by Melody Anne
“You’re not the monster I thought you were, Rafe. I can see the amazing man beneath your tough shell — but I also know our time will come to an end. I just hope we both walk away feeling as if we’ve gained something — as if our time spent together wasn’t a waste.”
The tightening in Rafe’s chest became almost unbearable as he watched a bit of the light wane in her expressive eyes. Could he ever forgive himself if he permanently snuffed out her inner light of joy?
Rafe shook off the unwelcome thought. He’d promised himself he would let it all go for one night.
“Tell me about your home,” Ari asked, as Rafe took her hand and led her back to the table, where dishes Rafe had ordered earlier were laid out for them. While she waited for his reply, she bit into a piece of roast duck, closing her eyes for a moment to savor the myriad flavors. “This sauce is amazing.”
Rafe was silent as he enjoyed Ari’s pleasure — her eloquent face fascinating to watch. When she looked up with raised brows, he smiled before he began to speak.
“We all led such a double life — no, not in that sense. We had two homes, two countries, and it’s reflected in a split in each of our personalities, I think. Life was different in Italy. In my younger years I didn’t like the time spent in the States — it seemed too driven, too focused, too…lonely, perhaps. When we were back in Italy, my father was home more, would take time to go on hikes with us, and take us on boat rides. When here, he worked long hours and we didn’t see him as much. As I got older I realized he was only trying to make a comfortable life for his family, but I felt a lot of resentment during my teenage years.”
“When did you meet Shane?”
“Here, in then States. He was unlike anyone I’d met before. My truest friend has a natural ability to draw others to him. I learned early on that most people wanted something out of me, whether it was my money, connections or the status of being friends with such a wealthy kid. I started to become bitter, I think — it goes with the territory. None of those things mattered to Shane. Even though he doesn’t act like someone with an impressive balance sheet, the man is probably wealthier than I am. We got on immediately, and I know he needed someone. He hated his family with a passion — they were enemies, not allies, infected with intense hostility — and he refused to follow in his father’s footsteps.”
“What happened to make him hate his dad?”
“That’s a story for Shane to tell. Let’s just say that if I had been in his shoes, I’d most likely have ended up in prison for murder.” As Ari cringed, Rafe shuttered his emotions. This was no time to display rage.
“He seems like such a carefree guy,” Ari said, furrowing her forehead.
“Shane learned early in life how to mask what he was feeling. He had to in order to survive. His father was the true definition of a monster.”
“Is he still alive?”
“We need to change the subject. This night is about relaxation and romance.
“Romance?” Ari asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Yes, romance. We’d better get on with our evening,” Rafe said as he stood and held out his hand.
Soft music was filtering out to them, and Rafe pulled Ari into his arms, inhaling her unique scent as she leaned her head against his chest and the two began a slow, reverent dance.
“I could do this all night,” she whispered.
“Then we won’t leave.” He found himself not wanting to deny her anything.
The waiter brought out their next course, and Rafe reluctantly released Ari so she could eat. Though the dishes were prepared to perfection, Rafe had no desire to sit across from Ari at a table. Too much distance. He wanted to hold her, feel her body pressed against his. And for the first time he could remember, that was good enough. Tonight, he wanted nothing more than to caress her smooth skin, run his fingers through her hair and whisper his dreams in her ear.
So dangerous. But one night of letting go wouldn’t harm him. One night to feel more than lust wouldn’t break him.
When their meal was finally finished and forgotten, Rafe took Ari to a smoky jazz club, where he held her in his arms as the sweet sounds of music drifted through the room. Cradling Ari’s delicate hand in his, he gloried also in the warmth of her cheek as she rested her head on his chest. It was so easy to lose himself in the moment. He was in deeper than he’d ever planned — but he couldn’t make himself feel regret.
By the time they arrived back at their room, Rafe knew he should leave her at their bedroom door and take a walk, but instead, he gently pulled her into his arms and slowly removed her dress in the dim light seeping through the curtains of the living room.
“Do you have any clue how ravishing you are, Ari? I’m a jealous man and I see the way you attract the attention of every male in a room. I also see that you don’t even notice. I could spend all night and day doing nothing but worshipping your body.”
He bent down and ran his lips along the delicate skin of her neck, delighted when a shiver ran through her.
“I can’t think straight when you speak to me like that, Rafe,” she whispered as her head fell backward.
“Then don’t think. Just let go.” Rafe lifted her into his arms and carried her to their room where he made slow, sweet love to her until the early hours of morning. When pure exhaustion took over, he fell asleep with her body atop him.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Lia woke up in Shane’s arms and couldn’t keep the smile from her face. They’d finally made love. The night out had done the trick, and she felt pretty proud of herself at seducing the incredibly suave Shane Grayson, even if it had taken help from her little sister and a very sexy burlesque show.
“What are you smiling about?”
Lia jumped as she tore her gaze from Shane’s magnificent chest and met his stunning dark chocolate eyes. She loved the gleam in them, the way they mesmerized her — turned her to liquid heat.
“I seduced the lady-killer Shane Grayson, my body is exquisitely sore from a few rounds of earth-shattering sex, and I plan on repeating the night all day long,” she answered with a satisfied grin.
