Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One)

by K. Victoria Chase

RAFA felt the current pass between them when he suggested Genie slow down. Mere breaths apart, his thoughts shifted from her safety to her response to him. Her eyes grew hazy, as if she hadn’t heard a word he said. Then the impossible happened. Her gaze drifted ever so boldly to his lips.

  His heart rammed in his chest, making it impossible to breathe. Her lips parted and she swayed toward him. Rafa’s body turned to stone. He knew what would come next, and he couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. He never allowed the thought of Genie desiring him to take root.

  But now with her eyes closed and lips pursed, the shock he felt when her mouth touched his caused his eyes to widen. The will and effort to remain impassive to her kiss never materialized, and he pulled her from the bed and into his embrace. The taste of her supple lips, the heat from her body ignited a white-hot flame within him. A soft moan from her invited a deeper, more intense exploration of her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders and locked behind his neck. Rafa had no sense of how long they stayed wrapped in each other's arms, but when their lips parted, their breaths in gasps, she didn’t pull away.

  “Totally kissable,” she breathed and leaned in.

  Laughing, Rafa angled back. “What did you say?”

  “Hmm?” Her eyes closed as she searched for his mouth.

  “You said I was totally kissable.” He ended her search with another kiss.

  Her eyes flew open. She snapped her head back. “I did not!”

  He smiled at the indignant flare of her nostrils. Color crept slowly into her cheeks. “Well, aren’t I?” He pulled her deeper into his embrace. She huffed and shoved him away. He laughed louder. When she tried to sidestep him, he pulled her to his side. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to behave. Here, let me help you.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked into the hallway.

  “Rafael, you… you don’t have to help me home.”

  The sudden nervousness in her voice surprised him. She kept her eyes averted as they walked down the hall, but continued to cling to his arm, which he kept wrapped firmly around her waist. “And let you drive in your condition?”

  Genie groaned. “I don’t have a condition! Just a little dizzy is all…”

  “You’re injured. I should have held back for your sake.” He couldn’t help the jest any more than she could the punch he received. Rafa chuckled. “I’ll drive and I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning for work.”

  “Okay.”

  “Wait, what? Did you just agree with me?”

  “Don’t let it go to your head. Right now mine is pounding so I’m not responsible for what I say… or do.” She gave him a narrowed glance.

  Rafa smiled, knowing her mind was still on their kiss.

  Twenty minutes later, they pulled in front of her house and Rafa turned off the car. Neither of them made any movement to exit the vehicle. Sunup was in a few hours and although he should help her into the house to rest, he didn’t want to leave her. For the first time in years, he allowed himself a moment of indulgence, but kissing Genie was more than an indulgence. Her kiss wiped clean the memories of everyone before her. He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift back to the moment before their lips first touched and the look of desire in her eyes for him. Him! He heard her shift beside him.

  “Rafael, I… I feel I owe you an apology.”

  Her eyes leveled with his and he saw trepidation in their depths. She was going to apologize for the kiss. Did she think he didn’t want it? Is that what spurred the need to ask for forgiveness? If she was asking him to convince her of his mutual desire…

  He leaned across the center console and took the back of her neck in his hand, urging her forward. She pulled back.

  “I can’t.”

  Her refusal flattened him. His mind worked to form a question, but one didn’t come.

  “I’m sorry, this is my fault.” She removed his hand from her neck and edged back toward the door.

  “Genie—”

  “I agreed to tell you who hurt me.”

  Numb from his own growing pain at her rejection, he nodded at the chance for an explanation. “Let’s get you inside, and we can talk,” he whispered.

  After he walked the property and secured the windows, he entered the kitchen, where Genie was pouring him a cup of liquid from a teapot. Genie placed a tea bag into the cup. “I hope that’s decaf,” he said lightly.

  She smiled. “Of course, but I’m sure even a little caffeine won’t keep me from sleep as soon as my head hits the pillows. Do you want sugar?”

  “No, thanks.” She handed him the steaming cup and, after pouring herself one, motioned for him to take a seat at the small, round table in her breakfast nook. “You sure you don’t want to sit on the couch? It’s probably more comfortable.”

  Taking her seat at the table, she shook her head. “I’m fine here.”

  “Thank you for the tea,” he said.

  “You’re welcome.”

