chapter seven
Rafe wasn’t sure how to dispel the awkwardness that lay between them now, so he went with the old standby. Ignore it.
“I’m just going to make that call and take a shower. You can order some food. If you want, I mean. You’ll find a bunch of takeout menus by the phone.”
Diana didn’t seem any more eager to look him in the eye. “Right. I’ll figure it out.”
She spun on her heel and went into the kitchen while Rafe continued down the hall to his room. What the hell was wrong with him? You’d think he’d never kissed a woman before. Memories of her lips, warm and firm against his, sent another shot of adrenaline through his veins. He’d never had a woman respond to him the way Diana did. So open and completely uninhibited. His response had been just as incendiary.
After a quick status update with Oskar, Rafe hurried through a shower, inspecting his skin while the water pounded on his back. There was a shallow cut on his inner arm. He hadn’t escaped the knife completely it seemed. Considering how shocked he’d been to see Diana standing in that alley, he was lucky he hadn’t taken a knife to the heart.
There was something about the woman that got under his skin. An image of her, soft and needy after the kiss, grabbed him by the dick. Jesus. He was harder at just the thought of her than he’d been for any woman he’d had under him. She distracted him. That made him sloppy.
A dangerous thing.
Not to mention the fact that her story about seeing him while out shopping didn’t quite add up.
Scowling, he cranked the water all the way to cold. The shock to his system wasn’t nearly enough to eradicate all thoughts of her, but it made his erection go down. Slightly.
He toweled off and then walked into his room to find clothes. While he stood in the doorway to the closet, his mind went over the events of the afternoon again and again. She’d shown up in the alley at the worst possible moment, a point in her favor to telling the truth. If she’d been following him all along, he would have noticed. Not to mention she would have had time to find a good hiding place. Add to that the shock on her face at watching him fight. No one could fake that expression. Diana had been terrified.
But despite things having a rational explanation, something about the situation still didn’t sit right with him. With a growl of frustration, he yanked on sweatpants and a T-shirt before leaving his room.
The only way he’d get any real answers was to talk to Diana. Carefully.
Diana stood with her back to him in the kitchen, taking something out of the oven.
“You cooked for me?”
“I can’t take credit for it. I found the lasagna in the freezer. But I figured this would be faster than ordering out.” Diana rocked on her heels as she spoke.
For the first time in a good long while, Rafe had no idea what to do or say. And for someone who was so used to having all the answers, it was unnerving as hell. Diana had cooked for him. How could something so simple twist him up? Because you like it. He shoved the thought aside and glanced up at her. She gave him a sheepish smile.
Rafe’s gaze drifted back to the lasagna in front of him. His stomach grumbled and his mouth watered. It smelled fucking incredible. She’d made a large salad to go with it and laid out place settings at his small dinette table with napkins neatly folded under the silverware. A small candle burned in the center of the table.
He hadn’t even realized he owned a candle.
Rafe approached the table cautiously, the way you might approach a bomb. “You didn’t have to go to all this trouble.”
She shrugged and gave him another one of her timid smiles. “It’s no trouble. Go, sit down. I’ll pour you a glass of wine.”
Again, Rafe shifted on his feet, unsure of what to do. Other than Nonna, and occasionally his sister, no one had ever taken care of him like this. He had no idea what to do with the kind gesture, and a simple thank-you somehow didn’t seem like enough.
As he looked around the room, it hit him that this was the closest he’d been to living with someone in years. Her shoes were next to his, lined up by the front door. The lap blanket she’d used earlier while watching television was thrown haphazardly over the end of the couch in the living room.
The fruit his housekeeper had purchased was now arranged in a clear glass bowl on the center of the kitchen island. When was the last time he’d had fruit on display? Uh, try never. The thought made him smile.
Slowly, she was doing things to make his apartment seem like home. More than he’d ever done. Hell, he’d never even had anyone over. And he’d been here for a year. How fucked up was that?
“Seriously, Diana, this is great. But you didn’t have to do this.”
She brought over a plate with salad already served out. “I figure you can serve the lasagna yourself. I can never plate it well.”
