“I didn’t do anything but ramble at you for hours.”
Rafael’s lips quirked up. “It was just the rambling I needed.”
Christian asked for a word with Raf as they were heading out, and Grace waited in the car with her eyes closed. She was exhausted, but in the best way, in the way that tells you it’s all been worth it, that you’ve put in the work and accomplished a goal. She didn’t hear Rafael coming out until he opened the door and hopped into the seat beside her.
“What was that about?” she asked.
Raf gave her a teasing grin. “I bet you’d like to know.”
She sat up straighter. “What? Tell me.”
“I thought I was the one with the gift of persuasion, but apparently, you have it as well. Christian said he wants to let anyone from the local community come to the exhibition for free.”
Grace gasped.
“Hold on, let me tell you the stipulations. Just one or two days a month. Consistent days and limited hours. No ads, no website. All just word of mouth in the community, but if people come, he’ll let them in.”
“Well, that’s still something,” said Grace, delighted to have a small win for the people who lived in the area.
“Yes, he thinks if it’s limited and word-of-mouth, it will still be mysterious and special.”
Grace nodded, taking in the idea. “Sure, I can see that. I’ll take what I can get.”
Rafael leaned an elbow on the center console of the car. “Here’s the best part. He also wants to have a night to host a party. Just for you and your students.”
“For my students? Are you serious?” Grace sat up straighter in her seat, turning toward Raf and pressing a hand against his shoulder.
“Of course. This place wouldn’t exist without you.”
“That’s amazing! Oh, maybe Lucia can come, too. I hope everyone will be able to attend.” She paused, releasing his arm, her eyes narrowing. “How did he get that idea, Raf? He just randomly decided he wanted to have a party for my classes?”
Rafael grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “I might have mentioned it would be a nice way to work out any kinks before he starts hosting other events, and you deserve it after all your help. He loved the idea. He was very enthusiastic.” He paused. “What? Why are you staring at me like that?”
Grace almost couldn’t breathe. Rafael suggested a night just for her students. She could bring them to the exhibition and show them what she’d been working on—this thing no one was supposed to know, and they would get to experience first-hand, to see all of these masterpieces. “I can’t believe you did that.”
Rafael frowned at her before he started the car’s engine and headed down the road. “I’m slightly offended you’re so surprised, Graciela.”
It had been days since he’d called her that, but now Grace could feel the word in her bones. She shouldn’t be surprised. Rafael had given her a place to live. He’d helped her move, he’d held her when she’d cried from a bad dream. He was not the stern boy who’d been annoyed by her in Barcelona. He was a kind, beautiful, man who’d found a sense of humor somewhere along the way, who’d stopped trying to please his father and started living his own life.
Shit.She was really in trouble if just because he’d done something nice for her and her students, she was dying to jump out of her seat and slip into his lap. She wouldn’t do that, though, for safety reasons, but when they got home…she wasn’t sure she could be responsible any longer. She was sick of trying. In their three-year relationship, Derek had been perfectly nice. He’d washed dishes and asked about her day and bought her presents on her birthday. But never once had he done something so thoughtful, so tapped into exactly what would make her happy. To share this amazing art with her students was a gift, and Rafael had not only recognized that, he’d gone out of his way to make it happen. She wanted to show him what this meant to her. She wanted to let herself feel all the things she’d been feeling and show him that too, the attraction and desire, all of it.
She clenched her hands into fists at her sides, willing herself not to touch him. She kept them like that for the whole drive, the whole walk to the apartment from the car, the whole time he was unlocking the door. She was tense and quiet, contemplating what she was about to do like she was analyzing a painting by Lee Krasner. She couldn’t see any way around it. She couldn’t convince herself to walk away. The moment they stepped inside, she unclenched her hands and reached for his shirt instead. She made fists again, but this time they were full of soft cotton as she yanked him toward her.
“Grace?” He arched an eyebrow at her, dropping his bag on the floor.
“Yes,” she said, hoping she understood the question he’d asked with her name, because, if so, the answer was definitely yes.
Rafael stayed perfectly still, like he was waiting to understand what she was doing. He probably expected her to panic and push him away again, to change her mind after one kiss. “You said we needed to figure out what this was,” he whispered.
Grace pulled him closer, nuzzling into his neck and inhaling his scent. “I did say that, but I don’t care anymore.”
“I’m sure you were right though.” Rafael’s voice caught. “This is complicated.”
She pressed her lips together for a moment, gathering her courage. Then she looked him in the eyes. Defiant. Certain. “It is complicated, but I know what I want.”
He started to ease into her, his hands moving against her back. “What do you want?” he breathed into her ear, his voice suddenly deeper and sexier than anything she’d ever heard in her life.
Grace swallowed, goosebumps cascading down her arms. “You. Tonight. That’s all I need to know for now.”
