She didn’t stop him as he pressed the pad of his thumb to one of her tears. Then he let out breathy laugh. “I didn’t realize just the idea of living with me would make you cry. I promise it wouldn’t be that terrible.”
She laughed in spite of everything and shook her head. The idea of living with him was completely ridiculous, but she appreciated his generosity. She never would have expected him to be so soft and comforting.
“Come on,princesa,” he continued. “What do you say?”
CHAPTEREIGHT
“No.”Rafael watched as Grace pressed her lips into a line and clenched her hands into fists. She was as stubborn as a mule even in these terrible circumstances. “I don’t want to put you out like that, Raf,” she said, “and we—we don’t even know each other.”
She was right, of course. They didn’t know each other, but since when was that a requirement for sharing an apartment? “Look, there is no way I’m letting you stay here, so either you bunk up with Alma and Obinna in his tiny apartment, or you come to stay with me. I have an extra room. It’s not big, by any means, but I’m sure we can fit your bed in there. I don’t know about the table or desk, but you’d have your own room and a safe place to sleep. And it won’t be for very long, right? You’ll be back to your place in no time. It’s no inconvenience.”
Grace started to pace on the sidewalk, and Rafael could tell she was considering it. It really wasn’t a big deal to him; they would probably hardly see each other, and it was just a temporary fix.
Grace paused. “I hope it will be quick, but the landlord didn’t give us a timeline. They have to replace the whole floor, so I’m not sure?—”
Rafael waved a hand. “Doesn’t matter. As long as you need.”
She resumed pacing for a moment before pausing again. “I could pay you rent, of course. This isn’t just, like, a favor. I can give you something.”
Rafael considered this. His chivalry refused to allow her to pay, but he knew she wanted to offer some kind of contribution. She would never agree if she saw it as anything less than a fair deal.
Suddenly, an idea lit inside him like a match. “No money,” he asserted, and when Grace started to protest immediately, he kept talking. “But you could just take a glance at some pictures of Christian’s collection. Give me your opinion, a little insight, any ideas you have. That’s it.”
Grace froze with her mouth hanging open. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. “Was this your plan all along? Bring me out to the middle of nowhere so I’m stranded and desperate and you can convince me to work on your art project?”
Rafael raised his hands and backed away. “Not at all. I just had the idea, and it’s agoodidea. You’ll be able to live in a safe environment without feeling like you owe me anything. And the art thing isn’t a job. I swear I won’t make you lift a finger. I just want to see what you think.”
“You think we can be roommates?”
Rafael put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the car. “Why not?”
“We don’t exactly get along.”
“We get along fine, Grace. I don’t think we need to befriends.”
“But if you drive me nuts, it might upset Alma. I won’t even be able to complain to her about you because you’re her brother.”
“Why wouldIbe the one drivingyounuts? Maybe you’ll drive me nuts.” There was some precedent for that after all. “And I’m sure Alma would love to hear you complain about me. She’ll even go first.”
Something happened then that Rafael wasn’t expecting. Grace laughed. A real, honest-to-goodness laugh that rushed out of her mouth and sailed through the air around him. He remembered that laugh. He’d heard it so many times ten years ago—loud and bold and carefree—but it had been lost somewhere before she returned to Spain. He couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across his face at the sound of it.
“Why am I considering this?” Grace put a hand to her forehead. “This is a terrible idea, Raf.”
His smile widened. “Honestly, what could go wrong? Your apartment will be ready before you know it, and you’ll barely remember that I ever had to beg you not to live in this creepy cockroach building. And you can do anything for two weeks, right?”
Rafael was so close, he could taste it. With her help, maybe this underground exhibition thing could turn into a success after all. With her help, maybe he could stay in the good graces of his company’s largest client and start making some real profits. And Christian would tell his rich friends about the whole thing, too, of course. Christian would brag to anyone who would listen, and Rafael would be the person who made it all happen.
She eyed him warily. “Did I say that?”
“Say what?”
“The comment about how you can do anything for two weeks?”
“Oh, um, I don’t think so? I was just guessing how long it might take.”
She was quiet for a long moment, and then she started pacing again. He wished he could hear the back-and-forth conversation that must be happening in her brain, but it didn’t matter. She was going to say yes. He could feel it.
Finally, she halted on the sidewalk in front of him and stuck out her hand. “Alright,” she said. “You’ve got a deal.” He took her hand in his, ignoring the soft curve of her fingers and the way his palm was so much bigger it swallowed hers whole. This was a business transaction like any other. Handshakes were not sexy. The press of her thumb on the back of his hand wasnotsexy. The determined look in her eyes as she stared at him wasnotsexy.
