know.¡±

    Before she could seed in getting down, he pushed into her with his middle finger, his thumb pressing down on her swollen clit. She jumped, her legs tensing around his waist.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she choked out on a gasp.

    He moved his finger around searchingly as his thumb circled the throbbing nub. Her mouth fell open and she sucked in a shaky breath, tension lines appearing around her eyes.

    ¡°Apologizing.¡±

    She sucked in a breath when he pulled his finger out and pushed it back in.

    ¡°I think you can do better,¡± she rasped then shifted.

    He chuckled softly when he felt her press against the heel of his hand.

    He took in the nipple that was yet to get his attention into his mouth and suckled, teasing the tight sensitive tip with tongue. It wasn¡¯t long before she began to shake, bucking against him as she rode his finger as he devoured her breast. The grip she had in his hair grew so tight he was sure she was bound to give him a bald spot and yet still, he loved that biting pain. Each tug shot right to his groin and his pants got even tighter. His body grew flush with heat and began to shake with unfulfilled need. He had to get inside her and, thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to battle a pair of trousers this time to do it. He freed his other hand from her thigh and quickly began to work on his pants, unbuckling the belt and undoing the button. Just as he pushed down the zipper, he remembered the condom in his wallet. To get to it he would have to pull out of her. He smiled against the cushion of her breasts just imagining how annoyed she would be when he did. He could tell she was on the verge ofing. He didn¡¯t believe she liked being teased and he would have done just that to torture her if it wasn¡¯t ready to explode himself. He pulled away from her and reached for his wallet from his back pocket. She protested the separation like he knew she would and added on by yanking at his hair harder. He winced, quickly rolling the sleeve down his engorged member. He wanted to just stuff her in retaliation but herck of experience made him think twice.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a virgin are you?¡± he demanded to know, his entire body tight as a pulled string bow ready to release the arrow.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking that now? Sorry, but you¡¯re a few yearste to that party, now would you just do it!¡±

    ¡°Come vuoi,¡± he responded, pushing her panties to the side and out of the way and proceeded to thrust into her, her body jerking up from the force. She made a choking sound, her hands moving frantically over his back, hitting at his shoulder and her nails scraping at his skin as they moved. Her shaking thighs mped around his waist, the heels of her feet jerking against his back, pushing him forward, against her.

    His mouth fell open with a choked gasp at how tight that entry was. He pressed his forehead to her temple as he fought for control. He wanted to lose himself inside her, to let go and just ravage her until they were both mad with pleasure but he couldn¡¯t just yet. As his body trembled, he struggled to take slow, even breaths. One wrong move and it would be over even before it began. She screamed and for a moment he thought he¡¯d hurt her but her body immediately began to convulse. He clenched his jaw hard and buried his face in the nape of her neck, holding himself perfectly still as her pussy milked him in her orgasm.

    He knew this would happen. The slightest touch and she erupts. He would love to watch here, to see her face contour in pleasure as her breasts wiggled like jelly. Just the feel of them trembling against his chest, the tight nipples graving over his wired skin was driving him mad enough. If he paid attention to her tickling clit rubbing against the base of his dick he would be done for.

    Don¡¯te! he yelled at himself inwardly as she bucked against him in her seizure, moving up and down his painfully throbbing dick, in and out of her convulsing wet pussy.

    Not yet, not yet! His stomach clenched and he jerked, making her tighten around him, drawing out her orgasm. His eyes closed on their own volition and a deep guttural moan escaped from the back of his throat. He should have waited until she was done, until she wasfortable with him inside her. When he could let go, fuck her and not hurt her.

    No, not going to happen! His body was already shaking with restrained release. He wouldn¡¯tst long or even at all if he didn¡¯t move now.

    With one arm around her waist to hold her in ce, the other his hand mping on her shoulder to pull her down with each stroke he pounded into her like a jackhammer set on high speed. He was losing control, no he had already lost it. At first, but to be fair, he couldn¡¯t recall thest time he was this aroused. He gritted his teeth in an attempt to hold back his release. He hadn¡¯t been inside her long enough or even as long as he normally was, but he recognized nothing about any of this was normal. Not his attraction to her or his need for her, or how he craved just to see her nor her scent that drove him nuts. Not especially the peace a simple glimpse of her gave him. He wanted to spend forever inside her but that wasn¡¯t up to him as his body began to shake and grow tense.

    Talia¡¯s arms and legs tightened around him and only then did he realize he wasn¡¯t the only one about to fall off the cliff. He winced when she tightened painfully around him as her second trip to nirvana began, drawing out his own release. His hips surged up onest time, burying his cock deep into her convulsing pussy and he came so hard that he dropped to his knees,pletely robbed of strength. The breath knocked out of his body in the most intense orgasm he¡¯d ever had. There was no way in hell he was ever going to let her go after this. He was keeping her, damn the consequences.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER 39

    Talia sat on the stool at the table at the front window of her favorite coffee shop, her weekend groceries on the floor next to her in two full bags. She stared down at them with a sigh. She¡¯d over done it, spent above her budget all because she was trying to buy time, pun intended. With nothing else to do in the store, she¡¯de to hide out here, at the coffee shop. Her home, which she was avoiding like the gue, just a few steps away. She was already on her fourth cup of coffee, contemting her life and the stupid thing she¡¯d donest night. She grumbled and dropped her head on the table in front of her. What the hell had she done? She bemoaned as the thoughts of the night before ran through her mind. She¡¯d gone and done it. The one thing she said she never would, and bloody hell was it good! With a groan, she raised her head off the table and pped her cheek twice. That wasn¡¯t what she should be thinking about.

    You are reprimanding yourself Talia, not taking a trip down hot sex memoryne! How could I let that happen?

    That¡¯s why the saying goes ¡®never say never¡¯ because the jokester universe was always there to prove you wrong.

    Oh Talia! What mess have you gotten yourself into?

    She ran her hand through her freshly washed and straightened hair, pulling it out of the bun. Slowly, she redid the style as she stared out the caf¨¦ window. Her hairdresser had been quite surprised to see her a month earlier than their scheduled appointment and at the butt crack of dawn when she opened shop. Talia was lucky she didn¡¯t have any morning appointments, and the look on her face must have said ¡®needed a cleanse¡¯, cause Polly didn¡¯t say a word, just ushered her to her chair. Talia had thought getting her hair done, in other words getting the sex sweat out of her hair, would change something, like help her forget the mistake she made and give her new direction. Neither had happened. All she¡¯d done was wash out the sweat and smell from the previous night¡¯s marathon sex and gotten a new hairstyle.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Whoa,¡± she thought out loud, as she practiced her pursed lip breathing and waved her hands up and down, back and forth, fanning her overheated face.

    For a man whose derations made it sound like he¡¯d entered into monkhood, he had stamina. Half the time she hadn¡¯t been sure of what was happening, but he just kept going in all these different positions like a man starved. Sometime in the night, when he was fast asleep, she¡¯d actually had to reach for her inhaler from her bedside top drawer. Happens when you don¡¯t breathe right for hours. Her left hand unconsciously reached down to her thigh to make sure it was still in her left pocket. It had been a while since she¡¯d felt the need for the security it provided. Almost two years in fact, she¡¯d been good to keep away from her triggers. Now DeLuca hade and ruined that streak.

    DeLuca¡­she groaned again, dropping her head on to the table before her. She actually ran away that morning, in case he woke up hungry, and not for food. But the n wasn¡¯t exactly genius as he was in her apartment, hence there was nowhere else she could hide but her favorite coffee shop right across from her apartment building. Here she was, staring longingly at the building, wishing she could have back the quiet weekend she¡¯d had nned. But she couldn¡¯t even have her thoughts to herself. Just remembering their night together sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. Muscles she didn¡¯t know existed pushed their presence to the front of her mind, the ache in them eager to confirm that, yes,st night had in fact happened. She couldn¡¯t believe how her body had just melted at the slightest touch of his fingers and she becamepletely submissive. It was infuriating and mesmerizing at the same time, but a weakness and one she was willing to bet her entire life¡¯s savings he was well aware of and had used against her.

    Well, no more! she thought, lifting her head off the table with much determination. She needed to get a grip on her body and her senses. She was on the fast track to Heartbreak Land so a decision needed to be made ¨C no, an eviction notice needed to be handed out. That was it. First, she needed a game n. She couldn¡¯t let him touch her. She would match in there and just tell him to get out. She bit down on the inside of her lower lip. Yeah right. Easier said than done, especially since the man had called dibs on her. She huffed, he was clearly off his rocker.

    Speaking of which, what was thatst night? Something had happened to him. For a moment, he hadn¡¯t seemed present and she¡¯d been sure he was having an anxiety attack from the way he was breathing. That is, until he came out of his trance and jumped her. That couldn¡¯t be normal and that was what scared her even more, what made her even more determined to make sure nothing else happened between them. She feared she was nothing but a distraction from all his problems. He had said it hadn¡¯t he?

    Feeling a little morose, Talia slid off the stool and reached down to grab her bags in each hand. She walked to the door and Nelly, the waitress, held the door open for her.

    ¡°Figured it out already?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Talia stopped at the door and turned to her.

    With a jerk of her chin, she pointed to the seat Talia had just vacated, and said, ¡°You did a lot of groaning and moaning there. You clearly had a lot to think about.¡± She turned her head down and Talia followed to look at what she was staring at.

    ¡°And those bags look pretty heavy, and yet, you came straight here instead of going home. Which happens to be right across the street. Your mom here to visit?¡±

    Talia chuckled, looking up and meeting her gaze. Yeah, this had happened a few times, when she felt the need to escape her nagging mother. But this time, she sighed, if only it was that simple.

    ¡°Nope. Just¡­ someone else.¡±

    A curious blonde brow went up. ¡°Couldn¡¯t possibly be the owner of that Ferrari parked out front, could it?¡±

    Talia turned to face the red eyesore packed on the street in front of her building. It had attracted some serious attention since cars like these didn¡¯t park overnight in their street. The area was popr to the working ss and not the type to drive Ferraris. She¡¯d had to feed the meter when she¡¯d stepped out that morning and found it there, but maybe it would have been better to let it get towed. For some reason, without a shadow of a doubt, she had been sure it belonged to Rafael DeLuca. Could be because she remembered his fan boy Joe salivating as he described all of his toys and the little city they were housed in.

    Talia¡¯s face burned when the hidden insinuation in that question finally dawned on her. Was this what the ¡®walk of shame¡¯ felt like?

 CHAPTER 40

    Without looking back at Nelly, Talia cleared her throat then cheerfully said, ¡°See youter Nelly.¡± She hurried away, crossing the street without even looking. She wanted to duck and hide at that point. She really disliked it when people were in her business, as minute as it may be, especially people she didn¡¯t know so well.

    Then why didn¡¯t you just say no? Or y dumb? She harrumphed as she raised her right hip to the door so that the keycard in her front pocket could scan her in. Was the phone tree already activated in the building? All asking where the Ferrari had suddenlye from and in whose apartment the owner had passed the night? Had nosey Mrs. King already knocked on her door, ready to spy inside? Talia stomped her way to the elevator, grumped for the few minutes it took to her floor and stomped her way off and to her door. She ced the bags down then searched through them for her wallet, phone and keys. She¡¯d dropped her phone in the moment they¡¯d handed the bags to her in the store. A handy excuse to not answer if or when he called looking for her. She pulled her key out and stuck it into the lock. She pushed the door wide open, then grabbed the bags and stepped into her apartment. For a moment forgetting she¡¯d been avoidinging back to this ce, she kicked the door closed, took five steps in the kitchen¡¯s direction and froze. DeLuca was awake.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± he asked, seated at her four chaired round dining table in nothing but her wrap around his waist, his back to her.

    Why is he naked? she thought, staring at his broad back, that broad, red fingernails streaked olive back. Bloody hell! she thought as her body flushed with heat, she¡¯d done that.

    He turned, an arm over the backrest of the chair and looked at her, a smile on his very rxed face and it nearly took her breath away. The rarest of treasures on his forever serious and harsh face. He looked so much like a different person. Brown eyes that usually looked cold and critical now shone like diamonds, light and happy framed with long ck eyshes. Laugh lines around his eyes and lips instead of stress lines on his forehead, and tousled ck hair that testified to the good sleep he¡¯d just had, all took her off-guard. This rxed happy version of him, she didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. Like a ssh of cold water, reality took hold again. There was nothing for her to deal with because they were going back to their professional rtionship. She groaned inwardly, not rtionship. That word was too intimate, interaction was better.

    The muscles in her entire body clenched when he pushed out of the chair, the fingers of one hand raking through his hair, pushing the unruly locks back and out of his face as he stood. Standing there in nothing but her colorful wrap riding low on his hips, he looked like sin, an ambassador of sex. Hot, wet, mind blowing sex. Her pussy clenched so tight, she almost orgasmed at the very sight of him, her n flying out the window.

    ¡°Talia,¡± he began with a knowing chuckle, ¡°are you okay?¡±

    Pull yourself together woman! Her mind screamed at her.

    ¡°Ha?¡± She chortled a tenseugh. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Then under her breath added, ¡°If only.¡±

    Quickly she moved to stand behind the counter then made part of her kitchen and stood between that space and where her dining table was, where Rafe ¨C no, DeLuca stood.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°I like this,¡± he said, lifting her wrap with two fingers. ¡°It¡¯s very unusual. What¡¯s it called?¡±

    If he tugged at it, it would fall right off, she thought as she stared at where it had precariously been tucked in at his right hip.

    ¡°Talia?¡±

    ¡°Ha? Ah yeah the wrap,¡± she blubbered as she tried to make her mind work. Unpack the bags, she thought and immediately her hands when to work. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s called a leso. It¡¯s a wrap that East African women wear around the house. Men from the Coast wear it too because of the heat.¡±

    Speaking of heat, her throat had dried out. She quickly turned her back to him and shoved stuff into the cab above the stove. What she wanted was a ss of ice cold water but she couldn¡¯t let him see how much he¡¯d stirred her up.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Her nerves jangled at his tone and she froze with her hands up. He was definitely not asking out of the goodness of his heart. The underlying tone of his voice suggested something quite different.

    Stick to the n.

    Bringing her hands down, she spun on her heel to face him. She pasted on a smile, trying to appear normal in light of the fact that her body was on fire and he looked just as roused. She needed a distraction, before he got it into his mind to go around the counter and jump her again. Before she wasn¡¯t able to say no.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you like being called Rafael or DeLuca?¡±

    The edges of his lips tensed. ¡°That¡¯s my father¡¯s name.¡±

    She nodded, clearly some muddied waters there she shouldn¡¯t venture into. Next.

    ¡°So, what happenedst night?¡± she asked. Just as that slick seductive smile began to snake its way across his lips, she added, ¡°You looked like your spirit had left your body.¡±

    His seductive expression changed to confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Talia mentally patted herself on the back. Thanks to that, they had taken several steps back from the danger zone. She went back to unpacking the bags but not in the hurried pace she was in a few moments ago. Sedated, she took out a loaf of bread and ced it on the counter top.

    ¡°You looked spaced out, unaware, mumbling.¡±

    His face fell and that mask came on. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he answered shortly.

    ¡°Panic attack?¡± she pushed, repeating the one phrase she had understood and caught from his jumbled up mumbles, more out of curiosity than seeking a distraction.

    He stepped back, clearly defensive and with a dry chortle said, ¡°I have nothing to panic about.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Right.¡± Not believing a word he said. Something was off and as much as he wanted to lie to himself that he was okay and nothing was wrong, she couldn¡¯t afford it, her role currently being that of a distraction.

    ¡°Ever happen before?¡±

    As she moved around the kitchen, putting things away, then to the counter top where she began to make sandwiches, she could feel his eyes bore into her. The silence, long and heavy. He wasn¡¯t going to admit it. Not easily. She understood that. A man like him wouldn¡¯t willingly admit to balking under pressure.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he responded hesitantly, and her left hand froze as she reached for the side tes at the bottom cab under the sink. ¡°Before I came here.¡±

    She grabbed the tes and casually ced them on top of the counter. Without a word nor a nce at him, she went on with what she was doing.

    He began again, his frustration evident in his voice, ¡°Me and those words together didn¡¯t feel right so I,¡± he stopped and she looked up then. He looked tense and fidgety. The stress lines back on his face, a tick in his jaw. He ran a hand roughly through his hair, his gaze turned down and said, ¡°So I decided to get away for a while.¡±

    He looked up then and Talia caught the evasive look in his eyes and she finally understood the other thing he was refusing to admit. It red at her like the hot sun in a sandy desert. Harsh. Exposed. Blistering.

    He ran away.

 CHAPTER 41

    She watched him from where she stood, leaning against the sink as he quietly ate his sandwich. Rafe, the Rafael DeLuca II, award winning, well known and respected billionaire business mogul had run away from home and the pressures there. It wasn¡¯t work, she was sure of it. Why else would hee here and terrorize his employees? He could do that just fine back in Italy. There was something at home that had made him say ¡®enough, get out now before you suffocate¡¯ and now here he was, half naked, eating a bacon sandwich in her tiny apartment. He ran away and he was still running. Was this a stop or a temporary respite as she just happened to be the one who could help him solve not one but two problems: insomnia and erectile dysfunction?

    Don¡¯t think about that! She stepped back and did a quick turn on her right foot, her right hand reaching for the fridge door, pulling it open with her momentum. She stuck her head into it and let the cold freezer air hit her in the face. Just the sight of him got her worked up. She needed him out of her home. Now. She stepped back and softly shut the fridge door, lest she drew his attention. This was ridiculous, why wouldn¡¯t he just put on his damn clothes! She closed her eyes and did some deep breathing until she found her usual calmposure. Not daring to turn back around as her courage meter filled up, she decided it was too damn quiet with just the sound of Rafe¡¯s teeth crunching on the lettuce. Music, that¡¯s what she needed. It was always the answer. She grabbed her phone from the table top of the kitchen counter and searched for the music app, her fingers hurriedly swiping over the screen. Without checking which song was ying next, she approved the Bluetooth connection to her portable speaker that was so loud the song would st throughout the apartment. Then it¡¯s goodbye, awkward silence!

    I like my kisses down low-

    Talia squealed in horror when Kelly Rond¡¯s song ¡®Kisses Down Low¡¯ boomed, and sadly from the chorus! Butterfingered, she struggled to turn it off, settling for reducing the volume to zero. Rafe chuckled, low and long, his shoulders bouncing from amusement. Talia squeezed her eyes shut mortified, dropping her chin to her chest.

    ¡°Arrgh! So not the time¡­¡± she whispered with a whine.

    ¡°I know what you are trying to do,¡± he announced in a low controlled voice.

    Talia¡¯s head shot up then. He still had his back to her and she was relieved. Even more so that the eviction may just not be as difficult as she thought.

    ¡°Okay then.¡± She wanted to wince at how annoyingly perky her voice sounded. ¡°When are you leaving?¡±

    She heard another crunch and her right foot began to bounce. Why did he have to choose that moment to take a bite? Exactly when was he going to finish it? She was sure she hadn¡¯t made him a thirty inch sandwich for crying out loud!

    ¡°After my shower,¡± he finally answered, taking another bite of the sandwich.

    ¡°Great!¡± she winced again. That sounded way too eager. ¡°I¡¯ll just grab a towel for you,¡± she said as she escaped the room, quickly rushing to the bedroom.

    She grabbed a fresh towel from the wardrobe andid it on the bed. Talia froze and stared at the ruffled bedding, a slow burn rising up the back of her neck. She needed to get rid of ¨C to clean, to clean those. She reached for the duvet and began undoing the buttons but then stopped. Would it be better if she waited for him to leave before she stripped the bed? She didn¡¯t want him to feel like she was kicking him out. But¡­ wasn¡¯t that what she was doing? She held the duvet up higher and buried her face in it and screamed. What exactly was she supposed to do in this situation? From what she knew, one night stands left before the sun peeked over the horizon. They didn¡¯t stay till midday, walking around naked in their one night stand¡¯s apartment. That is, unless they wanted more. Which he definitely did and she wasn¡¯t going to cave in.

    She lifted her head from the duvet dropping it on to the bed as she stared straight at the floral curtains covering her window. Her life used to be so simple, then Rafael DeLuca came into the picture and suddenly she couldn¡¯t find her sanity under all the lust. From the corner of her eye, something moved and Talia dropped her head back and to the side to check. Her body jerked with a gasp in surprise. DeLuca was leaning against the door jam, powerful arms crossed over his chest. Despite the fact that she knew he was in the apartment with her, she just wasn¡¯t used to not being alone and he already had her on edge.

    ¡°Make a sound for crying out loud!¡±

    He smirked, pushed off the door jam, took two steps towards her and held out his hand.

    Wide eyed, she stared at the hand then at his face. He seriously didn¡¯t mean-

    ¡°Towel.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    She felt her body gox and the tension dropped to the pit of her stomach. ¡°Right.¡± She reached for it where she¡¯d dropped it on the bed then ced it in his open palm.

    The moment his fingers held onto it, she let go but he didn¡¯t move. He just stared at her, his eyes lit mischievously. She leaned away from him. What was he up to?

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked warmly, but the way his lips were lifted at one side, made her suspicious.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she answered in what she hoped was an even tone.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t seem so a moment ago.¡± His eyes darkened and he took a small step towards her. The tension made its way back up, out of her stomach and into her limbs. ¡°You can be honest with me, you know?¡± he added with the sincerity of the devil himself.

    Talia pressed her lips together with a snort. He really thought he could pull one over her with those shiny eyes, and those plump lips and¡­ and those big broad shoulders¡­ Bloody hell! She cursed quickly, turning away before she walked herself into his trap. She quickly went back to fussing with the duvet, turning away from him.

    ¡°The right knob is for hot water. The left for cold. I strongly rmend using the left.¡±

 CHAPTER 42

    Rafe sat on the couch at the helm of the yacht and watched as vessel after vessel pulled out of the harbor and sailed towards the setting sun to enjoy the night out in the open ocean. He should have been one of them, in fact, he would have already been out there if not for the sudden bout ofziness. He smiled against the rim of his brand ss as he remembered why he felt sozy. His body waspletely unwound andx, like jelly had been fused in with his bones and muscles. When was thest time he¡¯d felt tired and rxed at the same time? Sadly, he couldn¡¯t remember. He couldn¡¯t even remember thest time his mind was so silent, without one hurried panic thought rushing through it. When had he stopped living like a human being and started existing like a robot? He ran his hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. Being a DeLuca would do that to a person. No, his younger brother Renaldo wasn¡¯t so knotted up like he was. He lived an easy life, an envious one too. All he did was take vacations and party every single day. The boy didn¡¯t work, never once tried to apply himself to anything that didn¡¯te easy to him or wasn¡¯t fun. A lifestyle their father, and now Rafe, work hard every day to furnish. Come to think of it, Rafael began to wonder if he¡¯s brother was just being ignored by their father because he was useless to anyone but himself. Was that a better thing? Rafe would love for their father to ignore him and let him live his life. Another intriguing thought struck him. Was Renaldo purposefully being useless so their father would ignore him and let him live his life as he pleased? If that was true, he wished his little brother had let him in on that secret long ago. But Rafe didn¡¯t believe it would have been such an easy option for him. Senior definitely wouldn¡¯t let Junior sully their good name. Appearances meant everything to the old man. Rafe had been trapped from birth.

    Rafe lightly touched his neck with his free hand only to realize there was no tightness there. Back and forth he rubbed his neck, touching the base of it to his vicle and then up to his Adam¡¯s apple, over the flesh between his hyoid bone and chin. There was absolutely nothing there. Previously, to state it clearly, just yesterday the thought of home and the word trapped would have had him grabbing at the invisible force around his neck strangling him.

    ¡°Huh? Would you look at that,¡± he marveled to himself, relieved at the absent anxiety.

    Had those thoughts really held him hostage for so long that it had be reflexive to reach for his neck in anticipation of a panic attack? Now he started to question if his anxieties and panic attacks were real or just something he¡¯d imagined.

    The ringing phone beside him drew his attention. For a moment, his heart leaped at the thought of Talia calling him, asking him to go back, but he knew better than that. She¡¯d wanted him out of her apartment so fast; if he had dyed a minute longer, she probably would have set it on fire just to make him leave faster. He could tell she regretted their night together, the lines they had crossed and would never be able to uncross. But she was dead mistaken if she thought it was going to end with a mmed door in his face. He wasn¡¯t done with her.

    Rafe picked up the persistent ringing phone and checked the screen for the caller ID. Seeing it was his cousin Angelo, he immediately picked up, eager to share the new progress he¡¯d made with his copsing life. He¡¯d found someone to keep the walls of sanity from crumbling.

    ¡°What happened to youst night? I heard you left with a girl?¡±

    Rafe snorted at that. He should have known the organized y date with their college friends would include an after event report. He wondered which one of them called to tell. Must be the guy who greeted him at the door, he had been too eager and it wasn¡¯t long before Rafe found out why he was being friendly. An investment. These days, everyone who saw him, old friends and distant rtives all saw him as a cash cow not him. What was he to expect? He¡¯d learned early on when his friendships suddenly came with an addendum of expectations when he took over his responsibilities as head of the DeLuca Empire. He¡¯d pruned his friends list and set barriers with friends leaving on Angelo, cousin, friend who not only took pity on him for his situation, but found it damn hrious. An ind, a magical oasis, Angelo had taken to calling him. Or a genie that made wishese true with a stroke of a pen on a check leaf. Rafe¡¯s favorite and most urate description, a shark stuck in a fish tank full of piranhas. His bite was bigger but their tiny numerous ones didn¡¯t just hurt more, but were impartial of where they took a chunk out of his flesh driving him crazy with anger.

    ¡°Yes I did,¡± Rafe answered the eager question easily.

    ¡°And?¡± Angelo pushed and Rafe had to smile at that. He was the only one Rafe had told about his uncooperative friend downstairs, and the numerous failed nights he¡¯d had, followed by the cherry of self-loathing on top. Slowly but surely, it was as if he couldn¡¯t recognize himself anymore.

    Rafe remembered the day when it all came to a head, as clear as the image of the sun setting before his very eyes. The day he¡¯d had his first out of body experience, like his soul was trying to escape his body but the chains on his feet and wrists kept pulling him back. For months he¡¯d felt iting, like a lit fuse slowly burning, the sense that he was losing control of his life, until that very night the me reached the sting cap and his reality exploded.

    It was a night like every other night of social gathering he was ustomed to in his circle. His father had thrown one of his morous parties where he took credit for all of Rafe¡¯s aplishments. ¡®Built it all on my back¡¯, he would say, his favorite opening line to his long winded speeches. He remembered watching his father parade on the stage like a boisterous proud peacock, blowing his own trumpet and wind out of his ass. He remembered being bored out of his mind and thinking he had better things to do than endure the same night on repeat for the umpteenth time. Then someone had patted his shoulder and said, ¡®You¡¯re just like your father. A chip off the old block. Soon you¡¯ll be up there talking about your son.¡¯

    He wasn¡¯t sure what exactly did it, but the stem of the ss of champagne he¡¯d just taken off the waiter¡¯s tray slipped through his fingers, but thankfully the bowl wedged between his numb fingers halting its descent to the floor. Those words yed over and over in his head and with every turn, one truth about his father he¡¯d discovered over the years popped up, joining each one echoing the thought he had but refused to admit in his heart. Then suddenly the sound of his erratic heartbeat filled his ears, sweat poured from every pore in his body soaking into the designer suit his father had picked out for him for the night, he realized then, like every other night like this and it became a fight to draw in a single breath.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    The clothes, the shoes and even the style his hair wasbed was but a copy to Senior¡¯s. Just like the name was. He had always wanted to be like his father, and his father had always wanted Rafe to be like him, but at that moment, Rafe felt like a fraud. No, a copy of a fraud and a buzzing filled his ears as a vice squeezed his chest. For a moment Rafe thought that he¡¯d been having a heart attack. With a hand over his wild beating heart, he discreetly left the ballroom. But not subtle enough to pass attention, for his mother and Angelo had quickly followed.

    All he remembered was their blurred images running towards him, calling out to him, as he searched for a room to hide in, refusing to be a public spectacle. Fortunately enough he didn¡¯t have to search far, the first door handle he pushed gave way, the door swinging open. He stepped into the room then it tilted and darkness consumed him. When he woke up some timeter, thankfully, it had just been to the audience of the two of them. No one else had been alerted, no ambnce had been called either. His shoes were off, belt and bowtie undone and the shirt undid to the mid of his chest. His mother, with a wobbly smile told him he had passed out due to exhaustion. Angelo¡¯s shadowed wary gaze told him he didn¡¯t share the same opinion. The questions he¡¯d asked, put Rafe on edge but he answered each one truthfully. Only then did he understand that he definitely hadn¡¯t been having a heart attack, but there was a slight chance it had been a panic attack.

 CHAPTER 43

    Naturally he denied it vehemently. He was Rafael DeLuca II, he didn¡¯t have panic attacks. There was nothing wrong with his sanity, but he knew deep down that it was a possibility. The shame that came from that drove him to adopt his old pastime. Needing a distraction, he bedded every willing woman he could get his hands on, hoping that with each girl, he would find some escape, a way to forget the cage that was his life and his failing mental state. Just for a little while, he wanted to feel carnal pleasure, dopamine that would keep him high for as long as he needed it before his next fix. But that soon stopped working, then his dick followed suit. He could only conclude that his penis was tired of the faceless and easy vagina diving. With a deprecating smile he admitted to himself ¨C now he was able to admit that ¨C that hadn¡¯t been the reason. Whatever he had been looking for in all those random nights, he hadn¡¯t found it, that is, until Talia McKenna.

    Why was she different? he wondered, twirling around the ss of brandy in his hand, the circr ice cube clinking against the crystal.

    ¡°Rafe, did you hear me?¡± Angelo¡¯s demanding voice pulled him back to the present. ¡°And? What happened?¡±

    Rafe cleared his throat and sat up on the couch then answered, ¡°And nothing.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± he said, the disappointment distinct in his voice. ¡°I had hoped¡­ maybe it¡¯s time you spoke to a shrink. I know you don¡¯t want to¡­ but cogino, this could get worse if we don¡¯t nip it in the bud now.¡±

    Rafe had wanted to tease him a bit, but he didn¡¯t like the direction this was going. The dire sound of his voice sobered him too. Angelo was afraid Rafe would suffer aplete mental breakdown if he didn¡¯t seek help. But a shrink wasn¡¯t what Rafe needed, it was a break from his life. From his family to be exact, and the mounting pressures his father kept heaping on him. It¡¯s a well-known fact that Rafe was a better businessman than him. His dealings were above the table, whilst his father¡¯s sess was thanks to years of underhanded deals that Rafe had found himself cleaning up in recent years. With each ck-hand that was exposed, his respect and admiration for the old man took a hit. Senior had once been Rafe¡¯s hero, everything he had ever wanted to be. Then the day he had been longing for arrived, the day he would finally be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with his hero. Disappointment weighed heavily in his chest, a pinchpared to the hit he received when he finally stepped into the ring, only to find it was nothing but a pig¡¯s sty. Now, he was everything Rafe didn¡¯t want to be: detested, afraid of bing and to be honest, that was when the crack on the wall began. His shaken foundation made him want to prove that, unlike his father, he was no hoax. He was no imposter, that he was the real deal.

    ¡°You know, more businessmen are looking after their mental health. It¡¯s not a stigma anymore. Just look at all the mental health businesses that have popped up in thest few years.¡± Angelo went on passionately in his campaign.

    ¡°I think we both know my problem goes beyond myself.¡± Though he admired his dedication, Rafe preferred that he put the subject to rest. He shifted ufortably on the couch, scratching the itch under his chin with his free hand as his patience grew strung.

    Angelo sighed heavily over the phone. ¡°I was hoping this distance would prove beneficial but-¡±

    ¡°Nothing happened with that girl,¡± Rafe cut in impatiently.

    A long pause followed and the tightness at the back of Rafe¡¯s head released.

    ¡°What? Are you saying something happened with another girl?¡±

    His lips pulled in a smug smile over his face. ¡°Her name is Talia. Merder, is she a breath of fresh air,¡± he admitted unabashedly.

    ¡°Do tell,¡± Angelo¡¯s singsong voice urged.

    ¡°Everyone these days has a fa?ade about them but not her. She¡¯s just her. She doesn¡¯t put up pretenses and she¡¯s a straight shooter.¡± Rafe noticed the whimsical tone his voice had gotten, like a teen with a crush on the girl next door. Quite frankly, he didn¡¯t care. Talia was¡­ everything wonderful under the sun.

    ¡°You sound like you like her. Did you sleep with her?¡±

    Rafe grunted his assent. ¡°I would still be there if she hadn¡¯t kicked me out. She has reservations about us.¡±

    Rafe understood he hadn¡¯t exactly taken the traditional route of courting her when it came to their rtionship, but she came at a time when he wasn¡¯t looking for a rtionship. He¡¯d just run away from his wedding ns, having another noosetched on him wasn¡¯t something he went out actively looking for. Talia just happened to him, a good happening. He couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was sent to him by a greater power to resolve his issues by setting him on a new path. Since her arrival in his life, after years of uncertainty and months of internal conflict, he¡¯d finally made a decision about his own life. One Senior had no influence on. Rafe prided himself in his ability to make quick decisions with little hesitation but this huddle ¨C no, it was no huddle it was more like being stuck at the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the istion was literally driving him mental, but no longer. He was climbing out of that cold dark hole and he was going to start by cutting the string his father had plugged in his back. That meant he had to go back to the ce he¡¯d run from. An unease settled over him and he took another sip from his brandy ss.

    No one ever said change was easy. Rafe believed he would be able to handle the windfall. It was Talia he needed to protect.

    ¡°Rafe, maybe this isn¡¯t the best time to be in a rtionship.¡± Though he didn¡¯t sigh, his voice was heavy with the weight of it and one other thing. Skepticism.

    That itch under his chin started again. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°So your dick responds to her, great, but what about her?¡±

    ¡°Angelo, get to the point,¡± he demanded gruffly.

