by Nina Crespo
Moments later, he lowered her to the ground.
Her legs trembled.
He swept a kiss over her cheek as he held her waist. “You all right?”
“Yes.” Dreamy warmth settled over her. She fought the urge to lay her head on his chest and close her eyes.
He stepped back and took off the condom. “Bathroom’s around the corner to the right.”
A metal bench sat along the opposite wall where he pointed.
She needed to sit down. Alexa smoothed the skirt of her dress. She glanced at the full condom in his hand. “You go first. I can wait.”
A slight smile ghosted over his lips as he dragged up his jeans. “I’ll make it quick.” He went into the bathroom.
Lethargy hovered over her. It took effort to snag her bikinis from the floor.
The neatly made black, wood-framed bed with a charcoal comforter beckoned in the far left corner.
Cuddling up after sex was her definition of the perfect encounter, and that bed was made for two people to curl up in for the night. Only she wouldn’t, because she wasn’t hanging around.
Track lights embedded in white ceiling beams sectioned off four rectangular skylights and illuminated the small studio. An azure couch with gray and blue geometric pillows sat in front of long, dove-gray drapes. A matching patterned rug and dark wood coffee table added to the seating area.
The cushions and the pillows across the room looked awfully cozy, too.
She dropped onto the bench.
A walk-in closet and a galley-style kitchen on the right with an island and tall, high-backed chairs completed the space. He’d even managed to tuck a heavy bag in the other corner. Everything was so neat. Sealed and empty boxes, along with packing material, cluttered her five-bedroom house.
Bubble wrap. She’d forgotten to buy more rolls.
Her phone vibrated and jingled with a text. She slipped it out of her purse. It was Nat.
Where r u?
One answer would suffice. With Raphael the Dream Maker. A smile tugged at Alexa’s mouth. What would Nat have to say about that?
Seconds passed before Nat responded. I’m going home. Need to take care of something.
Something? That word usually meant there were problems with Nat’s ex. Worry drove Alexa to her feet. On my way. Meet you out front.
No! Stay. Have fun with him. Cori grabbing a ride with a friend. U good to get home?
Water ran in the bathroom sink.
Nat didn’t like it when they fussed over her. Yes. TTYL.
They would definitely talk later. Nat acted like the ending of her marriage didn’t matter, but when her guard slipped, pain and sadness showed in her eyes. She was the strongest of the three of them. Keeping things bottled up was her way of dealing with problems, but everyone had their limits. Alexa put her phone away. Eventually she and Cori would have no choice but to make Nat spill it, for her own good.
Raphael walked into the entryway. “The bathroom’s all yours.” His gaze landed on the phone in her hand. “Guess your friends are wondering where you are?”
She pushed out a breezy laugh. “Yeah. I should get back.” As she slipped past him, her skin tingled, and desire warmed inside of her. She still wanted more of him, but she knew his question was his polite way of telling her she should go.
She cleaned up as quickly as she could, then came out of the bathroom.
Raphael was standing in the kitchen drinking clear liquid from a tall glass. He’d paired dark jeans with a black polo that had the club’s gold CE logo stitched on the left side of his chest. “Want some water?”
“No. Thanks, Raphael.”
“Rafe. Raphael is my stage name. Back here, I keep it real.” He walked over to her. His muscles bunched and released underneath his clothes.
The urge to touch him almost overwhelmed her. She clipped her belt with the purse around her waist. “In that case, I’m Alexa, not princess.”
He grinned. “Fair enough. Were you and your friends planning to hang out at the club after the show?”
“They didn’t mention it.”
“You should. Midnight is when the party starts around here.”
Sitting at a bar alone in a club was the equivalent of a neon sign flashing the words, “Woman desperate for a hookup.” She wasn’t. Having sex with one guy and moving on to the next in the same night, or the same month for that matter, wasn’t her style.
“Thanks for the offer, but not tonight.” Being with Rafe had served a purpose. Cork popped. Goods sampled. Enjoyed him. Done.