He laughed. “I got it. You go ahead and pour the wine.”
Her smile slid a little when their fingertips grazed. He saw a flash of heat. Or was that panic? He was unsure. Either way, he served them both. She brought over the wine, putting the larger glass in front of him.
When she sat, her smile was tighter, but she said, “Go on, eat.” She started in on her salad with gusto, and he followed suit. When she took a large gulp of wine, he watched the way her tongue peeked out to lick her bottom lip before sipping, and he had to bite back a curse.
What are you doing here? He wasn’t used to feeling unsure.
The whole thing was just a mess. He’d never had problems with women. Probably because those encounters were just sex. But he liked Diana. He sort of felt responsible for her, though he had no right to those feelings. She wasn’t his.
He’d found her last Friday night. And she didn’t seem any closer to getting her affairs in order. He knew she’d called for her cards, but that always took a while. So for the time being, he was responsible for her, and he didn’t want to take advantage of that.
Those truths still didn’t stop him from wanting to taste her lips again. He wanted to know if he had imagined that flash of heat, the connection. And of course, his dick, persistent as it was, wanted to know if the promise of heat could deliver.
He took a bite of his lasagna, the garlic and tomato hitting his tongue with the perfect blend. He moaned. “I forgot how good Anna’s lasagna is. Do not tell Nonna, but I think this is almost as good as hers.”
She took another large gulp of wine even as she laughed. “I won’t tell. I still owe you one for the whole saving-my-life deal. Thank you for that, by the way. I’m not sure if that point made it across since I was too busy being a brat that day. Although I suppose we’re even now after I took out that guy in the alley for you.”
He shook his head. “We’re not even because I’m not keeping score. And you don’t have to say thank you. It’s no big deal.”
She gave him a pointed look. “You mean you rappel down the side of a cliff to rescue damsels in distress every day? And here I thought I was special.”
He laughed. “Yes, that’s in my superhero description. You were the third one that week. Granted, you were also probably the mouthiest.”
She laughed. “I am not mouthy. How was I supposed to know you do things like that all the time? I mean, what is rappelling anyway?”
His lips twitched. “It’s a legitimate sport.” Better she think he was some crazy adrenaline junkie than guess the truth.
She lifted her glass of wine and he followed suit, but once again he got distracted watching her mouth. Fuck, if he didn’t address that kiss, he was going to drive himself insane. He put his glass back down and watched her for a moment.
They ate in companionable silence for a while, and finally he figured the hell with it. “So, can we talk about that kiss?”
A deep pink flush tinted her cheeks, and he had to resist the urge to reach over and caress a thumb over what looked like the softest skin he’d ever seen.
She lifted her lashes and met his gaze. “You mean when you kissed me?”
Rafe almost choked on his salad. “I kissed you? I seem to recall you standing on your tiptoes and leaning into me.”
She laughed. “So you’re suggesting that I totally made the first move?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “Clearly you did. It’s okay. I know I’m irresistible.”
She laughed so hard she snorted a little. Holy hell, why was that sexy? It’s sexy because you’re horny. That was it. Nothing more. At least he knew he wasn’t the only one affected. Diana was downing her wine fairly quickly. Was she nervous?
“You really are full of yourself, aren’t you?” She stood and went to the counter, then brought back the bottle of wine she’d already opened to let breathe. She poured them both a glass before taking her seat again.
Rafe frowned. “So you don’t think I’m sexy?” She coughed as her face flamed again, and he grinned. “I’ll save you from answering that. Of course I am. How can I not be?”
“And so modest too.”
He shrugged. “We all know our strengths. But seriously—” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean to take advantage of the situation. You know you’re safe here. I would never—”
Her eyes went wide and she immediately shook her head. “No. I didn’t think— That wasn’t what I thought at all. It just”—she licked her lips again, and Rafe had to bite his to keep from groaning—“happened.”
He nodded, just on the verge of telling her that if she kept doing that lip thing, it was going to happen again. But they had other things to discuss. He needed to know more about her. Anything. So far all he knew was the surface stuff, and he wanted to go deeper. But given what she’d already been through, he wanted her to give him that information willingly. He didn’t want to have to go digging for it.
