Broken Together (4 page)

Rafael
nodded. He looked… conflicted.

I
wrapped my arms around his neck so I could feel him and not my tainted past. “I
would prefer our marriage was blessed.”

His
eyes locked on mine. “Me too.”

I
ran my fingers along the chiseled planes that shaped his broad shoulders as he
backed me toward the bed. “Then perhaps we should set a wedding date in June or
July and meet with a priest when we return home.”

Rafael
shook his head. “I’d prefer not to wait that long.”

“That’s
only six months away,” I protested.

His
eyes darkened.

“Why…”
My question ended abruptly. “Are you trying to expedite our wedding because of
Maxim?”

His
jaw clenched.

I
sighed softly. An earlier date would require me to juggle wedding preparations
while I was still in school. “What about the third weekend in May? The weekend
after I graduate?”

Rafael
released the clasp on my bra, eased the straps down my arms, and dropped it on
the floor. “What about spring break?” He knelt and drew each nipple deep inside
his mouth.

My
eyes slid closed. I was finding it increasingly difficult to argue my point. “I’m
going to be in Rwanda over spring break. Remember?”

He
hooked his thumbs in my thong and tugged it toward the floor. “May, then.”

I
nodded my consent.

Rafael
lowered me onto the bed. “I can’t believe there’s a class.”

I
tugged the leather band from his hair. “It’s really not that bad. The class helps
ensure we’re on the same page about our finances, marital roles, and children.”

“About
those children…” He nudged my knees apart as he pressed his body to mine. “I
think we should work on that requirement now.”

“Mmmm,”
was my only reply. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled his hips to mine.

In
one long, decadent stroke he filled me. “Mine,” he sighed.

“Yours,”
I conceded. I linked my hands with his.

We
fell into a sweetly seductive kiss. Rafael thrust harder, knitting us together
again and again.

Tension
coiled deep and low. “Rafael,” I panted. Pleasure sparked. I was so close… too
close. More than anything, I wanted to prolong this moment.

Rafael
slowed. His hands clenched mine as he gazed into my eyes. He moved deep and
slow.

I
fought for control even as my body demanded more.

Rafael
grasped my shoulders. He held me tight and thrust. “You. Are. Mine.” His
muscles clenched. With a final thrust he owned me.

My
back arched as he pulsed inside of me. We unraveled in the searing heat.

Rafael
rolled his hips against mine, prolonging the pleasure, wringing even more desire
from my deeply sated body. Slowly, he began to thrust.

Still
quivering, I relinquished control. “Yes,” I moaned. “More.”

*
* * * *

The
bedroom was bathed in a soft flickering light. I shifted slightly so I could
watch the flames dance in the fireplace. I was surprised to find the fireplace
was radiating heat. The room felt cozy and warm. Rafael’s arms and legs were locked
around mine, and we were both tangled in the sheets. My eyes widened when the
plane lurched unexpectedly.

“Turbulence,”
Rafael grumbled. He opened his eyes when my stomach growled. “Hungry?”

“Very.”
I briefly considered searching for my phone so I could see what time it was. I
hadn’t a clue how much time had passed since the flight began.

Rafael
leaned over me to press the call button next to the bed. “Hi, Kari. We’re ready
for the remaining courses.”

“Will
you be eating in the main cabin, or would you prefer I bring your trays back to
the bedroom?”

He
grinned. “The bedroom, please.”

“But
we’re not even dressed!” I ducked under his arm and dove for my thong. Like
that would cover me.

A
well-muscled arm wrapped around my waist. Rafael picked me up and tossed me
back in bed. “There are bathrobes in the closet.” He strode to the other side
of the bed and opened a white door that was built into the wall, just like the
door to the bathroom.

“There’s
a closet?” I crawled back out of bed so I could peek over his shoulder. “You…
there’s… everything!” Rafael had stocked the closet with bathrobes, slippers,
shoes, coats, and at least three changes of clothes for each of us.

He
tugged a black fleece bathrobe over his shoulders before sliding a slightly
smaller version over my arms. “The dresser contains additional bed linens and clothes.
The bathroom is stocked with towels, washcloths, and of all the same products
we use at home.”