He opened the door.
The black cowboy hat lay on the white tile.
Rafe scooped it up and sat it on her head. “It was made for you.”
Attraction like gravity made her lay her hands on his chest. She met him halfway for a kiss. Her tongue tangled with his. His erection pressed to her belly reignited the slow, luscious burn of desire.
The need to breathe forced them apart.
He nipped and sucked her lower lip. “I don’t have to go back to work yet.”
A deep kiss stole her attention. Her friends were busy. She was on her own. Why should she settle for a sample of Rafe, when she could have all of him? Why shouldn’t she make her fantasy a reality and experience a night with him, naked, in that nice, big bed?
She smiled against his lips. “You know, we did have a deal. Something about me only wearing this hat.”
Chapter Six
Rafe scooped Colombian roast from the silver package and poured it into the coffeemaker on the kitchen counter. The container crinkled as he placed it in the slim pantry cabinet in the corner.
Alexa, oblivious to the noise and the morning sun beaming on the bed through the skylights, slept on her stomach. Tendrils of hair falling near her lush lips fluttered with her soft sighs.
He swept stray grounds of coffee into the stainless steel sink with a dish towel. Did she always sleep so soundly, or was she tired from all the activity they’d put in during the past ten hours?
The image of her riding him wearing nothing but the hat fueled another erection. He adjusted his stance to relieve the pressure against the front of his jeans.
Hours earlier, he’d left her in bed to help close the club, but all he could think of was how sexy she’d looked twisted up in his sheets. Rafe tossed the towel on the dish rack. Thirty minutes later, he’d given up on working and turned operations back over to Xan. The staff didn’t care who was in charge as long as they clocked out on time. Shannon had been too giddy with relief over the Breakup Bash ending successfully to ask why he was disappearing again. On the walk back to the studio, he’d prepped for the possibility that Alexa might have already left. He’d come in as she’d strolled out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She’d been just as eager as him for round three.
He switched on the coffeemaker.
The quiet rush of percolating coffee joined the hum of the air conditioner.
The chilled breeze cooled his arms exposed by his white short-sleeved T-shirt.
She turned on her side and snuggled deeper under the covers.
Lower temperatures suited him fine. She’d stayed spooned against him all night. Was the place too cold for her? In his bare feet, he didn’t make a sound as he crossed the room to the control panel near the closet.
She lifted her head and sniffed. “Coffee. It smells wonderful. Can I have some?”
“Sure.” He adjusted the room temperature. “I don’t have milk or cream. Just sugar.”
“That’s all I need.” She sat up, tucked the sheet under her arms, and swiped hair out of her eyes. “Pour me a big cup with two teaspoons and I’ll love you forever.”
Love and forever. She’d been engaged the last time she was at the club. What had happened? He poured coffee into two mugs, added sugar to hers, then brought it to her.
She cradled the mug like a precious object. With her first sip, her eyes closed, and her moan almost rivaled the ones she’d made in the midst of her orgasms.
The coffee wasn’t that spectacular. He moved toward her and brushed his mouth over hers. “Sounds like you’re issuing a challenge.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You did. No way am I letting you out of here with drinking coffee being the last thing you remember enjoying in my bed.”
Her lips twitched with a smile. “No worries about that.” A faint jingle snagged her attention. “My cell.” She looked to the floor. From her puzzled expression, she was obviously wondering where her things were.
“Your dress is over there.” He pointed to the arm of the couch, where he’d folded and placed it earlier this morning. The cowboy hat sat next to it. “Sounds like your purse is under the bed.” The links of a gold chain peeked out near his foot. He pulled it out, along with the small bag.
She accepted it and dug out her phone. “Thanks.” She read the screen, and her smile faded slightly. “I have to go.”
Who was texting her? Had she lied about not being married? She could have attended the Bash in solidarity with one of her friends who was going through a breakup. She wouldn’t be the first woman to play single on the weekend. What had his ex-girlfriend, Eden, called it? A temporary fuck pass.