“So I know you said you didn’t want to call anyone before, but you must have friends or family who are worried about you.”
Diana finished her last sip of wine and immediately poured another glass.
She shook her head. “I do have one friend, but she has a family. Little ones. I’d have to explain my bruises and my situation. So it’s basically like I have no one.”
He nodded. “You know, I find that even when people think they have no one, there’s at least one person they can call. I don’t like the idea of you being all alone. Not with that asshole still out there.”
She swallowed hard. Her gaze shifting to her plate, she picked at the rest of her salad. “I’m fine. I left. Right now he doesn’t know where I am. So maybe that’s for the best. If he tries to check my phone or something, it’s down at the bottom of the ravine. There’s no way he can find me.”
Rafe watched her closely. His questioning was making her edgy.
“Diana, you can trust me. I can help you. Tell me his name. I have friends in law enforcement. They could pay him a visit. I’ll attest to the bruising that I saw on your body. Guys like that shouldn’t be allowed to walk the earth. No one should ever put their hands on you.” He scowled. “He should pay for that.”
The ferocity of his anger surprised even him. And her gaze fluttered up to meet his.
She parted her lips as if to say something, and then she shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about him. I just want to relax. Drink some wine.”
Rafe glanced at his glass, the maroon liquid still untouched. He paused and then looked closer. There was a bit of residue on the rim. Was that… no. His heart protested even as his mind and more importantly his training blared a warning.
“You know, I never did ask what you got while you were shopping.”
Diana paused with her glass halfway to her mouth. Rafe caught a glimpse of something—maybe panic—in her eyes. Then she shook her head.
“Shoes. Remember, I told you when we got back. I got some sandals so I’d have something nicer to wear in case we went to see your friends again. I felt out of place so dressed down last time.” But her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “They’re in the living room. Want to see?”
He shook his head. “After dinner.”
Diana fidgeted with her napkin, smoothing it out and then replacing it under her silverware. He noticed that her eyes kept going back to his glass.
What was she waiting for, exactly? Rafe was pretty damn sure he knew. Although he couldn’t think of a single reason Diana might want to hurt him.
Let’s just make this easier on everyone, he thought.
He took the smallest bite of salad and then reached for the wineglass, knocking his fingers against the stem roughly.
“Oh no!” Diana jumped up as the red liquid spread across the surface of the glass table.
She should have been upset that her plan had just been ruined, but truthfully all she felt was… relief.
“It’s okay. I’ll get a towel.” She could feel Rafe’s eyes on her as she rushed into the kitchen.
The dish towels were in a drawer on the island, and as she grabbed one, Diana took the time to calm herself. Yes, her plan to get him talking had just been ruined, but that didn’t explain why she felt so relieved. Was she getting attached to him? And why was she feeling guilty? The man was a killer, and she had only planned to ask him questions…well to tie him up, ask him questions and search his place . She wouldn’t have hurt him. She wasn’t like him; she didn’t harm people even when they deserved it.
“Are you okay?” Rafe’s voice over her shoulder startled her slightly. “I should have asked that earlier. That was intense, and you have every right to be upset right now.”
Diana turned so that he wasn’t at her back anymore. Having him so close was unnerving. “I am. A little. But I just did what I had to do. I’m trying to remember that. Besides, he would have killed me if he’d had the chance.”
She walked back to the table, aware of Rafe following her. He took his seat and just watched her with those eyes that seemed to see everything.
“You’re right, he would have killed you. Then it would have been even worse for him. Because if he’d touched even one hair on your head, I would have killed him. Oskar checked on him after I called the incident in. He’s fine. He’s in the hospital. A tourist saw him knocked out and called for an ambulance after we left.”
Warmth burst through Diana’s chest at his rough declaration. Their eyes met and held. In that moment, she had no doubt he meant what he said. And she had a feeling if he ever got his hands on her imaginary ex, there might be some blood spilled.
No one had ever stood up for her before. Sure, growing up her father had been indulgent, but he’d always been too busy for her. And her memories of her mother were hazy. She just remembered her mother as smiling and loving. And certainly her brothers had never been protective. For the most part, they’d been either disdainful or just ignored her.
