I pull the ribbon loose and tear away the paper, and inside is a small velvet box. I lift the lid, and nestled against the white satin lining is a silver bracelet, a delicate chain with a single charm dangling from it. An intricate and beautiful snowflake, reflecting the light from the tree. There are a few small diamonds, but they aren't what catches my eye. It's the topaz that pops with a hint of blue and sparkles.
I stare at it, and the tears I've been holding back spill over. I press my hand to my mouth, trying to keep the sob from escaping, but it comes out anyway.
"Riley," Rafe says, and I hear the worry in his voice. "If you don't like it, I can?—"
"I love it," I say, my voice breaking. "It's perfect."
He reaches for the bracelet and takes it from the box, then gently fastens it around my wrist. His fingers are warm against my skin, and when he's done, he holds my hand for a moment, brushing his thumb over the snowflake charm.
"You deserve more than this," he says quietly. Then he sighs heavily and drops his head, but he doesn't drop my hand. "You deserve to be home with your family where you want to be."
I look up at him, and I see the guilt written all over his face… the regret. The knowledge that he's taken something from me that he can never give back, and I reach up and touch his cheek lightly. I can't begin to understand the conflict he probably feels in his heart.
Neither of us expected this to turn into what it has. I never would've thought I'd fall in love with a man who took me captive,but here I am, standing in front of that very man with only compassion in my heart for him.
"It's enough," I say. "This is enough."
He pulls me into his arms, and I press my face against his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne and feeling the steady thud of his heartbeat beneath my cheek.
"I'm glad you like it," he says softly against my hair.
"I like you… Of course I’d love any gift you give me." My chin lifts so I can look up at him, and he kisses me softly then pulls away.
"Help me finish," he says. "I didn't know where to put half of this stuff."
I laugh, and it feels good to laugh, to feel something other than exhaustion and guilt and fear. I pick up a strand of garland and start draping it across the mantle while Rafe untangles a string of lights. We work around each other, and the tension that's been pressing down on me for days starts to ease.
Rafe hands me ornaments one by one, and I hang them on the tree, adjusting their placement until they look balanced. He steps back to admire our work, and I see the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Not bad," he says.
"Not bad at all." I slide my arm around his hips and lean into him, and he kisses the top of my head. This day couldn’t have been any more perfect if I planned it myself, and feeling this intimate safety with Rafe is the icing on the cake.
"I talked to Sal," Rafe says, and he turns so that he's fully facing me, both arms settled around my body. "And we're gonna makethis thing work, Riley. I'm gonna make sure you get to be with your family again. I'm not sure how yet, but I'm giving you my word. It will happen."
He seems so serious, so dead set that he will make things right for me, that I don't want to even doubt him. When Rafe Ferretti decides something, he follows through. That much, I've learned, is true about him.
"I trust you," I say softly, and I feel his whole body stiffen in my arms. It must be a strange feeling to hear me say it, but it brings peace to his forehead. The lines even out until his skin is smooth, and the storm behind his eyes calms.
"I told you, Riley. You're mine and I’m not letting you go, and I know in the beginning that probably scared you, but I hope you see how not scary I am." He pulls me tighter against his body and sways his hips.
"Oh," I say as I drape my arms up over his shoulders and admire the bracelet on my wrist. "You thought I was scared of you?" I say the words in the snarkiest tone I can muster. Can't let this one get a big head or anything.
"You were shaking in your boots, woman," he growls playfully as he leans down to kiss me. When his teeth rake over my lower lip and pull at it, I smile.
"It's cold. That was shivering…"
When his hand slides over the globe of my ass and squeezes, I shudder and feel a jolt of arousal in my belly. "See… shaking again." Rafe continues kissing me, backing me away from the tree toward the fireplace where the fire has burned low but still glows with a few dancing flames.
"Nah… Just got a chill," I say softly, and it's almost a moan as his other hand finds my breast and squeezes it.
"Then I should warm you up." His palm greedily presses against my flesh, kneading and groping. "I think right here by the fire is good for that. And if that doesn't work, we may need some friction."
I kiss him back harder, now fully lost in the moment with him. How a bank teller from New York City with a relatively normal life fell in love with a drug runner in a criminal organization is beyond me, but I won't pretend the feelings aren't real.
"Mmm," I moan when his knee slides between mine and his thigh grinds against me.
"Yes, I think the friction is working." The sensations are intoxicating. Rafe knows exactly what to do to push me right to the edge of arousal and beyond.