The first sign of trouble came when the window shades came over his eyes. No. No. No. She absolutely wouldn’t allow him to retreat. The sex had been better than she’d imagined it possibly could be, and he wasn’t going to make up some lame excuse about her being Rafe’s little sister and about how wrong it was for them to have slept together. She would have to kill him.
Lia glowered at him, letting him know she could read his thoughts, and that he’d better think twice if he were contemplating trying to sneak away from her. Never before had she been this bold with a man.
Yes, Lia was self-confident. She took care of her body, working out five days a week, eating healthfully, and going to the spas. She bought nice clothes and took time with her hair and makeup. She wasn’t vain, but she knew she wasn’t the worst catch in the world. Yet when it came to Shane, her confidence sank to an all-time low.
Her long-time unrequited love would be a blow to anybody’s ego. Growing up in a wealthy, loving family didn’t spare her from heartache.
If Shane walked out on her, she’d never forgive him — not after the night they’d spent.
“Lia…”
“I swear, if you spout off again about this being wrong —”
“Give me a minute here,” he insisted.
She didn’t relax her glare, but waited in silence for him to continue. When he raised an eyebrow as if asking whether it was OK to continue speaking, she nodded her head the barest inch.
“I’m not running. I just have to speak to Rafe about this. He’s my best friend, and I won’t sneak behind his back and sleep with his little sister.”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no? You can’t just tell me no,” Shane said with an outraged scowl.
“I don’t want him to know. It’s none of his business. Plus, I like the thought of a secret affair — at least for a little while. We can sn
eak off to one of the spare rooms at my parents’ house during a family dinner, make love in the back of the car on the way to your office, meet for lunch and have only dessert,” Lia whispered as she bent down and began kissing his chest.
Her hand reached down and she felt his obvious pleasure at her words. He was thick and hard and she couldn’t resist slipping the covers down and climbing on top of him.
“We need to talk,” he gasped as she positioned herself over him and slowly sunk down on his staff. The groan at the end of his words effectively shut him up.
“You fill me so full, Shane. I could ride you like this all day long,” she moaned as she lifted herself nearly free of him before pushing down against his hips, enjoying the sound of their bodies connecting.
Shane gripped her hips and started thrusting up inside her, taking over their movements as pressure began building. One hand moved forward and he began rubbing her in just the right spot with the flat of his thumb, speeding up her heart, and bringing her to the brink of orgasm.
Lia reached up and gripped her breasts, squeezing her nipples in her hands as he plunged quickly inside her while still rubbing her swollen pink pearl.
It didn’t take long before she shattered around him, and only a few more thrusts and he joined her, draining them both. When she could breathe easily again, she lifted her head to look into his eyes, but refused to budge from lying on top of him.
“See how good this can be? It’s just our secret,” she said, loving that she’d won in their little disagreement.
“You can easily distract me, Lia, but eventually we’ll have to drag ourselves out of this bed, and the first chance I get, I’m talking to Rafe.”
It took a moment for Shane’s words to get past her euphoria to the rational part of her brain, but when they penetrated, her temper rose to the surface. She climbed off him and grabbed the sheet.
What should she say next? He wasn’t listening to her. If Rafe got involved, it would make their relationship complicated, and she didn’t want that. She just wanted easy.
“This discussion was held and now it’s over. What man doesn’t want no-strings, no-holds-barred, repeatedly orgasmic sex?” she asked in disgust.
“Lia, I plan on taking you over and over again. I plan on doing all sorts of very wonderful things to your body that I won’t tell Rafe about. But I won’t keep our relationship secret from my best friend.”
Shane sat up next to her, pulling the blanket up over his lap, thereby shielding her favorite part of him from view.
“What is wrong with having a secret affair? No one has to know and no one has to get hurt.”
“That may be OK with strangers. It’s not OK to carry on an affair like that with a woman I've known for over ten years.”
“You’re an idiot, Shane. Fine! I don’t want to do this.”
Before she could get up, he had her flat on her back as he looked deep into her eyes and his hand slid down her body. Her traitorous nipples instantly responded to his touch, contradicting what she’d just said.
“You do want to do this — and we will. You chased me — now you’re stuck. We’ll continue this argument after I’ve spoken to Rafe,” he promised as his head descended and he latched onto a peaked nipple.
Lia groaned as he ignited her once again. But before she could get lost in desire, she pushed him away and jumped from the bed, taking the sheet with her.
“If you decide to pull your head out and keep this between the two of us, you can join me in the shower,” she offered before dropping the sheet and turning around. She put a little extra wiggle into her hips as an added incentive.
When Shane didn’t join her after a few minutes, she glared at the door before angrily scrubbing her skin until it was red.
“Stupid men and their ethics,” she grumbled before trying to thrust any and all thoughts of Shane from her head. She had more important things to do.
She decided she’d gotten what she wanted out of Shane, and she was done with him anyway. If only her aching body hadn’t disagreed…
*****
Shane paced the hallway, taking deep breaths as he passed Rafe’s door for the tenth time. What was wrong with him? He didn’t run from a fight — he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind, and he certainly wasn’t afraid to tell his best friend anything.