    ¡°She¡¯s nothing but a distraction and she knows it. Why else would she kick you out? And I bet you know it too.¡±

    No, Rafe had never looked at her as the kind of distraction Angelo was referring to. To his work, yes, he couldn¡¯t keep his mind from wandering when she was in the same room with him, especially if she sat next to him. He¡¯ll admit to that, but to his problems no. There was something about her that just called him to her and he refused to minimize it to nothing but a hormonal reaction. A shield from reality. She was too real for him to regard as a passing fancy. He¡¯d had several of those and she wasn¡¯t it. She was no stop over, she was the end of his wandering journey. He didn¡¯t know how or why he just knew that with her, all his restlessness would calm like the sun rays reflected on the early morning dew after a stormy night. He cherished her. Rafe had been worried about protecting her from his problems from the moment he acknowledged his attraction to her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± he protested vehemently.

    ¡°You¡¯ll say that until the day you get tired of her,¡± Angelo stated wryly, and that pissed Rafe off.

    ¡°I¡¯m not using her,¡± he ground out through clenched teeth.

    ¡°Then keep your dick out of the equation and think about it.¡±

    Ow, how he wished it was that easy. Rafe was too attracted to her not to kiss her, to touch her, to have her in his arms and make love to her. But sadly, the gnawing feeling at the pit of his stomach told him Angelo was right. This was why Talia didn¡¯t believe him when he said he wanted her and not sex. He had been ready to prove it. Though to be fair, her dirty dancing with that idiot at the club had turned him into a jealous animal needing to not to im but mark her as his.

    ¡°I sleep,¡± he quickly added, a little too desperately.

    ¡°Without the sleeping pills?¡± he asked warily.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he rasped eagerly, a hope for understanding budding in his chest. ¡°Even before the sex, when I held her in my arms I slept. Days after, even without her I slept better than I have in years. She¡¯s no distraction.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s medication then,¡± he immediately retorted ndly.

    ¡°Angelo!¡± Rafe shouted into the phone, exasperated.

    ¡°For some reason, you let your guard down around her. You¡¯re a guarded person Rafe, hence why you prefer spending your time out in the ocean, alone, every chance you get. That was therapy for you. I think you¡¯ve spent so much time of your life trying not to get screwed over, even with your own family that your trust issues developed into an anxiety disorder.¡±

    Yeah, he understood that. It happens when a childhood hero bes a viin. He had built his entire identity around his father, and now he was paying for that faux pas.

    ¡°You taking a ss in psychology, or is your current me a shrink?¡±

    ¡°Thetter,¡± he admitted a little too smugly, then his voice took a grim note. ¡°But Rafe, your father isn¡¯t just going to go away and let you live your life in peace in your new happy bubble.¡±

    No, he was the monster who fed on happiness to replenish his greed. Another thing he discovered toote in life. His father¡¯s misdeeds were way too much baggage to carry in one lifetime.

    ¡°Once he finds out, your new medication will be in trouble.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°The hell I¡¯m going to let that happen,¡± he bit out, the promise to protect the one good thing in his messed up life burned inside him like an inferno.

 CHAPTER 44

    ¡°Babe, isn¡¯t hair day next month?¡± Carrie asked as they facetimed. Talia stared at the phone screen where she had it propped up against a cup on the dining table as she opened a bottle of wine.

    ¡°I needed to get the sweat washed out,¡± she answered absent mindedly as she screwed the wine opener into the cork.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t exactly exercise, lucky bitch,¡± she hissed. Talia snorted augh as she pulled on the wine opener. ¡°Or did you suddenly decide to get a gym membership?¡±

    Talia froze, elbow up in the air, realizing then what she had let slip. For some reason, her friend could sniff out the tea in the slightestment then the Spanish inquisition would begin. She leaned out of the camera focus for a moment and internally screamed as she mouthed ¡®Oh my god, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t just say ¡®Yes, I did¡¯ because they both knew Talia had an aversion to the sadists they called trainers. She had toe up with a lie, and a damn good one too, or Carrie would grab a cab to her apartment toe poke more holes until she bleed out the truth. Talia groaned silently, thest thing she wanted was for Carrie ¨C for anyone ¨C to know she¡¯d screwed her boss. Too damn embarrassing!

    When she moved back in front of the camera, her lips spread in the best fake smile she could muster, she said, ¡°Cleaning. I was cleaning. There was so much dust under my bed I could have started a little garden.¡± She winced at the nervous sing-song sound her voice had taken. There was no better confession than that.

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± Carrie responded, the hiked brow a clear testimony of her disbelief. ¡°Isn¡¯t that ¡®I finally bought my house¡¯ five hundred dors wine?¡±

    Damn damn damn! How in the world did she even remember that? Talia had bought that bottle of wine just a few months after they¡¯d met at work and that was years ago.

    Feeling caught, Talia hugged the bottle to her chest, her wide eyed expression mirrored back to her in the tiny right corner screen of her side of the call.  She tried toe up with a lie, a fake story but she just couldn¡¯t think of a single thing. Clearly, lying wasn¡¯t one of her talents.

    ¡°Okay, fine!¡± she huffed, then held the bottle up so that Carrie could have a clear view of it. ¡°Now it¡¯s the ¡®I screwed my boss, heaven save me from myself¡¯mentation wine.¡±

    Carrie¡¯s jaw dropped as she stared at her wide eyed for what felt like forever. For a moment, Talia thought their connection had dropped and the screen froze. The sudden burst ofughter had Talia rolling her eyes as she poured a healthy helping of red dry grape into the waiting wine ss.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long timeing. Congrattions on joining the slut club.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Talia leveled a withering re on her friend but clearly the message wasn¡¯t transmitting through the phone since she was still cackling away. She knew Carrie could see her. She¡¯d bought that brand phone for its camera quality.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a slut. I just lost my head for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, on some Italian sausage,¡± she hooted.

    ¡°Carrie!¡± she admonished as she forced the cork back into the mouth of the bottle of wine. The symbolism of the action wasn¡¯t lost to her and she dared notment on it just in case-

    Carrie¡¯s cackles grew louder as she pointed to Talia through the screen and said, ¡°I would say it, but I have a feeling you¡¯ll hang up on me if I do.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be juvenile,¡± Talia chastised, standing with the bottle in hand. She moved to the kitchen cab and put the bottle back in ce before she returned to sit in front of her friend as her afternoon¡¯s entertainment.

    ¡°Why are you putting the wine away?¡±

    ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t chug expensive wine like its keg,¡± Talia lifted the ss to her lips and sipped the ret with precious appreciation. She loved her wine and wanted to savor the high priced indulgence. ¡°Besides, I need a clear head to figure out what the hell I¡¯m going to do about this new situation now.¡±

    ¡°So you slept with the guy, what¡¯s the big deal? Are you looking for a rtionship? Is he?¡±

    That was the sad part. She knew he wasn¡¯t while she had been going out of her way to stay out of his to avoid the very situation she¡¯d found herself in a night ago. He wasn¡¯t the rtionship type, and she didn¡¯t do casual. It just wasn¡¯t in her. For Carrie, sex was just another activity, but for Talia it was a hell lot more. Too much of her and her emotions were involved in the act, hence the ten years celibacy.

    Forgetting her intention to savor, Talia took arge sip, rolled the liquid on her tongue then swallowed before she stated matter of factly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know, with every guy you sleep with, a piece of their soul is left with you?¡±

    That¡¯s what it felt like. He¡¯d left some of his baggage with her and all she could think about was how she had suddenly be his choice of distraction, how she had let him make her one and worse, if she¡¯d lived up to expectation. She was suddenly feeling self-conscious, irrational insecurities mulling through her head.

    She hadn¡¯t felt this way in a very long time.

    She hated it.

    With a long exhtion, she took another sip of wine.

    Carrie¡¯s eyebrow shot up in a condescending way. ¡°Excuse me?¡±

    Talia snorted. Carrie¡¯s opinion on that wasing loud and clear. It was no surprise, she was too potent, too dominant to be susceptible to being weighed down by such sensitive emotions. Sometimes, Talia wondered if she was an empath. She felt like Phoebe in Charmed, stuck in the basement trying to sort out, index, categories and file DeLuca¡¯s issues one by one just so that she would get a reprieve from them.

    ¡°It felt like more like an exorcism than sex,¡± she confessed, her thoughts going back to the moments her mind was clear enough to really take in what was happening.

 CHAPTER 45

    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡±

    Yeah, Talia was just as confused. In the hours they spent having marathon sex, there were moments she felt him with her, like their souls were meddling, flying together. Then there were moments where she felt like he wasn¡¯t there. He would be looking right at her as he moved inside her but he wasn¡¯t present. He could have been anywhere and with someone else while he was physically with her. At those instances, when she met his nk gaze, she too would be pulled out of the moment as questions bombarded her head only to get chased away by a soul shattering orgasm. Present or not, the man knew how to pleasure a woman. Oh yeah, she thought self-deprecatingly, by his own confession she was one of many, so his skills in that area were honed.

    Though she was feeling a little betrayed and used, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the reason why. The distant deer caught in headlights look in his eyes as he mumbled incoherently to himself shed in her head. He had looked like apletely different person, almost unbnced and it had frightened her to the point she shook him, speaking loudly to him to regain his attention. And then, like a snap of her fingers, he was back to being Rafael DeLuca, sure confident arrogant Rafe, and the moment passed, pushed behind a new wave of lust.

    ¡°Talia?¡±

    ¡°Something is wrong with him, and apparently¡­ I¡¯m the only one he could get it up with,¡± she confessed only that, feeling the rest of it, his mental state, wasn¡¯t hers to share.

    Carrie snorted her disbelief. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that for a second. That¡¯s a damn pick up line.¡±

    If Talia hadn¡¯t seen what she had, she would have believed that too.

    ¡°So he used you?¡± she went on, clearly irate.

    Talia swallowed another sip of wine as if it was bitter medicine. ¡°Yes,¡± she admitted.

    ¡°So use him back.¡± She dered vehemently.

    ¡°Carrie.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. He got what he wanted from you now it¡¯s your turn.¡± Carrie leaned in until her entire face filled the screen. ¡°You get that project funded and running all over the world. Your cookies are not free. They¡¯re bloody expensive, be sure to let him know that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a gold digger,¡± Talia argued.

    ¡°You¡¯re no Becky either.¡±

    Talia rubbed the back of her neck and her nape with her sigh, bringing her hand to rest on her cheek, elbow on the table as she stared at an exasperated Carrie on her phone screen. Seeing as how fast she caved to him, she wasn¡¯t so sure of that.

    After a long silence, Carrie softly murmured, ¡°Maybe he likes you.¡±

    A tiny flutter of hope went up in Talia¡¯s heart then quickly died. No, the man was in no state to have an emotional rtionship. The cold hard truth was DeLuca had never given any indication that his feelings for her went beyond sex. In fact, the only thing he¡¯d said about her was that she was different, no ¡®I like you¡¯, ¡®I¡¯d like to get to know you better¡¯ or even the cheesy dick firste-ons ¡®I¡¯ve got something to show you, it¡¯s in my pants¡¯. He just took and she willingly gave. She¡¯d had it right the first time. He wasn¡¯t really interested in her, otherwise he would have tried to date her before getting into her panties. The only thing he liked about her was that she was a distraction to his problems and obvious mental health issues he would rather run and hide from than confront. She was a temporary fix, and that did not feel good.

    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t like me,¡± a twinge tugged at her heart and Talia took a quick gulp of wine telling herself it was nothing but heartburn.

    ¡°Do you like him?¡± The cautious softly spoken question brought a dead silence into the room.

    Taliabed her fingers through her hair with a heavy sigh. Did she like him? Hell yeah, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have let herself be easily seduced. Did she want to like him? Honestly, she wished she could press stop and eject in the VCR that was her emotions. The doorbell rang, saving her from answering the question. Her pizza had arrived. Comfort food was here to hopefully fill the hole in her soul that the wine was failing to.

    ¡°Hey, I need to get that. See you at work tomorrow?¡±

    Carrie nodded solemnly. ¡°Yeah. Hey, chin up sweetheart. You¡¯ll figure it out.¡±

    Talia nodded, blew her a kiss then pressed the red button on the screen to end the call. She ced the ss of wine on the table then walked to the door, to get her new best friend. She opened the door only to find another kind of delivery waiting for her. With two suitcases at his feet, Rafael DeLuca stood before her with a determined look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m moving in,¡± he announced, picked up his luggage and stepped past her and into the house.

    Stunned, she just watched him, his deration still processing in her mind. Had she heard that right? Was she buzzed? She¡¯d just had a few sips of wine and it was her first ss.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Would you mind repeating that?¡± she asked, still holding the door ajar as she watched Rafe ce his suitcases next to the couch.

    He walked to her, in a slow sedated pace, hands in his front jeans pockets, his eyes moving over her from her bare feet to her neck. She fidgeted at the heated gaze, questioning if the wine had made her more susceptible to his subtle and yet avnche sensuality. Rafael DeLuca didn¡¯t openly seduce. No, he lured like bait to an unsuspecting fish, whose life would end impaled with a stick over an open fire.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t happen to go out like that today?¡± The hard undertone in his voice caught her attention.

    Her head reared back in surprise. Talia looked down at the white crop top, blue jeans cut shorts and the boho long cardigan sweater that made up her indoors fashion then back at Rafe. This man was not about to take issue with her wardrobe after inviting himself to her apartment on an indefinite stay.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°What¡¯s it to you?¡± she snapped.

    He shrugged in what was supposed to be a nonchnt way, but his stiff shoulders rated him out. Staring pointedly at her, he said ¡°It¡¯s cold,¡± ndly.

    She snorted her disbelief, ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    She pushed the door and it mmed shut with a resounding bang. She then stalked towards her dining room table, the long stem ss with the dark red liquid in its bowl called to her, promising to unwind the knots that had formed in her stomach with Rafe¡¯s blindsiding manoeuvre. She silently toasted her new roomie, knowing very well that it would not be an easy eviction likest time, if any, and gulped down what was left.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t realized your reservations about us,¡± he spoke behind her.

    ¡°And what would that be?¡± she asked, hearing the hard edge in her voice.

 CHAPTER 46

    She ced the now empty ss on the table and turned to face him with a scrutinizing gaze. If he was so aware of her reservations, why the hell had unterally decided that moving into her shoebox of an apartment, where she couldn¡¯t avoid him, was a genius response to her evicting him just the day before after having this very same conversation?

    Suddenly, he was right in front of her, not pressed against her but caging her. She took a step back, her back bumping against the counter that made up part of the kitchen. His feet didn¡¯t move from where he stood but his arms came to rest palm t on top of the counter, bracketing her. He leaned forward, over her, his lips inches away from her forehead. Her breath snagged in her throat as she was made aware, yet again, how big he was. Muscled in a lean kind of way, wide shoulders and arge chest that she would have loved to cuddle against in a different circumstance and corded thick arms that made her fingers itch with the need to touch them. She swallowed hard, biting the inside of her lower lip as her breath came a little harder. The way he surrounded her, his warmth enveloped her, making her body burn. This wasn¡¯t good. She needed to get away from him before they had a repeat ofst night. But how to get out of this situation? She didn¡¯t dare look up at what she was sure were eyes bearing a fire that would singe her with his dark desires. The moment she did, it would be a lost battle for control of her own body.

    ¡°Being together,¡± he said, swaggering from side to side as his feet shifted forward one after the other, bringing him closer to her.

    Talia stuck her fidgety fingers into her back shorts pocket before they reached out and touched him. She inhaled a shuddering breath, her chest swelling with hope and dared the question, ¡°As what?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Silence. Her eyes shifted up from his chest to his mouth as she wondered if the distraction he posed made her miss his response. Sensual firm, his lips remained pressed together in a rxed manner, but the tick in his jaw bellied aloofness. The implication of his silence was like jumping into ake in the middle of winter.

    Heated, for a whole different reason, she freed her hands, pressed them against his chest and pushed. He barely barged from the force but clearly reading into the action, he dropped his arms and took a step back from her.

    ¡°What exactly are you trying to say without offending me? What exactly did we do? What exactly do you want? Sex, to fuck or make love?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡±

    That response was too honest a strain to the already threading ropes anchoring her castle in the clouds to the ground. It snapped and her breaking heart waved the fantasy goodbye.

    She loosed a humorless sharp crack ofughter, throwing her hands up at the inane response. ¡°Of course not.¡± It wasn¡¯t bloody rocket science, it was practically a yes or no question. And yet, here he was. ¡°But the uncertainty didn¡¯t stop you froming here, did it?¡±

    ¡°Talia, you¡¯re not just a physical release.¡±

    ¡°Not just? I should be relieved. Then what am I just?¡±

    ¡°You are an oasis.¡±

    The soft way he said that, his full disarming sensual mouth forming each word with wisps of fantasy woven together made her body feel light on her feet. Exactly how a balloon rose off the ground after being pumped full of hot air. Damn Talia, no wonder he thinks you¡¯re easy.  With cupid¡¯s arrow, she punctured a hole in the damn thing and it quickly sunk to the ground.

    ¡°Save the pretty words for someone who hasn¡¯t seen all seasons of you,¡± she rebuked, turning away from him and giving him her back.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the genius billionaire businessman, figure it out,¡± she gritted out through clenched teeth, wishing she was anywhere else but there at that very moment.

    ¡°Talia,¡± he called demandingly behind her, but she didn¡¯t dare turn around.

    She felt his hand wrapped around her upper arm and a zing of awareness shot through her. Even mad this man¡¯s touch did things to her. She turned then, extracting herself from his grasp.

    ¡°You¡¯re using me like some treatment,¡± she snapped, slipping past him, careful to keep distance between them, but that didn¡¯t stop his fresh clean scent from reaching out to her.

    ¡°Am I an opportunist? Yes, but I¡¯m not a bastard. For months I felt like I couldn¡¯t breathe, then you happened and then all of a sudden, I felt alive again. I want you and I intend on keeping you.¡±

    If he hadn¡¯t added that Neanderthal part, she would have been ted, instead of just half ted and very much pissed off. ¡°I think I¡¯ve told you once before that I¡¯m not your pet.¡±

    With a sad smile he said, ¡°If only it were that simple.¡±

    Desperation stained the weariness in his voice like red wine on a white dress. It was too stark to ignore, and yet she couldn¡¯t allow herself to trust it. He wasn¡¯t just any man. Rafael DeLuca was a man who guarded his emotions and expressions like a vault in the Pentagon and only let people see what he wanted them to see. She couldn¡¯t blindly trust what he allowed her to see. But she wanted to, she desperately wanted to.

    Experience told her that she should be backing away from him, as the man moved like a panther on the hunt, but at the moment, she wanted to be sure he was taking the persona of a sly or slithering kind. She examined what she expected to be his impassive mask but one look in his eyes and all his emotions were there for her to see. Confusion, need, desperation. He wasn¡¯t hiding from her anymore. The mask was off. Truths, lies, half-truths she would be able to tell them all every time he spoke. He was open to her. Only with her. Her heart leaped in her chest and yet a sadness fell over her like a dark cloud before a storm. Should I feel special now?

    ¡°Rafe, don¡¯t¡­¡± she trailed off weakly as he stroked one finger down her jaw, tipping her head up. She closed her eyes waiting, barely breathing in anticipation.

    ¡°I want you Talia,¡± he rasped, a breath away from her lips. The way he called her name in a deep and husky voice, sent shivers through her. ¡°That¡¯s probably the only thing I¡¯m sure of. Do I lust for you? Yes, I¡¯m never going to deny that. Right at this moment, I want to ravish you until there is nothing left of us. But, this time round, it has to be your decision. Everything else aside, do you want me as much as I want you?¡±

    She felt the empty space immediately he stepped away and opened her eyes. She watched his back as he walked away and right into the bedroom. If he only knew how much she wanted him. How much she wanted to forget everything and just live in the now.

 CHAPTER 47

    He¡¯s using you, use him back. Carrie¡¯s words echoed in her mind. When she¡¯d said that Talia had refused to sleep her project into international sess. But, as Carrie said, it was clear she was the only one getting emotional over their sleeping together. So why shouldn¡¯t she get what she wanted for this arrangement too? He was clearly using her weakness for him to his advantage, she might as welle out of the other end with more than just a broken heart. Decided, she followed him into the room. It irked her that he was alreadyying on the bed naked, as if knowing she woulde.

    Fine! Shoving her shorts down she said, ¡°This is thest time we are doing this. Next time youe here it¡¯s to sleep. Deal?¡±

    Hands behind his head, a smug smile on his lips he said, ¡°You sound like you are about to have a root canal.¡±

    ¡°Same process. Deal or no deal?¡±

    ¡°If it makes you feel any better, I¡¯ll make it a teaching round.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°A woman gets off more when her pleasure is in her own hands. I¡¯ll teach you how to ride me.¡±

    ¡°Somehow, I get the feeling you¡¯ll enjoy this more than I will.¡±

    He chuckled, suddenly vaulted up, grabbed her hand by the wrist and pulled her onto the bed. She fell over him with yelp.

    Holding her to his chest he said, ¡°You¡¯re not very experienced, are you?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked mulishly, trying to pull away from him.

    His hold around her tightened. ¡°The slightest touch,¡± he said. She stilled when his hand moved over her ass, going lower until his fingers found her secret spot. She sucked in a breath as the muscles in her legs tightened. ¡°Brings out the biggest reaction. I liked it,¡± he said, his eyes sparkling predatorily.

    What have I gotten myself into? she wondered as she looked into darkening brown eyes. ¡°Like I said, more you than me.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Both,¡± he said, his lips capturing hers in a dizzying kiss.

    Talia broke the kiss and sat on hisp, her thighs bracketing his. She hadn¡¯t had the courage to take off her panties or the crop top. She jumped when his warm hands moved over her thighs, squeezing and releasing as they moved up and down. She sighed, closing her eyes like a content petted cat, not daring to look him in the eye, but she could feel his on her. Hot and hungry she was sure of it. One hand left her naked thigh and she felt it a momentter in her hair. Hebed his fingers through and the pin holding it in a bun slipped loose. She felt her hair tumble down her back with a sweep.

    ¡°What did you do to your hair?¡±

    The terseness in his voice surprised her into opening her eyes. His brows were pulled together in a distressful look.

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.

    He drew his hand closer, over her shoulder, strands of her hair weaved around his fingers.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been fantasizing about those curls for months.¡±

    Her head reared back in surprise. ¡°Is that why you undid my braidst time?¡±

    His lips went up in a flirty smile. ¡°And why I had you on top, kneeling over me for the most part of the night. There was life in your hair when you came. Era bellissimo de guardare.¡±

    ¡®It was beautiful to watch,¡¯ those words paired with his silky voice sent shivers through her. The hand still on her thigh moved to her waist and he yanked her forward, pressing her sensitive clit against his bulging erection. Her body jerked with breath stealing awareness at the contact.

    ¡°And when you bounced, your boobs and your hair moved in tandem. Mi ha fatto impazzire.¡±

    Talia tried to clench her thighs together as her need grew. If he kept talking like that she would be the one to go crazy. How he remembered every detail of her when they were together surprised her. All she could barely remember was a wall of muscle above her, and that was frompromised vision and fog filled mind.

    ¡°Happy to please,¡± she said breathily.

    He chuckled, low and guttural, the hand on her back moving up. He sat up then, and she only knew what he was up to when cool air touched her back, then momentster, her arms were forced up and the crop top was off.

    ¡°You have beautiful hair,¡± he whispered against her cor, his lips light touch against the heated skin tickled her, and her hips involuntarily rolled. ¡°But I like the curls better.¡±

    Hands on his broad shoulders, she pulled him closer saying, ¡°You said that already.¡±

    Arms around her, he pulled her up, forcing her half up and bncing on her knees. She felt his tongue trace wetly on her upper boob, a flicker away from her tightening nipple, but not once did he touch it, as he teased her. She trembled in anticipation, silently begging him to end her misery.

    ¡°So sensitive,¡± he said, his hot breath fanning over her already taut nipple. ¡°So responsive.¡±

    She gasped with pleasure when he finally sucked it into his mouth, while he stroked the other lightly with the pad of his thumb and her brain blissfully shit down. She closed her eyes as an answering tug in her womb forced her back on to hisp, pressing against his cock, her muscles tightened and she pushed forward, the hands at the back of his neck and head unintentionally pulling him down, keeping his mouth where it was. The friction against her boxerce panties that was squeezed between her swelling clit and his hot throbbing rode nearly undid her. She threaded her fingers through his raven hair when his lips moved to suck on the pulse at her neck as he pulled her closer, banding his arms around her until she was pressed flush against him, her achy breasts against his hard pecs.

    ¡°I want you to ride me,¡± he whispered hotly before he took her right earlobe into his wet mouth.

 CHAPTER 48

    She nodded her ascent stiffly. At that point, she would agree to anything if it meant sating her ache. He quickly did away with her panties theny t on his back, his fingers slowly stroking her thighs as she knelt over him, his engorged weepy dick poised to make an entry. She stared at it, red and angry, and she wondered what the hell she was about to do. It looked like it would rip her in half if she let it. How had she taken him that first time? As if sensing her hesitation, he sat up and with one hand at the back of her neck, pulled her towards him and imed her mouth. The instant their lips touched, all worries flew away and she returned the kiss with wild abandon, throwing her arms around his neck and lowering until she sat on him, stering her body against his. He hissed against her lips, broke the hold she had around his neck and held her still as hep back down, his hungry eyes staring up at her. His hands dropped to her waist and he pulled her forward, then pushed her back making her body jerk twice, her toes curling up with the unexpected pleasure from the friction of her core against his rod. She looked down as he moved her, lips strained and a tick working in his firmly clenched jaw. He wasn¡¯t inside her but he was definitely under her.

    She shifted her pelvis, pushing her ass up and out. She whined at the increasing pleasure the new position gave her. With each pass her clit made over his penis, her body twitched and her breath grew morebored. She needed more. She leaned down, hands on his hard chest for leverage, and rotated her hips and ground down on him. He hissed, his chin tilting up as the back of his head burrowed into the pillow, the muscles in his neck pushing out as they tightened. A deep animalistic guttural sound pushed through clenched teeth, and he cursed in Italian, his hands leaping from her waist to her thighs. His fingers dug into the flesh as if beckoning her to move faster. Want, lust, and a strong sense of power swelled within her, pulling her into their undertow, switching their roles and making her the dominant. She lowered her hands behind her, sping his strained muscled thighs for leverage and more control over the speed and depth of pressure. She was the one in control of their pleasure now.

    Talia closed her eyes as she chased, sucking her lower lip into her mouth and biting down hard as she increased her tempo. The chase grew even more desperate, one hand shifting forward to his chest, her fingers digging into the flesh as she ground down harder on him, she needed more. She sat up, bncing on her knees as she danced on him, her hips moving back and forth then side to side, whimpering at the sharp pleasure that intensified with each gyrating pass of her swollen flesh over his throbbing erection. Her hands unconsciously moved to her breasts and she pinched the tight pebbles, as she squeezed the heavy flesh. As she drew nearer and nearer to her release, her movements grew erratic. She felt his fingers dig into her thighs as he forcefully pulled her forward, breaking her rhythm. On the trip back, she felt him at her entrance, stretching her to ept him. She stilled, feeling too full. She drew in a sudden shocked breath when he shifted under her and pushed in with one hard stroke. Choking sounds came from her constricted throat as she bent over from the intrusion, her eyes tightly squeezing shut. Her trembling knees came off the bed as her body shook, lifting up to her chest to press together. Her spasming hands shifted from his chest to his thighs as they searched for a ce to hold onto as her body began a shaking rumble of a rocket ready tounch. Then the string tying her to sanity snapped, and ecstasy flooded her body and she convulsed on top of him, her core squeezing the thick member inside her as her mind disappeared in a fog of pleasure. He hooked his fingers behind her knees and forced them apart and down onto the bed. Her body jerked as another bolt of pleasure shot through her, air suddenly short in her lungs.

    ¡°Move,¡± hemanded, his voice strained, his breathing harsh. But how could she, when she had no control over her rapturing body?

    Not waiting, his hands mped onto her waist and he moved her, back and forth, up and down until her body, wanting more of the orgasmic drug, adopted the rhythm and began to dance on its own ord. He was right. Pleasure tasted ten times sweeter in her own hands. She felt him begin to shake under her, his hands were everywhere, sliding up and down her thighs, his fingers digging into the flesh, reaching for her breasts, squeezing until they hurt and finally fell to her waist, gripping her tight. His legs seemed to kick behind her, his hips pushing up off the bed, lifting her repeatedly as if she was riding a bucking wild horse. His hands on her waist as if trying to pull her up, mumbling and cursing. She opened her eyes to look at him then. His head, ck strands of hair stered to his perspiring forehead, jerked from side to side, his eyes clenched so tightly shut that the stress lines around them were like deep barrows. His tightly clenched teeth, exposed by his parted lips that seemed stretched to the limit looked like they would break if he didn¡¯t release his jaw soon. She watched him, riveted, in the throes of his own pleasure and finally understood what he meant. She loved that she was doing this to him, the addictive power that came from knowing that she made him titter at the edge of total loss of control, of pleasured insanity, all with a roll of her hips. She finally saw the satisfaction that he spoke of when he watched here.

    Her body suddenly jerked, almost shooting off hisp like she¡¯d been tasered. She looked down to find the culprit. Rafe was drawing circles on her clit with the pad of a trembling thumb. He wanted her to join him in the throes of passion as he hustled down towards the edge of the cliff.  Her body began to pull and snap as tension coiled within her until finally she shot off him, knees pressed into the mattress of the bed as she fell forward against his wet chest, ass in the air aplete shaking mess with just the head of his dick still inside her, tightly clumped in ce by her pulsing core as she screamed her second release. Feeling featherweight, her cheek on his shoulder, and her forehead pressed to his neck, she listened to his harsh breathing echoed by the wild beat of his heart. Her body dropped and she mewed as she took him inside her again. As shey there on him in the dying embers of a mind blowing orgasm, she came to a decision, one she knew she had to keep, as difficult as it will and had proven to be.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Rafe began to pull away from her hurriedly, his trembling hands pushing at her. She wondered why, knowing for certain he hadn¡¯te. His body was so tense, muscles strung tight like he was holding back. She couldn¡¯t have that, especially since she was determined to keep her word. They wouldn¡¯t be doing this again. There would be no repeat of this. Quickly, she rose and seated herself fully on hisp, gasping when he sunk deeper into her still convulsing womb.

    ¡°Talia¡­¡± he said her name as if he was in pain. Judging by how much bigger he suddenly felt inside her, that thing would fall right off if he didn¡¯t let go.

 CHAPTER 49

    She wanted to do this for him, knowing very well how much not being able to get it up had factored into his anxiety. This was her, willingly giving him treatment. She pushed her ass out then shoved it back, hard. He gasped, his thigh muscles under her contracting and pushing her up. She reared back and did it again. Whatever he¡¯d been trying to say died on his tongue. His lips parted with each heavy breath, his brows pinched tight as he stared down at the ce where they were joined. He suddenly pushed himself up, leaning on one taunt arm, hand pressed t on the mattress of the bed. The other arm around her waist, he moved under her, rocking against her. He looked like he was in pain, distressed, exerted. He took control, moving forward to meet her as he pulled her with that arm around her waist to crush against him with each deep stroke. As close as she was to her third flight, it still didn¡¯t seem to be enough for him.  He pushed his pelvis up, pushing them both off the bed and her into a crouching position above him. Coming off the bed, he bnced them both on his one arm and the heels of his feet. Infected by his madness, she found herself on the chase again. When she pushed out, he pulled away until just the tip of him was left inside her. When she swung in, he came up mming into her and making her clutch around him hard. Again and again they danced to this frenzied rhythm until he finally shattered with a shout,ing so hard as he bucked wildly, he nearly threw her off. He dropped onto the bed, the arm that had held them uping to hook on her right shoulder pulled her down to meet him as he pushed up again and again as he finished until her own orgasm was ripped out of her. They rocked in a sedated pace as she milked him, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, her arms around his neck. Sitting on the bed with his arms banded around her like a vice, his thighs under her shaking violently, they slowed down to a sway, pulling everyst bit of pleasure from each other. As she counted to five between each deep breath she took, she listened as he tried to catch his own breath, hot and heavy he panted in her ear as her hand moved slowly up and down his wet back soothingly. Once in control, he pulled back and crushed his lips against hers. She returned the kiss knowingly, wishing she didn¡¯t have to but having no other choice if she was to save herself from fallingpletely and foolishly in love with him.

    He pulled away, leaning his forehead against hers and whispered, ¡°Bellissimo.¡±

    Yes, what they just shared was beautiful and intense. She would happily do it again if it wasn¡¯t just sex. She loved him, she willingly admitted that as tears burned her throat. She loved him but to him, she was just a distraction to his problems.

    ¡°This won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    He pulled back, his brows pulled together in concern. ¡°Why not?¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    She shook her head no, looking away from him. ¡°It just can¡¯t.¡±

    After a moment of silence he finally said, ¡°Then give me today. I want to sleep whilst inside you. Wake up with you cuddled up against me. Sit on the couch and watch TV naked with you in my arms. Cook for you and eat with you and talk about everything and nothing without a stitch on us. Be buried deep inside you on every single surface in this apartment then fall asleep with our arms and legs wrapped around each other.¡±

    She smiled sadly as she nodded. She wanted every single thing he¡¯d just mentioned, but she wanted it with love. She didn¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s fuck buddy, and the treatment was over.

    ¡°Fun day you have nned there. I noticed naked was the running theme.¡±

    She felt him tug at her hair, pulling her head back until their eyes met. ¡°I swear it¡¯s not the sex. It¡¯s you.¡±

    She nodded solemnly. ¡°You keep saying that and yet, here we are.¡±

    ¡°Talia¡­¡±

    ¡°We can do all that and keep our clothes on if you still want to. Besides, the first time you slept, there was no sex involved.¡±

    He silently assessed her with that all seeing critical gaze of his under hooded eyes then nodded, shifted then brought them both down on the bed with herying on his chest. ¡°Deal. But let¡¯s order out. I¡¯m too tired to cook.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°Good idea, and anyway, I don¡¯t believe you can cook. You¡¯ll probably burn water.¡±

    She yelped at the sharp swat on her bare butt cheek but before she couldin, deep breathing sounds filled her ears. Gently she turned and lifted her head to look. With his head on her favorite pillow, cheek pressed into the downy softness, raven ck hair spread out just above his turned forehead, the man was fast asleep. For someone who has insomnia, he knocked out faster than a horse on tranquilizer. Long eyshes that would retain as hire as natural hair extensions hid his sharp prating gaze, his full almost bruised lips slightly parted reminded her of her own battle ridden ones, and his bodypletely rxed including the arms wrapped around her holding her to him made him appear disarming, that hard edge somewhat dulled by sleep. An unarguable exnation to his besiege on her apartment and life. How could she not let him stay knowing she could give him what he so desperately needed?

