I snuggle in closer. “Nothing. I said that I met you at the club and you were just being charming.”
“Did he say anything else?” he asks.
I meet his eyes. “No, why would he?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “You just said he was awfully upset.”
“Yeah. Well. Maybe he’s just being a father.”
“Maybe.”
“Are we going to sit here all night or are you going to take me to bed already?” I say, cupping his jaw and bringing my lips down against his.
“Oh,” he says, standing and taking me up into his arms. “We’re going to bed.”
“And what do you plan on doing to me there?”
He grins down at me. “Everything, cara. Every-fucking-thing.”
Bring it on.
~*~*~*~
RAFAEL
“Got a phone call from Julietta’s father today,” Riccardo says, stepping into my office at the old club.
I look up from the papers I was flicking through and narrow my eyes. “What exactly did Antonio want?”
“He wanted to know why you were talking to Julietta.”
He reacted. Dammit. “What did you tell him?”
“I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about and said maybe he should bring it up with you. Know what he said then?”
I shake my head.
“He said to keep her out of this business.”
I narrow my eyes. “Not his business, not our business—this business.”
Riccardo nods. “I also heard one of the paper trails lead back to him, and that he may know who pulled those shipments.”
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
“Leave it with me,” I say, rubbing my temples.
“Aren’t we going to question him?” Riccardo says.
I shoot him a look. “If I rush in there right now and question him, I’m doing it without any solid evidence. I’ll go in when the time is right.”
Riccardo’s face tightens. “I have to disagree with you, Rafael. I think he needs to be taken down now.”
“And I think you’re wrong.”
“But—”
“My rules, Riccardo. I respect you, but this is my call and you know it.”
His face scrunches, his lips twitching, but he nods and says, “Very well. Are we still running the tester shipment?”
“Yeah. I want eyes in there, cameras if need be. I want to know who the fuck is taking my cargo.”
He nods. “I’ll organize it.”
I don’t say anything. I just look back at my papers, effectively dismissing him.
He hesitates a moment, then he leaves.
I know it’s hard for Riccardo to take my orders, considering he’s older than me and probably even more respected, but the role is mine, and he chose to accept that. If he didn’t think he could handle it, he had the chance to walk away when my father died. He decided against that. He now owes me the respect I deserve.
Even if he doesn’t fucking like it.
CHAPTER 21
JULIETTA
“Julietta, there is someone here to see you.”
I look up from my patient chart and see Jacob standing in the doorway, looking anywhere but at me. He’s been like this since Rafael stopped him from being a pervert the other night. He’s scared, I can see it, and he’s doing anything he can to avoid me.
“Who is it?” I ask, putting my pen back in my pocket and placing the chart down.
“She didn’t say her name, but it was the woman who was here last month with . . . him.”
Him being Rafael. Is his mother here? Crap. “Thanks, I’ll go and see her.”
I move out into the waiting area, scanning the crowd, looking for his mother. I don’t see her. Then my eyes fall on Maria, and I flinch. Not his mother at all, but . . . his wife. You’ve got to be kidding me. He said none of this would touch me, so why the hell is she here? Did he tell her about me? God.
I swallow, plant a smile on my face and walk towards her. “Hi.”
She looks up from the magazine she was reading and smiles at me. “Hi. I’m sorry to bother you at work. I was just wondering if we could have a word.”
God.
God.
God.
“Of course. Is something wrong?”
She looks around, and then her eyes find mine again. Why is she so pretty?
“Don’t look so worried,” she says, smiling slightly. “I’m not here to attack you. I know you’re Rafael’s mistress; you don’t need to worry about that being a problem for me. I know very well what I am to Rafael, and quite frankly, my feelings for him are about as deep as his are for me. I came for something else . . .”
I blink. She’s confusing me. “Woman to woman, you really don’t have a single problem with him being with other women?”
She shakes her head. “If you knew more about my role, and our world, you would understand.”
“But . . . don’t you want to be happy?” I blurt out.
She smiles. “I am happy.”
“What about in love?”
She shrugs. “There is more to life than being tied down by love. Anyway, that’s not why I’m here.”
Right.
I’m acting crazy.
“Sorry. How can I help you then?”
She stares at her hands for a second, then looks back up at me. “I don’t know you, I don’t usually care much about the other women he sleeps with but after meeting you at the hospital that night, and figuring out who you were, I realized you’re a person. Just like me.”
I shake my head, confused.
“I’m not making much sense. Listen, I don’t meet or even know his mistresses so to me, they’re just . . . well . . . things. I met you. I saw you’re a nice girl. So, I came here to warn you.”
Here it comes. Stay away from my husband. “Okay,” I say, my voice stronger than I expected it would be in this moment.
“He’s lying to you.”
I flinch. Not what I expected. “Pardon me?”
“I can’t tell you why without risking myself, but just know that he’s not being honest and you’re not in his life for the reasons you think you are. Yes, he clearly likes you, but that’s not why he picked you.”