He and Rafe had been through hell and back together. Rafe was the one who’d put him back together when the pieces of his life had completely fallen apart. It would all be fine, and later the two of them would have a good laugh over an exceptional bottle of single-malt scotch.
Drawing in a deep breath, Shane stopped on his next pass and knocked on Rafe’s door. Standing there felt like an eternity as he waited for his friend to answer.
“Shane, I thought we were meeting downstairs. I’m not ready,” Rafe said as he opened the door wider for Shane to walk through.
“I need to talk to you privately.”
“Are the girls all right?”
Rafe’s immediate concern reminded Shane why he had so much respect for him. Under his hardened exterior, Rafe was truly one of the good guys.
“Yes, everything is fine. I just need to let you know what’s going on with Lia and me.”
As Rafe’s eyes narrowed, Shane knew he’d been too optimistic. This wasn’t going to be a pleasant conversation. He thought back to the limo ride and the way Rafe flipped out over Rachel’s teasing comments.
“I thought nothing was going on between the two of you,” Rafe said as he made his way to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a shot. Shane noted that his friend wasn’t offering him anything, so he walked over and helped himself. He needed a bracer to get through this conversation.
“Nothing was going on then, but…” Shane didn’t know how to finish that sentence. He certainly didn’t want to tell Rafe about last night.
“I have the feeling I’m going to have to kick your ass.”
At Rafe’s words, Shane’s shoulders stiffened and he looked his friend boldly in the eye. Lia wasn’t a child anymore. She had a right to date whomever she wanted, and Shane had no reason to be feeling guilty.
“I like your sister a lot, Rafe. We’ve decided to give a relationship a try.”
Rafe returned the stare. Refusing to back down even an inch, Shane held his gaze, and silently let his friend know he wasn’t going anywhere.
“We both know you’re a screw-’em-and-leave-’em type, and one-night stands are your well-known M.O. Hell, Shane, a week with a woman is a major accomplishment for you. So if you don’t stay away from Lia, our friendship ends right now.”
Fire shot through Shane’s blood at the assumption that he’d just back down. He loved Rafe, would take a bullet for the man, but right now he was fighting the urge to plant a solid right to his cheekbone.
“It’s not that way with Lia,” he said, his voice dangerously low.
“Bull! Like you can be any other way,” Rafe thundered.
“Look who’s talking, Rafe. Where in the hell do you get off telling me I mistreat women? Do you even know how to respect one? You are so good to your family and friends, the few of them you allow in your life, but when it comes to women, it’s as if they’re no better than wild animals to you — you tame them for your sport, and move on. I’ve never belittled even one of the ladies I’ve been with, or treated them with indifference or contempt the way you do — and I never would.”
“I give the utmost respect to my mistresses. They are very comfortably taken care of and walk away with far more than they brought in to our relationship. I haven’t had any complaints.”
“You don’t give them the option to complain, because you make damn sure that you own them from the second they enter a relationship with you. I don’t even know why I’m calling it a relationship; it’s a business agreement, damn it. Lia cares about me, and I care about her. I didn’t come here to ask for your permission. I’m here because you’re my best friend and I won’t go sneaking behind your back. I have nothing to
be ashamed of, and I won’t hide in the dark when it comes to Lia. I said care about her, and I meant it!”
Shane turned to leave, fed up with talking. He’d known how it was going to go. When it came to his family, Rafe was completely unreasonable, but maybe, in time, he’d come to understand. Then again, Shane didn’t know how long this…thing with Lia would last — it wouldn’t be forever. So maybe he was making a mistake.
“Wait!”
Shane stood at the door with his hand on the knob. He knew he should go, but if there was a chance they could come to an understanding, maybe he wouldn’t lose his best friend. Slowly, he turned around, his protective shield firmly in place.
“I’ll listen, Shane, but I’m telling you, I don’t like this at all.”
“I know that anything beyond your control is hard for you to handle. I can accept that, Rafe. I don’t want to give up what we’ve cultivated for the past fifteen years.”
“How did this happen?”
“Hell, Rafe, you know Lia’s been pursuing me since the first time I stepped through your door.”
“She was a kid,” Rafe accused.
“Like I was even looking twice at her back then!” Shane thundered. It pissed him off that he had to say that.
“Sorry. I know.”
Shane accepted Rafe’s apology, then walked to the cabinet and poured himself another shot. They could turn this around.
“You know about the time last year when Lia and I ended up at the hotel together. But I swear nothing happened then. Ever since, however, I’ve seen her in a new light. I’ve fought it like mad, but your sister doesn’t give up. This trip, I just stopped fighting it.”
Rafe let out a laugh, which astonished Shane enough to stop him mid-drink. Had his best friend finally gone off the deep end?
“Yes, I know how persistent my sister can be. Hell, I’m impressed it took her this long to get what she wanted.”
Just like that, the tension evaporated and the two men sat down and discussed Lia for a few more minutes, then dropped the subject in favor of the upcoming UFC fight.
