Broken Together (27 page)

“Maxim,”
Jase growled.

Tears
streamed down my face.

Rafael’s
eyes widened. “He hit her?”

“No,
but he caressed her face…” Brady’s voice trailed off when he saw the look on
Rafael’s face.

I
longed to crawl into Rafael’s arms, but my body refused.
Anger
. There
was so much anger, and I wasn’t entirely sure these men weren’t angry at me. I
tugged my knees to my chest as I began to rock. Rafael should be angry with me.
I cheated on him when I let Maxim kiss me…
how many times
? I was a
cheater. I was a cheater, and I was stupid.
Stupid, stupid, stupid
echoed
in my mind. I pressed my hands to my ears, but the words grew louder. They were
so loud, they drowned everything else out.

Rafael
tried to scoop me up.

I
fell against the wall after scrambling away. I felt…
cornered
. “Don’t…
don’t touch me.”

Rafael
glared at Brady and Jase. “What the hell happened? What haven’t you told me?”

“She’s
been like this ever since…” Jase eyed Rafael nervously. “Maxim said something
to her… before kissing her. I think she’s afraid he’ll force her back to
Ukraine.”

Brady’s
voice dropped to a mere whisper. “She hasn’t been entirely…
here
. She’s
been vacant, like she’s trapped inside her head. I think it triggered some
memories. I… I’ve seen this before with combat vets.”

Rafael
sat next to me with his back against the wall. “Can you guys give us a minute?”

I
burst into tears.

Brady
and Jase quietly walked away.

“We
don’t have to talk,” Rafael assured me. “I just want to sit next to you for a
while.”

We
sat like that for the longest time, with me crying and Rafael sitting silently
beside me. Rafael linked his pinky finger with mine when my hand finally fell
to my side.

I
stared at our entwined fingers. “I don’t deserve you,” I finally whispered.

His
entire hand blanketed mine. “Jase told me what happened. You weren’t the one
who initiated that kiss.”

“I
shouldn’t have asked to speak with him in private. I shouldn’t have accused him
of using me for my political connections. I should have kept my distance. I
wanted to help him… to return that favor… but that encouraged him to pursue
something more. I didn’t mean to encourage him. God, how could I be so stupid?
How could I dismiss all his previous advances as harmless? How could I not
know?”

“Do
you still love me?” Rafael demanded.

My
heart shuddered beneath the weight of his question. “Yes. Of course.”

His
knee grazed mine as he turned to face me. “Do you still want to marry me?”

“Yes,”
I whispered brokenly. The thought that Rafael might not want me… that he’d
refuse to marry me… was what I feared most. That thought wielded more pain than
I could possibly bear.

“Then
don’t let Maxim ruin this for us.” He pressed his lips to my hand. “We’ll get
through this, just like everything else, and we’ll be stronger for it.”

My
head fell to his shoulder. I felt so tired and defeated, I could no longer
argue how unworthy I was.

Rafael’s
arm slid beneath my knees. He pulled me to his chest and stood with very little
effort. “I’m sorry, love. We need to take our seats so the plane can depart.”
He sat me in the seat furthest from Brady and Jase, then snapped my seatbelt into
place. He dropped into the seat next to me and fastened his seatbelt.

Kari
placed a basket of pastries, two steaming mugs of coffee, and two bottled
waters in front of us while the plane taxied down the runway.

I
glanced at Brady and Jase. “I feel bad, dragging them to Portugal.”

Rafael
quirked an eyebrow. “You would deny them a trip to Portugal?”

“No,
not if they wanted to go.” I held my coffee so it wouldn’t slide against the
table.

The
nose of the plane lifted. “Their departure may have been a bit unexpected, but
I think they’re looking forward to this trip. I’ve arranged for them to train
with some of my friends while they’re in Lisbon.”

“Are
they staying with us?” I fought a yawn and lost.

“They’ll
be staying in our flat, but
we
won’t be joining them until Sunday.” He
cracked open a bottle of water and handed it to me.

I
drank half the bottle. “Where are we staying?”

“Someplace
safe,” he assured me.

I
nodded wearily.

“Come
lie with me.” He released his seatbelt and mine.

I
quietly considered him. “Why did you fly to London?”

“I
was worried Maxim would do something stupid.” His arm slid beneath my knees.
Gently, he lifted me.

My
arms wrapped loosely around his neck. “More stupid than the kiss?”

“More
stupid than the kiss.” He carried me to bed.

I
shrank against the bed. “I’m scared.”

He
pulled the blanket over us and drew me to his chest. “I won’t allow any harm to
come to you.”

Like
a pendulum my life swung between fairytales and nightmares.

*
* * * *

“We’re
here,” Rafael announced softly.

Grudgingly,
my eyes opened. I’d fallen asleep within minutes of climbing into Rafael’s
Porsche. “How long was I asleep?”

“About
forty minutes.” Rafael stepped out of the car.

My
eyes widened when he walked in front of the car. Rafael opened my door and
offered his hand, but I didn’t budge. “We’re staying here?”

His
broad shoulders filled the doorway as he knelt beside me. “Is that okay?”

I
gaped at the medieval castle towering before me. Rafael’s Porsche seemed sorely
out of place parked in front of this ancient fortress. I counted five stone
towers, two square and three round, although there could have been more on the
other side of the building. The castle was enormous. I slowly stepped from the
car. “It’s… a castle.”

“It
is.” Rafael chuckled.

The
wind whipped my hair while I surveyed the rugged landscape and the massive stone
wall winding away from the castle. I half expected an archer to shoot an arrow
between one of the merlons forged atop the castle. Dark clouds formed an
ominous backdrop behind the rocky hilltop. “This place is huge. Where are all
the tourists?” Not a single soul walked the treacherous looking grounds.