 CHAPTER 50

    Just as they had agreed, they spent their days after work chilling on the sofa, watching TV and reading books. She read her new collection of romance books on her E-reader while he read what she could only assume were biographies and autobiographies, as he was very secretive about his iPad, the reticent businessman. Despite the crazy urge to jump each other¡¯s bones, Talia patted herself on the back for the restraint they showed.  She wasn¡¯t going to lie, there were times, like when she would feel his erection pressed against her hip in the early mornings, because, thanks to having just one room and the couch that couldn¡¯tfortably fit even half his body, they were forced to share a bed, she felt the temptation like the searing of a branding rode against her skin. But especially those moments when he would walk out of the bedroom to the living room, freshly showered to grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen, steam rising off his body, the towel slung lower around his hips. She questioned the reason she set the no sex rule. And of course, her own sanity. But, in the pursuit to protect her heart, she kept herself from licking those drips off water like a melting Popsicle.

    This wasn¡¯t just a one objective mission. Talia was determined to help him get over his anxiety and panic disorder. The first thing she did was set the rule that work remained at work. Rafe couldn¡¯t bring work home, nor work over time past a two hour limit. He¡¯dughed at that, not taking her seriously, that was until the day she turned off the power to her apartment from the fuse box in the basement.

    ¡°You did something to the power,¡± he said the moment she walked into the dark apartment, nothing but the torch on his phone beamed light.

    ¡°Prove it,¡± she¡¯d returned bullishly, strutting to her bedroom.

    ¡°My phone andptop are dying. I need to charge them,¡± he called after her.

    She turned at the bedroom door and said, with a sweet smile she was sure he could see as he had beamed the light on her face. ¡°It can wait till morning. What can¡¯t wait, is the food on the table.¡±

    He cursed silently, turning to the table that now only had his te of untouched food on. She¡¯d cleared it while he was fixated on hisptop. No matter how much noise she made banging dishes, he never lifted his head once. She scoffed, that would teach him to ignore her hard work. She wasn¡¯t his wife, or girlfriend, but she cooked for him and he ignored it because of work.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Could I at least microwave the food?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± she said in a sing-song voice, spinning on her heels, and two-stepped to her bed. It was an early night for her but, revenge was sweet and served cold, pun intended.

    The very next day it was round two in their fight to stop him from overworking himself. The mission, no over time. Two hours after quitting time, she¡¯d gone to his office and alerted him of the time. He ignored her, most definitely peeved at the night before ckout and cold dinner. So she grabbed hisptop and ran off with it. He followed her home, and like a two year old on the verge of a tantrum, stomped around the apartment, banging doors, including the refrigerator¡¯s until the guy who lived directly below her knocked on the door. When she looked through the peeping hole to see who it was, remembering that he had once asked her out, she quickly changed into a hugging tank top and cotton short shorts and answered the door. Talia chuckled softly to herself.  Rafe quickly apologized to the ogling man and had been light footed ever since. Since that night, he¡¯d followed that rule too. The man was smart enough not to go for a hat trick loss.

    There was one thing that she wished he would open up and talk to her about. Since that revtion, the morning after his surprise visit, he hadn¡¯t said a word as to what exactly was causing his anxiety and panic attacks. No matter how much she broached the subject, the man just wouldn¡¯t speak. It was inconsequential, he would say. When she would ask about his family, he only told her things that Google already knew. Nothing personal, nothing intimate, and that scared her. She knew when his birthday was, his favorite hobbies, even his school antics, theyughed out loud about some of those stories, but every time they approached the front door of his childhood home, she would be stopped short and the resounding sound of the lock being turned would fill the air. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder, was he drawing a line in the sand that she wasn¡¯t allowed to cross? Why was he keeping her at a distance? The teenage girl with a crush in her wanted tounch an all-out online dig on his family, but the adult in her who wanted to trust kept her away. She could only hope-it was wrong but for her peace of mind and the selfish need to not ruin what they had and might have in the future, she hoped his issues stemmed from his family. When he was ready, he would tell her and they would deal with it as more than just roomies then. Maybe. Hopefully.

    A loud sound from the TV pulled her back to the present, then a crunching sound drew her attention to the couch and she groaned with a tired shake of her head. It still baffled her how quickly Rafe went from one end of the spectrum to the other.

    Talia stood by her kitchen counter and stared at Rafe,ying on the couch, head on the throw pillow over the arm, one thick calf on the other arm of the two seater, while the other leg was bncing on the heel of his foot on the carpeted floor. In nothing but grey sweatpants and loosely fitting tee shirt she recently discovered was an extra, extrarge size-the dude was huge-she couldn¡¯t help but wonder, how?

    How had this happened to him?

    Gone was the heartthrob most eligible bachelor and in his ce, the bum cousin who got kicked out of his momma¡¯s house for ying video games all day instead of looking for a job.

    Rafe¡¯s hand reached into the Dorito bag on the coffee table in front of him, while the otherbed back his loose hair that had grown to chin length, tucking the strands behind his ear for what should be the third time in the fifteen minutes she had spent watching him, stupefied. She wondered if someone had swapped his soul with a sloth¡¯s. Gone was image one, two and three that fitted her 50 Shades desires, and there on the couch, watching a Korean drama-no subtitles, impressive but besides¡¯ the point-was image number four, every woman¡¯s worst nightmare. The man had been the slob king of her living room for the third weekend straight in the six weeks since they became roomies.

 CHAPTER 51

    When he said he was moving in, he hadn¡¯t been joking. He¡¯d gotten reallyfortable, like a roach in a dirty corner of the house. She rxed him, he said. She watched as his face frowned, his eyes momentarily shifting to the packet his fingers were currently digging in, before abandoning it with a sigh. Clearly she was over medicating him with her personal brand of fixing all of Rafe¡¯s issues with her presence remedy.

    ¡°Be, is there more?¡± he grumbled, not bothering to turn to look at her, his attention fixated on the screen. An entertainment device he discovered on his first weekend over as they worked hard to keep their hands off each other.

    She stuttered her shock, her head rearing back. Ah hell no! He wasn¡¯t just over medicated, he was clearly overdosed to the point he¡¯d lost his mind.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to kick you!¡± she gritted out through clenched teeth.

    ¡°Huh?¡± he said absently, his chin raising to her direction, but his eyes still glued to the TV screen.

    She pped the counter with her palms. ¡°Okay, enough is enough!¡± She rounded the counter and moved to stand at the foot of the couch. ¡°Get up. We¡¯re going out.¡±

    Talia hadn¡¯t nned to take him with her on her scheduled errand that day, but clearly push hade to shove.

    ¡°Why? It¡¯s the weekend,¡± he grumbled, pulling the pillow from under his head and hugging it to his chest.

    Talia grabbed the visible corners of the pillow and pulled but he wouldn¡¯t let go.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done nothing,¡± tug, ¡°but sleep on that couch,¡± tug, ¡°eyes screwed to the TV,¡± she put her foot on the couch for leverage and pulled, ¡°for weeks.¡±

    His hold eased, and the pillow slipped from under his arms. She stumbled back with a sessful huff, pushing her hair out of her face.

    ¡°Not true,¡± he bemoaned, sitting up. ¡°I went to work, made you dinner.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± she eximed, cing her fisted hands on her hips. ¡°You burned the sauce and turned the pasta back into dough.¡± She leaned in, eyes narrowed, she added, ¡°You should be ashamed to call yourself Italian.¡±

    He turned his head away, his lips pushed out in a pout like a petnt child. ¡°I don¡¯t call myself Italian. I am Italian.¡± Then he reached for the Dorito bag on the table.

    Teeth clenched tight she growled, ¡°Okay, Rafe, there is nothing left in that damn bag.¡± She held her fisted hands at her chest, under her chin to keep from smacking him. Heaven knows he was working herst nerve.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to get testy.¡±

    She took a deep breath to calm herself and a stroke of genius hit her. ¡°Rafe,¡± she began calmly, ¡°this you,¡± with a pointed finger, she drew a circle outlining him, ¡°is a libido killer.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± he said, mouth hanging open, his dark brows burrowed in a deep V.

    Talia bit the inside of her lips to hide her victory smile. Time to turn the de.

    cing a dreamy look on her face she said, ¡°When I first met you, you were fresh out of the shower. You had these tiny streams over water running down your body,¡± to draw him a perfect picture, she wiggled her fingers up and down her body, ¡°your towel hung low off your hips and those abs,¡± then she smiled sadly at his belly which he immediately sucked in.

    She fought the urge tough and pushed on with her act. With a heavy sigh she said, ¡°I miss those. You looked like a sex fantasye true, waiting to be tongue dried from head to toe. I had wet dreams about one for days after that.¡±

    ¡°One?¡± he rasped.

    She nodded. ¡°Since you match up to fantasies only found in romance books, tall, broad and mysterious, I decided to keep the mystery and give numbers instead of names.¡±

    ¡°Since there is one, I¡¯m guessing there are two?¡±

    Talia secretly smiled at how rough his voice had gotten. Knowing that she had wet dreams about him was clearly a turn on for him. She spied a look at his crotch, the poor baby must be suffering.

    ¡°The day I picked you up for the first day at work, you were like a mirage walking towards me like a tall drink of water in that navy blue pinstriped jacket and matching tie, over the ck shirt and pants.¡± She sighed dreamily, and continued, ¡°I envied that shirt. The way you had your hair slicked back,¡± in simtion, with one hand at her crown the other at her temple, she pushed them over her hair, ¡°you looked like danger.¡± She pressed her hands to her chest. ¡°Forbidden temptation. I think my heart stopped for a moment.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± he quietly asked, a rough edge to his voice.

    Ignoring him, she went on, ¡°But look number three, now that was a panty dropper.¡±

    He stood then, more like leaped to his feet like an agile wild cat preparing to pounce on its prey, his eyes burning with lust. She quickly shuffled back, taking a giant step back when he reached for her.

    ¡°You were seated behind your desk, jacket off, shirt sleeves rolled up to your elbows, no tie and three shirt buttons undone. Whew,¡± she fanned her face with her fingers with a whistle, ¡°you should wear sses more often. You had a sexy professor vibe going on there. I would have been happy to get graded on that desk.¡±

    He let out a gutturalugh that sent a shot of heat through her body and warned her that she might have gone a little too far. He looked like he was ready to break their pact and jump her and she, her body burning from the bounce back of her vicious n, she was at risk of not stopping him. She needed to make her point, and fast.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°And then there¡¯s this guy. Couch slob, eating junk all day, his six pack melting into a bulging bby one pack.¡± She shook her head disapprovingly with a purse of her lips. ¡°Not attractive at all.¡±

    His eyes narrowed and for a moment, he didn¡¯t say a word, like he was weighing a decision against what he read off her. She took a step back, a silent response and his eyes immediately rxed, decision made. There would be no erotic dance today, at least not one he initiated. Talia let out a soundless sigh of relief that carried a little bit of disappointment.

    He suddenly took off his shirt. ¡°How about now?¡±

 CHAPTER 52

    She sucked in a hidden breath as her eyes roamed his exposed body. She may have gone a little too far with the bulging bby one pack. Clearly he was still pretty fit, but there was no need to give that away.

    With a bored look and a raised brow she said, ¡°I think you are regressing to the college dumb jock.¡±

    With a high shrug of his shoulders, he dropped back onto the couch and turned back to the Tv screen. He was trying to look unbothered but Talia knew better. She stared pointedly at the tee shirt on his abdomen, hiding his once upon a time tight abs that looked like someone had curved them out with a chisel and a hammer. She¡¯d struck a nerve. Talia rolled her lips into her mouth to hide her smile.

    As fun as teasing him was, it was time they lived outside her apartment.

    ¡°Get up, take a shower, we¡¯re going out.¡±

    ¡°Where?¡± he murmured.

    ¡°House hunting,¡± she responded giddily, bouncing on her feet.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    Talia was scheduled to take a final look at the house she¡¯d fallen in love with some months back, before DeLuca¡¯s arrival. The need to have space and a permanent address was the driving passion behind her campaign to get her proposal approved. She used to pass by it at least once every two weeks to make sure no one had snatched it up before she had enough to make an offer. It was a good thing the owners weren¡¯t in a hurry to sell. They were a couple in their golden years, childless by choice, who were currently sailing around the world for thest year after they retired as civil servants just the year before. They wanted to visit every corner of the earth before they died and Talia envied them. So much so, she made them her inspiration. She was going to travel the world too, but two to three decades sooner than they did.

    Rafe pushed off the couch with an old man groan. ¡°Great. We¡¯re moving out of the shoe box.¡±

    With a raised brow and a hand on her hip, she snapped, ¡°No one invited you to move in, in the first ce. You brought yourself here.¡±

    He smirked, smacked her ass as he walked past her and dragged his feet with a shuffling noise to the bedroom.

    Ow, the man could get on herst nerve with his little snidements. She was sure he said that to get back at her for teasing him.

    Whilst he showered, Talia got dressed and ready. She had just hung out with the realtor when Rafe walked out of the room casually dressed in blue jeans, ck leather jacket with a ck round neck tee shirt underneath. He looked good,fortable and with his hair still a little wet loose around his face, he looked like a biker. She smiled slyly, shelving this bad boy look as number four, kicking sloppy kicks down to five. No wait, how could she forget the sailor look, in his white linen half buttoned up shirt exposing his chest, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and khaki shorts. She got to see what wind-blown hair in novels looked like and she loved the visual. Definitely a tossup between the two which deserved the fourth spot but sloppy king got demoted to position six.

    He pushed his fingers through his hair,bing it back. ¡°I¡¯m going to need to cut this soon,¡± he murmured, not speaking to anyone in particr.

    She watched, as his jacket pulled apart from the movement, the ck tee stretching to capacity over his thick chest. Her heart rate kicked up a notch and she bit the left side of her lower lip as she watched the hair bounce back in a wave, kissing his defined cheekbones as they settled around his face. Ow, she definitely loved this bad boy look on him. Congrattions on nabbing the fourth ce.

    His hand suddenly froze halfway as he came to a sudden halt, his foot half raised. Talia looked at his face to find his eyes roaming over her, from her feet to her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, worried.

    He finished the step, dropped his hand to his side and with a shake of his head said, ¡°Nope. Ah ah.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Talia asked, looking down at herself. Were her clothes inside out? She looked up at him. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Go change,¡± hemanded.

    ¡°Ha?¡± Talia looked down at her outfit again. She didn¡¯t understand what the problem was. She was in a baggie tee shirt and long sweater, with a brown headband to hold back her stray curls as her hair sat atop her head in a bun. Yes, she was in shorts but she had tights under them and her t boots were knee high. There was nothing wrong with what she was wearing. She looked up, meeting his gaze with a confused shake of her head.

    He jutted at her legs with his chin. ¡°Cover your legs. Wear jeans or something. The baggier the better.¡±

    Unbelievable! She snorted with a roll of her eyes. Her legs were covered in ck tights.

    His eyes narrowed and his brows pulled together. ¡°Do you have an aversion to clothes? Don¡¯t you feel cold?¡± he snapped and Talia pressed her lips together to hide a smile.

    The Neanderthal was already jealous and they hadn¡¯t even left the house yet.

    Large leather arms crossed over his chest, he threw down a challenge. ¡°We are not leaving until you do.¡±

    She watched him under a narrowed gaze, gauging to see how serious he was. The hard set of his jaw told her he wasn¡¯t kidding around. The independent woman in her wanted to argue back, but since this was thest day she had to view the house and make a decision, there was no point in butting heads with the stone roller.

    ¡°Fine,¡± she said with a belying sweet smile, then walked past him to the bedroom. She made sure to lock the door behind her in case he decided to supervise.

    Talia changed into tall high waist wide leg khaki pants, and in a show of rebellion, she wore a white thin strapped crop top and a matching long sleeved, off shoulder, see through baggy crop sweater that paired well with her white kicks and brown headband that she originally had on. Pleased with her second look, she turned the lock on the door and stepped out of the room.

    Five seconds hadn¡¯t gone by before a pained groan filled the room.

    Clearly, he didn¡¯t like the crop tops, she thought amused with a sense of juvenile victory.

 CHAPTER 53

    ¡°Ah, ah,¡± she said with a shake of her head and a wag of her finger. ¡°I¡¯m not changing again. You get one pass on my wardrobe, no more.¡±

    Rafe wordlessly red at her, making his feelings about the subject much known. Talia had to hold herself back from sticking her tongue out at him to annoy him further. She walked towards the front door, her boho bag slung over her shoulder and snickered at a pouting peeved Rafe.

    His hand shot up and grabbed her by the upper arm, Talia gasped as he brought her to aplete stop.

    ¡°Not so fast,¡± he said, reaching for the coat closet door with his free hand. He opened the door, released her and grabbed her long ck overcoat with a jerk that the hanger rattled in the enclosed space in protest. He pushed the door closed with his fingers, then held the coat open in front of her with a raised brow. The man just refused to lose.

    But then again, in her petty need to whine, she¡¯d forgotten about being warm and almost froze her big butt off.

    Refusing to show him how right he was about the coat, she jutted her chin up in defiance, then dragged her feet as she turned around in a show of reluctance and speared her hands into the armholes.

    Rafe settled the coat over her shoulders, then his hands slid down to her upper arms where he squeezed and then said a little too smugly, ¡°Now we can leave.¡±

    She spun on her heels and headed to the door, her chin still in the air before she came to an abrupt stop again.

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot.¡± She rushed back in and to the kitchen. She reached for the outer drawer of the counter and pulled out her trusty sidekick.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Rafe asked over her shoulder as she pulled the drawer shut.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    She turned, careful not to bump into him and held up the blue grey cylinder. ¡°This?¡±

    He nodded.

    ¡°An inhaler,¡± she answered, dropping it into her bag.

    ¡°Why do you have it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m asthmatic,¡± she said, as she walked past him to the door.

    She expected some questions but he remained silent. Maybe he just didn¡¯t understand what that was. It was a good thing, kind of. Some people tended to go straight to panic mode like she would start suffocating right in front of them at any second.

    Just as she reached for the door knob, he grabbed it, his ck leather arm stretching past her to turn it. He stopped her from moving with one hand on her shoulder as he swung the door open. He then shifted it to her lower back and ushered her out. When she reached for the door again, he took that hand in his, pulled on it gently until she stood behind him then he pulled the door closed. He inserted the key, turned it to lock, checked to be sure it was locked then began walking down the hallway towards the elevator, tagging her behind him. Talia stared at the back of his head surprised. She watched as his medium length hair, with a bump at the ends, bounced gently with each step he took and wondered what spell was cast on him in that shower. Rafe was a gentleman for sure, but not that much of a gentleman. Normally, once he was ready-he was always ready before her, including the time he spends doing his hair-he would wait by the door, phone pressed to the ear as he talked with Enzo or someone from the head office in Italy and she would have to open and lock it. Even in the elevator he would just stand and stare at the closed doors until she got there to press the button. Press. The. Button. One time, she had been tempted to ask him if his hands were working, but those morning phone calls he had were usually so tense, she didn¡¯t want to be at the receiving end of that stress. When they came back home from work, she was always the first one in, granted she was too tired at that time to squabble about being his doorman.

    This attention was new-normal to everyone else but new to them. Rafael DeLuca was used to having doors opened for him, clearly, so him being this considerate, it was weird and she kinda liked it.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked once they got to the elevator.

    He didn¡¯t look at her but he must have felt her eyes on him. He pressed the button and she had to hold back theugh bursting to pop. The doors dinged open and they stepped in. She stood beside him and watched to see if he would-yes, again, he pressed the button!

    The start of a giggle escaped her mouth and she quickly rolled her lips in to hold the rest back.

    When he turned to her, she quickly looked to the side, pretending to read the notice pasted on the wall with a shake of her head. When the elevator dinged and opened to the basement parking, hand still in his, he led her out and they walked to where the car was parked. Relief washed over her again at the sight of the Jeep Cherokee. Gone was the shy, noisy Ferrari that always made her duck every time she drove it out or back home. A time or two, she had wanted to stop it at the corner and push it the rest of the way. It was practically a moving billboard announcing she was shaking up with money. Or she¡¯d be a kept woman to a married man going through a midlife crisis. She was surprised Mrs. King hadn¡¯te knocking over the noise that thing made, but then again, she probably had her ear against the wall trying to listen in for some gossip she could share during her catdy meetings.

    When she brought the subject up, he didn¡¯t much care. Why would he? It wasn¡¯t like nosey Mrs. King had his mother¡¯s phone number on speed dial. So it was either get rid of the Ferrari or move out. The Ferrari was booted out and she was afraid the Cadic Escde would be the recement but she got ahead of that and came up with apromise. One that wouldn¡¯t draw too much attention in her neighborhood and still meet Rafe¡¯s luxurious high standards, and that was how the Ferrari got traded in for the slick ck Jeep Cherokee with all ck interior and leather seats. The heated seats and steering wheel were major pluses as theing Winter had already begun to make its presence known and she was the one who did all-not most-all the driving. Winter in Boston was no joke. It wasn¡¯t lost on her that Christmas was fast approaching too just she refused to let herself think about that. Too many unsettled strong emotions came with that thought.

 CHAPTER 54

    When she paused in her steps to let him cut in front of her so that she could walk towards the driver¡¯s side, he tugged her forward and led her to the passenger side. Wide eyed, she gaped at him in surprise. He opened the door and ushered her in. He went as far as fastening her seat belt before shutting the door. As he rounded the hood of the car on his way to the driver¡¯s side, Talia watched him, wide eyed and jaw cked, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. He never drove!

    The other part of the trade inpromise was that she would do the driving, in fact, just to drive the point in, everything about the car was in her name. She protested but the threat of the Ferrari staying made her cave.

    ¡°What if I run off with it?¡± she¡¯d asked once the contracts were signed and he just shrugged his shoulders. Only then did she discover, when she asked if he wanted to drive, that he had every intention to be chauffeured around.

    ¡°Get Joe to drive you around,¡± she¡¯d snapped, to which he responded with a raised brow and the KO; ¡°So that everyone in the office building knows where I now live?¡±

    The current argument score stood at three-one, with this being his first and if she had anything to say about it, only win.

    ¡°What?¡± he asked as he got in behind the wheel.

    Talia just stared at him with a slight shake of her head, blinking long and hard to see if just maybe he was a figment of her imagination.

    ¡°How long are you going to stare?¡± he asked, staring back at her.

    ¡°Not staring,¡± she murmured after she turned to face forward. It must be all the Korean dramas he was watching, she told herself. All of a sudden, he was being very considerate. The way the men are portrayed there was swoon worthy.

    He started the car and the engine quietly rumbled to life, the heating in the seat immediately turning on.

    ¡°Enter the address on the GPS,¡± he instructed as he backed out of the parking space.

    Silently, she did as instructed and just as she was pulling her hand back to herp, he grabbed it in his and drew it to his ownp. Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline as she stared dumbfounded. Their sped hands on his thick blue jeans d thigh, his wrapped around her open hand. A ticklish feeling crept up her chest and despite the heated seat, a slight chill wrapped around her. This was too strange, too normal. First the work hours rule which for a workaholic would have-should have been difficult for him to agree to. Yes, they had some slip ups, two to be exact but he¡¯d caved into that by the third night. The he traded in his beloved Ferrari-she wasn¡¯t so stupid as to not realize how not difficult it was to convince him into doing so, and now this. Couples held hands when they drove. Girlfriend¡¯s sat shotgun in their boyfriend¡¯s cars-technically it was her car that he paid for-arrgh, not the point! With her free hand, she touched her right temple at the slight twinge there. Rafe was being too tender and caring. Too couple-ish. Yes, they had slept together but they weren¡¯t in a rtionship. Yes, he lived with her, shared a bed with her to sleep and just sleep but they weren¡¯t together-together, just¡­ friendly. They were friends, right?

    She groaned quietly, pressing a little harder at the twinge in her temple that was growing to an irritating ache.

    ¡°Stop that,¡± he said quietly, squeezing her hand slightly.

    She dropped her hand to herp and turned to look at his profile, his eyes fixed to the road.

    ¡°I can hear what you¡¯re thinking.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡± she asked, trying to keep the disturbed feeling she was currently drowning in from her voice.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± he said, turning slightly to his left to look out at the side view mirror.

    Ha?

    ¡°You¡¯re not ready for that conversation.¡±

    She immediately turned back to look at the moving traffic ahead of her, internally drawing into herself when she suddenly understood what he meant.

    ¡°You know, you haven¡¯t taken me touring yet,¡± he said with an easy light tone, changing the subject.

    She turned to look at him, not missing the effort he was making to not burst theirfortable bubble. He was right, she wasn¡¯t ready for that conversation, because it would lead to questions like ¡®When are you going back to Italy¡¯, ¡®What do you want to do for Christmas¡¯, ¡®Are you in love with me yet¡¯. She wasn¡¯t ready to hear the answer to the first question and he wasn¡¯t ready to answer thest.

    He turned to her for a moment and met her gaze with an easy smile, which she returned with a shaky one.

    ¡°Tour?¡± she said quickly, a rasp in her voice. She quietly cleared her throat of the confused emotions bubbling inside her and added, ¡°It¡¯s not your first time in Boston.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°And yet it is.¡± He chuckled lightly as if he could see the confused look on her face. ¡°When I travel for work, it¡¯s to the office, hotel then airport,¡± he confessed, a sad tone to his voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never once taken a moment to even look out the window.¡±

    Talia finally closed her hand around his with a gentle squeeze. ¡°Not even the Louvre, Eiffel Tower¡­ or the Colosseum?¡± She turned slightly towards him in her seat. ¡°Surely you have been to the Colosseum?¡±

    He chuckled, bringing their joined hands up as he bent his head to kiss her fingers. Her heart skipped as she gasped at the warm and yet heating contact.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been to the sites in Italy. It was part of our education. But,¡± his voice dropped an octave, ¡°unless it was necessary for a business deal or to get to know clients or prospective business partners better, no.¡±

    Know clients better¡­ heavens, unless it was to get usable information for work, the man didn¡¯t live. Work wasn¡¯t living, work wasbor. Looking around and noticing the little things like the weather was how people breathed. This man had never taken a single breath of fresh air. No wonder he was suffering from anxiety and panic disorder.

    ¡°Why?¡± she blurted out unconsciously but genuinely curious to know.

    The man was a billionaire, he had enough money to go anywhere he wanted on the globe. Work? He was annoyingly specific; it was like OCD. She refused to believe this perfectionist didn¡¯t have the kind of staff that could keep the office running if he decided to take a week off.

    After a drawn silence, he finally answered, ¡°Pressure to live up to expectation. To be who I was required to be, I needed to be.¡±

    ¡°And now?¡± she asked softly.

    ¡°Now,¡± he exhaled loudly. ¡°Now I want to live one day at a time.¡±

    She smiled as he curved another notch in her heart. That, she could help with. ¡°I¡¯ll make an itinerary.¡±

 CHAPTER 55

    ¡°The neighborhood looks good,¡± Rafe said as they drove down the beautiful leafy suburb.

    Talia felt little butterflies of excitement flutter in her belly. She¡¯d waited a long time for this. She was finally going to own her own home! Yes, she would be paying the mortgage for the next fifteen years but it was the best deal out of all the ces she¡¯d looked. And this house¡­ it just spoke to her.

    ¡°Right there!¡± she pointed out excitedly on his side. ¡°The house with the big tree in the frontwn.¡±

    Rafe¡¯s head turned to follow her finger then he looked at her with an amused smile. ¡°You¡¯re pretty excited,¡± he said, his lips pulling higher to expose his teeth.

    She nodded, bouncing in her seat. ¡°Like a fat kid on her way to a candy store.¡±

    He chuckled softly with a slow shake of his head. ¡°An apt analogy.¡±

    He pulled into the driveway that had a beautiful assortment of purple, orange and green perennial flowers on either side, stopping just a meter away from the old wood looking garage door. Once the car came to a stop, Talia quickly unbuckled her seat belt, jumping out of the Jeep, too eager to wait another minute to embrace the feeling of home she always got whenever she came here. She stared up at the two thousand square feet, two story and two car garage space Tudor home, surrounded by green grass and trees of different sizes. It looked like someone had brought a mountain home into suburbia, with earthy brown tones of wood and greys of rocks, beautiful rose bushes and jasmine trees under the windows. She could just smell the morning earthly scent mixed with that of blooming flowers seeping into the house as she sat on the bench by the open kitchen window, sipping her morning coffee. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, immersing herself into that picture.

    Ow she couldn¡¯t wait!

    She turned slightly, opening her eyes when she felt a familiar hand sping the back of her neck.

    ¡°Talia couldn¡¯t you hear me?¡±

    She leaned her head back, looking at Rafe¡¯s face over her shoulder and shook her head no. Something came over his face, with that familiar crease between his brows, but it disappeared before she could clearly read into it, reced by a smile ghosting over his lips.

    ¡°You could have waited till I turned the car engine off.¡±

    She smiled sheepishly up at him. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    With the hand at the back of her neck, he drew her to him and said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s see what¡¯s got you so excited.¡±

    The tingles in her chest that had started from that innocent warm kiss were overtaken by the butterflies from the excitement of her new home. She wanted to show him every inch of it, for him to love it as much as she did.

    Why?  A quiet voice in her head asked. Why was it-no!

    The sharp retort pulled her out of that line of thought before it ruined the mood. Don¡¯t borrow trouble. Just enjoy your house with him like you would with Carrie.

    Resolved, she took his hand in hers and with a fools grin stered on her face said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go inside.¡±

    She led him up the stone pathway, also lined with floral nts, to the four steps that led to the old fashioned front door. She rushed up the steps, pulling him with her then turned to look up at him, bouncing on the heels of her feet as she pointed to the knocker.

    ¡°Cute,¡± He nodded with a faint smile.

    ¡°I know right!¡± she eximed, her voice going a pitch higher from the uncontained excitement.

    He smiled back at her with an amused look on his face like a parent would at his kid going bananas on his first time visit at the gates of Disney World.

    She reached for the brass lion head knocker and tapped three times, the sound echoing in her chest and making her giggle like a silly girl. Were all first time home owners as excited as she was? She couldn¡¯t imagine them not being so, especially if their current home was like her apartment that could fit in this house¡¯s living room.

    The door immediately opened to a smiling Nelson, her realtor who had been very patient with her on this year-long journey. He was the one who gave her sound advise on how to start saving up if she was serious about owning her own ce by the end of the year; don¡¯t buy a car take the bus to work, don¡¯t buy new furniture, move into a waiting house also known as a tiny apartment with cheap rent, fix your credit and don¡¯t get fired. Thatst bit had been a little iffy when she began nagging her bosses over her new project and a promotion, but, it was all good now.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Hi!¡± she sang, waving both her hands at him.

    ¡°Talia, nice to see you again,¡± he returnedughingly.

    ¡°If you were waiting by the door the whole time, why didn¡¯t you just open when we pulled up?¡± Rafe asked behind them, his tone more business-like and a little off putting.

    Why? Talia wondered, looking over her shoulder at him with an inquisitive gaze. She rolled her eyes when she found that DeLuca mask on. She hadn¡¯t seen that outside the office in a while. She was beginning to hate that impersonal cold thing. As much as she tried to understand why he found it a necessity at work, she just wished he wouldn¡¯t treat every new person he met the same way.

    Be social, smile, say hi, she wanted to scream at him.

    ¡°She likes to knock,¡± he responded, augh still in his voice, not bothered by the iceman.

    ¡°I like to knock,¡± Talia echoed with the sass of an annoying pre-teen, then turned back to the man who shared her excitement.

    With her hands sped under her chin, eyes bulging out she leaned in and asked, ¡°Is it ready?¡± She ended up whispering like she was divulging national secrets.

    Nelson leaned in too and whispered back with augh, ¡°Yes.¡± Then he stood up straight and said loudly, ¡°You¡¯ll be happy to know, you¡¯ll have the house in three months¡¯ time.¡±

    Talia jumped up and down with a happy shriek, pping her hands like a seal. Nelson stepped to the side, pushing the door further open and Talia rushed into her new almost home like a prima donna would in a Gi store having a one time sale.

    ¡°The agreement papers are on the dining room table,¡± Nelson called after her.

    Talia ran through the living room to the double ss doors on the left, directly across from the firece and into the dining room. She quickly pulled out the solid rubber wood, Marcoco Wenge, ssic hourss silhouette and scooped backrest from the matching six seater table and sat in front of the papers, her eyes roaming over them as she was eager to read through them.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you read through those and I¡¯ll give Mr. DeLuca a tour.¡±

    With a quick draw of breath, Talia turned wide eyed, her fingers pressed to her mouth at the two men standing at the double ss doors she¡¯d just bust through. She shrunk a little at Rafe¡¯s raised brow.

    ¡°Rafe¡­¡± she mumbled behind her fingers.

 CHAPTER 56

    He shook his head with a purse of his lips.

    She¡¯d forgotten to introduce them and he¡¯d been forced to be a little social. She smiled a little. She wasn¡¯t that sorry.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I got beat by an old century looking house,¡± a smile teasing on his lips.

    Her own smile widened behind her fingers.

    ¡°You love it that much?¡±

    She nodded.

    ¡°Take your time,¡± he said, and with that, he turned and began to walk away, disappearing from her view.

    Nelson gave her a thumbs up and then quickly followed. Not long after, the sound of his conversational voice carried to her as he gave Rafe a tour, quick to mention which were her favorite parts of the house.

    It took her about thirty minutes to read and re-read the contract before she was sure she was ready to sign. As much as she loved the house, she was about to make the biggest decision of her life, financially and emotionally. The down payment would wipe out her savings and the monthly payments were more than half of her current sry. Thanks to her new project and Rafe¡¯s signature, her dream house was no longer just a dream. The moment she signed the contract, it would be a huge part of her reality. She picked up the pen with Nelson¡¯s realty firm¡¯s insignia on it and just as she was about to make the first stroke of her signature she stopped. She felt a loss somehow and couldn¡¯t quite-right!

