by Nika Rhone
Cris grinned. “I like them a little bit ah…”
Warning his brother off would be a waste of breath. Surrendering to the inevitable, Rafe shook his head and led him over for the introduction. He smiled and winked at Lillian when her gaze darted to him as he approached, letting her know she didn’t need to interrupt her sales pitch for him.
When Bernice realized Rafe had come to talk to her and not Lillian, her face lit with a huge smile. “Well, hello again, you.”
“Hi, Bernice.” Not liking the avaricious gleam in her eye, he shoved his brother forward. “Have you met my brother, Cris?”
From the length of time it took for her to even look at his brother it was obvious she didn’t want to take her attention from Rafe. “No, I don’t think…” The smile that had started to fade bloomed again. Her gaze shifted from one to the other, no doubt marking the similar looks that had dogged them all their lives. “Oh, well, hello.”
Expertly balancing his tray, he took Bernice’s hand with his free one and gave a small, continental bow over it. “Que mujer hermosa.”
“Um, what?”
Cris smiled. “What a beautiful woman.”
“Oh. Oh, well.” She raked Cris from head to toe. “You’re pretty nice yourself.”
Giving his brother a small jostle with his shoulder, Rafe whispered, “Don’t forget you’re working.” After a quick head-tip to Bernice, he made a strategic retreat to the other side of the room, where Lillian joined him not long after. She put her back to the wall beside him as they gazed out over the finally thinning crowd.
“You looked bored all alone over here.”
Because he was bored. Not that he’d ever admit to it.
“Just keeping an eye on things.” Things being anyone who came within two feet of her. And there had been more than a few who had come a lot closer, which pissed him the hell off. Far too many men seemed to think it was okay to get right up on top of her as they talked. Didn’t these assholes have any respect for personal space?
Lillian chuckled. “Well, you’re doing a great job. Ammar wanted to know who the scary guy glaring at his guests all night was.”
Meaning he hadn’t been as subtle as he thought. “Great. What did you say?”
“That you were security. He assumed I meant for the event, and was impressed that we thought enough of him and his work to take those kinds of precautions.” She grinned up at him. “I didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble of self-importance.”
“Think we could slip away for a few minutes to your office?”
Her humor dimmed. “Is something wrong?”
“Yeah. I haven’t been able to touch you in hours, and it’s making me a little crazy.” Standing this close to her now, with that enticing spicy perfume reaching out and wrapping itself around him, it was a struggle to not pull her close and take a small taste of her lips, her boss be damned.
The smile she gave him didn’t help. At. All.
“Only another hour, baby.” She slid a little closer as she turned, using her body to block the fact that she gave his ass a quick squeeze. As she walked away, she threw an impish glance over her shoulder.
Oh yeah, the little witch was so going to pay for that.
The hour ended up being closer to two by the time they were able to lock the gallery door and head for home. Wrapped up in that purple silk dress that moved over her curves like it was water, Lillian looked exhausted, elated, and good enough to eat. A fact that made Rafe bend a few speed limits on the short drive. The light kiss he’d stolen when he helped her into the truck only whetted his already ravenous appetite for her. If he didn’t have her naked and quaking with pleasure in the next ten minutes, he might explode.
Lillian seemed oblivious to his frantic state. She was too busy riding the high of a successful evening. “I can’t believe how well everything went tonight. I kept waiting for something else to go wrong.”
“I guess that means you don’t have to worry about losing your job?” Rafe pulled into the parking garage beneath their building.
“Are you kidding? Ammar is happy, which means Felix is happy, which means I am golden. For today, anyway,” she added, scrunching her nose. “Felix can be a bit capricious.”
“Sounds more to me like Felix can be a bit of an ass,” Rafe muttered as he walked around the truck to open the door for her. He staggered slightly as she launched herself at him, arms around his neck, and kissed him until he thought she might cause them both to spontaneously combust.
When she broke the kiss on a gasp, he sucked in a much-needed breath. “What was that for?”
“Everything. Being there when I needed you. Coming up with a solution for the food.” She smiled. “I have to call your mom tomorrow and thank her again. There wasn’t a bite of anything left by the end of the night. Everyone loved it. The woman is a genius in the kitchen.”
Rafe tugged her by the hand toward the elevator. “My mother loves to feed people. It’s her joy in life.”
“Well, her joy made me look good, despite someone’s”—she shot him a look that said she knew who that someone was—“best efforts otherwise.”
“We’ll figure that out tomorrow.” He pulled her close as they rode to the fourth floor. “Tonight, we celebrate your success.”
Leaning into him, Lillian’s hand wandered. “Mmm, I like the sound of that. So, what’s my prize?”
Rafe sucked in a breath and caught her hand before it made it to its final destination. “You really need to remember there are cameras in here, querida.” He placed a kiss on her palm, laced his fingers with hers, and when the doors slid open, led her toward her apartment.
“Didn’t you ever have the urge to be just a little naughty in public?”
“Not even a little bit.” He nipped at her pouting lower lip. “You can be as naughty as you want to be. But please, for my sanity, only do it behind closed doors.”
She pushed past him and into the apartment, her delectable ass swaying like a tantalizing metronome under the silk, making his mouth water. He shot the locks and set the alarm, struggling to keep his hands from shaking as he punched the numbers. Dios, what this woman did to him.