Her cell jingled again.
“You’re right.” He couldn’t hold back the accusation lacing his words. “You’ve been summoned. Don’t want to keep him waiting.” He reached for her mug.
She held it away. “It’s rude to take someone’s coffee.”
“Is it? What about cheating on your husband, boyfriend, or whoever that was?”
Shock and sadness momentarily shadowed her expression. “I’m not a cheater. Brad, my ex-fiancé, was.” She plunked the cup on the nightstand, whipped back the covers, and got up.
The dark brew rocked dangerously close to the edge.
Hell. He hadn’t considered the guy she was supposed to marry had turned into a jackass. Rafe set his coffee next to hers. He snagged her arm before she reached the bathroom. “I shouldn’t have made an assumption about who you were talking to on the phone.”
Alexa’s gaze remained on his chest, but she let him pull her close. Her cell phone jingled. Concern overshadowed her defiant expression. “I’d better get going.”
The prospect of engaging with whoever called had dimmed the radiance that had grabbed him the first time he’d laid eyes on her.
On impulse, he cupped her face. “Not until you accept my apology. I’m sorry.” He kissed her.
Little by little, the rigid line of her lips softened, and she leaned against him.
Warmth and sweetness saturated his mouth as he plunged his tongue into hers and conveyed what he wasn’t saying aloud. He was sorry. Sorry for trying to take her coffee. Sorry she had to leave and deal with whatever weighed her down. But he wasn’t sorry that Brad had fucked up. Did that make him a bastard right along with her ex? Rafe grasped her hips and pressed his rigid cock against her. All he had to do was free himself and glide into her softness and heat. He’d bring them both pleasure and erase her unhappiness.
She eased back. “I can’t be late.”
“I’ll make it worth your while.” He nuzzled and nipped her throat. Yeah, his intention was to enjoy one night with her and move on, but kissing Alexa was a game changer every damn time. She’d remained in his mind, ever since the first time he’d laid eyes on her. He needed to figure out why. After he got her back in bed.
She laughed ruefully and slipped from his arms. “You’re extremely tempting, but I’m not going to risk upsetting my mother. She wants me to call her, and I’m supposed to meet a friend at my house this afternoon.” She picked up her dress on the way to the bathroom. Her firm ass and silky, toned legs taunted him.
He didn’t know Alexa, but he would have guessed she had one of those easygoing, sister-type relationships with her mother, not the kind where she tensed up over a text. Then again, it wasn’t as if he were an expert on the parent connection. An auto accident had taken his mother before he’d turned two, and his father certainly wouldn’t win awards for his child-rearing skills. Rafe emptied their mugs into the sink. The only other parents he’d had any experience with were Eden’s. During the year they’d been together, she’d sparred with hers over everything, including being with him.
Rafe’s mind drifted back to the past.
Eden had only been in town a few months when Shannon had introduced them at the club where he’d danced with the Hot Body Hunks’ franchise in Miami. At twenty-three, Eden was fresh out of college and unsure of what she wanted to do in life. But there was no hurry for her to decide. An eccentric rich guy named Loral, with ambitions to become a clothing designer, had claimed she, along with Shannon and three of Shannon’s fashion model friends, were his muses and had paid them to hang around at his mansion while he figured out what to create.
Eden’s psychiatrist father and corporate attorney mother had also sent her a generous monthly allowance, until they’d learned she was dating him—a male stripper whose only ambition was to use her and steal her money. Yeah, they’d been dead wrong about him. He’d loved her…and he’d been stupid enough to believe she’d actually loved him, too.
Alexa’s exit from the bathroom pulled him back from the rise of bitter memories.
He grabbed his keys and a full money clip with cash from the marble-topped kitchen island. “Once we’re out of DC, traffic should lighten up. Do you live far from here?”
“No. I’m close.” She hurried to the entryway and slipped on her stilettos. “But I know that dancing with the Hunks is a weekend job. I’m sure you have another performance to get ready for. I called for a Lyft.” Alexa touched her lobes. She turned from right to left, studying the floor. “Have you seen my earrings?”