    She wanted Rafe to be here for this.

    Quickly, she got up from the chair and went in search of him. She turned the corner that led to the staircase to the upper floor, d that unlike most houses, they weren¡¯t located near the front door, she just hated that, and almost ran into Nelson.

    ¡°Are you looking for your boyfriend?¡± he asked with a cheeky smile.

    Talia¡¯s face flushed and she cleared her throat, touching the back of her hair lightly with her fingertips.

    ¡°Where is Rafe?¡± she asked, ignoring him.

    Nelson chuckled and responded, ¡°Master bedroom.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± she blurted out, quickly making her escape, taking the winding steps two at a time.

    She walked down the hallway, past the open area that the previous owners had turned into a library section, a cushioned settee against therge ceiling to floor brass framed ss wall with shelves of books on either sides-the second best part of the house, the kitchening in third-to the master bedroom-ranking number one. The door stood ajar, and she peeked in for a moment before she took a step in. Slowly pushing the door open wider with the tips of her fingers, Talia walked into the carpeted electric styled room, a pair of mid-century armchairs and a gorgeous stump coffee center table with a clear vase of white lilies on top of it, greeting her. A gorgeous four post bed stood against the wall, right in the middle of the room, a sublime coral bench at the foot of it and a pair of metallic nightstands stood at each side of the bed.

    The room was so cozy and warm, she could just imagineying in bed, boosted up with the numerous thick cushions reading a paperback. Just the thought of it made her sigh with longing. She needed to remember to find out who their interior designer was and where they bought their furniture when she spoke to Nelson again. The d¨¦cor just gave her the feels and if it were possible, she would happily buy every piece along with the house.

    Talia spotted Rafe at the balcony, standing against the railing with both his hands in his leather jacket pockets. He quietly stared out at the view, not minding the slight chill.

    She went up to him and hugged his side, one arm around his waist. ¡°The view is beautiful isn¡¯t it?¡± she asked with her free hand she pointed out. ¡°Right over there is the view of the Antic. Your favorite ce in the world.¡±

    His cheek rounded in a smile but ttened soon after. Talia watched Rafe¡¯s profile and wondered what he was thinking about. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t let a moment like this pass, the second she put her arm around him he would have grabbed her in a bear hug. But now, he just stood staring out, his hands buried in his pockets.

    Was something wrong?

    Just as she was about to ask, he suddenly asked softly, his voice above a whisper, ¡°The couple who own this house, was it just them?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Talia answered, watching him carefully.

    ¡°So no kids?¡±

    ¡°No kids. Why do you ask?¡±

    With a barely noticeable shake of his head, he added, ¡°You can tell from the design and the d¨¦cor.¡±

    What was going on? Why was he so shell-like?

    In the silence that followed, Talia felt like it was expectant, like he was weighing his next words carefully before he spoke then. That made her tense and her hand at his waist fisted.

    ¡°We could get a bigger house.¡±

    Talia stiffened. This suddenly felt like dangerous territory. What did he mean by we?

    ¡°I like this house. I n to grow old in this house,¡± she murmured. ¡°And it¡¯s within my price range.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for it.¡±

    Talia dropped her arm from around his waist and took a step back,.¡±Rafe, I can pay for my own house,¡± she bit out.

    He turned to look at her, his face nk and expressionless but his eyes¡­ they seemed to be searching hers. Too intent. Too focused. What was he getting at?

    ¡°I said we, Talia,¡± he spoke slowly and softly, stressing on the ¡®we¡¯. ¡°La nostra casa. Compriamo una casa insieme.¡±

    Clearly he felt like he wasn¡¯t making himself clear in English and he might have been right. Talia gaped at him like he¡¯d grown a second head. ¡®Our house. Let¡¯s buy a house together¡¯. Had he lost his mind?Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°You want to buy a house,¡± she said pointing to herself and then to him, ¡°together?¡±

    He stared pointedly at her.

    ¡°As in, moving in together, live together, cohabit together?¡±

    Still he stared.

 CHAPTER 57

    Talia¡¯s heart beat wildly at what she assumed he was saying without actually saying it. The man had a habit of not answering to the obvious. Actually no, he did. He stared, like he was at the moment.

    You are jumping to conclusion Talia. Pump the brakes, take a breath and try and clear it out before you have a heart attack.

    ¡°Is this going to be the car again? Just because you live in my apartment I would never ask you to split the rent. Sure, pay for a few things here and there but-¡±

    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± he said, cutting her off.

    Talia clenched her jaw hard. No, she didn¡¯t want to know what he meant!

    ¡°Just because in three months the house will be officially mine doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll move in immediately,¡± she went on with her rumble. She pressed her hand to her forehead as an anxious tremor came over her with a chill. ¡°You¡¯ll probably have figured everything out by then-¡±

    ¡°Talia, smetti.¡±

    She immediately stopped talking. Though he said it in a soft way, themand was there.

    ¡°Prendi un respire.¡±

    She did as instructed and took a deep breath but it didn¡¯t work. She was going to need a lot more than a single breath, a single oxygen wouldn¡¯t be enough! What was he doing to her?

    All she wanted was to share the moment she became an official home owner not actually share the house.

    Wait, he couldn¡¯t possibly have thought¡­ Please ck Elvis let this be it!

    ¡°Rafe, I brought you with me because I wanted you to see the house that I¡¯m buying, not pay for it. Nor even suggest cohabiting. We aren¡¯t exactly-¡±

    She stopped with a groan, her fingers sping the napes of her neck, pressing down hard. Don¡¯t go there! Don¡¯t bring that up for crying out loud!

    Why again did she bring him with her?

    She needed to leave. Yes, that was it. Retreat. Regroup. Ignore the subject ever came up.

    She turned on her heel to do just that but Rafe caught her by the upper arm and spun her back to him. His other hand went around her other arm, holding her in ce, foiling her escape.

    He leaned down to look her in the eye and said, ¡°Stop pretending you can¡¯t understand me.¡±

    Tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up and goosebumps rose on her skin. Yes, she was pretending to misunderstand him. Yes she knew what he was insinuating. Yes she knew what the next words out of his mouth would be but she wasn¡¯t ready, especially not today.

    Today was meant to be simple, familiar, known, on track with her life, before Rafe crashed into it day. She was buying a house today! One big life changing decision was all she was prepared to make and this thing between them wasn¡¯t it. It wasn¡¯t on the schedule.

    This wasn¡¯t it! She moaned inwardly, swallowing the lump in her throat.

    Rafe looked at her expectantly but Talia just stared back, willing him to drop the subject.

    ¡°I know I said you weren¡¯t ready for this conversation but-¡±

    No, no no no no! Her mind screamed. Immediately, her body stiffened with the desire to run, and she answered the impulse, turning away but he turned her back.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious about us,¡± he said, a sense of urgency filling his voice as it rose. ¡°I made myself at home with you.¡±

    She snorted. That was an understatement if she¡¯d ever heard one. And the problem.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org.

    ¡°Yes, I know. The mug rings on my coffee table can testify to that,¡± she mumbled with a pinched smile, trying to ease the tension with humor.

    This man just moved in with her, decided he was going to live with her, made her a part of his journey back to sanity then bought her a car, put money in her ount which she told herself was for his expenses and now, now he wants to buy a home. For them. Together.

    Santo dios! Why won¡¯t he just let things be! They already had enough on their te.

    ¡°I said with you, not in your apartment.¡±

    ¡°Rafe¡­¡± Talia moaned, raising her hands and pressing her eyes to the heel of them.

    ¡°What exactly are your reservations?¡± he asked, sounding so reasonable.

    Reservations? Ha! Unless he was talking about restaurant reservations, her reservations were a lot moreplicated than that.

    She looked up at him, brows pulled together suddenly feeling irked. Why was he pretending like he didn¡¯t know what ¡®her reservations¡¯ were?

    ¡°You know very well why I don¡¯t think getting a house together is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°What? That I¡¯m using you? That I¡¯m mentally unstable?¡±

    ¡°Rafe,¡± she groaned, irritated as she yanked at her arms to break his hold. ¡°This has nothing to do with your mental health. I never once said you were mentally unstable,¡± she snapped feeling offended. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are ready for a rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Talia-¡±

    ¡°Quite frankly, I¡¯m not willing to risk it,¡± she added, cutting him off.

    ¡°Talia, listen to me.¡±

    No, she didn¡¯t want to listen to impossibilities any longer. Mustering all her strength, she brought her hands up and dropped them with her heave, finally breaking his hold on her and yelled, ¡°You¡¯re running Rafe and I¡¯m just a stopover!¡±

    They stood silently, staring at each other. Him, still and stoic. Her, emotionally strained and suddenly exhausted. She looked away, rolling her lower lip into her mouth and pressing a trembling hand to her forehead. This wasn¡¯t how this day was meant to go.

    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong,¡± he dered, his voice hard with conviction.

    A slow lithe heat of hope wound through her body, chasing away the chill of doubt that had settled in her bones. Oh how she wished she was as sure as he was. The flow of what ifs melted, softened and evaporated the deep icy hooks of fear that had dug into her bones, that was anchoring her to the surety of a heartbreak.

    As if sensing her perplexity as the scales began to sway, shifting away from impossibilities to favor possibilities, the creak of the heavy door that caged her heart as it was pushed ajar allowing just a crack of light through, Rafe¡¯s gaze softened and a ghost of a smile flittered over his lips.

 CHAPTER 58

    Was that understanding? Or was it a concession? She wondered as a soreness filled her chest.

    Digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands, she gave him a strained smile, an apology on her lips. She was too much of a coward to trust that he was done searching. To trust that the peace he was desperately looking for was with her. The peace that he greatly needed. She truly understood that he should seek it out until he found it, even if it meant leaving her behind. She understood. She supported him even if it hurt like hell. With that thought, the gatekeeper slowly pushed the door closed, snuffing out that little light.

    It was better to be clear, resolute than jeep encouraging something that would only end badly. The man wouldn¡¯t even let her into the darkest corners of his heart and mind, the reasons behind his anxieties. If he couldn¡¯t trust her with those, how could she trust her with her heart, her future? It was like asking her to bungee jump three thousand feet off the ground with no harness or safety.

    ¡°Rafe,¡± she started, hoping to put the subject to bed until they were both in the right ce mentally and emotionally.

    He quickly turned away from her then said, ¡°Do you know¡­¡± he paused, his voice thick with emotion.

    Talia wanted to reach out to him but stopped herself. He was regrouping, getting his emotions in check before he spoke again.

    He took a step forward towards the pair of cushioned wicker chairs and a table with a ss top and settled himself in the furthest one.

    ¡°Do you know why I asked for a tour?¡± he asked, his voice clearer but quiet.

    ¡°To see the house?¡± she answered just as quietly.

    He shook his head slowly from side to side, ¡°No. I wanted to see what you see.¡±

    Ha? She looked at the profile of his face, confused.

    ¡°All I saw when we pulled up was bricks, wood, a few trees and grass.¡±

    She nodded sadly, finally understanding. All he saw were facts, lines on a piece of paper.

    ¡°When you jumped out before I stopped the car, I wondered what had gotten you so riled up. It was just a house, not even a mansion.¡±

    The quiet tone he spoke was so otherworldly, it was as if he wasn¡¯t present. As if he wasn¡¯t speaking to her at all. He was staring out at the sparse houses and trees and far off ocean and yet, she was sure he was seeing nothing.

    Quietly, she settled in the empty chair next to him and listened.

    ¡°I called you but you didn¡¯t answer. You just stood staring at his building, eyes shining, the biggest smile on your face and your arms.¡± He raised his arms off the arms of the chair slightly. ¡°It looked like you were ready to take flight.¡± His lips pulled in a strained smile before they ttened. ¡°I just thought, ridiculous.¡±

    Talia felt a chill wrap around her and she pulled into herself, crossing her arms over her chest and tucking them into the crooks of her inner elbows. What is this? she wondered. The way he spoke, it somewhat frightened her at some level.

    ¡°Then I went round the back of the car, stood behind you and called you again. That close and you still didn¡¯t hear me. So I looked at what you were looking at and that¡¯s when I saw it.¡±

    A long exhale of air escaped his parted lips and he seemed to shrink in the chair a little, Talia noted.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just a house, trees and well-manicuredwn. It was the greenness of the grass, the wild colors of the flowers along the driveway and the walkway. It was the way the trees gently swayed in the breeze that I could barely feel against my skin. The earthiness of the house that made it seem like part of it had been carved out of a millennial old boulder¡­. I don¡¯t quite understand it. Everything stopped seeming so ck and white,¡± he chuckled humorlessly. ¡°It gave me goosebumps,¡± he turned to face her with a weak smile. ¡°Ridiculous, right?¡±

    Talia smiled patiently at him, knowing he wasn¡¯t really looking for her to confirm or reject his epiphany. If he only knew that very feeling was the reason why she fell in love with the house. It looked wise, if she could even say that. That the feeling of safety and security it gave gave her a haven, she hadn¡¯t felt it with any other house.

    Talia came to a realization of her own then. Rafe was a professional in masking his emotions. She hadn¡¯t noticed even once his internal conflict when they stood outside the house. She felt her shoulders sag with additional pressure, the cold reality of how impossible being together was seeping back into her bones. Rafe needed more than she could ever give.

    ¡°You say I¡¯m hiding,¡± he murmured, his gaze holding hers with such intensity she dared not blink. ¡°Yes, I was hiding on my yachts in Italy, yes I did run to Boston to escape. But when I met you I suddenly wanted more, out of life, out of work. I wanted to exist, to be.¡±

    He leaned in towards her and Talia unconsciously leaned slightly away.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hiding with you. I¡¯m learning.¡±

    Something shifted inside her and sudden tears filled her eyes as her throat began to burn with emotion.

    Now what was she supposed to do with that?

    Quickly she turned away before the tears spilled. She blinked rapidly chasing the suckers back as they melted her resolve. In an effort to put back the barrier and seal that confession had burned through like highly corrosive acid poured in the ss jar that was her heart she asked, ¡°Rafe, have you ever been in love?¡±

    When no response came she turned with baited breath to face him, only to find him looking out at the approaching clouds in the dull sky as the afternoon light slowly disappeared as evening approached.

    ¡°I never pictured my life, my future being anything but work and living up to my father¡¯s expectations.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    What was that supposed to mean? Was that a no or a yes? Time to approach it from a different angle.

    ¡°What about marriage? Have you never thought of ever falling in love and getting married to the love of your life? Or will it be arranged like one of those elite families from the K-drama you love watching so much,¡± she tried to make it a joke but it just came out sad when the reality of the possibility of that happening sat heavily on her heart.

    To make it worse, the tick in his jaw, the up and down movement of his Adam¡¯s apple was like a boulder tied to her heart, sinking down to the belly of the sea. She wasn¡¯t far off the mark.

    Her breath stuttered in her chest. Did he already have an arranged marriage, a fianc¨¦e his wealthy family had already picked out for him?

    Por dios, no!

    ¡°Nothing more than a business transaction,¡± he stated coldly. ¡°All for profit, expansion, no sentiments included. No name, no face, just another business deal sharing a bed. Sex is nothing more than making a prerequisite child to seal the deal for life. Then everyone goes on with their lives separately as the nannies raise the poor damned child who¡¯ll never know what true parental love feels like.¡± He looked at her then, his eyes harsh and cold. ¡°Whomever brought more to the table out of a list of candidates walked down the aisle.¡±

    Holy hell! If she were to be described in that manner, she¡¯d book the fastest ticket to the nearest convent.

    ¡°Be, I would need to know what love is to be able to answer your question.¡±

    Her heart hit her rib cage so hard it echoed in her ears. She had every reason to be hesitant. This man here was Rafael DeLuca II, well known businessman from a family of old money and one of the few wealthiest in the world. He might as well be Prince William. There was no way his family was going to let him have any kind of rtionship with her. It would be like Cindere, only the stepmother and stepsisters would be her inws.

    ¡°So that means¡­¡± she mumbled unconsciously.

    ¡°It means nothing to us,¡± he returned vehemently, his eyes burning with such conviction she believed him. Almost.

    Panicked, she asked, ¡°But, that is what you are running from, isn¡¯t it? Your father-¡±

    ¡°My father is a fraud that I have spent most of my life trying to emte. He¡¯s a bully who reaps from the efforts of those weaker than him and that will not be me.¡±

    ¡®Don¡¯t call me that¡¯ and the way he said it like she¡¯d taken a hot iron to his skin echoed in her mind. Clearly there were a lot of issues there that needed addressing if not to be solved.

    ¡°So what does that mean?¡± for us, she added silently.

 CHAPTER 59

    Elbow pressed to the arm of the chair, he leaned in closer towards her, a fire in his eyes that told her to listen carefully and believe every single word that would being out of his mouth because he meant each one and said, ¡°It means, I¡¯m going to start living my life the way that I want and no one is telling me otherwise. Not. Even. You.¡±

    Then he sat back in his seat, like he hadn¡¯t just blown her mind with that statement and casually asked, ¡°When are we moving in?¡±

    Ha! He may have shocked her, but he hadn¡¯t turned her brains to mush.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m paying for the house and I bought it for me, I¡¯m moving in three months. You¡¯re still a guest in my apartment. You can take over the lease if you want.¡±

    His brows pulled in a deep V over his narrowed eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear me.¡±

    ¡°Oh I heard you,¡± she said standing up, ¡°but no one strong arms me into anything.¡±

    She shrieked with a sharp intake of breath when he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto hisp. His arms wrapped around her, he held her tightly to his chest then pressed his lips to hers in a demanding, iming kiss. He plunged his tongue into her mouth and hers eagerly met his. With every hot pass of their tongues the heat that was slowly growing to a burn melted her muscles and she hungrily pressed herself against him, wanting more. As if to punish her, he pulled away then, breaking the kiss.

    ¡°I could kiss you into it,¡± he whispered against her warm wet lips and he chin rose seeking more of that kiss.

    ¡°Talia, the house isn¡¯t yours yet. So let¡¯s keep things PG in there,¡± Nelson yelled from what sounded like the downstairs patio.

    Talia gasped, then hid her face in Rafe¡¯s neck as he chuckled, his mouth close to her ear.

    ¡°I guess you should sign those papers now.¡±

    She groaned her annoyance, punching him in the shoulder.  As she went to get up, his hand on her thigh stopped her. She looked up from where she was perched on hisp and their eyes met. Her breath caught at how open and bare it was. She¡¯d seen countless things in those deep browns, but for the first time in the months she¡¯d known him, she saw vulnerability.

    ¡°You can pay the down payment on the house-¡±

    ¡°Can?¡± she interrupted.

    With a raised brow he said, ¡°Stop trying to avoid this, me. No more running for either of us. I want to be with you. Whether that means I love you or not, you would know better. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m even able to spell it right now, but, I won¡¯t lie and this isn¡¯t some ploy to convince you, I think I do feel like.¡± He ced his hand over his chest. ¡°There is something in here, it has been for months and I don¡¯t know how to describe it, let alone name it because I have never felt it before. But I only feel it with you.¡±

    ¡°Sure it has nothing to do with how I help you sleep.¡±

    ¡°I barely sleep now because I¡¯m scared you¡¯ll vanish from my life. That kind of fear isn¡¯t one I would wish on anyone.¡±

    Talia tried to smile but her lips trembled with emotion, her eyes burning with relief. She didn¡¯t need him to say those three words. Countless men had said it and never meant it. That confession was more than enough.¡±

    She ced her hand over his on his chest and said, ¡°That is something you never have to carry.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± he said confidently, ¡°but I doubt you¡¯ll believe me if I said the same.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t going to lie, those kinds of promises came tied to a bolder named doubt. She was born with trust issues. Her father had said the same thing to her mother before he took off when he found out she was on the way. But that was on her wasn¡¯t it? Maybe it was time for her to unlearn that.

    ¡°You can teach me to trust you,¡± she murmured, not daring to look him in the eye.

    ¡°So we are both learning?¡±

    She tittered with a nod. That was what life was about wasn¡¯t it? Learning to be, learning to live, learning to survive and most importantly, learning to love without reservation.

    She felt the tips of his fingers at his chin as he pushed her head up. Shyly, she looked up and met his gaze. His eyes searched her for a moment then his head lowered to hers.

    ¡°Six months, then, you can take over payment for the house,¡± she whispered against his lips, her heart speaking without consulting her brain. It was a risk, but they were learning right?

    ¡°I think I love you,¡± he whispered in response.

    Something inside her shook as hope and pessimism waged war.

    ¡°You said you don¡¯t even know how to spell the word.¡±

    ¡°This burning in my chest says all I¡¯m missing are vowels.¡±

    Sheughed then, freely as the war leaned against pessimism. She ced her hand behind his head and pushed it down to capture his lips with hers. Yes, he definitely loved her.

    A thought struck her, and she pulled away. ¡°Quick question,¡± she began.

    ¡°Can it wait five minutes?¡± he murmured against her lips as he leaned down to fuse them together again.

    She leaned away, ¡°What were you looking for in all those boxes?¡±

    ¡°What boxes?¡±

    ¡°The mountain of them you had in your office. From the archives?¡±

    He shrugged, ¡°Everything and nothing,¡± then tried to kiss her again.

    Her brows shot up, ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    With a heavy sigh he leaned away, ¡°Truthfully?¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking you to spin a tale-unless you can¡¯t tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°Distraction.¡±

    ¡°Ha?¡±

    ¡°I needed a distraction from my-¡± he stopped and pressed his lips together, ¡°you know what.¡±

    His anxiety was what he meant to say. What he wouldn¡¯t say. He still wouldn¡¯t acknowledge his anxiety. But that was a fight for another day.

    Talia dropped her arms from around his shoulders and crossed them over her chest, ¡°Let me get this straight. You set fires in the office, terrorized employees because you needed a distraction?¡±

    He shrugged again, very unbothered by his revtion. She should be pissed, she knew that. She was slightly annoyed as she remembered the tension filled weeks. Quite a number of her coworkers had called in sick, the number probably tripled the normal. And yet, she kind of understood him, the reasons behind it. She still got a bitter taste in her mouth knowing that she had be that distraction. But they were starting anew, so she was going to focus on that.

    ¡°Besides, those kinds of audits bring a lot to light.¡± His lips thinned and his brows pinched, ¡°No one crosses me and get away with it,¡± he said, steel in his voice.

    Talia didn¡¯t doubt it. As she traced the hard look on his face, a slight chill ran down her back, she realized she had a lot about him she needed to learn.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    His face suddenly softened, and a mischievous smile yed on his lips, ¡°It was quite amusing seeing the toupees sweat off those dinosaurs¡¯ heads.¡±

    She chuckled and with his hands on her hip and thigh he pulled her more into him, forcing her to shift her crossed arms from her chest and back to his shoulders forck of space.

    ¡°I bet this wasn¡¯t what they had in mind when they got you to spy on me.¡±

    She chuckled, ¡°No, it¡¯s not. We should send them a thankyou basket.¡±

    Rafe threw his head back in augh before he imed her lips in a searing kiss. She was starting to believe the guy had a one-track mind.

 CHAPTER 60

    Monthster¡­

    Talia McKenna sat in the beautiful church listening to the choir sing the bridal march as she watched the bride sashay down the aisle to her waiting groom with grace befitting a princess. The beautiful voices echoed in therge hollow ceiling, bouncing off the walls, creating an angelic feeling inside the church. It hugged her, giving herfort, and she sat there inplete awe, for a moment, forgetting why she was there in the first ce.

    The architecture blew her away. The church looked historical, something from the seventeen hundreds and Talia was surprised there weren¡¯t any tourists wandering into the church, taking pictures inplete wonder of the beautiful infrastructure.

    Of course getting by the heavy security would prove an issue. There was a wedding currently in progress and the bride would most definitely take offense to any interruption. Talia knew without a doubt the groom would. He was the type of person who didn¡¯t appreciate interruptions, ns going off-course, duties not carried out to the letter. He was a stickler for order. Especially if those orders wereing from him. Good thing herwyer had wrangled up an invitation. How? She didn¡¯t know and she didn¡¯t care. It served her purpose and that was good enough.

    Therge church was half filled with probably a thousand people. It was the ¡®wedding of the century¡¯ as publicized in the newspapers, with two of the most powerful Italian families uniting. But Talia was sure only half was family and the other business associates-past, present and future. She was sure anyone who was and wanted to be someone was here. Top of the pie kind of crowd. She snickered, a little bitter. Nothing worked better than a wedding celebration to further business aspirations. The only people missing were the press.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    The singing stopped when the bride reached her groom. Her father handed her to the man she was to pledge her loyalty and love to, shaking the groom¡¯s hand before he gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek and took his seat.

    Bile rose to her throat. What a touching scene.

    She never thought she would ever make it here. Never thought her resolve would hold this strong-until this moment. She had made it, and was determined to carry her n through to the end.

    She¡¯d been so afraid toe to Italy alone. Her best friend Carrie had offered toe with her, to keep herpany and offer moral support but she turned her down. She didn¡¯t need anyone second guessing her decision, telling her what to do or think or offering their own opinions to what she was about to do.

    It was her heart that was broken. She was the one who was betrayed and humiliated. Her life was the one that had changed drastically and she was the one stuck with more responsibility than she could handle.

    Carrie and her mother had offered to help to get her life in order as much as they could, but Talia would only be a burden to them. Without a job, her depleted savings and non-existent medical insurance she was screwed. This was the only solution she had.

    Her pride had kept her from doing this for five months. But when her doctor told her whatever drugs that bastard had given her might have adverse effects, she was left with no other choice but to follow him back to Italy. The tests were expensive and depending on the results, medical care was going to cost more than she could ever make within four months. Thanks to the asshole of the century, she¡¯d been cklisted from all the majorpanies in the United States with an international affairs office.

    He¡¯d done this to her. Turned her perfect life into hell, and as much as she wanted to peel his perfect olive skin off with a blunt potato peeler, she needed to put that aside for the sake of others. All she wanted from him was his money and her job back. That was retribution enough, for now.

    Her mother used her of still being in love with him, and that¡¯s why she wouldn¡¯t take hispany to court for wrongful dismissal. She called Talia a fool, falling for a man she¡¯d only known for a few weeks. But Talia knew there was more to her mother¡¯s bitterness. If she only knew the truth, she would lose her mind. It had taken only a few moments to fall in love, a few weeks of denial and internal tag of war to sleep with him. Talia bit the inside of her lower lip. Her mother would be even more ashamed of her. She was better off not knowing the truth.

    Yes, she may still love Rafael DeLuca but that wasn¡¯t the only emotion that influenced her decision. Betrayal and anger had been her best friends for the past five months, and they were much stronger than the love she felt for him. Her blood boiled with a rage so fierce, a drop of it would melt a hole through flesh. She was aching to pour a bucket of it over Rafe¡¯s head.

    ¡°Miss McKenna, are you ready?¡± Mr. Garrison herwyer asked, taking her hand in his and giving it an encouraging squeeze.

    Am I ready? Talia asked herself as she stared at Rafe, standing up front, looking as breathtaking as the first moment she¡¯did eyes on him. No. Not just like then. He was heartbreakingly more breathtaking now than he was then.

    Absence did make the heart grow fonder, she thought to herself with a self-deprecating twisted smile of her lips, you couldn¡¯t be more pathetic Talia.

    She remembered how she¡¯d loved tob her fingers through his thick raven hair when heid his head on her chest after they¡¯d made love. It was now shiny and held back in ce with mousse. His raised arms as he lifted the veil away from the bride¡¯s face, reminded her of how safe she had felt when he held her as she slept. Or when he lifted her like she weighed nothing to kiss her because she was too short-she was five-six, average height for a woman, to his six-three and he still called her short. She smiled bitterly at the memory. She was always sofortable in those arms, her head resting on his thickly corded chest as he carried her.

    She remembered how gentle his lips had been, as well as his hands, and his body when they made love for the first time. Yes, they had had sex before and she had been no virgin when she met him. But that moment, when they were finally sure of their feelings for each other after a long period of abstinence, that counted. Unlike the first time that was filled with uncertainty and fear that forced her to keep her emotions in check, there was freedom and added pleasure in the surety of his love for her. Her skin tingled, as if it also remembered how he¡¯d held her after, speaking words of love in Italian. She loved the weight of his body on hers as he moved inside her, his ragged breathes in her ear, and how his muscled arms tightened around her like a vise when he came. To know that she brought him satisfaction in all her inexperience gave her ego a boost. She remembered she thought that moment was the beginning of something incredible. Believed they were in love and their love making marked the beginning of a happy long life together. She¡¯d been happy that she¡¯d finally found ¡®the one¡¯, her lifelong partner.

    Well, by what she saw before her, Rafe was in love, just not with her.

    The one, how stupid could she have been.

    Talia chuckled bitterly to herself as she shook her head. Her mother always said she lived in a fairytale. She remembered how she¡¯d defended Rafe, saying that he was nothing like her own father. Her mother had told her the day woulde when Talia would wake up from her fantasy. She did promise not to say ¡®I told you so¡¯, aloud at least.

    When Talia had woken up at the hospital, sick to her stomach and scared out of her mind, her mind, her heart, her eyes automatically searching for Rafe. The first thing she saw was her mother and the look in her eyes. She was saying it-I told you so-with her eyes. Talia turned away, curled up in a fetal position and cried for her fantasy.

    Now, as she sat there in the pew watching the wedding ceremony, she wondered if she was ready to return the favor.

    Am I ready to ruin your life like you ruined mine, Rafe?

    The vicious bitch in her took out herpact, rubbed a newyer of blood red lipstick on her lips, checked her mascara, dubbed powder on her cheekbones and patted her hair down. Preened she stood up, ready and eager to return the favor.

    ¡°¨¨ chiunque che obietta a questa unione l¨¤?¡± The priest¡¯s question was followed byplete graveyard silence.

    Is there anyone who object¡¯s to this union? The words echoed in her head as much as they echoed in the church, the tempo of her heart kicking up anxiously.

    Mr. Garrison squeezed her hand again and looked at her with questioning eyes.

    Talia nodded, giving him the go ahead to bring Rafe¡¯s world crashing down around his ears.

    Mr. Garrison stood up and moved out of the pew to step on the wide aisle and announced loudly, ¡°Noi fiamo, we do!¡±

    Loud whispers filled the church as the entire congregation turned around to look at them. Talia¡¯s heart beat harder in her chest. She took two deep calming breaths and pushed herself up, her fist pressed to her lower back for support. She moved to stand beside Mr. Garrison, her hand unconsciously rubbing her protruding belly.

    She looked straight into Rafe¡¯s eyes, a smile ying on her lips at the shock written all over his face.

    ¡°Ciao, Rafe. I bet you didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be seeing me anytime soon, especially not at your wedding.¡±

 CHAPTER 61

    Rafe wasn¡¯t sure exactly how long he stood there, looking at Talia. He¡¯d tuned out the yelling andmotion brought on by the surprise interruption. He didn¡¯t give a single ce to Gabrie as she insistently tugged on his jacket sleeve trying to get his attention, and just stared at his object of torment for thest five months with fleeting joy. He¡¯d woken up every morning since that fateful day wet with more than just sweat, remembering how her small, voluptuous, naked body felt bucking under his as he rode them both to ecstasy, which usually left him feeling like he was in a drug induced haze. But waking up alone with nothing but her memory left him feeling frustrated and iplete. Her betrayal had broken him and as the memory of thest time he¡¯d seen her yed in his mind, his rage grew.

    Inferno! His fisted hands shook at his sides as he charged down the aisle towards her.

    ¡°What the hell do you want here, Talia?¡± he bellowed, bringing an ufortable silence into the building.

    He watched as her hands moved to bracket her belly, one above and one below and his steps faltered.

    ¡°What the hell?¡± His eyes shifted between her protruding belly and her face.

    ¡°We have a few things to discuss, Rafe,¡± she answered, the smug smile still on her face.

    Rafe shook his head. Quello che l¡¯inferno! She can¡¯t possibly mean to pin her pregnancy on me?

    He had to give it to her. It was quite a statement to wait till his wedding day to pull such a stunt in front of a thousand people. Theatrical, something to credit herself with, along with the other acts she¡¯d pulled in his life. How had he missed seeing her seated at the back of the church?

    It didn¡¯t matter. He wasn¡¯t ying any role in this scene.

    Rafeughed, though the need to inflict pain filled every inch of his body. He turned around to head back to his bride. ¡°Take a seat, Talia, and enjoy the wedding.¡±

    ¡°Signore DeLuca, there will be no wedding today or any other day until this issue has been resolved.¡±

    Rafe stopped and turned to the small man standing next to Talia. He approached him slowly, loving the way he shifted from one foot to the other nervously before he stilled, his face hardening. Rafe¡¯s brow rose at the challenge.

    He moved forward until there was only half a foot that separated them and looked down at the man who was probably a foot shorter than he was.

    ¡°Pardon, forgive me, I didn¡¯t catch what you said,¡± Rafe repeated in a low deadly voice. ¡°Would you please repeat that?¡±

    The man took a step back and held out a paper to him. ¡°This is an injunction, stopping this wedding until your responsibilities and all of Miss McKenna¡¯s demands are met.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Rafe snatched the document from him and read through it. He clenched his jaw and yelled over his shoulder, ¡°Angelo!¡± Then he held the document out for hiswyer, who was also his cousin, when he heard his fast approaching footsteps, and stared at Talia.

    He saw her flinch under his gaze before she straightened her shoulders and returned his hard gaze. He scoffed, breaking their dueling stare and looked her over. She was thinner than thest time he saw her, which shouldn¡¯t be possible considering how very pregnant she was. Despite being very well dressed to ruin his life further, her dark skin looked pale and her face showed her exhaustion.

    She should be sitting down.

    ¡°Rafe¡­¡± Angelo called, tapping him on the shoulder to gain his attention.

    ¡°What?¡± he barked without looking away from Talia. She was beautiful. Despite everything she¡¯d done to him, he still found her beautiful. And judging by how heated his body grew he still desired her, he wanted her like he wanted his next breath.

