Chapter 23
Evangeline
Raphael’s expression is tight and unflinching as he sinks onto the velvet bench. I stand in front of him, arms folded across my chest. “Why did you drag me over here?” I snarl, glaring down at him.
“Eva, sit.” His voice is controlled and level, barely rising above the sound of the music. I can see that he’s trying his best to restrain the emotions rioting inside of him.
I don’t care.
Raphael Silver broke my heart. He tossed it away when he knew good and well how deeply I feel for him. So right now, I don’t care about his foul mood.
“I was actually in the middle of an enjoyable night out with my friends and you just waltzed in and interrupted –”
“Eva, sit. Please.”
“You don’t get to boss me around and tell me what to do –”
“Evangeline. Sit. Down.”
He looks at me with those stormy eyes, speaking in that tone that causes something to rumble low in my stomach. I want to defy him, just for the fuck of it, just to show him that I won’t let him walk all over me. But that tone has my body feeling very compliant.
“Well, I guess I am still your property,” I growl under my breath as I sink onto the far end of the bench.
He glances around to make sure no one heard my snarky jab. We’re the only people up here in the VIP lounge. Our conversation is safe.
When his focus returns to me, his eyes soften. “Kitten, it’s not like that and you know it.”
Why did he have to go and call me that? He’s poking at my biggest weakness, he’s taunting me with the thing I crave most – his affection, his adoration. “Get to the point,” I say, my heart aching, “my friends are waiting.”
“You shouldn’t be here. I told you to lay low until I’ve dealt with that low-life who’s threatening you.” The worry lines on his forehead come through as he speaks. Somewhere inside of me, I feel warm and fuzzy over the fact that he cares. Although he’s trying to push me away, he cares about me.
And he’s overreacting.
“I’m in Reyfield, Raphael. This is as low as a person can lay without being in the witness protection.”
“Don’t be difficult, Eva.” There’s a sternness in his voice that nearly overshadows his concern. I get such a rush when he gets all bossy and protective. A very big part of me loves it when he tries to control me. I love fighting back. And by god, I love giving in to him.
“Do you even care if something bad happens to me?” I ask testily.
His gaze darkens as he leans over the table, his eyes sharp and focused directly on mine. “I would fucking lose my mind if anything happened to you, girl. Don’t you ever doubt that.”
The way he says it – the fire in his eyes, the gravel in his voice – I know he’s telling the truth…and it breaks my heart even further.
I slump back in my seat. “So, why can’t we just be together?”
I know he thinks that I’m oversimplifying things when I make it sound so easy but it is. We’re adults. We care about each other. Nothing else should stand in our way.
He leans back too and snatches his drink off of the table. “You know why.”
“But I want you…” I know I sound like a child but I can’t help it. My heart is breaking. I wish we were still on that tropical island where nobody knows him, nobody knows me. Where we could just be ‘us’.
“It doesn’t matter what you want. It doesn’t matter what I want. It’s about right and wrong. And you and me are ‘wrong’.” I hear the bitter edge in his voice. He resents this situation. He resents the fact that we’re not together as much as I do. The only difference is I’m willing to say ‘fuck it!’ to all of those reasons and he isn’t.
My frustration reaches a boiling point. “Why? What makes us so wrong, Raphael?” I explode. “I see the way you look at me. You care about me. As more than your best friend’s daughter. You want me, as a woman, your woman. And you would give that up all in the name of upholding some ludicrous ‘guy code’, some misplaced loyalty? Are you kidding me right now? You care that much about what my father thinks?” Angry tears blur my vision. “Every single night my father goes to sleep with the love of his life right beside him. And you? You go to sleep alone!”
He recoils visibly and pain mars his sculpted features as if I just slapped him across the face. I hate hurting him but I’m only speaking the truth.
My voice softens. “Raphael, your happiness matters. What you want, what I want is the only thing that matters.”
He growls roughly and the thread of self-control that was holding his emotions in check snaps. “Come here, you stubborn little brat!”
His arm snakes around my waist and he drags me across the bench, pressing me up against him. I gasp in shock as his hand clasps roughly around my jaw and his warm lips engulf mine in a brutal kiss.
All thought empties out of my mind and all I can focus on is devouring every inch of him, touching every inch of him, stealing as much of him as I can. Because yes, his lips are on me now but his track record shows that he could do a complete 180 in sixty seconds flat.
My hand circles the back of his head and my fingers knot in his hair. He pulls me even tighter to him and I can hardly breathe.
But breathing is irrelevant when he’s kissing me.
His fingers trail across my waist and down my thigh until they find the hem of my short dress. I groan into his mouth as he parts my legs, coaxing me to spread wide open for him.
He pulls back for air. Examining my face with lust and wonder, his voice rumbles in his throat. “What does it do to you? Knowing how much I want you, even though I shouldn’t?”
Panting softly, I hold his gaze and whisper, “It makes me wet…”
He groans roughly and then his mouth is on mine again. His fingers skim the oversensitive flesh of my thighs before traveling down my mound and when his touch hits my clit, I can’t tamp down the moan that comes out of my mouth.
Raphael pulls back to watch me, the club’s purple strobe lights illuminating the lust on his face. “Kitten, where are your panties?” he rasps.
I’m surprised that I can even form a response in my state of hyperarousal. “Didn’t wear any,” I choke out.
He hisses as he shoves inside of me and his fingers drown in my wetness. “You’re going to kill me, Eva. I won’t survive you.”
His thumb presses on my clit as two fingers piston into me, stirring me to life from the inside out. I bite down on his bottom lip, working my hips against his hand. Our tongues tangle with each other, deepening our connection. I've never wanted to be this close to another person. I've never craved the possibility to get lost inside someone else. But this passion between us is so big, so strong I just want it to swallow me up.
"I want to eat your pussy so bad," he grits out between his teeth. "I want to fuck you so bad."
"I want that," I breathe out, my head feeling light, my body growing taut.
The sharpest pleasure twists inside of me, threatening to tear me apart. He makes a noise deep in his throat. "But first, I want to make you come."
His fingers curve deep inside of me, stroking a sensitive spot far within. I pull him close, pressing my lips to his to suppress my scream. My pussy clenches and releases in rapid succession as pleasure fires wildly through my blood.
Wordless, boneless, I collapse against Raphael's chest, abandoning my body and what's left of my heart to him.