A flash of metal caught his eye near the nightstand. “Behind you on the floor.” He took a deep breath. He wanted her to know him, the real him. “It’s not a problem for me to take you home. I’m not a Hunk. I retired five years ago. I own the club.”
She dropped down to her knees and grabbed the earring. “So why were you dancing with them last night? And what about seven months ago? Damn it, where’s the other one?”
He should have helped her look, but that would mean he’d have to take his gaze from her sexy heart-shaped ass wiggling at him as she stretched out her hand and searched under the bed. The blood rushing from his head to below his waist washed away his words. “It’s a long story.”
“Shit. I can’t find it. I have to go.” She stood. As Alexa stuffed the earring in her bag, she headed for the front door.
“Hold on.” He caught her hand. “The staff is out front, cleaning up. You’ll probably want to go out the other door. Unless you don’t mind an audience watching you leave.” He couldn’t stop himself from tugging her closer. His dick was on full alert, ready to mount its own search and destroy mission. Alexa had said she lived nearby. Maybe he could destroy her desire to leave right away. He still had another hour before he had to check over last night’s revenue reports.
She nudged him back and laughed. “Where’s this other door? Or will I have to crawl out of the window?”
He led her to the closed gray drapes.
Her mouth dropped open. “I was joking. I’m not going out that way.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll give you a boost.” Her incredulous expression made it impossible for him to hold back a grin. He slid back a section of faux wall a few feet over and revealed a dark metal door.
She whacked his arm. “Not funny.”
“I couldn’t resist.” He caught her around the waist. She’d glossed her lips pink. Some women were extra picky about not disturbing their makeup, but he needed to kiss her again. He leaned in, giving her time to wave him off.
She wound her arms around his neck and welcomed his mouth on hers.
Strawberries. The same flavor of the jam he spread on his toast in the morning. Now every time he had some, he’d think of her.
She smiled against his lips. “I really h
ave to go. Call me if you find my earring, will you? They’re my favorite pair.”
“What’s your number?”
Alexa recited the digits.
He committed them to memory.
“Thanks.” A gleam lit up her eyes as she gave him a too-brief kiss. “And thanks again for letting me wear your hat.”
“You’re welcome.” He opened the door.
Heat, along with auto exhaust, wafted inside. Cars moved at a steady pace up and down the street. Pedestrians strolled the sidewalk.
Alexa sauntered down the three steps from the landing of the studio and joined them. She called someone on her cell.
A few seconds later, a dark sedan drove around the corner then pulled up to the curb. She got into the car and didn’t look back.
He shut the door. She hadn’t made coy suggestions about coming to the club so they could meet up again. Why should she? She’d wanted to have sex with him as a temporary escape. He’d needed her out of his system. They’d both gotten what they wanted.
He cleaned the dishes then stripped the bed. Her lingering perfume, soft, floral, and sexy, ignited nerves under his skin. He tossed sheets and towels into the all-in-one washer-dryer combo nestled in a cabinet near the closet. That would erase her scent from the apartment. Rafe snagged the cowboy hat from the couch. He’d return it to the Hot Body Hunks’ prop room.
The image of Alexa easing down on him in the reverse cowgirl position scorched him with heat. Rafe tossed the hat down. Fuck. He dragged off his shirt. If he was going to break out in a sweat, he’d do it working out on the heavy bag, not fantasizing about Alexa.
Chapter Seven
Alexa ended the call just as the driver pulled into her subdivision. The ride home and the phone conversation with her mother on the way had taken longer than anticipated. They’d started out talking about the plans for NorthStar’s anniversary gala. The event would not only celebrate twenty-three years of business, but also honor her father for his leadership of the company. She and her mother had also built in a few surprises for him, including bringing in some of the retired staff members who’d started out with the company in its first year and creating a video showing the highlights of NorthStar’s growth.