    He¡¯d always had a difficult time concentrating on anything else when she was in the room. Her beautiful angelic face and all those sexy curves proved to be unignorably distracting. Right now he couldn¡¯t see them because of herrge belly but he stared at her face. It was dim,cking its normally ever present radiance.

    ¡°This is legitimate. You can¡¯t marry Gabrie without settling matters with Signorina McKenna.¡±

    Talia¡¯s smile broadened, but she said nothing.

    Rafe cursed under his breath and turned to Angelo. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡±

    ¡°I am. Maybe if you both go to the priest¡¯s office and discuss this, the wedding may resume, si?¡±

    Clenching and unclenching his fists Rafe growled, ¡°Fine.¡±

    He walked away, assuming the two intruders would follow. He wanted to be done with them and continue with his life before Talia derailed it. Before he¡¯d run off to Boston to seek refuge from his copsing mental health. Angelo thought it would be a good idea for him to get away when he began to have second thoughts about marrying Gabrie, and especially after that incident had happened. When he¡¯d had his first panic attack. Cold feet, his mother had called it, but Rafe knew differently.

    He¡¯d fallen out of lust with Gabrie and worse, he was suffering from an anxiety and panic disorder that only got worse when he began worrying about what it would mean for his father¡¯s ns if their engagement was broken. The merger between the two family¡¯spanies would also not take ce. His feelings for Gabrie orck thereof was confirmed when he met Talia. Rafe was then more certain than ever, that he was not willing to keep living his life for anyone else but himself.

    Talia McKenna was the international affairs officer for DeLuca International, and his assistant for the duration of his visit. Her smile when she¡¯d introduced herself wiped his mind of all his worries, and he fell for her, hard and fast. There was a certain calmness she brought into his erratic mind, giving him the quiet peace he had spent months looking for. She had been his safe haven from everything he¡¯d run away from. He¡¯d wanted her, and despite all the road blocks she¡¯d thrown his way, he¡¯d finally imed her. They had been set to spend their lives together¡­ if only¡­

    Rafe had always thought himself a good judge of character, but Talia¡­

    Merda! He cursed under his breath, pushing the office door open so forcefully that it banged against the wall.

 CHAPTER 62

    He turned around to find himself alone in the office but for just a few minutes. Talia walked-more like waddled-in followed by the man who brought her. He led her to a chair and helped her sit down before he turned to the door.

    Rafe noticed the relief on Talia¡¯s face when she sat down, before she winced, her hand moving to her back.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he barked, startling her.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s best to wait for yourwyer,¡± the manmented, moving to stand behind Talia.

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Angelo spoke closing the door.

    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Rafemented dryly as he perched himself on the desk, then he leaned down until his face was inches away from Talia¡¯s. He had an incredulous desire to kiss her lush lips but he held back and whispered, ¡°What do you want, Talia?¡±

    He watched as the tip of her tongue darted out to slide between her lips. His fingers tightened on the edge of the desk to keep himself from reaching for the back of her neck and pulling her forward so she could run that tongue over his lips.

    He immediately knew she had the same thought when her eyes darted to his lips and she visibly swallowed.

    But then she leaned back and spoke, ¡°What you used me of when I called you after that day¡­your money.¡±

    Rafe sat up and barked out augh. ¡°Not on your life!¡±

    Talia shrugged a shoulder nonchntly and shifted her gaze to her hands on her belly.

    Rafe turned to the man behind her. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±

    The man blinked a few times. ¡°Garrison, Miss McKenna¡¯swyer, and you don¡¯t have to be so abrasive.¡±

    ¡°When I want lessons in etiquette I¡¯ll hire a professional,¡± Rafe retorted.

    The man, Garrison, stood straighter. ¡°Let¡¯s just get down to business, shall we?¡±

    He ced his briefcase on the desk and opened it, pulling out several more papers and handing them to Angelo.

    ¡°As my client said, we are after your money, just for medical bills and child support. Nothing more. And of course her job back at your U. S. office.¡±

    Rafe scoffed, moving around the desk to sit in the priest¡¯s leather cushioned seat. Seeing how ufortable Talia was on the wooden one, he knew he should offer her thefortable one, but, he wasn¡¯t feeling very charitable at the moment.

    ¡°What proof is there that Signore DeLuca is responsible for the pregnancy?¡± Angelo asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s the only one I was intimate with,¡± Taliamented shyly, keeping her gaze away from Rafe.

    That riled him. Merde! It stirred hot ragingva in the pit of his stomach. ¡°Look at me when you say that.¡±

    Talia turned to him, the softness in her eyes disappearing. ¡°You were the only one I was having sex with.¡±

    Rafe chuckled bitterly, swiveling the seat from side to side. ¡°Now, we both know that isn¡¯t true.¡±

    Her gaze hardened. ¡°Don¡¯t be a bastard, Rafe!¡±

    ¡°I know who and where my father is, where is yours?¡± He saw the hurt in her eyes and cursed himself for it. It was a low blow and he knew it. ¡°That is not my kid, and you¡¯re not going to pin it on me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you aren¡¯t the first man I¡¯ve slept with but you were the only one I was with when we were together!¡± she yelled.

    Rafe punched both his fists on the top of the desk, pushing the seat back so hard as he stood, it hit against the wall and bounced back barely touching his knees when it came to a stop.

    ¡°What about my brother, Renaldo, or his friend Alex? Are you saying you didn¡¯t sleep with them too?¡±

    Talia¡¯s brow furrowed in what he could see as confusion. ¡°What are you talking about? I never slept with your brother or his friend!¡±

    He punched the desk harder, his entire body trembling with rage. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! Thatst night you fucked my brother!¡±

    She shook her head, an overflow of tears in filling her eyes, a look of horrific dismaymanding her face. ¡°I would never do that to you, Rafe. I loved you too much to do that to you. But you betrayed me.¡± She quickly wiped away stray tears. ¡°I loved you and you betrayed me. You drugged me without even caring about the effects it would have on me or my pregnancy!¡±

    Rafe was done with the lies and usations. How could she deny that he caught her in bed with his own brother? His brother!

    ¡°Were you trying to induce a miscarriage, Rafe? I tell you I¡¯m pregnant and you drug me and leave me all alone.¡± She pped her hand over her mouth to keep the sobs in, tears running unchecked down her cheeks. His chest tightened as he watched her.

    Rafe didn¡¯t understand it. He knew Talia couldn¡¯t lie to save her life, but the performance she was putting on at the moment deserved an award. And when exactly had she told him she was pregnant? That wasn¡¯t something he would just forget.

    There was only one way to solve this.

    ¡°Angelo, ask Renaldo toe in here.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t, he left.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Rafe turned to him. ¡°What?¡±

    Angelo shrugged, shaking his head. ¡°Your brother left the moment you two walked in here.¡±

    ¡°And Alex?¡±

    Angelo shook his head darting a look at Talia and herwyer. ¡°Snuck out before the ceremony was interrupted.¡±

    ¡°I wonder why.¡± The usatory words were whispered so softly he was sure she hadn¡¯t meant for him to hear.

    But at that moment, his thoughts were far from Talia. Something wasn¡¯t right with this whole picture and he was sure his brother was the man to ask.

    ¡°Angelo, see to her short term needs, while I take care of something. And dismiss everyone one. It seems I won¡¯t be getting married today.¡± he said then left ignoring Talia, not even sparing her a nce.

 CHAPTER 63

    Talia curled up on the couch at Rafe¡¯s city condo, right in the heart of Rome. She knew she was being difficult demanding for it but, he¡¯d told her once that the condo was one of his sanctuaries, and since she wasn¡¯t feeling like puking up her guts in the perfectbination of morning sickness and see sickness, she chose stable ground. And the petty girl in her wanted to take it away from him. First, he¡¯d moved himself into her apartment, then into her new home with false promises of a future. It was only fair.

    Thoughts of her Tudor home, felt like a thorn in her heart. She¡¯d loved that house, no one knew that better than he did. She always felt safe in her home and he¡¯d destroyed that by drugging her, leaving the main door wide open and her vulnerable to any psycho that might walk in off the street and do whatever they wished to heratose body.

    If Carrie hadn¡¯te when she did¡­

    A shiver of fear ran through her, just thinking of the ¡®what ifs¡¯. Her life and her babies¡¯ lives¡­ God she was grateful for her best friend.

    After she woke up and the doctor told her about the drugs in her system and how close they¡¯de to destroying two lives, she¡¯d called Rafe. He was already in Italy. He wanted nothing to do with a ¡®lying gold digging whore¡¯.

    Remembering that short conversation still made her heart ache, but at least she wasn¡¯t crying anymore. She¡¯d stopped crying when she found out about his uing nuptials and then she came up with this brilliant n for retribution.

    She looked around the space, filled with bold masculine colors, decor and furniture, and felt so alone. She moved to the floor to ceiling window that provided a fantastic view of Rome at night and thought, how many women has Rafe seduced here?

    Taliaughed at herself. It was a stupid and very depressing thing to think about but she couldn¡¯t help it. Even when he was insulting her just a few hours ago, after she¡¯d interrupted his wedding, she still loved him.

    Gosh was she pathetic!

    She felt her throat burn and her vision blur. He was going to marry another woman. He¡¯d been seconds away frommitting his life to another woman. No, not another woman. His fianc¨¦ for years- I was the other woman. And now, I¡¯m the pregnant, discarded mistress!

    Too sad to be alone, Talia reached for the phone and dialed.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    She didn¡¯t understand why, but the sound of Carrie¡¯s voice made her cry, hard.

    ¡°Talia, is that you?¡±

    Talia nodded-her crying made it impossible to speak.

    ¡°Oh, honey, it¡¯s okay. Do you want me toe?¡±

    Talia shook her head no.

    ¡°Honey, I can¡¯t see you shake or nod your head. You¡¯re going to have to stop crying and use your words. Do you want me toe?¡±

    ¡°No¡­yes!¡± She cried harder. ¡°He was getting married today, Carrie. To a woman he¡¯d been engaged to for years! I¡¯m the other woman!¡±

    ¡°Shhh, it¡¯s okay. Lucky for you I¡¯m already at the airport. I know you wanted to do this on your own, but, Talia, you¡¯re not on your own. I¡¯m your best friend, and I¡¯ll always stick by you.¡±

    Talia nodded again, and Carrieughed. ¡°Speak up, Talia.¡±

    Talia chuckled, wiping her face dry. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up from the airport.¡±

    ¡°How? Do you have a car?¡±

    She began shaking her head when she remembered Carrie couldn¡¯t see her. ¡°No. Rafe provided me with one for the time being. Hiswyer said we¡¯d talk on Monday. We¡¯re taking the weekend to calm down before we discuss my demands.¡±

    Her revtion was met by silence. For a moment, Talia thought Carrie had hang up until she spoke. ¡°Wow! Okay, I¡¯m about to board. Why don¡¯t you go to sleep? I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Thanks, Carrie. I know I said I wanted to do this on my own but I really need you.¡±

    ¡°I know. Goodnight, sweetheart.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Talia looked around the room again and sighed. She wasn¡¯t sure if she should be touch anything in Rafe¡¯s condo. Just thinking about sleeping in his bed gave her goose bumps.

    But when would she ever get a chance to feel him against her skin again or breathe in his scent without feeling guilty? For betraying herself for being so easily forgiving. Because if he were to knock on her door that very moment and beg for her forgiveness she would give it-with open arms. She was stupid that way.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    She sighed heavily. Her self-respect had moved out and wasn¡¯t showing any signs of moving back in anytime soon.

    When would she learn her mother¡¯s one lesson? Loving a man made a woman weak!

    Talia slowly stood up from where she sat by the window and made her way to the master bedroom. She stared at the king size bed for a long while before she climbed in.

    Just once, for just one night she wanted to dream about Rafe and the illusions she had about him before reality came crushing down on her.

    She took a pillow and pressed it to her face, breathing in Rafe¡¯s scent before she slowly slipped into sleep.

    * * * *

    Rafe forcefully tugged loose his bowtie as he stomped into his father¡¯s mansion. He¡¯d been a rare visitor for the past three months. Preferring to live in his condo, wallow in his sorrows, and pull himself together before his wedding day.

    Today! And Talia had to ruin that, and now she¡¯s in my condo sleeping in my bed!

    He knew he should feel angry about thatst part but he¡¯d missed her. And as wrong as he knew it was to even think it, but once she¡¯d left to go back to where she came from, he was going to sleep in that bed onest time and feel her against his skin, take in her scent, before he set the bed on fire.

    She¡¯s pregnant¡­merde!

    He felt his heart crush in his chest, and he had to stop walking to catch his breath. He never knew it would hurt so much to see her pregnant with another man¡¯s child.

    That should be his baby, he should have been its father not god knows who! They should be at home, in the dream home he¡¯d built for his family in the Italian country, sitting together on the couch. Or the master bedroom terrace of her home in the States, looking out at the beautiful view of green trees and rooftops, of the darkening sky meeting the dark blue ocean. He would have been rubbing her aching back, her swollen ankles as they fought about names and which sport their son should y¡­

    That should have been my baby!

    He swung his hand, sending a vase crushing to the ceramic floor.

    ¡°Rafael! What in the world are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Where is he?¡± he demanded of his mother, taking the steps three at a time to reach the first floor. His mother came chasing after him as he charged to his brother¡¯s room. ¡°Renaldo,e out here!¡±

    ¡°Rafael, it is not his fault that¡­that whore seduced him!¡±

    Rafe felt the punch as if the insult had been directed at him.

    ¡°Renaldo!¡± he yelled, pounding on his brother¡¯s bedroom door. ¡°Open this fucking door or I¡¯ll break it down!¡±

    ¡°Rafael, stop! He¡¯s not here!¡± his mother yelled, pulling at his arm.

    He rounded on her, forcing her to take several steps back. ¡°Dove ¨¨ lui, where is he Mama? Tell me where that little brat is?¡±

    Flustered his mother¡¯s hand fluttered to her chest. ¡°Rafael, per favore you are scaring me. Non capisco, I don¡¯t understand all this rage towards your brother.¡±

    ¡°Lei non fa madre? Non?¡± He chuckled bitterly before he sneered, ¡°He slept with my girlfriend! I loved Talia, she was the love of my life, my future and he ruined that. Everything I have he wants, then he ruins and I have to clean up his fucking mess!¡±

    His mother went pale. ¡°What are you saying? Are you saying that-¡±

    ¡°Si madre, the baby Talia carries may be his or his wretched friend¡¯s¡­or mine.¡± He waved his hand dismissively. ¡°That isn¡¯t why I¡¯m here. Something doesn¡¯t add up in this entire affair and all I know for sure is that Renaldo is in the middle of it.¡±

    His mother turned her back to him and Rafe knew an onught of emotional ckmail was about to be unleashed so he turned to leave, rushing down the steps only to be stopped by his father.

    ¡°Have you spoken to your fianc¨¦?¡± he demanded, slowly moving towards Rafe like a cat stalking its prey. It was his way to intimidate him.

    Rafe hadn¡¯t been intimidated by his father since he got half a foot taller and bulkier than him. Not since he showed his father that he could hold his own in the business world, demanding his respect. Hell, Rafe didn¡¯t need to stay at DeLuca but he did so out of respect and loyalty for the family legacy. The same respect he was showing his father by agreeing to carry on with the farce of a wedding even though he didn¡¯t love Gabrie. The same he would show him that very moment by not demanding he left him the hell alone and tell him that his intimidation antics were better wasted on those who still quaked under them-like Renaldo.

    The slivering coward! Renaldo thought he could run from Rafe, but not for long. He¡¯d find his little brother and he¡¯d get his answers even if he had to beat them out of him!

    ¡°Non. I will when I have everything sorted out.¡±

    ¡°Fix this, Rafael, becausee hell or high water, you will be marrying Gabrie Rossi. So fix this before I do. Lei capisce?¡±

    Oh, he understood all right!

    Rafe¡¯s first instinct was to forbid his father from going anywhere near Talia, but he kept his mouth shut instead and quickly left the mansion. He got into his Ferrari and drove to his other condo, which happened to be below the one Talia upied.

    How was he going to stay sane knowing she slept right above him? Hell, it will have to be the couch for a while.

 CHAPTER 64

    Talia stood by the arrival gates, impatiently waiting for Carrie to walk through. She hadn¡¯t really known how much she¡¯d needed Carrie around until she woke up that morning. Sleeping in Rafe¡¯s condo, in his bed, shook her up more than she¡¯d thought possible. She¡¯d had the worst nightmare of her life.

    Since that day, she¡¯d been having nightmares, but not as bad. She¡¯d convinced herself that the drug was doing a number on her psyche because she never could remember the nightmare. Butst night¡­

    She remembered the fear, fighting for what felt like her life. She remembered being on her back, looking up at someone holding her down but everything was hazy. Though she couldn¡¯t remember the face of her assant, she remembered the voices and one stood out. It was menacing, scary and promised such horror, she woke up in the middle of an asthma attack.

    It was a good thing she had a habit of sleeping with her inhaler under her pillow.

    Talia remembered the first night she¡¯d spent with Rafe in the new house. He saw her sneak it under her pillow and asked about it. It was the second time he¡¯d asked, but unlike the first time, he wanted details. At first, she was anxious about telling him especially since she¡¯d nned to make love with him that night. Getting excited with acute asthma could turn a wonderful day into a suffocating one, literally. It would be beyond embarrassing and she didn¡¯t want to freak him out.

    But he took it well, his expression calm and reassuring as he nodded while she told him about all her triggers. She felt so embarrassed exining why she might need it at that particr time but he didn¡¯t say a word. In fact, his face was so impassive as he silently stared at her, she thought she¡¯d have an attack just from the anxiety of waiting for him to say anything! He then he asked if she had another inhaler. When she asked why, he said just in case she ever forgot to carry one around, he¡¯d have a spare on hand. And she¡¯d fallen even deeper in love with him.

    She smiled at the memory and only noticed Carrie standing before her when she rubbed her thumb across her cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to think those tears are happy tears because I¡¯m here. It¡¯s going to be okay, Talia.¡±

    Talia threw her arms around her friend in a tight hug, which she returned.

    ¡°Oh, Carrie! The man I know and love¡­he wouldn¡¯t do that to me. Drug me and leave me defenseless. That¡¯s just not Rafe.¡±

    ¡°Still in denial?¡± she huffed. As irritating as her response was, Talia couldn¡¯t fault her. Carrie pulled away to look at her. ¡°Then who, Talia?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°If only I could remember, it would make everything so much easier to deal with.¡±

    Carrie sighed. ¡°You mother is going to kill me if she finds out I suggested this but¡­why don¡¯t you try and talk to Rafe about that day?¡±

    Talia wiped her cheeks dry. ¡°After I interrupted his royal wedding, I doubt he¡¯ll agree to sit down and have a calm discussion.¡±

    ¡°Try.¡± Her voice brokering no argument.

    Talia smiled. Why did she ever think she could do this without Carrie?

    ¡°Thank you for being here.¡±

    Carrie smiled sheepishly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m actually here for the employee exchange program, for six months. I didn¡¯t want to tell you because of all that happened.¡±

    How didn¡¯t she know that? Had Carrie told her? Of course not. They¡¯d all been wrapped up in Talia¡¯s business it left no space for anyone else¡¯s. She felt guilty about that.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! But when did you apply?¡±

    She shrugged. ¡°When you said you were in love with Rafe and you¡¯d follow him anywhere. I figured anywhere would be Italy and I didn¡¯t want to lose you so I applied. Rafe actually helped me.¡±

    Talia nodded, feeling fresh tears burn the back of her eyes. ¡°See what I mean? Why would he do that if he nned to abandon me?¡±

    ¡°Well, the only way you can solve this is by talking to him without thewyers. But right now, I want to take a nap, and then we¡¯ll explore Roma!¡± She tossed her head back and flounced away, her arms held away from her in a regal way.

    Taliaughed and followed her friend, dragging with her the heavy suitcase princess Carrie had left behind.

    * * * *

    Rafe slowly rose from the couch, the pounding in his head growing worse with each move he made. This was why he hated drinking-the morning after. He hated having a hangover. Good thing it was the weekend, and he didn¡¯t have to go into work.

    He moved to the bedroom to grab a shower, hoping that would at least help with the headache. He¡¯d barely been in there a minute when he felt arms wrap around his waist, and breasts pressed against his back.

    His first thought was of Talia, but he knew better than that. He would have felt her pregnant belly at his back too, so who was this? And how did she get into his condo. No one else had a key except him and the cleaning service. It couldn¡¯t possibly be his maid, she was old enough to be his mother.

    When the hands began to creep down towards his crotch he grabbed them, jerking her around to stand before him.

    ¡°Gabrie? What are you doing here, and how did you get in?¡±

    She shrugged, looking up at him below hershes seductively as her hands roamed his chest. ¡°Well, I thought we could still have our honeymoon even if our wedding was ruined.¡±

    She began kissing up his chest, his neck, and then his lips. Most men would have been turned on by this but Rafe didn¡¯t even feel the slightest twitch of erectioning on. Before the mental stress, even when his attraction to her had begun to fade he could still fuck her until they were both limp and exhausted but fully sated. But after being with Talia, he just couldn¡¯t get it up with Gabrie. She¡¯d shrugged her eptance when he told her he wanted to wait to make their wedding night special. Gabrie wasn¡¯t the glitters and rainbows kind of girl except if those glitters were diamonds and those rainbows were of the seven designer bags ced together. He¡¯d had to quickly follow up with an abstinence agreement which she didn¡¯t take very well. After what happened with Talia, his ego just wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    He and Gabrie knew exactly what they were getting into with this marriage, it wasn¡¯t a love match, so until they said ¡®I do¡¯, it had been an open rtionship. Which, at the moment, he wished she had taken up again.

    ¡°Gabrie¡­¡± he began pulling her arms from around his neck.

    ¡°Please, Rafe. It¡¯s been so long since you made love to me. And after how I was embarrassed, I need you to pay attention to me!¡±

    Rafe bit down a groan. There was nothing he hated more than female whining. It was one of the reasons he fell for Talia. She never whined, she argued the merits of what she wanted.

    Talia¡­

    The thought of her name made him harden and Gabrie giggled.

    ¡°Amore, I knew you would not disappoint me.¡± She pped her lips against his, hoisted herself up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

    Rafe wanted to pull her off, but wasn¡¯t this what he was signing up for? This was what he was going to do today and for an entire two weeks in Paris if his wedding hadn¡¯t been interrupted.

    Talia¡­

    His erection raged and he unconsciously pushed Gabrie against the shower wall. She sighed and bucked against him.

    He was a man, fucking was a no brainer.

    But her lips were too thin, not as lush as Talia¡¯s. His hands on her hips, he felt how narrow they were,cking Talia¡¯s curves. The breasts pressed against his chest were too small and pink unlike Talia¡¯s. Her breasts fit his wide hands perfectly, spilling over a little. He loved sucking on those chocte colored nipples as she bucked and shrieked under him.

    Inferno! Gabrie even sounded wrong when she moaned her desire. But she was here.

    Thinking of Talia had him so hard there was no way he could send Gabrie away. But he couldn¡¯t look at her, kiss her, knowing she wasn¡¯t Talia.

    Why the hell he was still faithful to that cheating bitch was a wonder to him, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about that. He needed to expel his frustrations and Gabrie was here to be used to his pleasure.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

 CHAPTER 65

    Rafe used one hand to tilt Gabrie¡¯s hips into position and with the other he cupped her chin and turned her head away from him. He kept their bodies separated except for the one part he intended to use before he turned his head the other direction, keeping his mind filled with Talia¡¯s image when she was nearing her orgasm. He drew his hips back then mmed into Gabrie making her scream. He held her mouth shut with his fingers. He didn¡¯t want her voice marring his fantasies.

    He knew he should wait for her to get used to the forceful invasion but he didn¡¯t. He pounded into her at a fast pace, going deeper and harder with each stroke. Gabrie held onto his arms, trying to pull him closer but he held her back, riding her with even more intensity.

    It was Talia he had pressed against the shower wall. It was Talia who bucked against him wanting to get closer to him and the only reason he kept their bodies separate was because he wanted to drive her crazy with need. It was Talia who made the muffled noises of pleasure, and in his mind, he could hear her clearly cry out and moan his name as he pounded into her like a man starved. It was Talia¡¯s legs that tightened around his waist as she began to shake from the onset of her orgasm. In his mind he could feel her hands grabbing at him, her finger nails digging into his flesh and drawing blood. He could feel her breath on his neck blowing hot puffs of air with each deep stroke inside her. He could feel her lush lips crush against his as he ravaged her mouth, sucking on her lower lip as her mouth fell open to allow her scream of release. It was Talia¡¯s body that tightened around him like a clenching fist when she came, and Rafe kept pounding harder, drawing out her orgasm and deepening his own pleasure.

    But when he felt his balls tighten, he came back to reality and he quickly drew out of Gabrie, just in time to shoot his cum on the wall. He quickly lowered her to the ground and moved to stand directly under the shower sprays fighting to catch his breath as he waited.

    There was nothing. That feeling that always came afterpletion in Talia¡¯s arms, being inside of her was absent. Because as much as he fantasized, it hadn¡¯t been Talia but Gabrie he¡¯d just fucked and not made love to. In fact, he felt guilty. Talia was right above him, and he¡¯d just had sex with Gabrie.

    Rafe chuckled shaking his head. I feel guilty for having sex with my fianc¨¦ behind my cheating ex-girlfriend¡¯s back. ¡°This is rich!¡±

    ¡°Amore, that was perfect. I want to do it again,¡± Gabrie purred in Rafe¡¯s ear, making him cringe.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Fianc¨¦ or not, there was no way that was being repeated with Talia so close by.

    He turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel as he left the bathroom. ¡°Non, Gabrie.¡±

    ¡°Perch¨¦ non why not?¡± she whined behind him. ¡°It was perfecto, better than all the other times we¡¯ve made love. I know you want me, so why not?¡±

    Better because I was thinking of Talia while I was inside you. And no, it¡¯s not you I want.

    If he dared say those words out loud, the shriek she would let loose would deafen him. Then his father would be banging down the door¡­ no, he didn¡¯t want any of that at the moment. Just the thought worsened the pounding in his temples. He needed an aspirin.

    When they reached his room, Rafe saw her clothesid out on his bed. The sooner she got them on, the sooner she could leave.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want distractions when I¡¯m trying to resolve yesterday¡¯s fiasco.¡±

    She pouted, crossing her arms under her breasts. Too small, too white, too pink, he thought.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t taken a mistress then we would have been in Paris right now!¡±

    Rafe clenched his jaw begging for patience. ¡°She was not my mistress.¡± She was the love of my life, she still is, he confessed to himself.

    ¡°So her bambino is not yours?¡± Before he could answer she waved him silent. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If the bambino is yours, we will simply take it and raise it as ours.¡±

    Rafe heard the words, but the look in her eyes told him she had no intention of raising his bastard son. Gabrie would probably pass him off to a nanny, and tolerate his existence until he was old enough to be shipped off to a boarding school a continent away.

    That wouldn¡¯t sit well with Rafe. It made him think of his own children with her.

    ¡°Gabrie, do you wish for us to have children?¡±

    She scrunched up her face with disgust and he got his answer, though she went ahead and answered, ¡°Maybe two, a boy and a girl unless our first child is a boy. For our parents¡¯ sakes.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Madre would nag me forever if I say no. I know you don¡¯t want children either.¡±

    He narrowed his eyes. ¡°What gave you that impression?¡±

    She stared up at him as if he¡¯d lost his mind. She turned to the bed, picked up her underwear, and began pulling them on. ¡°You didn¡¯te inside me. If you did want rug-rats running around your legs shouting their little heads off you would have, no? Your padre said getting pregnant now is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Mia padre!¡± Rafe hissed and his anger was lost to Gabrie as she continued to dress, her back to him.

    ¡°Who do you think gave me the key?¡± Once done, she approached him. Standing on her toes, she kissed him on the lips. ¡°Rafe, you were magnifico as always. I hope we do that again and soon, but I would like to go to Paris. No need to waste a perfect vacation, no?¡±

    Rafe nodded happy to be rid of her. ¡°Have fun.¡±

    She blew him a kiss as she walked away and Rafe rolled his eyes at her back, though relieved to see it. He then reached for the phone and called the building manager, and demanded a locksmith change the locks on the doors. The next thing he needed to do was find out how his father got a copy of his condo keys.

 CHAPTER 66

    Talia turned to the sounds of Carrie¡¯s loud giggles. ¡°What¡¯s so funny, and what took you so long in the bathroom?¡±

    She blew out a breath and fanned her face. ¡°If I was white, my face would be red right now, from both envy and arousal.¡±

    Talia chuckled. The two of them made such a pair. A wanton and a prude, best of friends for thest seven years. They had been roommates once upon a time, and more often than not, Talia had to nap with a pillow over her head on the couch while Carrie entertained. Then after, she would have her date of the night carry Talia back to the room to her bed. The first time Talia woke up in her bed with no recollection of how she got there, Carrie told her. So before she napped on the couch, she would always change into her pajamaspletely prepared for bed.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Carrie fell onto the couch and Talia had to draw her knees up as far as her belly would allow to avoid being sat on.

    ¡°Did you know sound travels through these floors?¡± she asked with a wistful sigh and a Cheshire cat smile.

    Talia shook her head. ¡°No, I did not, but I am sure you are about to tell me all about it.¡±Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°Do you think the guy downstairs is single? I hope so, because I just heard a womane so loud I almost lost it myself!¡±

    Talia scrunched up her face. ¡°Eww, Carrie! This whole time you were listening to them have sex?¡±

    She sighed wistfully again. ¡°That wasn¡¯t sex Talia. That was-I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she was lying dead in the shower from blissful pleasure.¡±

    Talia tossed her head back andughed. ¡°Oh, Carrie!¡±

    ¡°I need to find myself an Italian boyfriend. Is it really that earth shattering?¡±

    Talia sobered at her question. She remembered how close to a heavenly death she¡¯d felt after each encounter with Rafe. He made her body bend in ways she never thought possible. She discovered muscles she never knew she had. But the best part was he confirmed her theory. You can never just make love to the body but also to the soul.

    He touched her soul each time he made love to her and she reveled in each experience. As he held her tightly in his arms and whispered Italian words of love in her ear, against her lips and everywhere else his lips touched.

    ¡°Yes, Carrie. But earth shattering doesn¡¯t even begin to describe it,¡± Talia whispered, her heart breaking all over again.

    ¡°Oh, Talia-¡± Before she could say anything else, the door swung open and a woman stood at the doorway.

    Her hair was wet and her cheeks were flushed. It only took a moment for Talia to recognize her.

    ¡°Gabrie, what are you doing here?¡±

    Gabrie smiled condescendingly at her. ¡°Ah, so the prostituta knows my name?¡±

    Carrie leaped off the couch, ready to defend her. ¡°Hey!¡±

    Talia grabbed her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Carrie,¡± and then she turned to Gabrie, ¡°If you are looking for Rafe, he isn¡¯t here.¡±

    She threw her hand dismissively behind her back as she walked into the room. ¡°I know. He lives in his other condo, right below this one.¡±

    Carrie gasped and turned to look down at Talia.

    Talia was d she was still sitting down. There was no way her legs would support her after that announcement. Her chest was tightening and she could already feel an attacking on.

    Gabrie¡¯s smile grew into a sadistic grin. ¡°Ah, so you heard my fianc¨¦ make crazy love to me? He is very talented is he not? I can still feel hisrge dick inside me giving me pleasure, magnifico,¡± she said with a sigh.

    No, a purr like a gratified cat with sharp ws scratching Talia¡¯s heart like it would a bed post.

    Talia pulled air into her lungs with a wheeze.

    ¡°Okay, you said what you came to say now leave!¡± Carrie demanded, stepping in front of Talia to hide her from Gabrie¡¯s sight. Talia was grateful. She¡¯d hate to show Gabrie how much she¡¯d affected her.

    ¡°Just one more thing. You can try to seduce him. I do not care if he takes you to bed or not. But I do promise you, if you insist on pushing your bastard on Rafael, once it¡¯s born, I will make sure you never see it again. Arrivederci, Talia.¡±

    Talia¡¯s chest grew heavier and breathing became impossible. On top of losing Rafe to that witch, she could also lose her baby? No!

    ¡°Breathe, Talia, one breath at a time!¡± Carrie¡¯s yell was apanied by the opening and mming of doors and drawers. ¡°Damn it! Where the hell is your inhaler?¡±

    Talia wanted to tell her that it was under her pillow but she couldn¡¯t breathe. Her vision was already filling with ck spots and her chest hurt. Oh God, my babies!

    Tears ran down her cheeks as her wheezing got heavier and louder. She pushed herself onto the floor and crawled to her purse that was sitting against the seat on the opposite side of the room.

    ¡°Your purse! Of course your purse!¡± Carrie eximed with a little relief as she rushed for it, dropping to her knees and rummaging through her purse. She then suddenly turned it upside down and poured everything in it onto the floor, ¡°No, no, no, no! It¡¯s not here, Talia, and the other is not under your pillow! Oh God, what do I do!¡±

    Talia sunk to the ground on her side one hand weakly cradling her belly, her body exhausted from theck of oxygen.

    ¡°Ra¡­fe!¡± she managed between whizzes.

    ¡°Rafe? Oh yeah, he carries an inhaler around for emergencies. But what if he threw it away?¡±

    Talia could hardly hear Carrie¡¯s frightened rambling but she distinctly heard the door open and close. She fought not to pass out as she prayed for Rafe to still have her inhaler.

    The door opened again and she felt a hand dig under her then easily pull her up into a sitting position. Her back leaned against something hard and her head was tilted right back by arge hand. Then she felt something being pushed between her lips before the bitterness flooded her mouth. There were two more puffs and tears flooded her eyes, spilling out to run down her temples. She had never been so relieved in her life.

    Carrie was on the floor in front of her, tears running unchecked down her cheeks, her hands sping Talia¡¯s legs tight. Poor Carrie. Seeing Talia like this always scared her and Talia always tried to avoid it. Her poor friend.

    It only took a few seconds before she could easily draw in a breath between harsh wheezes. Rafe soothed her, whispering reassuring words in her ear. After a few more seconds, she could feel the numbness in her limbs fade and that¡¯s when she felt Rafe¡¯s hand sped tightly around her own. She knew in a few seconds she would feel the pain from the tight grip, but she didn¡¯t care. He was here and he still had her inhaler. That meant something, though she wasn¡¯t sure what.

