Carys sighed and toyed with her beer, staring down into the golden depths.“That was my father.He’s angry that I keep returning his letters unopened and that I won’t respond to his email messages.”She half-grinned.“I set up my email to automatically send his messages to the trash, so I have no idea how many emails he’s actually sent me.”She took another deep breath and leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, which was covering the top of her mug.“He thinks that he has a right to be in my life and so he’s forcing confrontations.However, I have no desire to have him in my life.He rejected me.He didn’t want me in his life, so I’m merely accepting his terms.”
“That sounds reasonable to me.”
She groaned, running her hands through her hair again.“Yeah, well someone needs to explain that to him.He thinks I’m being too emotional.”Her eyes hardened.“I was very emotional when I was twelve and he left me and my mom.I was nearly hysterical when he announced that he was moving across the country because his new family had a better job opportunity.I begged him not to go.I begged him to take me with him.And then I sobbed over the phone with him, pleading to visit him in Arizona.”She was silent, then added, “He always said no, that it wasn’t the right time for a visit.Then it wasn’t the right time for him to come see me.Then he didn’t have the time for phone calls.And when my mother passed away in a car accident, he didn’t even call to see if I was okay or needed help.”She shrugged, lifting her chin higher.“I’m no longer emotional about him.My emotions for him burned out a long time ago.I’ve learned to live without a father.”
She took a sip of her beer, but it was warm now, so she pushed it away, wrinkling her nose.
“What now?”
Carys thought about that for a moment.“Now,” she paused again, looking at him without any expression in her eyes.“Now, I would like you to do naughty things to my body and make me forget I ever saw him tonight.”She tilted her head again.“What do you think?”
Chapter 20
Rafi knew that something was wrong with her request, but he couldn’t quite figure out what.Also, the term “naughty things” instead of making love bothered him.He wanted to understand her and tonight had given him insight into what had helped shape her into who she is.Still, holding her in his arms wasn’t something he could reject.
He was irritated when she tossed two twenty dollar bills down onto the table and hopped down from her bar stool.“If you’re not interested after hearing about my messed up childhood, I understand.”
She was already swinging her leather tote bag over her shoulder by the time he realized what she was doing.Carys thought that he was going to reject her?
Not a chance!
“You’re coming with me,” he grumbled and put his arm around her waist, pulling her as close as possible while still walking.He helped her into the waiting SUV, holding her hand as they drove back to his hotel.Once inside, she started taking off her clothes as she headed toward the bedroom.
Rafi couldn’t hide his body’s response, but he still felt as if something wasn’t quite right.When he closed the bedroom door, blocking out the rest of the world, Rafi took her hands, holding them out to the sides so she couldn’t unbuckle his belt.Instead of telling her to slow down, he kissed her.He let his lips explain that tonight wasn’t going to be about “naughty things”.He was going to make love to her.Because Rafi finally understood what was wrong.He loved Carys and she was waiting for him to reject her.She was waiting for him to realize she wasn’t loveable.
He would show her that she was intensely loveable!
So instead of naughty things, he slowed down.He kissed her until she was moaning, pressing her body against his.And then, very slowly, with absolute reverence for the woman he suddenly knew that he was madly in love with, he kissed every inch of her, demonstrating his adoration for both her body as well as her needs.
He kissed her breasts, enjoying the way her fingers tangled in his hair and her hips rolled hungrily against his.He worshiped her stomach, nuzzling the spot to the right that made her gasp every time.He licked and sucked at her beautiful, pink folds until she cried out and exploded with pleasure.But he wasn’t finished yet.
Then he moved over her, sliding ever so slowly into her tight, hot sheath.He looked down at her as he sank into her, showing her with his actions that she was the woman he wanted in his life forever.
Only when she cried out with another climax did he relax his control enough to find his own pleasure.And afterwards, he held her close, playing with her hair while he listened to her soft breathing, trying to think of more ways he could show her how much he adored her.
Chapter 21
Carys hurried from her apartment building, a niggling sensation bothering her.She paused beside a parked car, trying to remember what she’d forgotten.She had her phone, her wallet, her keys, and…?Carys sighed in frustration.
Rafi’s lovemaking over the past few days was messing with her head.She was frazzled to the point of distraction!He still traveled a lot.But lately, he had started asking her to come with him.Since she couldn’t do her job from a distance, Carys kept telling him no.But as soon as he returned, he took her into his arms and made love to her.It wasn’t sex; it was so much more.Every time he touched her, every beautiful orgasm they shared, was like he was reaching into her soul and telling her…something.
Carys didn’t like it.In fact, she hated it!She hated the way he looked at her now.She hated the fact that she felt only half alive when he was gone.She hated that she could barely sleep when she couldn’t feel his warmth against her.
“This has to stop!”
Now she turned, heading for the subway station two blocks away.She was nearly stomping, so angry and irritated and…lost.
If she’d been thinking more clearly, Carys might have noticed the woman sooner.But Tanya was nearly on top of her when she looked up and…Tanya’s shoulder slammed into hers.
“What…?”Carys gasped, spinning around, wondering if she’d been seeing things.Tanya?From the office?Why in the world was Tanya jogging down her street?That didn’t make any sense!Tanya didn’t live in this part of the city, did she?Carys hadn’t ever seen Tanya around this neighborhood before.
Sure enough, Tanya continued jogging down the block, but turned to wave at Carys.“What in the world?”she whispered.
With a shrug, Carys turned and headed toward the subway station.It occurred to her that maybe Tanya was the one breaking into her apartment.And the shoulder-slam was more evidence that Tanya was trying to irritate Carys.But why?Carys hadn’t had anything to do with Tanya being demoted.The woman had been a terror in the office for years!Taking her out of the assistant director’s role was Rafi’s choice.Not hers!
Moving quickly, she hurried down the street.Carys had to run to catch the subway, slipping through the doors just as they began to close.Carys’s imagination was working overtime, trying to figure out why Tanya would be in her neighborhood.Should she mention it to Rafi?
No, Rafi would just fire Tanya.Right now, the other woman was working in the human resources office.Besides, Rafi had mentioned going away together for the weekend.So, if Tanya was looking to cause problems over the next few days, it wouldn’t work.Carys would be out of town with a gorgeous man, escaping the city for a while.