But somehow a perfect stranger had made her feel like she would never be alone again if she didn’t choose to be. She needed to get her mind around that.
More like get your mind around the fact that you have Stockholm Syndrome! You shouldn’t feel this way for a man you know is a killer!
Diana ignored the screaming sound of her common sense trying to catch her attention. Every time Rafe had raised his glass, she’d held her breath, torn between anticipation and guilt. She hadn’t been sure whether she wanted him to drink the drugged wine or not. Maybe it was the sincerity in his eyes, the way he looked at her when he told her she could trust him. But she wanted to trust him. Wanted to believe that the connection she felt was real.
You are a traitor.
There was an internal war waging in her brain. There was the part of her that needed to know the truth. But was this the way to get it?
And then there was that part of her that was a woman. The part of her that wanted to believe the sincerity she saw in his gaze. The part that melted at how protective he was of her. The man had leaped into a ravine to save her. He’d invited her into his home because she had nowhere else to go. And she knew that if anyone ever tried to hurt her, Rafe would stop them.
“I wouldn’t want you to do that,” she finally whispered.
He leaned forward so she couldn’t avoid his eyes. “You may not want it, but I wouldn’t be able to stop it. You do something to me, Diana, trigger something in me that I can’t control. Any man who hurts you might as well have a signed death warrant on file because he doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air you do. I wish you would tell me the name of the man who did that to you.” He inclined his chin toward her ribs.
Despite how violent his words were, something inside her responded like he’d just offered her flowers and chocolate instead of her imaginary ex’s head on a platter. Why was his insistence on protecting her so insanely sexy? There was something she found in his eyes, a mixture of longing and need and concern. He wasn’t like any man she’d ever known.
“You don’t have to protect me. I haven’t met many guys who want to do that,” she finally said, and she was no longer playing a role. Truthfully, she hadn’t come across any men who wanted to treat their girlfriends the way Rafe described. Unless you counted the heroes in the romance novels she devoured.
“You hadn’t met me yet,” he growled. “You deserve everything, Diana. To be protected and cherished every single day.” His voice lowered. “Then debauched thoroughly every night.”
And ladies and gentleman, just like that her panties were toast, incinerated by the blazing heat generated between them.
“Oh my God,” she stammered, completely taken off guard by his raw, blatantly unapologetic statement.
Why did it have to be this guy to awake the sleeping libido monster inside her? Why did she feel this way with him? Why not any other guy?
None of that mattered to her in this moment. Because every instinct in her body told her that she could trust this man. Every instinct told her that this was what she needed to do. That she had to touch him.
So for once in her life, she didn’t overanalyze or plan out a detailed scheme to accomplish her goal. She followed her instinct.
His eyes registered only the briefest surprise as she sat in his lap and curled her hand around his neck.
Holy hell, could the man kiss. The first brush of his lips was gentle, just a whisper of movement. He pulled back briefly, his eyes fluttering open so he could assess her.
She held her breath and prayed for more. When his lips returned to hers, she could barely hide her moan of relief.
The next kiss had more weight, his lips sliding over hers, warming her entire body with just that easy contact. And then his tongue peeked out and moved against her lips, and she gasped.
Rafe took full advantage of that small sound from her open mouth and slid his tongue inside to explore.
Diana melted into the kiss, meeting each thrust of his tongue with hers, relishing the way he dug his hands into her hair at the nape of her neck, gently tugging, angling her so he could kiss her deeper.
Her skin felt too tight, her breath too shallow, and something low in her core pulled tight. With every lick of Rafe’s tongue and every tug of his hand, she molded herself against him, pressing her breasts into his side.
Rafe growled low and shifted her on his lap so she straddled him. Oh. My. God. That felt so damn good, the pulsing length of him directly where she needed it so badly. Where she longed to have him.
He tore his lips from hers and muttered a low, unintelligible curse before dragging his lips back to hers and kissing her again. Diana wanted more. So much more.
And she knew Rafe could give it to her.