    The wheezing stopped and she drew in deeper breaths. Rafe released her chin and his hand fell to lie on her belly. That made her want to cry again and that would only bring on another attack. She fought to control her emotions while pacing her breathing as she watched his hand on her belly.

    His actions confused her even more. How was it possible the man who¡¯d just saved her was the same one who hurt her? It didn¡¯t make sense.

 CHAPTER 67

    Rafe sat in his office looking out his floor to ceiling window, still frazzled by what happened two days ago. He knew Talia had asthma but he¡¯d never been a witness to it. When Carrie pounded on his door yelling for an inhaler, his blood went cold.

    He was d he¡¯d hung onto that inhaler. He¡¯d kept it as a memento for the four months of his life he was the happiest. When they had been dating, he¡¯d asked for one to hold onto just in case they were out together and she¡¯d forgotten hers when the attack hit. And even when he was asking for it, he prayed he would never need it.

    He¡¯d run out his condo and up the steps to hers without checking if Carrie was behind him. He¡¯d been prepared to break the door down if he had to, but he found it open. Before he even stepped in, he could hear the wheezing and it was growing shallow. He actually froze, seeing her on the floor, lying on her side, before he snapped out of it and rushed to her.

    He¡¯d never been so scared in his life, seeing her lying there, struggling to breath. He¡¯d picked her up, leaned her against his chest and pushed her chin up to clear her airway like they¡¯d practiced. Then he¡¯d administered three doses and massaged her throat with downward strokes as he spoke to her calmly. He was telling her not to be afraid, that everything would be all right when he didn¡¯t feel those sentiments.

    She almost died. A cold shiver rushed through him.

    Hearing her breathing get under control-there are no words to describe the happiness and relief he felt at that moment. Carrie copsed to her knees crying with relief. But when Talia squeezed his hand, a tear escaped him, and he finally began to breathe. He hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d been caressing her belly.

    Rafe looked down at his shaking hand. The one that felt the baby¡¯s kick, and he was relieved all over again. He couldn¡¯t imagine the fear Talia went through. It wasn¡¯t just her life, but the baby¡¯s life he was scared for.

    They sat there on the floor, listening to Talia breathing for close to half an hour before he got the sense to call a doctor. He called the family doctor who came to find them still on the floor. He checked Talia and rmended rest and an OBGYN.

    Today¡¯s her appointment, Rafe thought as he rubbed his hands over his face. He hoped the baby was all right.

    Dios! He never wanted to feel that scared in his life again.

    It made him angry that Gabrie had caused it. Rafe had changed those locks, too, that same day.

    After he¡¯d put Talia to bed, they searched for the inhalers. They found one hidden in her twisted sheets on the bed and the other in the car he hired for her. He left that one in the car and asked the doctor to prescribe three more inhalers.

    Christo! He never wanted to go through that again.

    ¡°Rafe, Rafe, wake up!¡±

    Rafe was startled out of his daze by the yell and he quickly turned his chair around. Angelo was seated on the other side of his desk, with an inquisitive look on his face.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d fallen asleep, which is not like you. Come sta cugino, how are you cousin?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± His own voice sounded foreign to him.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Your hand is shaking.¡±

    Rafe followed Angelo¡¯s pointed gaze to his hand on the desk. His hand was truly shaking. Rafe quickly fisted it and brought it down to hisp.

    Angelo leaned forward, his face etched with worry. ¡°Cousin, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Rafe thought to tell him to mind his own business, but out of their entire screwed up family, the only person he was ever able to depend on was Angelo. It was the same reason Angelo was his personalwyer, he trusted his cousin. Rafe debated the merits of sharing his feelings with his cousin for a while before he decided for it. He needed an objective ear and short of going to see a psychiatrist, Angelo was the best option.

    ¡°Talia had an asthma attack yesterday.¡±

    Angelo whistled, leaning back against his seat. ¡°That¡¯s tough, man. Isn¡¯t that condition even more dangerous for pregnant women?¡±

    Rafe knew exactly how dangerous it was for acute asthmatics to carry a pregnancy to full term. He¡¯d done some research on it the night before when he couldn¡¯t sleep. He¡¯d taken the couch at the condo Talia upied just in case she had another attack. It was clear Carrie wasn¡¯tfortable with that arrangement, but the day¡¯s events had called for a temporary truce.

    ¡°Si, for some pregnant women they get better, others there is no change, but for the unlucky few, the asthma gets worse.¡±

    ¡°And Talia, where does she stand?¡±

    Rafe rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. ¡°From what I witnessedst night, probably with the unlucky few.¡±

    Angelo¡¯s brow rose. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t she be resting and not waiting in the conference room?¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Rafe bellowed, pushing off his seat and charging out of his office.

    You¡¯d think the woman would have more sense, he thought when he saw her through the window. She looked pasty,pletely exhausted, and her eyelids drooped like she was about to fall asleep. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn!

    He pushed the door open and yelled, ¡°What the hell are you doing here!¡±

    He regretted that when she jumped, her eyes flying wide open and she pressed a hand to her chest.

    Carrie, who was sitting next to her stood up. ¡°I asked her the same thing. She should be at home resting and not falling asleep on the table.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she mumbled, looking up at him.

    Rafe couldn¡¯t stand how weak she looked, how weak she sounded. But Talia was anything if not determined. She¡¯d proved that to him more than once. He admired her for it, but not at this moment.

    He turned to Carrie. ¡°Go back to work!¡± he ordered, not bothering to mask his annoyance.

    She looked at him like she was about to defy him but then decided against it. She squeezed Talia¡¯s hand. ¡°Call me if you need me.¡± Then sauntered past him to leave the room.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to be rude about it,¡± Talia whispered.

    Merda! He could hear her exhaustion in her voice.

    ¡°And you shouldn¡¯t be taking risks you can¡¯t afford. We¡¯ll continue this debate when you are well enough. Go home, Talia.¡±

 CHAPTER 68

    Talia sat upright, pushed her shoulders back, and tilted her chin up. ¡°I¡¯m well enough. Besides, we need to figure things out before my motheres.¡±

    Rafe chortled. The one time he¡¯d met the woman she¡¯d expressed her disdain towards him and her disapproval of their rtionship very clearly. She hated him the moment she saw him, and Talia exined she was bitter over her father¡¯s abandonment so she took it out on the rest of the male poption. But Rafe always thought the instant hate was over the fact that her daughter had found happiness in the arms of a man and she was jealous.

    Thest thing he needed was the bitter woman making matters worse.

    ¡°Inferno, isn¡¯t Carrie enough backup? You¡¯re bringing your mother to live off me too?¡±

    Mr. Garrison cleared his throat, alerting Rafe of his presence in the room. Rafe hadn¡¯t even noticed the small man.

    ¡°My client would like to apply for a job. She¡¯ll support her own needs and those of her mother¡¯s with it.¡±

    Rafe shook her head. ¡°Go back home, Talia, to Boston. I¡¯ll write you a check of however much you want if you promise to go back home in the next few days.¡±

    Talia¡¯s shoulders slumped and a pained expression crossed her face for just a moment before it disappeared. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    Rafe groaned. ¡°Why the hell not!¡±

    ¡°The doctor advised against it. I need to avoid my triggers, avoid flying, and maintain a healthy environment if I¡¯m to avoid going into earlybor.¡±

    Rafe sighed, frustrated, dropping into the seat across from her. ¡°And you think bringing your mother here on top of working is the best environment?¡±

    ¡°What other option do I have?¡±

    She sounded so defeated that Rafe felt like an ass putting her through all this. But none of this was his doing. For hell¡¯s sake she brought it all on herself.

    So why am I speaking these words¡­ ¡°What do you want from me?¡±

    ¡°Very well, I think I¡¯ll take it from here,¡± Mr. Garrison spoke, pushing two folders across the table to him and Angelo. ¡°In those folders I¡¯ve listed the damages and thepensation we are after. For the section under medical care, we¡¯ll be including the bill for today¡¯s doctor¡¯s visit.¡±

    Rafe just watched Talia as herwyer bbered away. She rested her head back with her eyes closed as her hands caressed herrge belly. He found himself wanting to touch her belly again, hoping that she was suing him for child support because the baby was truly his and not some scheme to get money out of him.

    How could he be so wrong about her?

    ¡°Scusi, this section using Rafe of drugging her, what proof do you have?¡±

    ¡°Come?¡± Rafe eximed, grabbing the opened folder from Angelo¡¯s hand. He read and reread that part, and he still couldn¡¯t believe it. He pushed the folder back to Angelo and turned on Talia. ¡°Why the hell would I drug you?¡±

    Talia opened her eyes and stared at him, her eyes brimming with tears. ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering the same thing. They told me-¡±

    ¡°What do you mean they told you?¡± Rafe demanded.

    Angelo ced a hand over his clenched fist and shook his head. ¡°Give her time to answer.¡±

    * * * *

    Talia watched as Rafe pulled his fist away and crossed his arms over his chest in silence. She took that as her cue to speak. She took a deep breath before she began, hoping she wouldn¡¯t bawl her eyes out as she spoke. She already had so much going against her with her pregnancy, she couldn¡¯t add her unstable emotions to the mix.

    She¡¯d cried when the doctor had told her she was at risk of pre-empsia, and the babies¡¯ premature birth and low birth weight. He¡¯d put her onplete bed rest and advised to have the tests ordered by her OBGYN in Boston done so that they would be prepared for anyplications. She¡¯d wanted to go back home then but the doctor had told her there was no way he would allow that.

    She was stuck in Italy, and the quick getaway she¡¯d nned once everything had been resolved was foiled. She was at Rafe¡¯s mercy, and she hoped he wouldn¡¯t make her regret her decision for retribution.

    ¡°When I woke up in the hospital the day after it happened, the doctors told me I had been drugged. They found a mix of Rohypnol and other recreational drugs in my system.¡± Her breath hitched, and she quickly wiped away the tears running down her cheeks. ¡°Besides the normal effects on me, I don¡¯t know what kind of damage they¡¯ve done to my pregnancy. I need to have tests done and those tests cost money.¡±

    Rafe just stared at her, his facepletely expressionless. She¡¯d never seen this cold side of him before and it frightened her. Where was that loving man she knew? Had he been a figment of her imagination? Was this the real Rafael DeLuca?

    ¡°This is where Ie in,¡± hemented dryly.

    Talia nodded, her stomach in knots. ¡°Yes. I need your money to carry out the tests.¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, Rohypnol messes with short term memory,¡± Angelo spoke, and Talia knew she was in trouble. If she said yes, there was a great chance she would be walking out of here empty handed.

    ¡°So?¡± she asked defensively.

    ¡°So, there is no way you would know who drugged you.¡±

    Talia felt her anger rise. ¡°I wasn¡¯t drugged in a bar. I was drugged in my own home.¡± She stared pointedly at Rafe, ¡°The home we live in together. No one else but you and I have keys to.¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    Something shifted in his eyes and Talia immediately looked down at her worrying fingers on her belly.

    He doesn¡¯t believe me,  she thought, a lump growing in her burning throat.

    ¡°Carrie found me on the floor wearing Rafe¡¯s favorite lingerie.¡± She rasped.

    ¡°And that automatically points the finger at me?¡± Rafe chortled.

    Talia felt her breath catch again and cursed at the onset of another attack. She sat up, fists on the table, closed her eyes, cleared her head and took several deep breathes to keep calm and regte her breathing. Why does he have to be so cynical?

    ¡°Christo! Why the hell are you here if you know you¡¯ll get sick again?¡± His shaky words were apanied by his fist banging against the table. It shook, but at least this time she didn¡¯t jump.

    She wanted to leave. She wanted to go home. She wanted to be anywhere else but there, at the receiving end of his usations, anger and nasty attitude. If it were any other time, any other situation¡­ if she was the old Talia, she would have flipped him the finger and sashayed out of there like a boss. But falling in love didn¡¯t just make people venerable, it made the heart easy to bruise. This weak and scared person she¡¯d suddenly be, she didn¡¯t recognize her.

    But love wasn¡¯t what had done this to her. It was that night that she couldn¡¯t remember, and everything that came after, especially Rafe¡¯s betrayal. She¡¯d reached her hand out to him in the worst moments of her life and he¡¯d pped it away, and now, it felt like he was taunting her.

    Enough of that, she said to herself, it¡¯s not just you anymore.

    When Talia felt calm enough, she opened her eyes and looked directly at Rafe. ¡°Thest thing I remember was your call, telling me you were on your way.¡±

    Rafe¡¯s brow creased with confusion. ¡°Talia, I made that call the night before, to your voice mail. I didn¡¯t speak to you that entire day. All I did was drop in on you and saw you,¡± his jaw clenched, ¡°I saw you with Renaldo.¡±

    ¡°Doing what?¡± She huffed throwing her hands up. ¡°You keep using me of sleeping with your brother and his friend. I haven¡¯t even met Renaldo. You were supposed to introduce us but he never came to dinner, remember?¡±

    Rafe¡¯s face grew pale and Talia felt an uneasy feeling grow at the pit of her stomach. Something wasn¡¯t right, something was awfully wrong.

    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Angelo muttered under his breath.

    Talia couldn¡¯t be sure because of how low he said that, but there was a sense of dread in those two words that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand.

    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Angelo looked at her then at Rafe and back at her again. ¡°Talia¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Rafe¡¯s voice was barely audible but the order was there. ¡°Just give her everything she wants, except for the job. I¡¯ll provide for her and her mother when she arrives.¡±

    Turning to her, with one finger pointed at her to drive his point home, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t leave the condo again unless your doctor tells you otherwise. This subject is closed.¡±

    He quickly stood up and fled the room without a backwards nce at Talia.

    Talia turned to Angelo and the pity in his eyes stopped the question she was about to ask.

    Something more had happened that day, more than what Carrie told her. And by Rafe¡¯s reaction, it must have been bad and involved his brother.

    Talia¡¯s hands began to tremble and she pressed them tightly together. Could her nightmares have something to do with this? What was it that they were trying to tell her, that everyone except her knew about? She needed to know and she was going to find out one way or the other.

 CHAPTER 69

    Rafe stumbled into his office, his hand over his chest. He felt like he was going to have a panic attack.

    ¡°Non, it can¡¯t be true, it just can¡¯t!¡±

    He fell onto his couch, his head in his hands. Renaldo wasn¡¯t capable of doing such a thing. The kid was a screw up but he wasn¡¯t a monster.

    ¡°God, please don¡¯t let it be true!¡±

    ¡°Rafe, I did what you asked,¡± Angelo¡¯s voice filled the room. Rafe heard him move around the room, pacing before he stopped in front of him. ¡°Do you think Renaldo¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Rafe protested jumping to his feet. ¡°My brother is a lot of things but he is not a monster. He would never do such a thing.¡±

    ¡°Do you think she¡¯s lying then?¡±

    Rafe shook his head. ¡°You saw her face. She had no clue of what I was talking about, and I¡¯ve never introduced Renaldo to her. But she has seen him.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The same day as the dinner, I saw Renaldo hitting on her at the office. I was so mad I almost took his head off. But she dismissed him. She just shook her head, told him ¡®this is an office not a bar¡¯ and walked away. Iughed so hard, then I warned Renaldo away from her before I asked him to leave the building and never step foot in it again.¡±

    ¡°Rafe, I know you don¡¯t want to admit it,¡± Angelo began carefully. ¡°But you¡¯ve just given me a reason as to why Renaldo would drug and rape your girlfriend.¡±

    Rafe paced his office floor, his heart beating hard in his chest. ¡°She didn¡¯t say she was raped!¡±

    ¡°No, but she did imply you two were together,¡± he answered softly. ¡°Rafe, it seems no one told her the full story. I understand why. She¡¯s asthmatic and pregnant, not a goodbination especially when she¡¯s expecting twins.¡±

    Rafe stopped dead in his tracks. ¡°Come?¡±

    Angelo¡¯s eyebrows shot to his hair line as he stared shocked at Rafe. He shook his head and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t know she was expecting twins, did you?¡±

    Rafe sat back down on the couch, the room spinning around him. Twins, my twins. He now believed that he was responsible for her pregnancy. Why didn¡¯t she tell him there were two?

    Then he remembered the conversation they had at the priest¡¯s office. Did she believe she told him about having twins that day?

    Merda! What was he to do?

    ¡°Renaldo, did you find him yet?¡±

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s at the mansion. He¡¯s been locked in the pool house since your almost wedding.¡±

    Rafe chuckled bitterly. His own mother had been hiding the brat from him. Well, not for long.

    Rafe stood up and moved to his desk to grab his car keys and wallet. ¡°Angelo, I need you toe with me.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°To keep me from killing my brother.¡±

    ****

    Talia tossed the cordless phone to the other side of the couch with a huff. ¡°That woman drives me crazy!¡±

    Carrie chuckled, picking up the phone and cing it on the coffee table before she sat down with a tub of ice cream in her hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this but your mother is jaded. I thought the news would make her happy. How much are you getting again?¡±

    They were back at the condo and Rafe had given Carrie the day off to keep Taliapany. She was grateful even though she thought it was unprofessional. Carrie didn¡¯t mind one bit.

    Talia slid lower against the corner of the couch and stuffed a cushion behind her back. Her back felt like it was splitting in two. ¡°I get a bank ount full of money. Millions of it by what Angelo said, but my spending will be monitored.¡±

    Carrie whistled. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of dough.¡±

    Talia pressed her fingers under her ribcage, attempting the impossible-pushing her son¡¯s kicking foot from her already sore rib. ¡°But not exactly what I wanted.¡±

    Carrie held the spoon in her mouth as she studied Talia. Talia¡¯s first instinct was to look away, to keep her friend from reading the truth in her eyes but she was tired of lying.

    She was tired of lying to her friend, to her mother, and most importantly to herself. It was time to face the truth. And the truth was she came to Italy to follow Rafe, not for retribution but for love. She loved him, and she couldn¡¯t live a life without him in it.

    ¡°You want him to be the father you never had, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The right answer would be ¡®yes I want Rafe to be a father to our twin sons because they deserve one¡¯ and she knew that he would be a remarkable one too.

    But instead she said, ¡°No, I want him for myself. I can¡¯t ept that our love doesn¡¯t matter just because some awful things have happened to keep us apart. We owe it to each other, if not for our children, to fight to be together.¡± She turned to Carrie, suddenly feeling unsure of herself. ¡°Don¡¯t we?¡±

    Carrie ced the tub on the coffee table and moved closer to Talia. ¡°Sweetheart, you guys only knew each other for four months and were only romantically involved for two of those.¡±

    ¡°But it takes just a moment to fall in love!¡± she protested, tears burning the back of her eyes and a sting in her throat.

    Carrie smiled. ¡°Your mother would be gagging by now if she heard you say that.¡±

    Talia sighed, batting the tears back. ¡°Well then, it¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s noting.¡±

    Carrie huffed, picked the tub of ice cream back up and leaned back to her previous position. ¡°Like I said, your mom is jaded.¡±

    No one was disputing that. Her mother had issues. Understandable but suffocating. And since they were on the subject¡­

    ¡°Carrie, what aren¡¯t you telling me?¡±

    She licked ice cream off the spoon. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°During the mediation meeting, I got the distinct feeling I was out of the loop.¡±

    Her brows furrowed. ¡°What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°Right after I told them what happened that day-¡± something flushed in Carrie¡¯s eyes and her lips dropped open for just a second before she pressed them together ¡°-you see, like that. Their faces were exactly like yours is right now. What is it that no one wants to tell me?¡±

    Talia had to remind herself to stay calm despite the frustration that was building up inside her. And right next to the frustration was fear. What could have possibly happened to warrant such reactions from them?

    Carrie remained silent, her ice cream abandoned as she stared at Talia with tears in her eyes. Unexinable fear mounted,pletely filling Talia. What were they hiding from her? How bad was it?

    ¡°I¡¯ll call mom and ask if you don¡¯t tell me right now!¡± her voice rose with hysteria.

    ¡°She won¡¯t tell you a thing.¡± Carrie rasped, a weary look on her face.

    ¡°Why not?¡± she demanded.

    ¡°Talia¡­¡±

    The doorbell rang silencing Carrie. Quickly, she moved to answer the door but Talia stopped her. She had a feeling it was Rafe and she didn¡¯t want to give them time to conspire to hide the truth from her.

    She pushed herself off the couch and waddled to the door. She opened it, not at all surprised who had been on the other side of it. With a smile that belied what she felt she said, ¡°Speak of the devil. We were just discussing you and the secret everyone is keeping from me.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Rafe stared at her, that famous emotionless mask on his face. She stared pointedly back with a raised brow. She remained standing in the door way, blocking his entrance until he responded. Someone was going to fess up and she didn¡¯t care who and what she had to do to make it happen.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be in bed?¡±

    He asked so quietly, the fight Talia had been preparing for drained out of her.

    The corner of his right eye twitched. His mask was slipping, exposing the weariness in his eyes. But this wasn¡¯t overworked tiredness, he looked emotionally drained.

    ¡°Rafe, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

 CHAPTER 70

    Rafe looked down at Talia¡¯s face, twisted with worry. Just moments ago, she looked like she was ready to challenge him and now, she looked at him like she used to those many months ago when he still suffered heavily from the anxiety and panic disorder. Like she was ready to wrap her arms around him and fight his demons away. And he felt¡­he fought the urge to grab his chest and fold to the floor. He felt tired, like giving up. He felt defeated.

    What was wrong? Everything was wrong! Every damn thing!

    But he couldn¡¯t say that to her. He couldn¡¯t risk her life-his children¡¯s lives for a nightmare that should never have happened. The guilt weighed so heavily on him, hell, he wanted to curl up on the floor and die.

    It was his fault, it was all his fault. She was right to hate him. He hated himself! And if it wasn¡¯t for them, this family that was currently carried in Talia¡¯s body, the only one out of the two he wasn¡¯t ashamed to admit to, he would drive his car into a fucking wall and leave this god forsaken world behind.

    Inferno! His own family!

    He had just lived the worst hour of his entire life and despite the guilt he felt, he just wanted to see her, to hold her.

    No, he didn¡¯t deserve to hold her.

    He would only allow himself to just see her, make sure she was alright, then he would leave and¡­ slowly die out of shame and guilt.

    Instead he bucked up and said, ¡°Clearly you have a different definition of what bed rest is to the rest of us.¡± There was no reason for her to be burdened by his unstable emotions.

    Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, ¡°Way to avoid the question.¡±

    He tried to smile but his lips shook under the strain so he gave up on that and just kept his face stoic. ¡°Way to not listen to doctor¡¯s orders.¡±

    Because he really didn¡¯t want to keep the back and forth going, or think for that matter, he picked her up and stepped further into the condo. He kicked the door shut and matched to the bedroom, where he carefully deposited her on to the bed.

    ¡°This is what bed rest means.¡±

    Her hands pressed to the bed behind her, she held herself up and looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. ¡°You¡¯re trying to make jokes¡­. which means whatever it is, it¡¯s really bad.¡±

    He pushed his fists into his pants pockets to hide how tightly clenched they were. Really bad was an understatement.

    He felt her hand on his right wrist and he looked down at it. How he wished he deserved thefort it gave.

    ¡°You want to talk about it?¡±

    She sounded like she really meant it. He scoffed at himself. Of course she did. She wasn¡¯t like the rest of his family. Insincere. Selfish. Self-centered. Monsters!

    He bit down hard on his teeth and struggled to reel his emotions in. She didn¡¯t need this, he reminded himself. Bedrest, peace, quiet, calm, that¡¯s what she needed. Everything else, he would deal with.

    He took a fortifying breath and shifted his gaze to her, ¡°Just extremely tired and worried.¡±

    ¡°Worried about what?¡±

    ¡°If you stay in bed and do as you¡¯re told, that, will bepletely taken care of.¡±

    Her head cantered to the side, ¡°Something¡¯s off with you.¡±

    Schooling his face he asked, ¡°What?¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°You¡¯re being nice. You¡¯re not snarling at me.¡±

    He chuckled, unable to control it. If she only knew. ¡°I used them all up today.¡±

    ¡°And,¡± she dragged the word then paused. One, two, three, four seconds ticked by, each one eating at him, before she said, ¡°You are using my situation as an excuse to not tell me the truth.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± he murmured.

    ¡°I know you.¡± Her voice brokered no arguments. Her confidence was almostforting.

    A sad smile pulled at his lips. ¡°You do?¡±

    ¡°Enough to know you didn¡¯t drug me.¡±

    That makes one of us.

    If he had trusted she wouldn¡¯t ever cheat on him, he probably wouldn¡¯t be feeling like an ass at that moment. Instead, he¡¯d put the cherry on the cake his family had baked by getting her fired and making her loose the house she had saved every penny to get.

    She loved that house, he loved that house and now¡­ He deserved to be lynched!

    Rafe nodded, feeling the exhaustion creep up the back of his neck. The onset of a killer migraine. She was trying to steer them to the one ce he didn¡¯t want to visit. What he wanted was to escape, have a few minutes to himself to just breath.

    ¡°So, enough to know we aren¡¯t having this discussion? I meant it when I said the subject was closed.¡±

    She threw her hands up, ¡°Rafe-¡±

    ¡®We¡¯ll discuss it after the babies are born,¡± he said cutting her off, ¡°Unless you are too impatient to wait and don¡¯t care about your collective health.¡±

    She crossed her arms over her top chest-more like the top curve of her belly, ¡°That¡¯s down right dirty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not known for ying fair.¡± He moved to his wardrobe, pulled it open and withdrew a nket. He moved back to her on the bed and covered her with it. ¡°Especially with difficult people who don¡¯t listen to orders.¡±

    She grumbled under her breath and he couldn¡¯t help the smile thatmanded his face. She did that when she was cursing someone out and didn¡¯t want them to hear.

    ¡°Fine.¡± She sunk into the bed andy on her left side. ¡°But we will discuss it. The subject is not closed.¡±

    ¡°Go to sleep Talia.¡± He ordered, fought the urge to kiss her and walked out of the room, leaving her alone. He found himself fighting a lot of things recently. When was it going to end? The exhaustion weighed down on him.

    He¡¯d just closed the door when Carrie pounced. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell her, did you?¡±

    He walked away from her and to the kitchen, ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her a lot of things. You¡¯re going to have to be specific.¡±

    ¡°Rafe!¡± she half yelled, controlling the volume of her voice and he knew it was for Talia¡¯s benefit, not his.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    He opened a cupboard to expose his little bar. He pulled out a whiskey and a ss. Poured himself a healthy dose and was about to return the bottle to its ce when he thought better of it. He took it with him to the living room.

    ¡°Rafe!¡±

    The hand holding the filled ss that had been lifting to his lips changed course and stopped. He held it out at her, lifting his index finger.

    ¡°Carrie, you may not have noticed, but I am not in the mood to do anything but drink right now. Why don¡¯t you take this free time and move your stuff to the condo downstairs. I¡¯ll be staying here with Talia until she gives birth.¡±

    Her mouth opened to argue but he raised a brow in warning. He was running out of the little patience he had left. When it snapped shut, he turned away and continued the short trek to the couch, sipping from his ss. The brown liquid burned as it went down. Exactly what he needed.

    ¡°What about your stuff?¡± she huffed, not caring to hide her irritation.

    He was her boss and yet she didn¡¯t care she was showing how annoyed she was with him at the moment. But this wasn¡¯t a typical employer-employee situation. Right now, at this very moment, she was Talia¡¯s best friend and he was¡­ undeserving to be stuck under the bottom of her shoe.

    ¡°Antonio is there now, getting them.¡±

    ¡°Does Antonio do everything for you?¡±

    He turned to where she stood at the door now, holding it ajar and met her snide remark with a deathly re, ¡°Yes. Including keeping me frommitting murder.¡±

    Her eyes narrowed to slits but she didn¡¯t say a word. Smart woman. She matched out and closed the door behind her. He gave her credit for not banging it. He may have deserved it but Talia didn¡¯t and she didn¡¯t need the added stress.

    He sunk down into the leather couch, stared blindly at the t screen TV, his mind wandering unconsciously to the worst hour of his life.

    Rafe had left the office right after Talia and Carrie had, and drove straight to the estate. He brought his Ferrari to a screeching halt in the reception driveway and quickly jumped out of the car. Anticipating his mother running interference, he took the path at the side of the house to the pool house. He had only a few minutes to catch his brother unawares. Renaldo had a habit of paying the servants to alert him of Rafe¡¯s arrival in the aftermath of one of his messes. But he wouldn¡¯t be so lucky to make his escape now.

    Rafe caught him by the pool, a towel over his head as he rubbed his hair dry. Quickly, Rafe moved behind him, holding the towel over his face, his other arm wrapped around his neck in a choke-hold.

 CHAPTER 71 Rafe

    ¡°Rafe!¡± Angelo yelled, running towards them. ¡°You¡¯re suffocating him!¡±

    Rafe knew exactly what he was doing. He held onto his brother as Renaldo fought, wing at his hand and arm as he struggled to free himself. Rafe spread his legs further to strengthen his stand.

    Just a few more seconds, Rafe thought with sinister intent as he listened to his brother begin to gasp for air.

    ¡°Basta, Rafe, stop!¡± Angelo yelled, holding onto Renaldo¡¯s arms as if trying to keep him from fighting.

    ¡°Non, let him fight. He¡¯ll suffocate faster!¡±

    ¡°Rafael, per favore basta!¡± his mother screamed, running down the back steps of the main house towards them.

    Rafe lowered his head until his lips reached Renaldo¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go if you promise to tell me the truth. If not, fratello minore, I swear I will drown you, lei capisce?¡±

    Renaldo struggled to nod and Rafe released him. He dropped to the ground on his hands and knees, pulling the towel away from his head as he coughed for breath. His mother dropped to her knees next to Renaldo, rubbing his back and demanding to know if he was all right.

    Rafe ignored the touching scene and pushed at Renaldo¡¯s shoulder forcing him to sit down. ¡°Start talking!¡±

    Renaldo rubbed at his neck as he looked away from Rafe. A clear sign he was hiding something and was about to lie.

    ¡°Leave him alone, Rafael! You¡¯ve be a monster ever since that ck-¡±

    Rafe dropped to a crouch, moved so close to his mother¡¯s face and snarled. She hurried back and would have fallen t on her ass if Angelo hadn¡¯t caught her, bringing her up to her feet. Then Rafe grabbed Renaldo¡¯s hair in his fist and forcefully brought him standing with him.

    Renaldo cried out, holding onto Rafe¡¯s assaulting hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to push you into the pool and hold your head down if you don¡¯t start talking.¡± He brought his brother¡¯s face closer to his, and whispered menacingly, ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me, Renaldo!¡±

    ¡°Va bene, okay, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± he whined and Rafe released him. Renaldo pleaded with his eyes, and Rafe could already feel the disgust pile up.

    He should have known.

    ¡°He ordered you to do it, even the story about her sleeping with Alex, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    Renaldo nodded. ¡°He said it was the only way to redeem myself, mi scusi, per favore fratello, I¡¯m not as strong as you.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Rafe cursed loudly, kicking at the pool chairs. ¡°Dove ¨¨ lui, where is that bastard!¡±

    ¡°Rafael!¡± his mother admonished him as she held Renaldo to her like a babe. ¡°Do not speak of your father in such a manner.¡±

    Rafe shook his head at her. ¡°Non, Madre. You should have stood up to that monster, years ago.¡± Rafe looked at his brother embraced in their mother¡¯s arms and shook his head in disgust. ¡°You served me up to him to save your sweet baby. Now as I look at him, it seems you did Renaldo a great disservice.¡±

    Rafe pulled his brother from their mother¡¯s hold. ¡°Don¡¯t cower away under madre¡¯s skirts! You are twenty-six years old and yet you behave as if you don¡¯t have hair on your balls! Inferno, no wonder Padre picks on you.¡±

    Rafe released Renaldo and turned to leave. But the hold on his arm halted him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t alone.¡±

    Rafe felt his heart stop at Renaldo¡¯s confession. He didn¡¯t have to mention the name because Rafe already knew. He could feel it in the bile that rose to his throat. All his hopes of Talia being left un-abused vacated his body with the pained cry that parted from his lips.

    He turned to Renaldo, tears of rage burning his eyes. ¡°Why did you take that devil with you?¡±

    Renaldo moved back, shaking his head. ¡°I thought he¡¯d sent me to do the dirty deed. But it was Alex all along he¡¯d hired to do the job. I was only going to scare her off, tell her that you were married, seduce her.¡± He looked up at Rafe, tears in his eyes. ¡°Whatever I had to do to get her to leave you.¡±

    Rafe charged at him, ready to smash his head in when Angelo stepped in his path, shielding the coward. ¡°I caught you on top of her, Renaldo!¡±

    Renaldo cried openly. ¡°She refused to believe us. She said you would never hurt her, demanded we leave before she called you. When she reached for the phone, Alex jumped her.¡± He chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°She didn¡¯t need you, Rafe. Sheid Alex out in one minute, had me begging for mercy in less when she began to break my hand. Then she fell on me, the broken needle of a syringe in her neck.¡±

    Rafe pressed his fist in his churning stomach. He was going to be sick. He couldn¡¯t listen to anymore.

    ¡°We took her upstairs and Alex changed her into the red lingerie that was lying on the bed. Then we heard the door open and you calling for her. I took off my shirt and climbed on top of her so that when you walked in you would think- I expected you would try to kill me not walk away. I was counting on it for her sake against Alex.¡±

    Rafe bent over, his hands on his knees as he cried out, ¡°So you raped her too!¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Renaldo moved around the protection Angelo gave him to stand next to Rafe.

    Without hesitation, Rafe straightened and wrapped his fingers around his neck and squeezed. ¡°Then what, Renaldo? You climbed off her, sat in the armchair next to her bed and watched Alex defile the woman I love!¡± he snarled.

