Seduced - Book Three - Surrender Series

by Anne, Melody

  Ari turned back to her desk and sat down, her knees shaky. Her hope was that Rafe would rush from the room with the rest of the students, but Ari wasn’t a fool. Rafe was there for a purpose and that she’d ignored him didn’t mean he’d simply turn and walk away. That wasn’t who he was.

  Rafe would have his say, and she’d just have to bear up while he did it.

  Be strong, she commanded herself as she heard the din of students’ voices fading. She greatly wished at that moment for another class to be entering, but it was the end of the night and she was teaching only one class a day, Mondays and Wednesdays.

  Toying with the thought of running from the room, she knew she’d never make it. Plus, Rafe would get the satisfaction of seeing her try to escape. She refused to reveal how much he still affected her. She absolutely rejected the thought of showing weakness in his presence.

  “I’ve missed you, Ari, more than you could possibly imagine.”

  The familiarity of his voice stimulated every cell in her body while his scent swirled around her, draining the strength in her knees even more, and she was grateful to be sitting. How could he still have such power over her? How could she have such strong feelings about a man who had shattered her heart, leaving her to pick up the pieces of her life, alone?

  “You are wasting your time, Rafe. I would have thought you’d have moved on by now. Have you had trouble hiring your next mistress?” Finally, Ari peered up at him, prepared to see irritation on his features.

  When a smile formed on his lips instead, she was taken aback. What was this new game he was playing? She hadn’t read the textbook on this one. Was he still upset that someone had walked away from him, even after so much time had passed?

  Not even Rafe could be that determined to win.

  “I want no other woman but you, Ari — and I’ve given you enough space. I made mistakes, and now I’m here to prove I’m a new man.”

  Ari’s mouth dropped open. Rafe Palazzo was admitting to being wrong about something. Had the world stopped turning? She had to be dreaming — this was just another of her fantasies, and she was going to wake up at any moment, alone in her small room. And then she would have to fight the pressure in her chest as she took deep breaths and once again banished him from her mind.

  No. She hadn’t had an anxiety attack in a long time, and she wasn’t going to start with them again. She was a college instructor, something she’d dreamed about for a very long time. A man wasn’t going to unravel her — not even a man she had fallen hopelessly in love with.

  “This is ridiculous, Rafe. We had our fling. It was great, but it’s over and done with. Nothing good can come from us even attempting to come together again,” she told him as she started to gather her possessions together.

  She had to get out of that large classroom. Suddenly the walls felt as if they were closing in on her. She must get away from him before she did something foolish — such as actually believe what he was saying. Or, even worse, jump from her chair and wrap her body around his just to experience one more taste of his lips.

  She wanted so badly to envision a happy ending with him that her heart was thudding at the possibility that he had changed — that his interest in her was now more than just really great sex.

  “Ridiculous or not, I’ve decided to woo you.”

  For the second time in sixty seconds, Ari’s mouth dropped open. Did he actually just say the word woo? Who was this man and what had he done with Rafe Palazzo? It couldn’t possibly be the same person who’d forced her into an affair with him. She needed to remember what he’d done — what he’d demanded from her.

  “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not that same desperate girl who allowed you to make me go against everything I was brought up to hold important.” There, that would show him.

  Rafe came around her desk, turning her chair and boxing her in. She leaned back, but he followed, his face only inches from hers.

  “I did some things I will forever regret, but I’ve had a lot of time to think since then. Yes, I forced your hand, but the night you walked away from me, you told me you loved me. I’m here to prove I’m worthy of that love.”

  Ari couldn’t speak. Her eyes lowered as they took in the fullness of his lips, her ears straining to hear more of the enticing words coming from them. Of course, he was saying what she wanted to hear, but that’s what Rafe did best. He got his way — by any means possible. She couldn’t be so foolish as to actually believe him.

  “No witty comebacks, Ari?”

  Leaning in even closer, Ari breathed in his masculine scent and felt her heart race, the sound of her blood rushing through her veins echoing in her head. Finally, snapping out of her trance, Ari lifted her hand and pushed against him, shocked when he responded to her unspoken request to stop and pulled himself away.

  Hoping her knees would work, Ari grabbed her briefcase and stood. So far, so good. She’d resisted kissing his full lips, and when she’d risen from her chair, she hadn’t face-planted in front of him. Thank heavens for such small mercies.

  “The girl who professed her love is long gone, Rafe. I’m following the path I want to be on, and I don’t have time to date. I appreciate that you thought of me, but it’s best if we both just move on,” she said over her shoulder as she began ascending the steps to the back door of the classroom.

  She could feel him right on her heels as she reached the top of the stairs and walked into the quiet hallway. It was late, the school quickly emptying as most of the kids had finished their last class of the day. Summer terms had fewer students attending the school, anyway, and the campus was almost a dead zone when evening classes met.

  Ari began walking toward the parking lot; Rafe moved silently beside her. There was no use in telling him to stop — he wouldn’t allow her to walk on her own, even though there were security guards patrolling the area. It was dark, and he was a man who insisted on escorting a woman to her destination, even if she hadn’t asked him to do so.