I
pulled the bathrobe closed and tied the belt. “Wow.” I shook my head and
wrapped my arms around his neck. “Clearly, you’ve thought of everything.”

Rafael
beamed. His hands settled against the small of my back. “The place we’ll be
staying is similarly stocked.”

I
pulled him down for a kiss. “Now I get why I didn’t need luggage.”

A
light knock sounded at the door.

Rafael
deposited me on the bed before opening the door. “Thanks.”

“Ring
me when you’re ready for the main course,” Kari encouraged softly.

“Will
do.” Rafael returned with two trays. The top tray held two Caesar salads, an
assortment of bread, small salt and pepper grinders, herb butter, sparkling
water, a cork screw, and a bottle of Apothic Red.

Rafael
set the bottom tray on my lap before distributing the food. He handed me a
glass of wine before joining me in bed.

I
took a sip. A heady mix of rhubarb, black cherry, mocha, and vanilla notes slid
soft as silk down my throat. I hummed my appreciation. “We should stock this
wine at home.”

He
tried the wine. “Not bad for a California blend.” He speared some lettuce
against a rather large crouton. “Has Oni firmed up her plane ticket?”

I
slathered the butter over a warm slice of French bread, tore a small piece off,
and popped it into my mouth. “Yes. She’s flying in on January 10
^th
.
Can she stay with us for a week? The dorms don’t open until January 17
^th
.”

Rafael
shrugged. “A week is fine with me. When does spring semester begin?”

“January
20
^th.
.” I dug into the salad.

“Is
she excited about the move?” He buttered a piece of bread.

My
fork stalled. “Oni’s excited about graduate school, but she’s not looking
forward to being separated from her family, especially given the instability in
Ukraine.”

He
finished his salad. “That’s certainly understandable. How’s her English? Do you
think she’ll get along okay?”

“Her
English is impeccable. I can’t wait for you to meet her. You’re really going to
like Oni.”

Rafael
hit the call button before setting his tray on the dresser. “Hi, Kari. We’re
ready for the main course.”

“I
look forward to meeting her.” He snagged another piece of bread before climbing
back into bed. “Has Maxim revealed what he’s going to ask of you?”

“No.”
I pushed the last of my salad aside. In a moment of sheer desperation, I’d
panicked and promised Maxim anything… well, anything but sex… in order to
secure his assistance in finding and freeing Kadyn, who’d been taken hostage
during a shootout between the drug cartels outside San Fernando, Mexico. Maxim asked
the Russian Mafia to secure Kadyn’s release from the Gulf Cartel just last
month. I owed Maxim, big time, but Maxim had yet to reveal what he was going to
ask of me. The not knowing was killing me. I was terrified Maxim was going to
ask something that would cost me my relationship with Rafael.

Rafael
twirled the glittering engagement ring around my finger. “Maybe this will help
Maxim adjust his expectations.”

I
blew out a breath. “Knowing Maxim, he’ll see I’ve replaced his ring with yours,
raise the stakes, and demand even more.”

A
soft knock sounded at the door.

Rafael
scowled. He gathered the trays and answered the door. “Thanks, Kari. Why don’t
we plan for dessert in a half hour or so?”

“Sure.”

“Let’s
not talk about Maxim,” I pleaded.

“Agreed.”
Rafael separated the trays before doling out the plates.

The
peppercorn cream sauce tickled my nose, making me sneeze. “Wow. Steak, steamed
broccoli, and a baked potato loaded with butter, bacon, shredded cheese, and
sour cream? I gained ten pounds just looking at this.”

Rafael
settled in next to me with his tray. “No worries. I’ll burn every single
calorie off you over the next few hours.”

My
entire body clenched. I set my tray and his on the bed so I could straddle his
lap. “Maybe I should feed you, so you can conserve your energy.”

Rafael’s
eyes heated. He pulled our hips flush so that his body pressed intimately
against mine. “I think that’s a brilliant idea.”