    Renaldo shook his head but Rafe squeezed tighter, watching the veins on his forehead pop and his face turn red as he gasped for air. Never had Rafe felt the paralyzing desire to end someone¡¯s life as he did at that moment. He wanted to kill his brother, and Alex, but mostly his father.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t do it Rafael!¡± his mother cried. ¡°He couldn¡¯t do that to you. Just give him a chance to exin, please, son!¡±

    Rafe turned to look at his mother. She was pulling on his arm, attached to the hand that was wrapped around her beloved son¡¯s neck. Her face was streaked with tears, her lips trembling as she fought to hold the sobs in. But that didn¡¯t sway him. It didn¡¯t ke his desire for blood.

    ¡°Do not be your father.¡±

    But that did it. He opened his hand and released Renaldo. Yes, he wanted to kill them, but thest thing he wanted was to be his father.

    ¡°Five seconds, Renaldo,¡± he whispered.

    Renaldo nodded. ¡°After you left, I told Alex that we should leave. He refused, he wanted to-but then we fought. I pushed him out until we went down the steps to the living room. We wrecked everything in our way. But then he hit me over the head with amp and I passed out. When I came to, I rushed upstairs to see if Talia was all right.¡± His breath hitched. ¡°She was still dressed, but the lingerie was ripped, inplete tatters on her and she was face down on the floor. Alex was gone. Before I could check if Talia was all right, a woman was screaming her name downstairs. I left through her window, climbed down the vine, and ran.¡±

    Rafe¡¯s legs gave way from under him and he sank down to the ground, his hands fisted in his hair. He couldn¡¯t handle it. It just couldn¡¯t be true. And Talia didn¡¯t remember a thing.

    She was right about one thing-he had done it to her. It was his fault.

    Angelo mumbled next to him, ¡°The tests¡­ that¡¯s why she needs the tests done.¡±

    Rafe felt a more acute pain assault his chest. He looked up at Renaldo. ¡°You poisoned my children. What the hell did I ever do to you to deserve this?¡±

    His face crumbled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t, Alex had nned to drug her. I didn¡¯t know she was pregnant! I¡¯m so sorry!¡± he cried.

    With Angelo¡¯s help, Rafe struggled to his feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want your apologies. In fact, I want nothing from you except for yourplete absence in my life.¡±

    Those were his parting words to his brother before he ran out of there, afraid he might just change his mind andmit fratricide. But as for Alex¡­ his fist tightened around the ss so hard it shook, swirling the liquid inside. The moment he found him, he was going to drop his body in Tiber.

 CHAPTER 72 Talia

    Talia pushed herself off the bed, feeling more rested than she had in days-actually, months. That stunned her. She¡¯d had a peaceful sleep, and with no nightmares! That was strange. It felt strange, waking up feeling like jelly and not stiff and sore. Then she remembered how she got in bed and a slight shiver ran through her. That was even stranger.

    Rafe had put her to bed and he acted like it was normal. It was like the past few days of tension and fighting hadn¡¯t happened. She tip toed-why, she had no idea-to the door and gently ced her hand on the round rosette door handle that she¡¯d awed over the first time she¡¯d seen it. Everything about the condo, everything about Rafe was quality, expensive and high maintenance. The man was the definition of the finest things in life and she¡¯d wanted him and everything he had, everything that made him, him, especially his love. He loved as fiercely as he did everything else and she basked in it, until his hate, just as fierce robbed her of not only that love but everything she cherished leaving her cold and bereaved.

    She pushed the handle down gently and slowly pulled the soundless door open. She could literally feel the seconds tick by as she attempted to sneak out of the bedroom and head towards the living room. She still didn¡¯t understand why she felt the need to move around like a cat burr in her own condo-well, Rafe¡¯s condo, that he¡¯d given to her for the duration of her stay.

    Well, actually she knew. She was scared of running into Rafe. Not scared scared, just¡­ apprehensive. He¡¯d always been able to put her on edge and this different him definitely made her more antsy than normal. Worse, it brought up memories and feelings she¡¯d packed away a long time ago and intended to keep it that way for an even longer time. She needed them to stay in that box, in that dark corner she¡¯d shoved them into and never see the light of day again.

    But this him was threatening that resolve. What had happened to him in those few hours between the office when she and Carrie had left and the moment he came to the condo that made him different? She stepped out of the room and paused when the realization hit her. It must be that damn secret nobody wanted to tell her! Something was there. Something big enough to turn Rafe almost docile-like a sunbathing uncaring tiger. No one would be silly enough topare him to the harmless submissive kind of cats. His caring behavior reminded her of how he used to be before vengeful Rafe entered the building.

    She fisted her hands, closed her eyes tight and shook her head to dispel those creeping thoughts. No, no no! Stay in the corner, remain in your box. You are noting out!

    With a deep breath and her emotions in better control, she took thest step out of the bedroom and into the dim hallway, lit by floor lights. What time was it anyway? It must be in the middle of the night or early morning of the next day, so there was no way he was still here. She thought about calling out for Carrie, but she wouldn¡¯t be amused about being woken up in the dead of the night. Beauty sleep was everything to her! Talia rolled her eyes at the motto.

    She exited the hallway by turning to the left and entering the open space that made up the kitchen, and a little further out the living room.  The corner lights were on. Good. When she¡¯d first arrived, she¡¯d been relieved to see them. She¡¯d been afraid to fall asleep in the dark for some time after the breakup but then, she didn¡¯t want to give into the fear. At home she would leave the corridor light on and the door ajar. Here, at the condo, the corner lights in each room were a greatpromise. She didn¡¯t feel too much like a whoose.

    Just when she was about to rx, she saw it then.

    ¡°Ohe one!¡± she whined under her breath, wishing she¡¯d never ventured out of her room.

    There was something on the couch! It was moving. Was someone seated there?

    ¡°What are you doing, skulking around?¡±

    Talia jumped with a yelp, one hand pressed to her chest, the other to the lower curve of her belly. ¡°Rafe?¡±

    ¡°Si.¡± His gruff voice responded.

    Talia started again towards the couch, rubbing her chest to sooth her racing heart.

    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you! You don¡¯t do that to a pregnant woman!¡± then she moved that hand calming her heart to her belly, rubbing both hands in circr motions. She worried for a moment the saying ¡®scaring the baby out of me¡¯ may just happen.

    ¡°Mi scusi¡± he mumbled, his voice rough, with a short wave of his raised hand.

    Something wasn¡¯t right. Rafe sounded off. She rounded the couch and came to stand before him, the low ck coffee table between them.

    Oh my¡­ she thought, locking her fingers together under her belly, curbing her immediate need to go to him. He looked disheveled and judging by the almost empty whisky bottle on the table, he was well into his cups.Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    ¡°Rafe, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked instead.

    From his slouched position on the couch, he shifted himself just enough to allow his head to rest on the back rest so his face was turned to the ceiling. His armsymely at his sides, his ck suit d thighs fallen apart, one leading to a bent knee and bare foot and the other stretched out and under the table. His shirt was open to the mid of his abdomen exposing reflecting streams that started at the top of his chest, over his chiseled abs and disappeared under his shirt. If he wasn¡¯t in such a sorry state, he would be attractive enough to forget everything that had gone wrong between then and jump him.

 CHAPTER 73 Talia

    Cool it hormones. Pregnancy had her emotions on overdrive, including-a recent development-her libido.

    What was he still doing here? She turned and her eye caught his belt, ity on the far end of the couch with his suit jacket socks and watch. He¡¯d gottenfortable, which meant he¡¯d had no intention of going anywhere after he¡¯d tucked her into bed. The alcohol made sure of it. But, he just lived a short elevator ride down, surely he would have been able to make it?

    ¡°What are you doing here Rafe?¡±

    He raised-no, he pulled up one arm, judging by how heavy it looked as he raised it-and pointed to the ceiling, with one finger, his hand bobbing as his wrist struggled to hold it up.

    ¡°Carrie moved in,¡± he said with a slight slur.

    She sighed, exasperated, ¡°Yes, I know. She¡¯s in the spare bedroom.¡±

    Talia didn¡¯t like dealing with drunks, no matter how much she cared for them. They were a nuisance. Since she¡¯d never seen Rafe drunk, she hoped he didn¡¯t have weird antics like diving and swimming on the bed like Carrie did.

    ¡°No, no. Not here.¡± His raised hand bounced, his wrist managing to hold his hand up long enough to keep his pointing finger steady, ¡°Up there.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Talia stared up at the ceiling then down at Rafe. What was up there? Wasn¡¯t it the sundeck roof? They were on the top floor of the twelve story condominium. Did he mean downstairs? That was where his other unit was. How in the world had he manage that? Carrie would never have moved out and left her alone with him.

    That finger lowered to him and pressed into his chest, bending at the knuckle,  ¡°I¡­ moved in¡­ here.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± she eximed.

    She closed her eyes, raised her hand and pinched the bridge of her nose between the knuckles of her index and middle fingers, feeling a little more than annoyed. Why in the world would Carrie move out and let Rafe move in? Why did neither of them consult her and ask if she wasfortable with the new living arrangements?

    She opened her eyes and immediately took a step back, dropping her hand when her gaze met his. Even with the dim lighting, she could see what was in that deep unblinking stare. He shifted, pulling himself into a sitting position. His elbow rested on his knees. His gaze not once broke contact with hers. She took another step back, her heartbeat picking up speed. The room grew stuffy, almost suffocating, heavy with tension. He pushed himself up to his feet, wobbled, steadied and stood in his full height. She took another step back, her breathesing a little faster. His gazed still holding hers hostage, the brown of his eyes darkened to almost ck and she knew she was screwed if she didn¡¯t do something.

    ¡°No!¡± She came awake when he shifted to the side as if to go around the table, holding her hands out open in front of her. ¡°You¡¯re drunk and I¡¯m¡­¡± ¡®losing the little sanity I have left¡¯ was what she wanted to say but instead she said, ¡°Not up for that.¡±Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    When he blinked,ing awake himself, breaking the heavy moment, she breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit back down and I¡¯ll bring you a cup of coffee and a gallon of water.¡±

    He smirked, then dropped back heavily on to the couch, his eyes shutting immediately his head touched the back rest. Talia quickly shuffled to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. She pulled out all the bottles of water from the fridge-a total of five but if there was more she would have carried all of them with her-and took them to the living room before quickly escaping back into the kitchen. She didn¡¯t want to think about what almost happened, what he¡¯d clearly wanted to do and would have done if she hadn¡¯t stopped him.

    That look, she knew that look all too well and she¡¯d worked hard to lock the feeling it invoked in that box she stored in the dark corner of her heart. But it seemed to have seeped out and she really didn¡¯t want to give it more attention that she already had in that moment she¡¯d been confronted with it-when Rafe looked at her like he wanted to ravish her.

    That look, it always spread a ticklish heat over her body coupled with baited anticipation. It was paralyzing and yet at the same time turned her into his puppet, the strings telepathically pulled. The very first time she¡¯d met him, it was that look that had trapped her. He didn¡¯t have to even touch her to get her body to react, all he had to do was look at her with that look.

    A shiver rushed through her and her breath caught in her throat before she coaxed it free with a gulp of air.

    Once she had the coffee poured into a mug, she reluctantly went back to join him. She noticed, thankfully, one of the bottles sat open and empty, and another was halfway there. Standing next to him, she held the coffee under his nose, shifting it away slowly as his nose followed the aroma of the Ethiopian coffee.

    Both his hands rose in open invitation and Talia ced the hot mug in them.

    ¡°Careful, its hot,¡± she warned.

    He grunted, taking the mug and lifting it to his lips. He took a long sip, his eyes still closed. Talia moved to join him on the couch, her body giving her very little choice. As much as she would like to run from him, to keep as much space as she possibly could between them, her sore ankles and her tight back wereining under the pressure. There were other seats but they were stiff and straight singles. The couch was the only one that she foundfortable. She lowered herself a cushion away from him and was d she hadn¡¯t unceremoniously drop into it. That would have been embarrassing. She already felt like a waddling whale as it is.

 CHAPTER 74 Talia

    After a few seconds of silence, she decided to just ask again instead of just wondering, ¡°What are you doing here Rafe?¡±

    His eyes opened then. After a beat or two he said, ¡°it¡¯s my home.¡±

    ¡°Not for the time being it¡¯s not. And I thought this was just one of your properties, don¡¯t you live with your family?¡±

    He snorted, then sipped at the mug.

    This was one thing Talia always found unnerving when they worked together and even more when they dated. He didn¡¯t talk much, only when he felt like he needed to. The rest of the time, it was as if they were to read his silence and understand what he wanted. It frustrated her at work but also posed a challenge. She wanted to be the indispensable employee who could decipher the boss¡¯ silence and deliver results that he wanted. He was demanding, strict with high expectations but fair. That was why she fell for him, a character from her favorite romance novels.

    Fairytales, ording to her mother, they made women stupid. Talia hated when she was right.

    When they dated, that silence was their own privatenguage. When they were in public and she felt his gaze on her, her body tremble in anticipation. When it was just the two of them behind closed doors, it was the siren song that pulled her to him, the strings that made her move just as he wanted her too, the invisible hands that shed her clothing piece by piece to expose her for his appreciation. It was the heat that impatiently readied her body for his possession. And when theyy in bed, after they¡¯d made love and his body enveloped her, cradling her against him, it made her feel cherished and protected.

    Damn it! Her throat burned and she quickly turned away. The bloody box was out of the dark corner and opening. She needed to close it, and fast.

    ¡°You slept with Gabrie.¡±

    There was no stronger adhesive than that.

    ¡°When?¡± he asked calmly.

    She turned to him. It irked her how calm he was. Sure was quite sure they weren¡¯t talking about the weather.

    ¡°The day I had the attack.¡±

    He winced but nodded. She wasn¡¯t sure what that wince was for-for getting called out on his sexcapade or  her attack that he had admirably responded well too.

    ¡°Is that why you had the attack?¡±

    Talia wasn¡¯t willing to answer truthfully to that. It was embarrassing enough without speaking it out loud.

    ¡°Exhaustion.¡±

    He scoffed and she fought the urge to punch that perfect profile of his.

    ¡°How did you find out?¡±

    ¡°After Carrie listened in on the whole show you two loudly performed, Gabrie paid us a visit and recounted it. In detail. Among other things.¡±

    Talia hadn¡¯t forgotten her threat either, and she never would. She needed to know where Rafe stood on this for some reassurance. She¡¯d taken a risking to Italy to find him but she never once thought much of the possibility that he would take her children from her. Somehow, she didn¡¯t believe he was that cruel. But she¡¯d said that before and got proven wrong, severely.

    He moved then, cing the mug on the table. Mercy, the man¡¯s slightest movement resemble a panther on the prowl. She could see every corded muscle stretch and bunch under his sleeve with each move he made.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He turned to her and she told herself not to react like a school girl when his gaze caught hers. ¡°Among other things?¡±

    ¡°She said you¡¯d take my children from me.¡±

    ¡°Why would I do that?¡±

    Again, no emotions. No tale tell sighs. Just t.

    ¡°Why do you do anything?¡± she shot back, ¡°You¡¯ve done quite a number of things to me since our breakup. You left me homeless for crying out loud!¡± her voice rose in anger.

    He turned away, ¡°I didn¡¯t take your home from you.¡±

    That was an admittance to what he¡¯d done to her as any. But he was wrong about that single denial. ¡°No. You took my job and made it impossible for me to find another. I put it on the market before I came here.¡±

    He winced again andbed his fingers through his disheveled hair. Talia hoped he was feeling ashamed of what he¡¯d done to her.

    ¡°You should get it back. We¡¯ve already rectified your financial situation.¡±

    What about my emotional situation? She wanted to rubbed her chest where her heart was to sooth the ache but she wouldn¡¯t do that. There was a limit to showing weakness.  She will not be needy.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be concerned about Gabrie.¡±

    Her heart leaped, but she dared not hope. ¡°Why?¡±

    Without a word he stood, and walked away. She watched where he was headed and her heart leaped for a whole other reason. He turned right into the hallway, not left.

    She pushed herself off the couch and quickly followed him. She walked in just in time to watch him shrug his shirt off, step out of his pants and climb into bed in nothing but his ck boxer briefs, where not even an hour ago she had been sleeping.

    Panicked, she demanded, ¡°What are you doing? There is another room here Rafe.¡±

    He pulled the pillow-her pillow-under his head closing his eyes, ¡°It¡¯s a big bed Talia.¡±

    After a few moments, she heard the soft deep breathes of sleep.

    She threw her hands up with an irate groan, ¡°Great, just great.¡±

 CHAPTER 75 Rafe

    ¡°Say that again, he did what?¡± Carrie¡¯s eyes bugged out of their sockets, ready to fall into herp. Talia understood her reaction, she was still in shock.

    ¡°Besides falling asleep in my bed and leaving me with no choice but to sleep next to him? He woke up this morning and went about his business like everything was normal and nothing had happened between us.¡±

    She pointed to the ind that separated the kitchen from the living room, ¡°He sat across from me, had his breakfast, asked about my ns for the day. Then he reminded me to stay off my feet as much as possible and then left saying ¡®see you in the evening¡¯ and if I wanted him to bring something for dinner!¡±

    Carrie blinked shaking her head. ¡°Take a breath.¡±

    Talia did as instructed, feeling some of the anxiety leave her. She felt like she was in the twilight zone. There was this anxious fear at the familiarity of the whole thing. It was like they were back in her apartment, eating breakfast on her tiny dinner table before work. Or the kitchen ind in the new house because she hadn¡¯t gotten around to furnishing the house yet, arguing back and forth about letting him pay for the furniture and d¨¦cor. In fact, that was thest conversation they¡¯d had before everything was shot to hell.

    ¡®You¡¯ll pick and I¡¯ll pay. There, duties split down the middle.¡¯ He had said before walking out of the kitchen with a ¡®we¡¯re leaving in five minutes,¡¯ thrown over his shoulder. She¡¯d been so mad and yet resigned to the fact he was a permanent fixture in her life.

    But things hadn¡¯t turned out that way. Suddenly, he was gone and there was no furniture, no house and even no car anymore. The life that they¡¯d wanted together went up in smoke, burned by his rage.

    How could he just act like all was right as rain, like nothing had happened?

    ¡°So all he left out was the good morning kiss and the goodbye kiss?¡±

    ¡°You find it strange too! I think the real Rafe was kidnapped by aliens and this guy is either a host or they gave him a lobotomy.¡±

    Carrieughed but Talia wasn¡¯t feeling as amused. Rafe was throwing around confusing signals and it was taking everything within her not to fall into that rabbit hole again. She really didn¡¯t want to hope that things would go back to how they used to be between them, only to have the rug pulled from under her when she was fully trapped in those hopes and dreams. Again. She¡¯d barely survived the first heartbreak, she wasn¡¯t sure she would survive another.

    ¡°Talia, why are you really freaking out?¡± Carried asked, reading her well.

    ¡°That I¡¯m going to read the signals wrong again.¡± She whispered ashamed.

    Carrie took her hand in hers and squeezed, ¡°You didn¡¯t read them wrong the first time. What happened wasn¡¯t your fault, neither was it his,¡± something shifted in her eyes and she sucked in bother her lips from a moment before she released them and added, ¡°Shit happens and it happened really hard on the both of you.¡±

    Talia eyes narrowed at that fully loaded statement, ¡°Yeah, the rotten smell is suffocating. What are you hiding Carrie?¡±

    Both eyebrows shot up and she quickly released Talia¡¯s hand, ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°That shit that happened that you are talking about, that wasn¡¯t mine or Rafe¡¯s fault, what is it and who took a dump on us?¡±

    ¡°Who took a dump on us,¡± She giggled in an almost wicked witch of the west way. Forced. She was hiding something. Wiping under her eyes with her knuckle at the nonexistent tears she added, ¡°That¡¯s funny Talia.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha,¡± Talia said dryly. She leaned in closer to Carrie who leaned away and looked everywhere else but at her, ¡°Quit stalling and fess us.¡±

    ¡°To what? I don¡¯t know what you are talking about?¡± she squeaked, her shoulders pulling tight into her.

    The doorbell rang and Carried sighed, visibly rxing.

    ¡°I should get that.¡±

    Talia shook her head, ¡°ah ah. Nope. You¡¯re going to try and run. I got your number miss thing. I¡¯ll get the door.¡±

    She pushed herself off the couch and waddled to the door. She opened it, surprised at who it reveled.N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    ¡°Signore DeLuca, what are you doing here?¡±

    Talia wished she hadn¡¯t said a word when he snarled at her, his face creased with anger. His hand shot up, fisting painfully in her hair before she could evade it.

    ¡°I want you gone by morning or I swear I¡¯ll get rid of you myself. Capisco, do you understand me?¡± he ground out the words then he pushed her back, turned and walked away as Talia tripped over her feet and fell heavily to the ground. She cried out, grabbing at her stomach as a sharp pain shot through it.

    ¡°Talia!¡± Carrie cried out, falling to her knees at Talia¡¯s side. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Talia shook her head, openly crying. ¡°It hurts!¡±

    God why didn¡¯t I let Carrie answer the door!

    * * * *

    ¡°So, you moved in with Talia?¡±

    Rafe shifted his attention from theptop screen to Angelo who was standing at the door of his office, his arms crossed over his chest.

    ¡°You helped me pack.¡±

    His arms dropped from his chest and he pocketed one hand, ¡°Yes, and almost carried the luggage down to my car before I was notified of the surprising development.¡±

    ¡°And?¡± he sighed the word, leaning back into his executive high back chair, grateful for the soft cushion against his head.

    Thanks to his afternoon to early morning drinking, his head felt like it was going to pulse until his eyes were squeezed out. He would have preferred nothing better but to remain in his bed, with the curtains draw shut as hey in the darkness and suffered quietly for his over indulgence, but the morning had been ufortable enough with Talia watching him like he had a second head growing out of the side of his neck. The night before had not been any better, and then too, he had escaped.

    He¡¯d annoyed her when he¡¯d gone to sleep in her bed-well, his bed. He¡¯d careful selected not just the mattress but the pillow. They were orthopedic. But not the reason why he¡¯d invaded her space. He wanted to sleep where she¡¯d slept, take in her sent from the pillow, feel the warmth she had left behind in the sheets and covers. He just needed her and since he couldn¡¯t, wouldn¡¯t be shameless enough to get it directly from her, he went for the second best thing.

    For a moment, for just a moment he¡¯d almost done it. Taken her in his arms and held her body sh against his to feel every inch of her on every inch of him. He¡¯d wanted to run his itching hands over her body to satisfy their need to explore. Topare reality to memories, capture her lips with his own and taste her. Drink from her until his thirst was quenched. He wanted to consume her, feed the hunger that she both caused and only could sate. He wanted to sink himself so deep in her that time would stop and the clock would turn backwards to the days they were happy, just being in each other¡¯s arms.

    For just a moment of insanity he wanted things between them to go back to what they used to be-happy and in love.

    But he didn¡¯t have the right to her anymore, not even to have such thoughts. His heart ached from the loss, worse now than it did then because now he knew the truth. Talia had done nothing to him. Their breakup, her pain¡­ it was all his fault. His inability to protect her, his impatience, his temper, they¡¯d ruined her and if she wasn¡¯t who she was, they would have destroyed her. But even a strong tree can be cut down with the right type of saw, and that¡¯s why he refused to voice his fears to Talia of what he was sure-no, no, spected-happened that night. Just the thought of the possibility felt like a frozen ice pick had been driven through his chest. He needed to find out the truth without subjecting Talia to more pain than he¡¯d already caused.

    ¡°Where did you sleep?¡±

    Rafe had been so lost in the thoughts of Talia, he hadn¡¯t noticed Angelo move from the door and take a sit in the chair across from him on the other side of his desk.

    ¡°Che?¡±

    Angelo smiled suggestively, ¡°I asked, where did you sleepst night?¡±

    Rafe rubbed his throbbing right temple with the pads of his fingers, ¡°Nothing happened.¡±

    ¡°Which means?¡±

    Hardening his gaze he responded to Angelo¡¯s pestering, ¡°Which means you already know the answer and I¡¯m not in the right state to y your games cugino.¡±

    He chuckled, ¡°hard night?¡±

    Rafe didn¡¯t bother to respond to that. It would only encourage him to keep fishing and at the moment, he truly didn¡¯t want to discuss Talia and their situation in the past, present or future.

    Angelo¡¯s smile widened with a satisfied gleam in his eye, ¡°I had a very satisfying night.¡±

    He harrumphed, ¡°I didn¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but you should.¡± He shot back, leaning forward in his seat.

    Begging for patience, Rafe barked, ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Carrie wasn¡¯t very amused about being forced to move.¡±

    With a huff, ¡°You spoke about that?¡±

    One brow slowly went up, ¡°Spoke¡­¡± Angelo rubbed his chin with his knuckles, a gleam in his eyes, ¡°yes, we did that¡­ among other things.¡±

    Both of Rafe¡¯s brows shot up in question.

    Angelo shrugged, dropping his hand from his chin, ¡°She had some frustration to work out. You are quite a frustrating man cugino.¡±

    Rafe scoffed at that.

    Angelo stood and came round the desk to stand beside him. pping Rafe on the shoulder, he added, ¡°But this time, I am truly grateful to you and your ability to drive someone to the edge of sanity with frustration.¡± Leaning down close to Rafe he whispered, ¡°You don¡¯t think you can do that again? Tonight maybe? I cancelled my ns just in case.¡±

    Rafe shook his head with a chuckle. His cousin was an opportunist no matter the situation. It made him a greatwyer but the opposite in rtionships. Love them and leave them was his motto, but then, going by what Talia had told him about her best friend, he¡¯d met his equal and match in Carrie.

    He ced his hand on Angelo¡¯s cor and pushed him back, ¡°I¡¯m not a pimp Angelo.¡± On a more serious note he continued, ¡°let¡¯s focus on the task at hand. I was about to call you.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Angelo walked back to retake his seat, ¡°Alex, no? Have you found him.¡±

    He nodded, ¡°It¡¯s time I paid a visit to my father¡¯sckey.¡±

    Angelo¡¯s jaw tightened, ¡°Control Rafe, try and exercise it.¡±

    Rafe smiled, nothing merry about it, ¡°Rssati cugino. Rx. I n to haveplete control the moment I find him.¡±

    Angelo groaned cursing him, Alex and the entire situation.

    They both stood and Rafe had just rounded the desk to stand next to Angelo when his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, clearly intending to hang up. But Rafe saw his brow furrow as he looked at the phone.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Rafe whispered as apprehension slithered around his chest.

    He pressed the receive button and held the phone to his ear. His eyes widened and he turned to Rafe. The look in his eyes was telling and Rafe just knew. He felt thest strength he had in his legs slip out and Angelo tightened his hold on him to keep him standing.

    Something bad had happened to Talia. Again¡­my fault, all my fault.

 CHAPTER 76 Rafe

    Rafe stumbled into the ward and found Carrie pacing the floor. Her face was wet with tears, and his heart jerked.

    Please, God, let them be alright!

    ¡°Carrie, where is she?¡± he rasped.

    Carrie looked at him for a long while before she spoke. ¡°You need to convince her to let them do it! You just have to!¡± she cried, fresh tears rolling down her stricken face.

    Rafe took a breath to calm himself before he grasped Carrie¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Convince her to do what?¡±

    ¡°Signore DeLuca?¡±

    Rafe looked up at the doctor who stood behind Carrie. He swallowed the fear and nodded.

    ¡°How is she?¡± he asked, a tremor in his voice.

    The doctor sighed visibly with relief before he moved closer. ¡°Her blood pressure is climbing dangerously high, and she refuses to let us deliver the babies.¡±

    For a second, Rafe had held the hope that that look of relief on his face meant that Talia was fine, not that he was happy to see him.

    Rafe could understand why Talia was being stubborn. It was too early for the twins to be born. ¡°What are the risks to the twins if they are born prematurely?¡±

    ¡°Signorina McKenna is seven and a half months along, we have high hopes they will survive. But we hold no such hopes for the mother if she refuses for us to proceed.¡±

    Rafe nodded again, willing himself to stay calm and objective. He needed to be strong for Talia. He needed to make the decision and take the me if it came down to it, because Talia wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it.

    ¡°May I see her?¡±

    The doctor nodded and led him to a room. The first thing he heard was the sounds of machines and then he saw them. They wererge and at Talia¡¯s head. They frightened him just looking at them, he couldn¡¯t fathom Talia¡¯s terror having them around her.

    He moved to her side, sat in the chair close to her head, which was partially covered with an oxygen mask, and took her hand in his.

    ¡°Why the mask?¡± he asked the doctor.

    ¡°She¡¯se close to having an asthmatic attack several times. We can¡¯t afford for that to happen now; there are too many risks. We thought it prudent to administer oxygen and medication through the mask.¡±

    Christo! They had so much working against them, against their children.Property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Rafe covered his face with his free hand and cried in it. Releasing all the pent up emotions that had been broiling inside him for months. He¡¯d never felt as defeated in his life as he did at that moment, sitting there, powerless to help Talia and his children through this difficulty.

    He felt Talia¡¯s hand weakly grasp his. He moved his hand from his face and looked at her. She smiled faintly behind the mask as her eyes fought to stay open.

    ¡°I can do this. Please, Rafe, give me a chance. I know I can do this,¡± she whispered weakly.

    Rafe smiled at her determination, which served to break his heart more. He knew better. He just had to convince her of it. For once, Talia needed to set her stubborn need to be right aside.

    ¡°Tesoro, you can¡¯t. Your will is strong but your body is weak. Please let them do this, let them save you and our babies.¡±

    A tear ran down her temple as she struggled to shake her head. ¡°Please. Our sons will die if they are taken out.¡±

    Rafe felt his chest crush into his heart, paralyzing him. She shouldn¡¯t have told him that. The decision had been easier to make without knowing. He¡¯d easily picked her over them because he loved her more than the unknown. But now, as the love for his sons blossomed with much pain in his heart, could he really condemn them to save the one he loved most?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Talia, but I can¡¯t let you die. We can have other children and we will, but I can¡¯t have another you.¡±

    She shook her head, weakly trying to pull her hand out of his. He held on tighter, willing her to understand his desperation. He turned to the doctor to give his consent but the man was already running towards them, cursing in Italian. He pressed a button above her bed, and pulled the covers away from her body.

    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°What I feared. Her water broke.¡± He gentle pulled Talia¡¯s knees up and spread them, looking between them under her gown.

    Talia screamed loudly, tightening her grip on Rafe¡¯s hand. That¡¯s when he noticed the wet bed, with arge pink stain on the blue sheets.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± he yelled.

    ¡°She¡¯s having the babies. Now.¡±

    The room suddenly buzzed with activity, as nurses rushed in, two of them pushingrge stic boxes. The breath in Rafe¡¯s chest grew heavy with fear as he watched. The doctor yelled orders and the nurses moved into action.

    ¡°Signore DeLuca!¡±

    Rafe heard his name but he didn¡¯t respond nor act like he heard. He was frozen.

    ¡°Rafael!¡± he yelled shaking him.

    Rafe blinked looking straight into the doctor¡¯s eyes. ¡°I need you to be alert. The first one is already on his way out. You will have to help her.¡± Rafe nodded his tongue dead in his mouth. ¡°Sit behind her and hold her up.¡±

    Rafe turned to find Talia was already been held up by a smiling nurse. His first instinct was to ask what the hell she was smiling about but instead, he climbed onto the bed and sat behind Talia. The nurse leaned her against his chest and Rafe wrapped his arms around Talia¡¯s torso.

    ¡°Everything will be all right,¡± he whispered in her ear when she cried out again, her hands fisted in the fabric of his pants at his thighs.

    ¡°Nurse, be ready. I want you to ce your hands above her stomach and push down when it¡¯s time.¡± Then he turned to Talia as he climbed to kneel on the bed between her legs. ¡°Talia, when I tell you, you have to push with all the strength you have. Okay?¡±

    Rafe felt Talia¡¯s head nod under his chin, then she cried out again and the doctor yelled push. Rafe held her hands tightly as he watched the nurse press her hands down on Talia¡¯s stomach as she pushed, her legs held up and apart by two other nurses. Rafe felt like he was in a nightmare. He couldn¡¯t believe what was happening. It was all surreal.

    They pushed four more times before the doctor told them to stop. Rafe held onto Talia, as he watched the doctor turn with a small grey creature in his hands, giving it to a nurse who was standing at the ready. She wrapped it in the blue cloth she was holding,pletely covering it from sight. When that nurse left, another took her ce, a blue cloth in her hands.

    Talia mumbled something under him and he leaned in to listen.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t he crying?¡±

    He¡¯s supposed to cry! Rafe thought in a panic before he repeated the question to the doctor.

    The doctor spared him a wary nce before he turned to Talia with a fake encouraging smile. ¡°Ready for the next one?¡±

    As if on cue, Talia cried out, bending over.

    ¡°Okay, when the next one hits, we all push, capisco?¡±

    Rafe nodded, wishing he was somewhere else but here, but whispered encouraging words to Talia when the doctor ordered them to push. And with two short pushes, Talia slumped against him with a sigh of relief and the changing of hands was made again.

    This one didn¡¯t cry either.

    Rafe watched as the covered boxes with his sons in them were rushed out of the room. Then there was a loud rm and he was shoved off the bed and out of the room as they all surrounded Talia.

    That¡¯s when it sank in. She wasn¡¯t moving, she wasn¡¯t breathing and her heart wasn¡¯t beating.

    He stood there, staring at the closed door, without another thought in his mind.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened?¡±

    Rafe turned to Angelo. He was holding Carrie as she cried against his chest.

    She knows, she already knows.

    ¡°Rafe, what happened?¡± he demanded, his voice rising in panic.

    ¡°They are dead. They are all dead. Talia, my sons¡­all dead¡­¡± he mumbled before his world went dark.

 CHAPTER 77 Rafe

    ¡°This is a bad idea, Rafe. Think about what you are about to do,¡± Angelo repeated as he pulled into the driveway of the DeLuca mansion. ¡°You¡¯re not in the right state of mind.¡±

    Rafe fisted his hands, pressing them to his thighs to keep from reaching for his cousin and ripping his tongue out. He¡¯d been repeating those words like a broken record since the moment Rafe woke up and blurted out his intention. When he wouldn¡¯t relent and had demanded for his car keys, Angelo finally gave in, offering to drive him to his destination. Though his rage was burning strong and growing with every second, his body was still weak from shock.