  It should irritate her, but it was one of those old-fashioned actions that she actually liked. A gentleman should ensure the safety of a woman he cared about. Not that she was going to get ideas into her head that he actually cared for her.

  Yes, she would admit that she was confused. How was she supposed to respond when he so suddenly popped back into her life? She obviously needed time to think. She certainly couldn’t keep a clear head with him right by her side.

  Rafe had a way of causing her body to short-circuit. It was one of the things she both loved and hated about him. How could she trust what she was feeling when she couldn’t think straight? She was intelligent — far above average — but she felt like a ditzy schoolgirl when she was around him.

  Hunger was good — she would admit to that. But with Rafe, it wasn’t just hunger, it was an all-consuming passion that took over your mind, body and soul. That wasn’t healthy. It couldn’t possibly be good for you.

  When they reached her car, he put his hand on the door, preventing her from opening it. Her will was wearing thin, and she needed to remove herself from his presence, immediately.

  “I’ve had a long day, Rafe. Please let me leave.” Her voice was firm, except for only the slightest shake, but she felt like a cornered animal, and instinct had her wanting to lash out by kicking his leg. That might have made him move.

  “I want to talk to you. I think you owe me that much,” he said.

  She looked at him incredulously. She owed him? Oh, she didn’t think so.

  “That is the most ridiculous thing I think I’ve ever heard you say, Rafe. I owe you nothing,” she snapped as she thought about reaching for the scissors she knew were in her bag and poking them into the offending hand that was keeping her door closed.

  “You owe it to us to listen to what I have to say,” he said.

  “I owe it to myself to do what makes me happy.”

  “Fine,” he replied, that easy smile back.

  Her suspicions rose as she looked at him. H
e still hadn’t removed his hand. With a bow, he stepped away and as she opened her door, thinking she’d actually gotten off quite easily, he spoke again.

  “I’ll be back on Wednesday — and Monday — and Wednesday — and when are your office hours again?”

  “Fine!” she interrupted. “What will it take to make you go away?”

  “Dinner and a conversation.”

  Simple and to the point. Now that was the Rafe she remembered well.

  “I guess you’ll be enjoying history, then. Have a nice night, Rafe.” As she slid swiftly into her car, she couldn’t help but glance back. Instead of seeing anger or frustration on his face, she saw a huge grin.

  That couldn’t be a good sign.

  Chapter Two

  Lia

  “Are you kidding me?!” Lia slapped her arm as another bug landed on her, hell-bent on doing horrendous things to her tender flesh. What in the world was she doing in this tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere?

  Once the resort was finished, this area would be breathtaking, with carefully designed spa retreats, luxury cabins, and private getaways for couples wanting exclusivity, romance, and the ultimate in indulgence.

  Right now, it was hard to picture what the resort would become, because the area was untouched. Some found this beautiful just as it was, and many thought it a shame Rafe’s company was building the Gli Amanti Cove, but she was a firm believer in the project.

  She’d witnessed first hand what Shane and Rafe could do. There was a reason the two of them were so successful. They didn’t just throw buildings together. They made dreams come to reality, and they had a line of customers anxious to enter their next paradise.

  Never before had she really thought of herself as spoiled, but as she swatted another bug trying to land on her, she admitted that she was used to nice things. That didn’t make her shallow or unfeeling; it made her sensible. Had she been born in a different time, then she’d expect…less. She’d heard of people who shunned air conditioning, but she had no interest in meeting crazy people.

  “Troubles, Lia?”

  Speaking of crazy people… Her entire body tensed as she heard the laughter of his rich voice. She turned slowly, and there was Shane, only ten feet away, leaning casually on the rickety railing of her steps.

  Even knowing she’d be seeing quite a bit of him didn’t lessen the reaction her body was having at the sight of the man. Though she wanted this project to succeed, since it was her first one with the company owned by her brother, Rafe, she’d been relieved by the delays, needing that time to build up her armor against Shane.

  She’d wanted him for so long that she couldn’t remember a time she hadn’t. Then he’d had to go and ruin it all. Now, she couldn’t even remember why she was so angry with him, but she felt justified in accepting that he was the enemy. It was a girl’s prerogative to be irrational, wasn’t it?

  But of course that wasn’t true. She remembered quite well, and she’d ended her incredibly brief affair with him for a good reason. She’d made a simple request — that he not tell her brother about their new relationship. True, it hadn’t been simple to Shane. He always told Rafe everything, and he felt he had to tell him about the two of them.

  In short, Rafe meant more to Shane than she did. And Shane’s own feelings mattered more to him than hers did. No, they hadn’t discussed marriage — hell, they’d just been to bed once. But what Shane had done didn’t follow her rule book. It didn’t count as forsaking all others. It counted as thinking that men in general mattered more than women, and in particular that everyone he knew with testicles mattered more than she did.

  Here’s what really pissed her off — Shane hadn’t had enough respect for her and her brain to wait and consider carefully what she’d asked. No, he’d run off and squealed to her brother while the sheets were still warm.

  She didn’t need another man like that, another man who dismissed her, thought of her only as a nice, warm body, useful at night, but not a friend and a confidante. Maybe she couldn’t do better; maybe all guys were insensitive louts. Just look at Rafe. But she could try, and she could hope to find a man who really knew how to treat a woman, really knew how to love her.