I
cut a piece of steak and traced his lips with the peppery cream sauce before
leaning in for a kiss. We both moaned when we tasted the sauce. I pulled the
steak off the fork and slid it in his mouth. Rafael captured my hand and sucked
my fingers clean before savoring the meat. I tried the steak while Rafael
finished his piece.

I
offered him the loaded baked potato. He drew me in for a sour cream infused
kiss. Every bite was interspersed with a kiss. Each kiss grew more heated until
we finally abandoned the meal.

I
layered open mouthed kisses along his jaw… down his neck, shoulders, and chest.
I peeked up at him before capturing his nipple between my teeth. Gently, I bit.

With
an ominous growl, he lifted my hips and drove. Hard.

My
chest thrust forward. My back arched. “Oh, God!”

Rafael
drew my breast inside his mouth… bit down… and rolled my hips.

Softly,
I moaned. My eyes slid closed when he began to thrust.

Rafael
licked and kissed his way to my other breast before drawing it deep inside his
mouth. My toes curled when he sucked. He scraped his teeth against my breast, clamped
his lips around the nipple, and pulled.

Pleasure
rolled all the way from my head to my toes. My hands clenched in his hair. “Don’t
stop,” I pleaded. The most exquisite pain pulsed between my legs.

Slowly,
he lifted me. Swiftly, he slammed right where I needed him most. He repeated
the move, using a bit more force with every stroke.

Rafael
captured my lips as I curled around him. His tongue thrust deep inside my
mouth, claiming yet another part of me. He coaxed me to that place where
pleasure bordered pain. He pushed me over the cliff, following me when I finally
screamed his name.

Rafael
kissed me tenderly when our bodies finally quieted. “I love making love to
you.”

“The
feeling’s mutual.” A few seconds passed. “What’s for dessert?”

He
smiled. “Spiced chocolate molten lava cake with vanilla ice cream.”

“The
ice cream sounds promising.” I nuzzled his neck. I was looking forward to
lapping the ice cream off his chest.

The
serving trays bounced against the bed as Rafael shifted his weight. He tucked me
beneath him. “Dessert can wait.”

My
thighs clamped around his waist. “Yes,” I breathed. “A thousand times ‘yes.’”

Rafael
took me two more times… once with the ice cream… before we crashed headlong
into sleep.

Kari
coaxed us out of bed with coffee. We stumbled into the main cabin sometime
around three o’clock in the morning so the pilot could land the plane… in
England, evidently.

We
decided to take a shower while the ground crew fueled the jet. The shower was
about half the size of the one we had at home but still plenty big for what
Rafael had in mind. I was pretty certain I’d been screwed senseless by the time
the plane took off again. We both collapsed onto the bed once we reached
cruising altitude, only this time we slept like the dead.

*
* * * *

“Portugal?”
I gasped. “We’re in Portugal?” As soon as the wheels touched down, the pilot
welcomed us to Lisbon, Portugal. I peered out the window. Hopefully, the soft
gray sweater, faded blue jeans, and gray suede boots I was wearing were
appropriate for the weather. Rafael was wearing black jeans, a gray
long-sleeved shirt, and a black leather jacket.

“I
want you to see where I’m from.” Suddenly, he looked worried. The jet slowed.
The pilot turned toward the terminal.

My
heart clenched. Rafael surprised me with a trip to Montana three and a half
months ago. He thought the trip would help me heal from Michael’s death. Would
Portugal offer Rafael the same opportunity or trigger painful memories? I
reached over and squeezed his hand. “Will this be difficult for you?”

Rafael
shook his head before peering out the window. I wondered whether he was
diverting his eyes intentionally. Rafael’s parents were murdered when he was
seventeen. His family was extremely wealthy. Some thugs raped his mother and shot
his father after breaking into their house to rob them. His father was dead by
the time Rafael arrived home from an outing with his friends. His mother died a
few days later in the hospital. Rafael pursued a career with the Portuguese
Police Special Operations Group because of that horrific experience. He served
in the counter-terrorism unit before working in VIP protection. He’d been
protecting people ever since.