“He’snotgoing to ruin wine for me!”she muttered.
With an impatient huff, Carys opened the drawer, looking for the bottle opener, but she didn’t see the jumble of cooking utensils.Instead, all she could see was Rafi’s face, relaxed in sleep when she’d left him last time.Was Rafi with another woman?Was he smiling with this stranger and laughing?Would he tease her about her hair falling over one eye like he did with her?And would he then gently push it out of the way?Like he did for her?With a gentle touch and a smile that made his eyes sparkle?
Was the other woman running her hands over his back?Would she appreciate all of the muscles there?Would she take the time to trace each one, trying to memorize the curves and the indentations because she knew that, eventually, she’d be replaced?
“Stop it!”Carys hissed, breaking the silence.With a groan of frustration, she flipped through the spoons and spatulas, finding the wine opener.She poured a generous portion into a glass.Not a crystal glass.Just a regular wine glass that someone would get from a big-box store.One that didn’t shimmer in the light like a real crystal would.
“You’re going to drive yourself nuts!”Carys lectured herself as she carried the glass of wine to the sofa.Grabbing the television remote, she turned it on.It had been a while since she’d watched television.
What would it be like to watch a movie with Rafi?Would he let her snuggle up against his broad, muscular chest?Or would he flip through messages on his phone during the movie, irritated with having to endure something so tedious?Would he run his fingers through her hair?Or would he fall asleep, bored with whatever movie they’d chosen?
Or was he doing that now?Was he snuggled up with another woman, watching a movie?He was gorgeous enough that he could walk into any bar or club and get any woman he fancied.
“Stop it!”Carys told herself, but set the wine aside.She didn’t want to drink it.She shouldn’t have tried the wine that first night or any of the nights over the past month.She shouldn’t have experienced that kind of wine-induced bliss.Because now, everything else was going to be…disappointing.It was going to take her weeks, possibly months, to get the taste of that wine out of her memory.It was going to be a very long time before she’d manage to enjoy a glass of wine again!
When her phone buzzed, Carys didn’t look at it.She knew it would be Rafi.And she’d convinced herself that he was wrapped up in some other woman’s arms right about now!A woman who didn’t have a miserable past!A woman who could enjoy a temporary relationship and just…move on to the next man.Or woman.Or…whatever!
A woman who could love him without reservation.Without fear that…he would leave her for someone better.
The phone silenced and Carys took a long sip of her wine.It wasn’t very good, but she took another sip.Then another, flipping through the channels.Nothing captured her attention.
She was on her third glass of wine and had watched the first fifteen minutes of four different movies when her phone rang again.Because she hadn’t imbibed this much in so long, Carys was just tipsy enough to answer the phone.When she looked at the caller on her screen, the sneer was already in her tone when she answered.
“Is she worth it?”
There was a long silence.Then she heard, “Carys?”
“Rafi?”she mocked.“Is she good in bed?Does she do that thing with her tongue like I do?”
Another silence.Finally, he asked, “Carys, are you okay?”
She took another sip…or maybe a gulp…of wine.“Yeah, I’m good.Maybe a little drunk.But that’s okay, because I have to get used to bitter wine because some bastard convinced me to experience exceptional wine.Some bastard decided to tempt me with things I can’t have!Someone, namelyyou, decided that I should fall for a guy who is just going to…!”She stopped, unable to finish that sentence.Instead, she took another sip of her wine and almost ended the call.What was the point?He’d already moved on to someone else!
“Carys, are you jealous?”
“No!”she gasped, shifting on the sofa.She pulled her knees up to her chest, balancing the cheap glass filled with cheap wine on her knee.“I’m fine.And I don’t care if you move on to the next woman.It’s what men do.So, I expected this,” she concluded.If the last word had to be forced out, then so be it.
“Honey, where are you?”
“Happily ensconced on my sofa.I’m watching a movie.Something that we never got around to doing.So, I’m glad that you moved on to another woman.Now I can catch up on all of the movies that have come out over the past few weeks.”She took another sip of her wine, then added, “Being with you seriously crimped my movie watching progress.”
He laughed and Carys couldn’t stop the shiver of awareness that went down her spine.He’d done that while she’d been curled up against him, his hand stroking her bare back.And he’d made that deep, sexy sound right after she’d screamed his name while her body climaxed around his.
“Carys, turn on your phone’s video, love,” he ordered softly.
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to show you where I am.”
“I don’t want to see her!”
“Carys!”he growled.It was the warning tone he’d use whenever she was baiting him.She used to love that tone.It meant he was going to do something extra naughty to her and she was going to love it.
“Fine!”she snarled, then pressed the button that turned on her camera.“What?”
Rafi looked at her and Carys’s heart ached.He was so damned handsome!Why did he have to be good looking, extraordinary in bed, and such a nice person?
“Here,” he said and turned the phone, panning it around the room.There was a group of men sitting at a table with papers spread everywhere, laptops open, eyeglasses slipping off their noses.There were three women in the room too, and they were working just as diligently.Everyone looked a bit frazzled, as if they’d been in that conference room for too long.