  She didn’t think it was too much to ask to be put first.

  “No troubles at all, Shane. Why are you here so early?”

  “I couldn’t let you have all the fun on your own, could I?” As he spoke, he took a step toward her, and it took all her willpower not to retreat. She couldn’t back down even an inch, or he’d pounce. That was who Shane was.

  “The first two weeks here is a lot of surveying, and you could have been relaxing on the beach while we do this part. Don’t worry, though. It’s not too late. Why don’t you hop into your boat and go flirt with the locals across the channel?”

  The thought of him doing just that had her stomach turning, but there was no possible way she’d admit it. Eventually she would will herself to get over her extreme lust and infatuation with her brother’s best friend.

  Shane wasn’t fazed. “I would rather stay right where I am and flirt with you.”

  Why had he decided too late to say everything she’d always wanted him to say? Men! They never did what they were supposed to.

  “You’re wasting your time, Grayson. Go find something to do. I’m going for a walk.” Lia brushed past him and bounded down the steps. There was little hope that he would listen to her and disappear, but she had to give it a try.

  “Good. I was in the mood for an evening stroll. Where are we off to?”

  Lia sighed and made her way in a leisurely manner along the trails she knew so well. She’d been across the entire island and back again so many times, she could probably map it out. That’s what it had taken to place the resort in just the right location. There was so much more involved, too, such as not disturbing the natural appeal of the island while still making the resort a place that big spenders would be willing to come to.

  “I don’t recall inviting you, Shane.” Though she knew he wouldn’t listen to her protests, she had to give it a valiant effort. If she didn’t, she would soon be falling into his arms, and that would only lead to disaster, as she’d so quickly discovered while in Las Vegas. Falling into his bed had obviously been a mistake.

  What the two of them had shared had been nobody’s business but theirs. Even after over two years, her blood boiled at the thought of what he’d done immediately afterward.

  “The invitation was in your eyes,” he said with a grin. It took her a moment to realize he meant an invitation for him to walk with her, which she hadn’t issued, and not an invitation to her bed, which she didn’t want, either. “Besides, someone has to protect you,” he continued. He grabbed her arm and wound it through his. She tugged for a moment, then gave up, unwilling to show him that he was, in fact, affecting her.

  “Believe what you will. I just want to finish this job and get back to the real world.”

  “How can you turn your nose up at such natural beauty? Besides, we’re going to be here for a good six months…at least,” he said.

  The excitement in his tone had her pulse racing.

  Lia had no doubt that Shane expected them to pick up where they’d left off in Vegas. For so long she’d chased him, trying to prove she wasn’t the little girl he’d first met when her brother had brought him home on a break from college.

  But Shane was no different from any other boyfriend she’d had. He was intimidated by her brother, or worse, he cared more about her brother than he did about her. She was the odd woman out in a cozy bromance. Whatever the reason, he hadn’t been willing to be with her without Rafe’s permission — he hadn’t even listened to her objections. Shane had just run off to Rafe, even though she’d told him what that meant. That just pissed her off all over again every time she thought about it.

  “I spoke with the designer last week and we’re on schedule. I don’t expect you to be here the whole time,” she said. She really hoped that was the case. Nobody c
ould ever describe Lia as weak, but when it came to Shane, she didn’t trust herself to keep holding out against him, especially if he decided to be charming. She’d seen the man in action through the years, and he was good at making women trail after him. She didn’t want to be another in his long line of heartbreaks.

  “Yes, the project is on schedule, and we have a wonderful crew to run it. Yet the problem is that I don’t trust anyone to see it through. I’ve decided this task needs me here until the end,” he said, stopping so he could turn her to face him.

  The light in his eyes left no doubt that he was more than happy about their situation. Her stomach clenched as she fought her rising hormones. As Shane lifted his hand and removed a piece of hair that was clinging to her cheek, she knew she was in trouble.

  Her breath quickened, and she was hot and hungry. She hadn’t been with another man since Shane in Vegas, and her body was going through withdrawal. It wasn’t easy to keep her distance, but she cared about herself enough to do so.

  “Shane…” She attempted to warn him off, but there wasn’t much heat behind her words.

  “Yes, Lia?”

  Oh, the man knew how to seduce, knew exactly the power he had over her. She’d just have to be that much stronger.

  Lifting her hand as if she were going to caress him, she saw triumph flash in his eyes. When she slapped his forehead instead, his shocked expression made a giggle escape her previously pursed lips.

  “You had a mosquito about to attack.” With that, she pulled from him and turned back toward her small cabin. She felt victory at resisting him, even knowing she had a long way to go.

  “This is only the first day, Lia,” Shane called out to her, making her shoulders stiffen. Yes, it was only the first day.

  So he’d snatched away some of her victory. She certainly wouldn’t let him get another piece of it, or her, by sticking around. Not slowing her pace, she made it back to her cabin in record time, and she locked herself safely inside.

  Yes, it was only their first day, but she’d still congratulate herself. If she took it only one day at a time, she might get through this unscathed. Might being the key word.