It feels as if my heart has landed in the pit of my stomach.
“He’s a smart man, calculating and confident. Rafael Lencioni does nothing for no reason. If you were just another mistress, you would have been gone weeks ago. He doesn’t keep them long. He’s far too restless; he gets bored easily. I don’t know what’s going down, he keeps his business tightly locked up, but I do know that he’s not being honest with you.”
“I . . .” God. I’ve got nothing.
“I’m not doing this to hurt you,” she says quickly. “I just think you have the right to know. You deserve more. You’re a nice girl. Don’t get caught up in our world.”
With that, she turns and walks away, leaving me standing there, completely numb.
Was she just saying those things to get rid of me, acting like it was her best intention? Or was she telling the truth?
I don’t know which one is worse.
~*~*~*~
I don’t answer Raf’s calls. I don’t go home. I go to my parents’ house.
I need to clear my head.
Something about Maria’s words hit me right where it hurts, because what if she’s being honest with me? What if she’s right and Rafael is using me for more than just a mistress? What could Rafael want with me? What could I possibly do to benefit his business? It just doesn’t make any sense.
I should confront him about it, but the answer terrifies me.
I don’t know who to turn to, or what to do. I guess you could say I deserve this. I mean, after all, I knew what I was getting into when I started this.
My chest hurts.
My phone rings again. And again. Then a text message chimes through.
Rafael – Don’t ignore me, J
ulietta. I’ll come and break down your parents’ door. We both know that won’t go down well.
God. He knows where I am.
Of course he knows where I am.
I punch out a quick text.
Julie – I need space.
Rafael – Meet me outside in ten minutes or I knock.
God damn him.
Julie – Fine.
I pull on a robe and walk downstairs, sneaking past my parents who are watching television in the living room. I open the door quietly and tiptoe out to the front porch. I don’t know what I’m going to tell Rafael. If I tell him his wife came to me, will he take it out on her? I don’t know what to do or what to think. I rub my face wearily as I move down the front path and find a patch of grass under a lamp post to sit on.
He arrives ten minutes later, exactly.
I stand up, clutching my robe tighter around myself, as if it’ll protect me.
“What’s going on, Julietta?” he asks, stopping in front of me, his brown eyes searching my face.
“Nothing. I’ve just had a big week.” I suck at lying.
“You know how I feel about liars,” he says, his voice a low whip.
“Probably the same way I feel,” I snap. I regret it instantly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” I say, staring at my feet.
He takes my jaw in his hand, tilting my head back. “Speak, cara. Right now.”
“Are you using me?”
He flinches. “Pardon?”
“Are you using me for more than sex?”
He shakes his head, confused. “Of course. I’m using you for companionship, friendship, and a distraction. You know all of this.”
God. Hearing him list it as if it’s no more than a contract has my heart clenching. All those times he has said kind things to me, or held me like I mattered, it’s all just been a damned lie. Everything about him is a lie. The worst part is I should have known better. He told me from the start what this was. When did I twist that?
“Not what I meant,” I say, my voice weaker than I’d like. “Are you keeping me around because of something to do with your business?”
His body stiffens, just slightly, but I notice it. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“Just an observation.”
He doesn’t believe me. I can see it. “Who have you been speaking to?”
“So it is true,” I say, jerking my chin out of his hands.
“I didn’t say that. I asked who you’ve been speaking to. Answer me, Julietta.”
“You know what? Fuck you. You don’t get to order me around.”
His eyes flash. “Now is not the time to play games.”
I snort. “All we do is play games. You should be used to it by now.”
He takes hold of my arms and leans in close. “Answer my question. Who have you been speaking to?”
“You know what? Get your hands off me.”
“Julietta. . .”
“Are you or are you not using me for more than your own personal needs?” I yell.
His eyes narrow. “No,” he says, softly.
God dammit. His voice seems genuine. “Then why are you getting so upset about it?”
“Because I want to know where you got those kinds of ideas and who is putting them in your head.”
I step back. “It was an observation I made on my own. A feeling, you could call it.”
“Don’t lie to me,” he warns.
“I’m not,” I say, holding his eyes, not flinching.
He holds mine right back. Two stubborn fools refusing to back down.
“If you have a problem,” he says, his voice strained, “you talk to me. You do not ignore me.”
“Or what, Raf? You’ll get rid of me? Go ahead. Right now I want to slap your pretty face so hard it burns!”
Where did that come from?
He steps forward. I step back.
“Careful, cara. I’m short on patience tonight.”
“You know what?” I say, taking another step back. “So am I.”
He shakes his head. “When you’re ready to talk like a mature adult, you know where to find me.”
He turns, strolling down the sidewalk as if our conversation just ended with pleasantries.
“You don’t get to walk away!” I yell after him.
He doesn’t stop.
Of course he gets to walk away.
He’s Rafael Lencioni.