    Never in his life had Rafe ever cked out, besides that one time he had a panic attack over a year ago. The fear of losing Talia was so strong, it had robbed him of all his senses. It was like his mind and body agreed to shut down and hide because he couldn¡¯t handle the thought of Talia dying.

    Rafe jumped out of the car, d his strength was back when his legs didn¡¯t wobble like jelly under him, because he was going to need all his strength for what he was about to do. He was going to confront his father, wring his neck, and punish him for his part in the horror that the day had turned into.

    He marched into the house, Angelo dogging his feet, going on and on about what a mistake he was about to make.

    ¡°You are making a mistake Rafe! I understand your pain, your fear but taking your frustration out on your father isn¡¯t going to help. You should be at the hospital, waiting for the doctors, not here!¡±

    Taking his frustration out on his father won¡¯t help? Ha! But it will!

    Rafe¡¯s fists tightened to the point of shaking from the strain as his father¡¯s office door came into view. Making his father pay for what he¡¯d done would make him feel a hell of a lot better.

    Rafe heard Angelo shout for security behind him, tempting Rafe to turn around and carry through with his initial thought of ripping his tongue out. But he couldn¡¯t waste his strength on Angelo, it was all reserved for his father.

    Not bothering with the doorknob, Rafe raised his leg and kicked the door open. It mmed against the wall with a loud bang, bouncing and swinging back to close again. Rafe pushed it back and held it against the wall as he stared into his father¡¯s startled gaze. But that onlysted a moment before he donned his cold intimidating mask.

    Rafe snorted. When will he learn that doesn¡¯t work on me anymore? He snarled at his next thought. Right now seems appropriate enough.

    ¡°Rafe, don¡¯t!¡± Antonio yelled behind him.

    Without a second thought, ignoring his cousin¡¯s warnings, Rafe marched to his father¡¯s desk. The old man didn¡¯t even stand. He didn¡¯t perceive Rafe as a threat as he went back to reading the documents in his hand. He was ignoring him. Rafe was about to get his attention in a big way.

    Rafe stepped around the desk, grabbed him around the neck, lifted him off his leather seat, and mmed him down on his back on the oak desk as hard as he could. He cried out from the pain, his back arching up, a hint of fear passed over his face before he drew the mask back on again. His father could pretend all he liked, but Rafe had seen what he needed.

    Rafe leaned over his father, bring his face close enough so that he could look straight into his eyes and see the murderous ze burning in them. It was Rafe¡¯s turn to intimidate.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done everything for you, everything you¡¯ve asked of me and more, and this is how you repay me?¡± he asked in a low lethal tone.

    ¡°Rafe, basta!¡± Angelo yelled pulling on his hand that circled his father¡¯s neck until Rafe lost his grip.

    The old man sat up coughing rubbing at his neck, and Rafe suddenly realized he¡¯d been choking him. Good!

    He went to lunge at him again but Angelo forcefully pulled him several feet away. Rafe fought to get out of his hold and the moment he aplished it, the room flooded with his father¡¯s security team. They were three bodyguards standing between him and his target, all with one hand hovering behind them and the other raised opened palmed in his direction. He knew they wouldn¡¯t shoot him but he wouldn¡¯t put it past his father to have them beat him up if he took a step in his direction.

    Rafe¡¯s gaze shifted between his father¡¯s smug expression and the three bodyguards assessing. Fuck it! He¡¯d risk it and if it came down to a fight, Angelo would have his back. Rafe took that step and so did they in his direction.

    Angelo grabbed his arm and pulled him back, moving to stand in front of him. ¡°Calmarsi!¡±

    Calm down? That was far from what he wanted to do at the moment! Rafe tried to move around him but Angelo pushed him back, his unyielding hand fisted in his shirt.

    ¡°Rafe! Calmarsi, per fevore!¡± Angelo hissed, then under his breath he said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be in a bed next to Talia, start using your head! With you out ofmission they¡¯ll be vulnerable to him.¡±

    Rafe pulled his eyes away from his father to look at Angelo. He was mad but there was something else in his eyes. Caution. Something Rafe needed to have. They weren¡¯t just dealing with anyone, they were dealing with Rafael DeLuca Senior, ruthless and unscrupulous when he wanted something to go his way. Talia was proof of that.

    Rafe gave him a curt nod, and Angelo released his hold on his shirt.

    ¡°Figlio mio, listen to your cugino. You don¡¯t want to cross me,¡± his father said harshly. ¡°I will forgive your disy here as a moment of madness but never again, capisco?¡±

    Rafe snarled. ¡°That¡¯s thest thing I want you to do. I want you to remember today and think of what would have happened if your goons hadn¡¯te to your rescue.¡±

    Heughed harshly. ¡°You dare to threaten me, all because of that whore!¡±

    Rafe charged forward but Angelo held him back. ¡°I know what you did, and I¡¯m never going to forgive you for it. You¡¯ll pay for what you did to her, I swear it!¡±Copyright by N?v/elDrama.Org.

    His father waved his hand dismissively before he sat down and went back to what he was doing before like nothing had happened, like the tension in the room didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°When is your wedding to Gabrie Rossi?¡± he asked conversationally.

    Rafe chortled, not at all surprised that his father had dismissed him like he was of no consequence, like he used to when Rafe was a child. If he didn¡¯t believe his words, Rafe would just have to show him. Actions do speak louder than words. He was going to hit him where it hurt most.

    Rafe turned around to leave, his mind already working on a n. ¡°Marry her yourself!¡±

 CHAPTER 78 Talia

    ¡°Come on, wake up already!¡±

    Talia attempted to move her head away from the incessant chanting in her ear. What the hell did Carrie want?

    She tried to open her eyes, but they felt so heavy. She struggled until she finally got them to obey and quickly closed them again when she saw Carrie¡¯s happy face looming above her.

    ¡°Here, open your mouth and drink.¡±

    Talia didn¡¯t argue. She felt like she had cotton stuffed in her mouth and down her throat. The cool liquid felt heavenly as she swallowed her first sip.

    She opened her eyes again and looked at Carrie¡¯s smiling face. ¡°I¡¯m having a nightmare,¡± she whispered hoarsely.

    Carrie snorted. ¡°No, we¡¯ve been having a nightmare. It¡¯s about damn time you woke up, you selfish bitch!¡±

    Talia¡¯s mouth fell open. ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°You were in aa for a month, that¡¯s what you did!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Talia was even more shocked by that revtion than the hostility. She looked around, as far as she could see beyond Carrie¡¯s body straddling her, and then she stopped, dread filling her. She pressed her hand to her stomach. She was empty!

    ¡°My babies, where are my babies!¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Carrie¡¯s face softened. ¡°Calm down Talia.¡±

    ¡°Tell me!¡±

    ¡°Angelo, get her off her please,¡± Rafe¡¯smanding voice filled the room.

    She then saw Angelo, who smiled at her and quickly lifted Carrie away, ignoring her protests.

    Rafe stepped forward, sinking onto the chair at her bedside as he looked at her intently. He then took her hand and raised it to his lips pressing a lingering kiss to her knuckles.

    ¡°I thought you would never wake up, cara mia.¡±

    Talia blinked a few times to make sure she was seeing straight. Never had she seen him so disheveled. Even when he was scruffy he never looked this tousled. His clothes looked like they¡¯d been slept in for days. Half his face was covered with a beard and the other half covered by his long hair. He looked scruffy, and more like a hippy and less like a cutthroat tycoon. Yes, he looked very sexy but just not like Rafe.

    ¡°Rafe¡­what happened to you?¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°You, carissima, happened to me.¡±

    Talia was confused by that. ¡°Umm, sorry?¡±

    Heughed, kissing her hand again. ¡°You are forgiven. How do you feel? I should get the doctor.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± she cried out, stopping him when he moved to stand. ¡°The babies, where are they? Please tell me they are alive.¡±

    ¡°Si, they are alive and well. They miss their madre.¡±

    Talia sobbed with relief, her vision blurred with the tears. ¡°They are all right? The tests¡­¡±

    She watched a muscle twitch in his clenched jaw. He was angry. She just hoped the anger wasn¡¯t because there was something wrong with the twins.

    ¡°Rafe, you¡¯re scaring me.¡±

    ¡°Mi scusi, yes, the tests came back clean but we will have to wait and see how they grow. Just as a precaution,¡± he rushed to assure her, and she guessed it was because the fear she felt in her heart was written on her face.

    ¡°Can I see them?¡±

    He snorted. ¡°Once your mother stops hovering over them like a vulture!¡±

    Carrieughed. ¡°He means once your mother stops being over-protective of them.¡±

    Talia groaned. ¡°My mother is here? I¡¯ll be lucky if she lets me near them.¡±

    ¡°Say the word and I¡¯ll have her deported.¡±

    Taliaughed at the hope in Rafe¡¯s tone. ¡°No, that won¡¯t be necessary.¡±

    His face fell and he grumbled under his breath making herugh harder. She hadn¡¯tughed so hard since the day he left her.

    ¡°So, by you amorous affection, I¡¯m to take it that you believe me, that you are our sons¡¯ father and I never cheated on you?¡±

    He nodded, tears flooding his eyes. ¡°Mi scusi, forgive me for doubting you. Thank you for them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Everything is as it should be now. There is no use in dwelling on the past.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so hasty to forgive, my dear, he hasn¡¯t told you the whole truth yet.¡±

    Talia turned to her mother¡¯s voice. She stood by the door, pushing a long stroller. Talia felt giddily happy, like a kid on Christmas day anxious to open her gifts.

    ¡°My babies. I want my babies.¡±

    Without a word, Rafe stood up and moved to where her mother stood. They stared at each other until her mother turned her head away. Rafe took the stroller from her and pushed it towards the bed.

    Talia sat up in bed with brimming excitement.

    Rafe smiled at her-his little boy smile-before he bent down cooing in Italian. There was a soft whine that resembled that of a cat that Rafe hushed with his soft words. He then stood, turning around to reveal a baby asrge as his hand.

    ¡°Come meet your mommy, my little one,¡± he cooed, cing the baby in Talia¡¯s waiting arms.

    It felt like heaven holding her son in her arms. Her chest was ready to burst with joy knowing they had made it, against all odds. She remembered how hard she fought to keep the doctor¡¯s from giving her a C-section. They¡¯d called Rafe as reinforcements. He had readily permitted the procedure, ignoring her protests but that decision was taken out of both their hands when the boys decided toe into the world at that precise moment.

    She looked at Rafe, her other son in his arms. He must have been so scared, she thought.

    His entire family was at death¡¯s door, and he had been powerless and helpless toe to their aid. She didn¡¯t envy him the weeks he spent in absolute fear as he waited for them to get better.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she managed through her constricted throat.

    He shook his head as he sat close to her. Talia stroked the pink cheek of the baby he held.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry. Everything that has happened to you, to our sons, is all my fault.¡±

    Talia heard her mother snort a retort, ¡°Good of you to finally admit it.¡±

    ¡°Mother,¡± Talia pleaded.

    ¡°No! This man has been the cause of all your misfortune. It¡¯s his fault you were drugged and raped,¡± her voice hitched at thest part and she went quiet.

    In fact, the entire room went quiet, as everyone looked at Talia.

    She knew what they expected-dismay, usations, tears and screaming. But being in aa seemed to have its advantage. All those puzzle pieces that had been floating around in her mind, the nightmares, the hospital and the secrets, they now all fit together. They made sense because she could remember.

    She looked at Rafe. He looked tortured and seemed to have aged the few minutes her mother had been in the room.

    Carefully cradling her son in one arm, she lifted the other and cupped his cheek in her hand. ¡°Rafe look at me.¡± He didn¡¯t. He turned to press a kiss in her palm. ¡°Please look at me.¡± When he finally did, she smiled at him. ¡°I wasn¡¯t raped.¡±

    The hope in his eyes was quickly extinguished by her mother¡¯s outburst, ¡°How would you know, you were unconscious.¡±

    Talia sighed and turned to her mother. ¡°When you left the hospital to go change your clothes, the doctor came in and exined why I was there. Remember, you refused to?¡±

    Her mother huffed and turned her face away. Talia chortled at the antics then went on, for Rafe¡¯s sake.

    ¡°He told me Carrie found my front door wide open and my home wrecked. He thought my home had been burrized and because of the state my lingerie was in, he wanted to carry out a rape test. Apparently my mother refused to consent to one.¡±

    ¡°I noticed she likes to ignore issues until they are toote to fix,¡± Rafe whispered with a shadow of a smile.

    Talia returned the smile. ¡°No, not toote, until the time arrives when she can use it against you.¡±

    ¡°I heard that!¡± her mother huffed.

    ¡°Anyway, what I¡¯m trying to say is the test came back negative. I wasn¡¯t raped.¡±

    Rafe let out a relieved sigh.

    ¡°And I finally met your brother Renaldo. Quite a character that one, and his friend¡­wow!¡± Talia hated to cloud his relief.

    Rafe¡¯s jaw clenched. ¡°As of a month ago, I traded that family for a new one, my own. We¡¯ll be leaving for Boston as soon as you are well enough.¡±

    Talia wanted to ask the question that was bound to nag her every second of the day if she didn¡¯t, but the look on Rafe¡¯s face advised her against it. Once everything had calmed down, she would ask him, but for the time being, she wanted to enjoy her new family.

 CHAPTER 79 Talia

    Monthster¡­

    Talia waited until they were a few feet away from the nursery before she spoke. ¡°You know you don¡¯t have toe back to Boston with me.¡±

    Carrie pouted. ¡°How can I not? You¡¯re my best friend, and I love you.¡±

    ¡°But you love him too.¡±

    She nodded with a heavy sigh.

    Who would have thought Carrie and Angelo would fall for each other? They wereplete opposites with nothing inmon. He was always serious, and Carrie was only serious at work, the rest of the time Talia always wondered if she was auditioning for court jester.

    But their friends with benefits rtionship that had begun when she was in aa, knowing Carrie maybe before-Carrie had always used sex to forget situations that scared her, ever since her parents¡¯ died in a car ident-had blossomed into a serious rtionship. They were genuinely happy together. And that was to end just because Rafe wanted to move his family to the States, no way!Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    Talia looked at her left hand, where her wedding ring sat on her third finger and smiled. They were married a week after she was released from the hospital with just Carrie, Angelo and the twins as witnesses. Her mother had flown back home the same day she woke up from hera when Talia wouldn¡¯t punish Rafe for his father¡¯s mistakes.

    Carrie was right, her mother was jaded. And if Talia hadn¡¯t followed Rafe, there was a huge chance she would have been the same way twenty-five yearster. Her mother needed to heal from what her father had done before she could let anyone else in. Talia included.

    Rafe had told her about his father¡¯s ploy and Renaldo¡¯s part in it. He had expected Talia to me him, hate him even, but after all she¡¯d gone through, she saw it wasn¡¯t worth it. Yes, she was angry, but not at Rafe, at his family.

    As terrible as it may sound, it made everything easier knowing that his family wouldn¡¯t being over to their home for Sunday dinners and such. He had cut off all contact with them. She felt a little guilty that all his mother¡¯s calls had gone unanswered. Once Renaldo had spent the night outside the main gates, begging to be let in so that he could apologize but Rafe ignored him. She found it hard to sleep that night but Rafe didn¡¯t.

    That side of him frightened her. She needed to do something about it.

    They were sitting in therge living room snacking when the doorbell rang. Carrie stood up and went to the monitor at the door that showed a view of the main gate several meters away and yelled, ¡°Talia, you¡¯ll never guess who¡¯s at your door!¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°The Adam¡¯s family. The nerve of these people! I¡¯ll tell them to leave.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Talia took a moment to think about what she was doing before she stood up and walked out to the foyer. ¡°Let them in.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Carrie eximed in shock.

    ¡°Signora¡­¡± the butler began his protest, but Talia shook her head silencing him.

    ¡°How long are we going to hide from them? It¡¯s time to face the dragon, Lorenzo.¡±

    ¡°And signore?¡±

    Carrie crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°Yeah, Signore Rafe will blow his top when he finds out you let them into your house. And what if they are here to pick another fight and Rafe isn¡¯t here to back you up?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re all the backup I need and, besides, it¡¯s time I face them on my own.¡±

    Carrie cursed under her breath and pressed the button by the door that opened the gate. ¡°Lorenzo, why don¡¯t you eavesdrop and if you think we need help, call Rafe and Angelo.¡±

    ¡°Si signorina,¡± he answered, disappearing down the long hallway.

    Talia loved Rafe¡¯s dream home, except for the fact that it was too big and too hotel like. She¡¯d been working to make it more of a home, even though they wouldn¡¯t be living in it long.

    Talia listened as a car pulled up and doors opened and shut before the engine revved again as the valet drove the car to the guest parking. The Chinese door knocker rapped on therge Chinese door three times before Lorenzo appeared again-the phone in his hand-and pulled the heavy door open revealing four people.

    ¡°Wonderful!¡± Carrie mumbled next to her.

    Why, Talia couldn¡¯t understand but she was consumed with the intense desire tough.

    She bit her lips closed and swallowed theugh before she spoke, ¡°Signore and Signora DeLuca, Renaldo and of course Gabrie, wee to my home.¡±

    Carrie snorted, crossing her arms over her chest.

    ¡°Pleasee into the living room,¡± Talia continued, ignoring her.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the perfect hostess,¡± Carrie¡¯s snidement was followed by her stomping into the living room.

    Talia swallowed another urge tough as the group followed Carrie and she took up the rear. She shook her head and prayed for strength before she followed.

    Renaldo and his mother were seated with their heads down on thevish couch with their backs to therge window and Signore DeLuca sat adjacent to them on the seat Rafe had dered his, facing the exit of the room.

    It was a good thing Rafe isn¡¯t here, she thought with a sigh.

    And Princess Gabrie stood behind him by the firece looking like she was bored already.

    Talia moved into the room to stand next to Carrie who was staring them all down like she was waiting for them to attack.

    ¡°So, as much as I¡¯m honored by your visit, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Honored? More like gued!¡± Carrie retorted.

    Rafe¡¯s father shot out of the chair. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of your snide remarks, youngdy!¡±

    ¡°Well then, allow me to show you to the door!¡± Carrie yelled back.

    ¡°Honestly, you people have no respect,¡± Gabriemented dryly.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®you people¡¯?¡± Carrie challenged, taking a step towards her.

    Talia held onto Carrie¡¯s arm. ¡°Okay, there will be no fighting. I already had one home trashed, I¡¯m not willing to have another.¡±

    Renaldo cringed visibly at herment, his hands held tightly in hisp. It was hard to believe that he was rted to Rafe. His father was a monster but she could see his rtion to Rafe in their cruel temperament but Renaldo, he seemed adopted.

    ¡°Signora DeLuca, how may I help you?¡± Talia asked, making thedy look up from herp.

    She looked at her husband for a moment then back to herp. She straightened her skirt and cleared her throat before she looked up at Talia. ¡°We need your help.¡±

    ¡°Well well well,¡± Carrie started in a sing song voice, ¡°Why would that be?¡±

    Signore DeLuca¡¯s hands fisted at his sides at Carrie¡¯s taunt. Talia chose to ignore it, dragging her to the couch that sat opposite the one Renaldo and his mother upied and forcefully brought Carrie down to sit beside her.

    ¡°Why do you need my help?¡±

    Signora DeLuca looked unsurely at her husband who¡¯d taken his seat before she looked back at Talia.

    Talia gave her an encouraging smile to proceed, hoping Carrie would keep her mouth shut.

    ¡°Rafael left thepany two months ago taking Angelo with him and over half the staff. He started a rivalpany that all our clients have moved to. Even the investors have pulled out, opting to join Rafe.¡± She swallowed visibly, blinking back tears.

    All that in just two months? Well, Rafe had always been an overachiever and determined. Like a dog with a bone.

 CHAPTER 80 Talia

    Talia felt sorry for her. The woman was caught between her husband¡¯s crime and her son¡¯s revenge. She hadn¡¯t deluded herself as to think Rafe would let it go just because she¡¯d asked him to. She knew he was up to something, just not something so extreme. But it shouldn¡¯t shock her. When he thought she¡¯d cheated on him with Renaldo and Alex, he¡¯d left her destitute. He¡¯d taken everything except the house which she¡¯d just finished paying off with half of her savings.

    She knew Rafe¡¯s wrath when he was wronged, all too well. She didn¡¯t envy them.

    ¡°Why is Gabrie here?¡±

    ¡°Alex is my brother,¡± she responded with a maliciously satisfied look on her face.

    Talia took a deep breath to calm her. She still had nightmares about him. She could hear his voice, as he taunted her, promising to do disgusting things to her. Each time, she woke up with Rafe rocking her in his arms, and his anger would climb a notch higher.

    Oh boy! ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±

    Signora DeLuca scooted to the edge of the couch. ¡°Speak to him, plead with him not to ruin us. The Boston office is already closing down and soon the one here. Think of all those people losing their jobs over something so trivial.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Carrie eximed, leaping off the couch.

    ¡°Trivial?¡± Talia repeated. ¡°Your son and his friend attacked me in my home, attempted to rape me after doing god knows what already to my unconscious body, shoot me up with drugs that could still be harmful to my children and ruined my rtionship with Rafe. You consider that trivial? I almost died, my twins almost died, and you call that trivial!¡±

    Talia was unable to control her anger much longer. She stood up and called for Lorenzo. ¡°Thank you for your visit but I believe it¡¯s time for you to leave!¡±

    Signora DeLuca visibly panicked. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t mean to say trivial, what I meant-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Renaldo¡¯s quiet voice filled the room, ¡°You weren¡¯t meant to be hurt. I didn¡¯t know what my father and Alex had nned¡­if I had I would have done something to stop it-¡±

    ¡°Renaldo,¡± Talia interrupted him, ¡°thank you for protecting me from Alex but that doesn¡¯t change what you did, at least not to Rafe. He wants justice, no, revenge, and he won¡¯t stop until he feels satisfied. I already talked to him about this but he¡¯s not going to change his mind.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, you¡¯ve poisoned my son against me!¡± Signore DeLuca yelled, making his wife and son jump. It was quite clear they¡¯d lived in fear of this man for years.

    ¡°No, signore, it¡¯s entirely your fault that your son is on a rampage. This is your mess, clean it up yourself. Now, please, leave my home.¡±

    ¡°Please!¡± Signora DeLuca pleaded, tagging at Talia¡¯s heart.

    How could she exin to thisdy that nothing she said would sway Rafe?

    Talia sat back down. ¡°All right. You and your son can stay but the rest have to leave now, or you are on your own.¡±

    Signore DeLuca grunted, leaving the room with an air of importance, Gabrie right behind him. When the main door had closed behind them, Talia watched the two left behind visibly rx.

    Well, she couldn¡¯t take what he did to her personally if he was a monster to his own family.

    ¡°Signora-¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Marta.¡±

    ¡°Marta, you do know there is nothing I can do? Rafe has a mind of his own.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°I know, but we didn¡¯te here for that.¡±

    Talia exchanged a confused look with Carrie. ¡°You didn¡¯te here to plead for yourpany?¡±

    ¡°No. That man and his friend deserve everything that¡¯sing to them!¡± she spat out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Gabrie¡¯s father knew that Rafe had lost interest in his daughter so he had Rafe followed. He was the one who told my husband about you and they hatched the n to-¡± She stopped, unable to say the words that tasted like bile in Talia¡¯s own mouth. ¡°Renaldo has always wanted his father¡¯s approval, the same prideful affection he gives to Rafe.¡±

    She took her son¡¯s hand and smiled at him. ¡°Rafe was a born leader, everything came naturally to him. He surpassed every hurdle, every obstacle like they were nothing but an annoyance. He was just a teenager when he stood up to his father, demanding he let him live his life as he pleased. Not an easy task toe out of unscathed. But Renaldo has always struggled and that¡¯s why his father ignores him. He¡¯s wanted nothing but Rafael¡¯s approval that¡¯s why he does everything he is asked, but the man still ignores him.¡±

    ¡°Your husband¡¯s name is Rafael?¡± Talia already knew that but she just couldn¡¯t marry the two owners together. Someone actually called Mr. DeLuca Rafael.

    She nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the DeLuca family tradition to name the first son after his father.¡±

    Talia cleared her throat. ¡°Consider that tradition broken. Rafe didn¡¯t want either of the boys named Rafael. He even can¡¯t stand being referred to as Rafael. It¡¯s Rafe and he won¡¯t answer to anything else. I found it odd but now I understand.¡±

    Marta¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Boys? Oh they must be lovely! May I see them?¡±

    Talia wasn¡¯t sure what to say but she knew Rafe¡¯s answer instantly. He¡¯d kill her if he found out she¡¯d let his mother near his sons.

    He always referred to them as his sons when they argued over this same topic. It both endeared him to her more and annoyed her. She did all the work and heid im. Men!

    With a cating smile, she said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we finish up here first? You still haven¡¯t told me what exactly you want me to do.¡±

    Marta nodded. ¡°We¡¯d like to plead with you to ask Rafael-Rafe to give Renaldo work. I see my mistake now. By keeping Renaldo close to me I¡¯ve made him weak. But if he was to spend time with Rafe, he will be a strong man and finallye to his own, I just know it!¡±

    Talia heard the hope in her voice but she couldn¡¯t help but feel distrust. ¡°How do I know this isn¡¯t another scheme your husband concocted?¡±

    She shook her head vigorously. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know it yet but we¡¯ve left him. I had my trusted maid pack our things. They are probably just arriving outside your estate with all our belongings, which isn¡¯t much. I don¡¯t want Rafaeling after us.¡±N?velDrama.Org owns this.

    Oh boy! Rafe was going to kill her.

    ¡°Walking dead.¡± Carrie chuckled next to her.

    Talia sighed and took a deep breath. ¡°What about you, Renaldo, why should I trust you?¡±

    Renaldo paled. ¡°You don¡¯t have a reason to. I¡¯ve hated Rafe for being the man I never was instead of trying to be that man. But I need his help to do that. All I can say is that I¡¯m sorry and I¡¯ll do everything I can to earn your forgiveness.¡±

    Marta patted his hand with approval then turned to Talia. ¡°Are you going to help us?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Especially since you guys are already moving in.¡± They clearly left her with no other choice but t help.

    Marta visibly blushed. ¡°Why would you help us?¡±

    Talia smiled. ¡°Because I love him. It won¡¯t take long for him to see what he¡¯s doing is wrong but by then it would be toote for the both of you and yourpany employees. As angry as he is, I know his rage is directed towards his father and he¡¯s not thinking about the coteral damage right now. But when he finally does, the guilt will eat him alive. I just have to make him see that now.¡±

 CHAPTER 81Rafe

    Rafe walked into his home feeling very pleased with himself. His revenge was finallyplete, and soon the Rossi and DeLuca names would be nothing. They would disappear like an unfounded rumor. And then he¡¯d rebuild the DeLuca name clean of all his father¡¯s evil.

    He patted Angelo on the back. ¡°Come cugino, let¡¯s celebrate!¡±

    Angelo shook his head. ¡°Rafe, there is nothing to celebrate-¡±

    Rafe raised his hand and cut him off as he walked towards the bar sitting at the far end of the living room. ¡°Not now, Angelo. You can be my conscious tomorrow morning after I¡¯ve drunk my scotch, kissed my sons, and made passionate love to my wife.¡±

    ¡°I can see the first two happening, but I¡¯m not sure about thest.¡±

    Rafe turned to his wife¡¯s voice with a smile. She looked lovely leaning against the doorway with a radiant smile on her face. He couldn¡¯t believe the same woman had almost died two months ago.

    How am I so lucky?

    He beckoned her with two fingers and she strutted towards him. When she was a foot away, he grabbed and pulled her into his embrace where he trapped her with his arms. ¡°Why do you not think so mia moglie?¡±

    She sighed closing her eyes. ¡°I love it when you say that the way you say it.¡±

    He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers and whispered huskily, ¡°How is that, mia moglie?¡±

    She wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°Like you are about to make mad passionate love to me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then you are very right,¡± and with that, he took her lips in a fierce kiss, feeling the rest of his body awaken with desire.

    He¡¯d been forced to restrain himself for the past two weeks. He¡¯d wanted to take her countless times, surrendering to his basest desires, but he understood. The twins exhausted her the entire day and he exhausted her when he came home. Talia neverined, willing to give her time to him even though it was just to have a conversation. She was an angel.

    She pulled away with a giggle. ¡°Down boy, we have an audience.¡±

    Rafe nuzzled his face in her neck, pressing her hips into his to rub his arousal against her. ¡°The audience may leave at any time if they feel ufortable.¡±

    Talia pulled away and he whined. Sheughed. ¡°Yes, but we have something to discuss.¡± She took his hand and pulled him to the couch.

    ¡°Here we go,¡± Carrie whispered to Angelo, pulling him to sit on the couch across from them.

    Rafe looked at Carrie and Talia as they looked at each other and he had a bad feeling. ¡°What is it?¡± he demanded more forcefully than he intended.

    Talia climbed to sit on hisp. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad,¡± she started.

    Rafe groaned. ¡°I¡¯m not going to like this, am I?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°Your mother and Renaldo are in the guest house.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He tried to lift Talia off him, but she wound her arms around his neck, quickly straddled him, and wrapped her legs around his waist. ¡°Talia¡­¡±

    ¡°Before you storm the guest house in a murderous rage and kick your mother and brother to the curb hear me out.¡±

    Rafe dropped his hands to the side, refusing to touch her as she continued to speak.Property ? 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

    ¡°They told me what you are doing. Rafe, other people who aren¡¯t your father and Rossi are getting hurt. Did you think of the countless people your revenge is robbing of their livelihood?¡±

    Rafe refused to answer her. Of course he knew there were people who didn¡¯t deserve his wrath. But his rage had blinded him, refusing to listen to what Angelo, and his own conscious were telling him.

    ¡°Your mother has left your father. She brought Renaldo here so you could help him be the man you are, minus the ill temper.¡±

    Rafe snorted at her attempt at humor.

    ¡°Rafe, you need to stop what you are doing. You need to forgive before you turn into your father.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t forgive what they did. They have to pay for what they¡¯ve done to my family!¡± he snarled, punching the cushions.

    ¡°As much as you don¡¯t want to admit it, they are your family too. And if you look at it, everything that was done was done to me, my body-¡±

    ¡°My sons-¡± She cut off his protest by pressing a finger to his lips.

    ¡°My body, they just had the misfortune of being inside me at the time. I¡¯ve forgiven your brother, why can¡¯t you? He needs your help to be a better man. Think of him as your practice dummy for when the boys grow up.¡±

    Rafe begrudgingly epted that she was right but his pride wasn¡¯t going to let him admit it out loud, so he stayed silent.

    She chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. ¡°I¡¯m d you agree.¡± Then she climbed off him and strode out of the living room.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± he called out.

    ¡°To get your mother and brother.¡±

    Carrie chuckled shaking her head. ¡°Man, you are so whipped!¡±

    Rafe crossed his arms over his chest. ¡°Damn woman! Gets me to do things I don¡¯t want to!¡± he grumbled.

    ¡°So this means the revenge is over?¡± Angelo asked hopefully.

    Rafe groaned. ¡°Not yet. We¡¯ll keep at it until we can buy them both out. You¡¯ll take over Rossi and rename it DeLuca then we¡¯ll merge and give everyone affected their jobs back.¡±

    ¡°Bene! I knew you would make the right decision!¡±

    Carrie snorted augh. ¡°Did you miss thest five minutes? He didn¡¯t make any decision, Talia did. I always knew she wore the pants in this family, as much as she would like everyone to think Rafe does.¡±

    Rafe narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°At least I¡¯m not the only DeLuca controlled by a woman.¡± He looked pointedly at Angelo.

    Angelo shook his head. ¡°Non, cugino, I¡¯m the man in this rtionship.¡±

    Carrie cooed, pinching Angelo¡¯s cheek. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cute to think so?¡±

    Rafeughed outright at Angelo¡¯s confused expression. He hadn¡¯t noticed it yet but Rafe had. Why else had Angelo been living in his guestroom with Carrie since Talia had been released from hospital?

    Angelo and Carrie turned to face the approaching footsteps and Rafe knew reckoning had arrived.

    He stood up and turned to face his mother and brother. Of course Renaldo was standing behind their mother, still using her as a shield. Rafe snorted, shaking his head.

    Talia who had already moved to stand next to him, walked to the duo to pull Renaldo forward, away from their mother. Renaldo blushed for a moment before he stood up straighter, like he was in an army line awaiting inspection by his superior.

    Talia came to stand next to Rafe, wrapping her arm around his waist and whispered, ¡°Go easy on him.¡±

    ¡°Why should I give either of you a chance?¡± Rafe demanded in a harsh tone.

    Renaldo moved a step forward. ¡°I know I¡¯ve wronged both of you and I¡¯m ready to earn your forgiveness. Whatever it takes.¡±

    Rafe raise his brow at Renaldo¡¯s assertive tone. He¡¯d never heard it before. It was a wonderful surprise. Despite being a mess, he truly loved his brother and he suddenly wished he¡¯d been there for him more while they grew up. He was four years older than Renaldo, yet they were practically raised separately-Renaldo behind their mother¡¯s skirts and Rafe under their father¡¯s cold directive.

    ¡°Va bene, but I¡¯m not doing this for you. I¡¯m doing this for mia moglie.¡±

    ¡°But why?¡± His mother spoke for the first time, stepping forward to stand beside Renaldo. ¡°Earlier she wasn¡¯t sure she could convince you to even speak to us.¡±

    Why indeed?

    Rafe looked down at Talia. The love in her eyes made his heart want to explode. God he loved this woman and he would readily do as she asked! Hell, he¡¯d already sent his mother-inw an airline ticket.

    He hugged her tighter against his side. ¡°Because Talia loved me enough not to give up on us. She followed me here, interrupted my wedding, and forced me to acknowledge not only her but also our sons as vital needs in my life.¡± He caressed her cheek with the back of his free hand, catching a stray tear with his thumb. ¡°Because she¡¯s forgiven my family for the harm they have caused her, despite the terror she still faces in her nightmares. Because she¡¯s forgiven me for the harm I caused her when I was made to believe she had betrayed me, when I failed to protect her. Because she is my heart, my soul and my life.¡±

    He pulled Talia to stand in front of him and he pressed his forehead to hers as he held her tightly in his embrace. ¡°Because I love her.¡±

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