  They both took a sip of their drinks, keeping their eyes locked. Then they snickered and heat scorched Rafa’s cheeks. Genie sported a little pink as well. “This might be the longest time we’ve been in each other’s presence without, you know, arguing.” He smiled at her over the rim of his cup.

  “I don’t know how I feel about making civility a habit.”

  His eyes narrowed. “So you do enjoy arguing with me?”

  Genie snorted. “I don’t enjoy it. It’s just necessary.”

  “Like now?” He grinned at her, and the color in her cheeks deepened.

  Her smile faded. She cleared her throat and fingered her hair, a nervous habit. He sat quietly, allowing her to confide in him in her own way, and her own time. She exhaled heavily. “I guess I have some explaining to do.”

  “Take your time.”

  “No, it’s late. And I prefer to be direct.” She shot him a half smile, but her eyes held only sadness. Rafa’s heart constricted. She had already been physically injured tonight. He didn’t want to reopen old emotional wounds with far worse pain.

  He reached for her hand, clasping it in his own. “Look, if you want to do this in the morning or some other time—”

  “No,” came her resolute tone. “You deserve the truth. You’ve been honest with me and I promised, so here it goes.” She expelled a quick breath. “In college, I was seeing a man, Jeff is his name. He and I were going to be engaged.” Her gaze dropped to the cup in her other hand. Her lower lip trembled and, suddenly, Rafa wished he’d never asked. But to stop her now would embarrass her, so he remained silent.

  She lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears. “Rafa, I was in love. I mean, I thought he was ‘the One.’” She sniffed as a lone tear streaked down her cheek. “I found out that he was seeing another woman, at the same time he was courting me.”

  Rafa’s heart sunk. He was all too familiar with Jeff’s behavior, having disrespected women in that manner before. Only after he became a Christian did he value women, appreciating more than just their physical attributes. He kept his hands to himself and fostered friendships out of mutual respect.

  “He fathered a child with her. He even asked for my advice for a ‘friend’ who was considering returning to his first love, the mother of his child.” She sniffed loudly, wiping her cheek with her hand. “And like an idiot, I said that his ‘friend’ should try to work it out with the woman he loved. In a week, Jeff dumped me.”

  “Eugenia—”

  Her eyes hardened, the moisture drying. “So, from that moment forward, I focused on my job and being the best man a woman could be. I’ve also sworn off relationships with men.” She glanced away, her expression falling, her eyelids rapidly blinking. “I’ve also been so mad at God, I’ve let my relationship with Him suffer. I just couldn’t understand why… why He’d allow me to be so betrayed.”

  Rafa took hold of her other hand, drawing her gaze back to his face. “Genie, I’m so sorry.” His breath hitched and he bowed his head to compose himself. When he was ready, he met her gaze again. “I�
��ve been Jeff. There’s no excuse for it. But for the past few years, I haven’t allowed myself to pursue any woman because of the mistakes I’ve committed in the past.” Her eyes grew large, filled with hope. Was it for an answer to her dilemma? Maybe how to forgive others? What could he say when he had such a hard time accepting forgiveness? “I couldn’t understand, at first, why my mother forgave me… how God could forgive me.”

  “And what did you discover?” She whispered the question.

  “She loves me. God loves me and they both forgive.”

  She pulled her hands away.

  “Don’t hold on to it. Let it go,” he urged. She nodded but, whether she would, he didn’t know.

  His mother had made the same plea to him, and only now did he begin to release that burden. He didn’t want to be shackled to the past. He’d made mistakes, but now he was ready to embrace a brighter future. Would Genie be a part of that future? He’d never go back to the life he used to lead, and Genie couldn’t undo the hurt Jeff had caused.

  Rafa stood and gently pulled her from her seat. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her cheek against his chest. He held her close, breathing in the soft floral scent of her hair, relishing in her nearness.

  “Thank you for listening,” she murmured into his chest.

  “Thank you for trusting me.”

  She laughed, and then clutched her chest, her face twisting with obvious pain. She waved him off when he reached to help her, and after a few seconds, a weak smile returned to her face. “After all these years, I can’t believe I’m confiding in you.”

  He chuckled. “Who would’ve thought? The bad boy and the Bible girl. We make a great team.”

  She whacked him on the arm.

  Rafa chuckled as he headed towards the front door. Genie followed. He opened the door and turned back once more, no laughter in his eyes. “Lock up.”

  “Goodnight, Detective.” Genie rolled her eyes, but her lips curved upward.