He does whatever the fuck he wants.
CHAPTER 22
JULIETTA
I ignore him for a week.
He lets me.
Each passing day, I get more desperate. At what moment did I give so much of myself to him? I don’t even know who I am anymore. All I know is that the very idea of losing Rafael is too much to handle. I’m not ready. Not yet. God. I’m so fucking pathetic. I should be running in the opposite direction—instead all I can think about is whether or not this is over. Is this his way of saying it’s time to move on? Would he at least tell me if it was?
I know I need to talk to him. No, I know I want to talk to him. What I need to do is run in the opposite direction, get some self-respect back, and move on, but I can’t. I don’t know if I even want to, and that scares me. When did I let myself become so attached? When did I let a man control how I felt and acted? Oh, that’s right—the second I so stupidly opened my heart to him. That wasn’t my finest moment.
He’s stubborn, he’s strong, and he has the power. He knows it, too, and that means if I want him, I’m going to have to suck up my pride and go to him. Which will just make me look pathetic and desperate.
Well, even more so.
Then an idea throws itself into my head.
He punishes me when I’m bad, but this time around, he was the one in the wrong. I grin. I wonder if Rafael Lencioni will like tasting his own medicine?
I can’t wipe the evil smile off my face as I get dressed into my sexiest dress. It’s a Saturday night, so I know he’ll be at the club on the south side. He’s always there on the weekends since the explosion. I rush out of the house and flag down a cab, giving him the address.
I’m usually nervous, but tonight I’m more than ready to let Rafael know the kind of girl he’s playing with. He said I was different; I’ll show him just how different I can be.
When I arrive at the club, I line up and get my stamp, then I make my way inside. I go to the bar and get a shot of vodka before turning and glancing at Rafael’s office door. It’s closed, and his brother Vincent stands outside on the phone. Here goes nothing. There’s a good chance he’ll send me away, but I’m hoping he won’t.
I walk over to Vincent, and he smiles when he takes in my dress and my saunter. He hangs up the phone and stares down at me when I stop in front of him.
“I don’t think we’ve met officially,” I say, extending my hand. “I’m Julietta.”
He takes my hand, grinning. “Lovely to meet you, sweetheart.”
Charming. Just like his brother.
“Is Rafael in there?” I ask, nodding towards the door.
“He is. I’m going to take a wild guess and say you’re the reason for his foul mood all week?”
I grin. “I’m about to make it worse. Are you okay with that?” I say, my smile way too big.
He chuckles. “Anything to see my brother’s shorts in a twist. Go on in.”
“Thank you.” I twist the brass handle and push the door open. My eyes spot Rafael right away, sitting in his office chair on the phone. The second he sees me, he hangs up without even a goodbye.
“Julietta,” he says, his eyes dropping to my dress. “I see you’ve come to apologize.”
I say nothing.
Because it’ll be him who apologizes.
I walk over to him, slow and seductive, and he scoots his chair back, his eyes lusty. He’s missed me; I can see it in his face. That makes me feel good, confident, even. The music from the club softly infiltrates the q
uiet room, and I start slowly rocking my hips to it. He thinks he’s won; the smug smile on his face tells me he thinks he’s about to get wildly lucky.
He’s so very wrong.
I reach his chair and lean over, placing my hands on either side of him and throwing my leg over his lap so I’m straddling him. “Have you missed me?” I purr.
“You have no fucking idea,” he growls, taking my hips in his hands and grinding me against his hard throbbing cock.
“Tell me,” I murmur, reaching down between us and unbuttoning his pants.
“A fucking lot, baby.”
I love it when he calls me that.
Focus, Julie.
I release his cock and shift just slightly, sliding my panties to the side. No foreplay—I need him inside me right now. I curl my fist around his cock and guide him to my entrance, and then I slowly sink down. He growls, I gasp, and then I start riding him. I fuck him slowly, rotating my hips, bringing him closer and closer to the edge.
It feels good. So fucking good. But I have to follow through with my plan.
“Does it feel good?” I breathe, nipping his neck.
“Fuck. Yes,” he grunts.
I ride him a little harder, tangling my fingers into his hair. He moans, low and throaty. “I’m going to come,” he rasps.
I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and then slide off his cock.
It takes him a moment to register, and then he stares down at himself, confused. The pain that washes across his face when he looks back up at me is exactly what I wanted. He looks as if it’s going to kill him. I took away his pleasure, the same way he did mine. “What the hell?” he says, his voice strained.
“I’m not apologizing, Raf,” I say, sliding my panties back into position and straightening my dress. “I’m punishing you for being a dick. The same way you punished me.” My eyes drop to his cock. It looks angry. Whoops. “Enjoy that, handsome.”
Then I turn and strut out of the room.
~*~*~*~
RAFAEL
My dick is fucking burning.
I stare at the door, in complete shock.
My girl just one-upped me. She just put me in my place. I thought I liked her before—I fucking adore her now.