Rafael
anchored a duffel bag over his shoulder before reaching for my carry-on luggage.
“Obidos Castle is not open to visitors unless they’re staying the night.” He
offered me his arm.

We
picked our way through the loose pebbles and the uneven ground. “But there are
no cars. Where did the staff and all of the other guests park?”

“A
valet parks the cars in the town located on the other side of that wall. The front
of the castle overlooks a very quaint town.”

I
was stunned. The castle and the castle wall had hidden the town so well, I’d
assumed we were the only two people around for miles. The only other building I
could see from this angle was a white limestone chapel peeking over the
hillside. “This place reminds me of the Moorish Castle in Sintra, only bigger.”

Rafael
smiled. “The Moors built Obidos Castle during the 8
^th
century. This
castle was in ruins, much like the Moorish Castle, but it was renovated after
the earthquake and eventually converted into a luxury hotel.”

I
thought he might be using the word “luxury” a bit loosely, given the rustic
structure looming before us. Still, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t believe we were
staying inside an 8
^th
century castle.

The
heavy wood door creaked open as we approached. Rafael spoke with the
distinguished looking gentleman who held the door for us. He took Rafael’s keys
while another man claimed our luggage.

I
clung to Rafael’s arm while my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting. The inside of
the castle was dark and ominous, which I found oddly soothing. Rafael checked
in while I admired the tall, scenic tapestries hanging against the stone walls.
The place smelled musky, like soil after a storm.

Rafael
linked his hand in mine. “They’re sending food up so we can eat in our room and
rest awhile.”

“This
place is amazing.” We walked down a long, windowless hallway, dimly lit by
thick candles in rustic metal sconces. Shadows danced along the stone walls and
floor. “It certainly feels authentic,” I whispered. The atmosphere demanded a
whisper.

“There’s
electricity and Wi-Fi, but they prefer to keep things as authentic as
possible,” Rafael replied.

I
smiled. It was my first genuine smile since the fiasco with Maxim. I rather liked
the idea of turning back time with my modern day knight. We had yet to see
another guest, so I doubted anyone would think to search for us here.

I
clung to the stone wall while Rafael and I climbed a steep flight of stairs. There
was no banister or railing to speak of. Each candle we hiked by flickered,
casting shadows that made it difficult to see the stairs. My thighs were
burning by the seventy-eighth step. I lost count after that. “I’m glad they’re
sending food up. These stairs are a bit much.”

Rafael
buried his shoulder in my stomach so he could carry me the rest of the way. I
was too tired to object.

The
stairs emptied into a large stone room. The room righted itself when my feet
touched the floor. The hard wood floor was stained the same dark color as the
open beam ceiling, the window frame, and bed. A masculine four-poster bed was
anchored over a rich burgundy rug. The white duvet and pillows stood in stark
contrast against the heavy furs draped across the foot of the bed. The room felt
toasty warm. A very real fire was already crackling inside the fireplace. A
stack of wood lie between the fireplace and an ancient metal chest. Our luggage
was sitting on top of the chest.

I
peered out the only window I’d seen inside the castle. The thick, wavy glass
revealed a raging storm. The thunderclouds finally broke, but the wind and the driving
rain were barely audible through eighty inch thick walls.

Rafael
swept my hair aside so he could nuzzle my neck. “What do you think?”

I
tore my eyes from the storm. “This place is everything I needed and more.”

“You
should check out the bathroom.” He walked backwards while leading the way.

 “Oh!”
I gasped. “This… this…”

“It’s
unbelievable,” Rafael agreed.

The
large copper tub was simply breathtaking. I crossed the room so I could examine
the decorative handles. My fingers trailed along the smooth copper rim. The
oval tub was large enough to fit both of us. The tapestry that hung against the
stone wall behind the bathtub depicted two maidens bathing a young woman with
porcelain skin. A narrow, arched entryway sat on either side of the tub. Both
entryways led to a cavernous marble shower with more jets than I cared to count.
I walked slack-jawed through the shower, from one entryway to the other.
Thankfully, a very modern toilet was hidden behind a stone wall on the far side
of the bathroom.

Rafael
was studying a simply constructed wood vanity with the same dark stain as the
open beam ceiling and the hard wood floor inside the bedroom. The bathroom
floor was stone. The sink appeared to be half of a large round stone, hollowed
out and polished so the inside was smooth. Wall sconces bracketed the ornate
copper mirror. The fire crackling inside the bedroom extended into the bathroom.
The windowless room literally glowed.

I
reached for his hand. “Thank you.”

“I’m
glad you like it.” He pulled me close.

My
eyes filled with tears. “I missed you so much. My heart hurts when we’re apart.
I don’t want to live apart anymore. I want to move to Portugal.”

“I
want you to finish school.” Rafael looked sad when he cupped my cheek in his
hand. His thumb lifted my chin as he fit his lips to mine.

My
body surged to life.

Rafael’s
hands tangled in my hair. There was no give and take, only take. Warm, firm
lips demanded my chin… my jaw… my ears… and neck. He unzipped my dress.

“Rafael,”
I groaned. My dress pooled on the floor.

“Now,”
he ordered. With an unyielding grasp, Rafael forced me toward the bed. He
unclasped my bra, dragged the straps down my arms, and let it drop to the
floor. He eased my panties over my hips. They slid to the floor.

I
pulled Rafael’s shirt over his head when he lowered me onto the bed. Our lips
met in a feverish kiss. My hands branded his shoulders, abdomen, and back while
I drank him in.

Our
eyes locked while Rafael removed his remaining clothes. The determination in
his eyes made me tremble. The muscles in his shoulders bunched when he lifted
my foot. He licked the arch of my foot, my calves, and thigh before settling
between my legs. His tongue stroked, tasted, and teased while I pleaded for
release.