by M. Malone
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.
chapter eight
Control gone.
Never mind that this might be a bad idea. Never mind that his instincts were still searching for a reason not to trust her. He wanted her. For once he wanted softness and hope. He’d lived in the dark for too long. He didn’t want to be that person anymore.
He wasn’t in that world anymore. He lived in the light now. He’d thought like a killer for too damn long. Rafe stood with her in his arms. He wasn’t sure where he was taking them, but he needed a good surface to spread her out on. She had so many enticing dips and curves, and he wanted to explore them all.
Lifting her easily, he carried her to his bedroom and placed her gently in the middle of the bed. Diana spread her arms out to stabilize herself and then giggled as he crawled over her.
“I feel like a gazelle being stalked by a lion.” She spread her legs to make room for him.
Rafe settled against her, feeling her heat even through the thick material of her jeans. Which reminded him that they were both overdressed. He tugged the denim down her legs, leaving her in a pair of plain white cotton panties. Why the fuck was that so hot? He made quick work of his own clothes, tossing everything in a pile at the foot of the bed. Diana’s eyes widened when she took him in, and Rafe was never more grateful for the punishing workout regime he maintained. Being a professional bad guy had taken its toll on his psyche, but it had done insane things for his muscle definition.
“Wow,” Diana breathed. “You look like you were carved out of concrete.” Her eyes roamed over every inch of him, finally landing on the huge erection that he didn’t even bother trying to hide from her.
“Yeah, that part too, huh?”
A blush stole up her neck and cheeks. “Definitely that part.”
He crawled over her, kissing up her right leg until he got to the edge of those fucking sexy-ass panties. It made him think of when he’d had to talk his way into a girl’s panties in high school. So innocent and fucking sweet. All the reasons Diana could do so much better than a guy like him.
“I wish I could be better for you,” he said before he thought about it. But he’d taken this as slow as he could, had given her time to turn him down, but he wasn’t giving her any more.
He wasn’t that fucking nice.
“You are exactly who you’re supposed to be, Rafael DeMarco. And I like that.”
He might not be the good guy she deserved, but he was the guy who could fuck her like she needed. He could worship her perfect body so she’d never again accept anything less than adoration from any man in the future.
He tugged the panties down and then instantly replaced the fabric with his tongue. Surprised, Diana arched into his touch. Soft moans floated down to him as he grasped her under the hips and pulled her closer. He needed to get deeper. When he finally thrust his tongue in and then pulled back to focus on her clit, she screamed as she shook and clenched against his face.
The reaction just spurred him on, and he didn’t let her rest or pull back. He swirled his tongue around the little hot button that he knew would take her there again. Rafe loved everything about being with her this way, having her honey all over his face and feeling her come unraveled with each suck, lick, and touch.
“Rafe, you have to stop. I-I can’t take any more!”
He shook his head and she squealed when the movement brushed his tongue back and forth over the lips of her sex.
Oh, you like that, do you?
He did it again, delibera
tely, tickling the plump lips around her sex with delicate licks and kisses before he thrust a finger inside her. She broke again, crying out and grabbing his hair so hard he was sure he’d lost a few strands.
Totally worth the sacrifice, he thought when he looked up a few minutes later to see a look of complete and total satisfaction on her face. She looked dazed.
He wiped his mouth gently on her inner thigh and then placed a soft kiss on her belly. Her being dazed and softened from pleasure was exactly what he wanted. He knew he was big, and given the way her slick flesh had clamped around his finger, she was going to be a tight fit.
He rolled away briefly to grab the box of condoms that had been unopened since he moved here nearly a year ago. What does that say about normal life? Well, he had a lot of making up to do. Hands trembling with need, he quickly sheathed himself, then repositioned himself between her thighs.
When he slid inside, her eyes flew open and her fingers curled into his shoulders. She was so wet he’d gone farther than he meant to, and Rafe had to bite the inside of his cheek to maintain control. There was nothing like this, being held in her soft, wet heat.
“Oh!” Diana’s wide eyes locked on his.
He stopped, giving her time to adjust. She shuddered and her pussy clamped around him so hard his eyes almost rolled into the back of his head.
“Goddamn, you are so damn tight.”
He couldn’t take it anymore. He pulled back and then slid forward all the way. Her muscles sucked him in and rippled around his dick as he thrust harder and harder. Slow down, don’t hurt her, take your time. His brain screamed at him to be careful with her, but all his good intentions were lost when her hands slid over his shoulders and down his back to land on his ass. Her nails curled into the flexing muscles.
“It feels so good—don’t stop.” Diana sobbed against his shoulder when she came again, and the tight, clamping rhythm of her release pushed him right to the edge.
“Fuck! Your pussy was made for me, you know that?” He growled it right in her ear, noting how she got even wetter at the dirty words.
