Chapter 43
Evangeline
I'm curled up on the little upholstered couch in Raphael's hotel room. My heart is trying to break free of the restraint of my ribcage. I wait with tense anticipation for his words, still shaking ever-so-slightly from the shock of it all. I can't believe that Simon was at my shop tonight. He was there to hurt me. Then Raph swooped in out of nowhere, like my white knight, my hero, my prince charming.
Again.
He saved me again.
"Are you okay?" he asks as he sits right next to me on the couch, near enough that our legs are touching.
I nod and he takes my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. "You got there right in time," I whisper hoarsely.
"None of that should have happened. I should have stopped him sooner. I don't know what I would have done if he had hurt you."
Raphael leans closer, his soft, full lips coming in search of mine. My mouth tingles at the warmth of his breath skirting over my skin. I ache to taste him. It's been so long.
But I pull away. As painful as it is.
I need answers. My heart is still mangled and patched together with bandages. It won't survive another blow so before I let this man – who I'm so in love with – kiss me again, I need answers.
"Raph – what happened that day when I went out to get the first aid kit? Why did you just leave? Why didn't you wait for me?"
His eyes go dark and I can see the pain in his expression. "I didn't have a choice, Eva. I had to leave."
"With those businessmen? A business deal was so important that you couldn't even say goodbye?" My tone is bitter. I'm bitter. I think I have every right to be.
Raph shakes his head vigorously. "Those weren't businessmen, Eva. They were federal agents. With the FBI."
"The FBI?" None of that makes any sense to me.
Raphael begins to explain that the agents tracked his auction payment to Madame Gwendolyn and traced him all the way to Reyfield. Then they showed up at his hotel room. All these weeks I thought he'd walked away from me in the name of another business deal, but in reality, he was actually cooperating in a criminal investigation. Raph describes it all to me in detail.
He looks at me with solemn eyes. "I'm sorry, Eva...I should have found a way to get in touch with you but I didn't want you getting in the cross-hairs. Something like this would ruin your reputation."
Now I'm pissed at myself for all the conclusions that I drew. I thought the he didn't care about me, when in fact, he was staying away to protect me.
I pull a deep breath into my lungs. My head feels light. "I thought you forgot about me."
"Never! No way! You're everything to me, Eva. I could never forget about you..."
"You shut me out," I say accusingly and my eyes tear up. "I was going crazy not knowing what happened." I hit his chest softly.
"I was just trying to protect you," he offers weakly.
I shake my head. "Don't do that again. If we're partners, we make decisions together."
"Eva..."
"No, Raph. I'm serious. I'm tired of you coddling me. If we're together, we're partners, equals."
He grunts with resignation. "Okay, Kitten. We're equals. Wouldn't want to act like your dad, now would I?"
I roll my eyes. "Very funny."
Grinning, he brushes a lock of hair from my face. "So now can I kiss you?"
I laugh and run my fingers down his cheek. "You'd better do a whole lot more than kissing." He snickers too, rubbing the tip of his noses against mine.
He kisses me in a soft, languid, honest way, holding my cheeks and taking his time, making promises with his lips.
He undresses me slowly and I undress him. We explore each other like it's the first time all over again. He carries me to the bed and lays me down with tender affection. And when he parts my legs and sinks deep inside, neither of us fret about condoms or consequences because whatever happens next, we'll face it together.