When he turned, she was still standing in the living room, watching him with an expression he couldn’t quite decipher. “What?”
Moistening her lips, she tipped her chin toward the door. “It’s closed. And I’m behind it.” She ran her hands down her sides and over her hips until she found the slit that had played peek-a-boo with her gorgeous leg all night. Pulling it back, she cocked her knee and put her foot—wearing another of those fuck-me heels—on the couch, baring her stocking-clad leg all the way to the—he swallowed hard—garters that held them up. “So, how naughty do you want me to be?”
There was a moment where Rafe couldn’t move, because all his blood had shot to his groin in one throbbing rush. When he broke free of his temporary paralysis, he went to her and dropped to his knees. He laid a gentle kiss to first her ankle, her knee, and then to the very top of the stocking, which was a wispy, gossamer barrier matching the silkiness of her skin. He dragged his tongue along the top of it, and was rewarded by the shudder that ran through her body.
“No, mi seductora.” My seductress. He kissed the skin above the garter, and added a small nip, making her gasp. “The question is, how naughty do you want me to be?” He pushed the heavy silk farther back and blew a hot breath against the barely-there panties he exposed.
“Oh, Dios,” Lillian groaned, making Rafe laugh as he stood and swept her into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck as he strode to the bedroom, she said, “I’ll make a bad boy out of you yet, Rafael Delgado.”
“And I’ll gladly do the penance for the pleasure of sinning in your arms, ángel.” He set her on her feet. “Now, I suggest you take off that dress before Des puts out a contract on me for ripping it off your delicious little body.”
Laughing, Lillian stripped, tormenting him a little by taking the time to hang the dress up
before strutting toward him in just her bra, panties, stockings, and heels. She pushed him down on the bed and straddled his lap, making sure to squirm against the hard press of his erection. “I’m all yours.”
Rafe wasn’t sure how he got their clothes off or where they ended up. All he knew was that as he sank into her welcoming body, it was the sweetest feeling in the world, and he never wanted to leave it. He never wanted to leave her.
He was so screwed.
When they finally collapsed into a sweaty, satiated pile, Rafe held her tight, wanting to say something about how he felt, but too afraid of ruining the moment to do more than whisper, “Te adoro, mi ángel.” He felt her smile against his chest before her entire body went lax with sleep. He kissed her head and sighed. Tomorrow. Somehow he’d find the courage to tell her how he felt tomorrow.
It felt like he’d been asleep for mere minutes when the piercing screech of the alarm startled him awake. With a groan, he rolled over to slap at the damn clock on the nightstand, only to realize that wasn’t what was making all the racket. It was the smoke detector in the hallway. It took a few seconds more for his half-awake brain to process what that meant.
The apartment was on fire.
Chapter Sixteen
“Lillian, wake up!”
“Guh.” Swatting at the annoying hands that were shaking her awake when her body clock said she still had plenty of time left to sleep, Lillian buried her face deeper into the pillow. “Lemme alone.”
“Lillian!”
She squawked as she was abruptly manhandled into a sitting position. “What’re you doing?”
“The building’s on fire. Get up!”
“The what is what?” Her sluggish brain finally engaged. The first thing she realized was that the annoying sound splitting her eardrums was the smoke detector going off beyond the closed bedroom door. The second was that she could smell smoke.
Just like that, she went from comatose to wide-awake. “Oh, my God.”
“Get up. Get some clothes on, quick.”
Clicking on the lamp, Lillian scrambled out of bed and grabbed the first things she could lay her hands on. By the time she shoved her feet into her sneakers, Rafe had already yanked on jeans and sneakers and was heading for the door. After testing the knob for heat, he cracked it, his shirt held to his face. He ducked his head out for a fast look, then moved back and slammed the door shut, coughing.
“The fire’s blocking the front door.”
Lillian’s heart pounded harder. “What do we do?” But she knew, since Rafe was heading for the window. Her heart sped up even faster.
“Fire escape.” Unlatching it, he slid the casement window up all the way. “Come on, let’s go.” He shrugged on his shirt as he waited for her.
She couldn’t move. Go down the fire escape? Four whole stories? In the dark?
“Lillian, come on.”
Not even the knowledge that every second she delayed put them both in more danger could get her feet moving toward the opening that beckoned like the gaping maw of hell. “I can’t.” It was no better than a hoarse whisper.
“Lillian…” The frustrated expression on Rafe’s face as he strode over to her eroded when he took a good look at her and realized there was something more going on than stupid stubbornness. “Querida, are you afraid of heights?”
She gave a semi-hysterical laugh. “Afraid? No. Terrified to the point of paralysis? You bet.”
He cursed in Spanish. At least it sounded like he cursed. She really had to learn to speak the language if they were going to be staying together. If they lived through tonight, of course. Which wasn’t looking all that promising at the moment.
“Lillian, sweetheart, I’ll be with you every step of the way. You won’t fall, I promise.”
“You can’t promise that.”
“I can. Trust me.”
She did trust him. But the closer she got to the open window, the harder it was to pull air into her lungs, and it had nothing to do with the thickening smoke. When she was only a few feet away, she dug her heels in and struggled against his hold on her arm. “I can’t. I’m sorry, I can’t.”
To his credit, Rafe didn’t just drag her the rest of the way and toss her out. But he didn’t let go of her arm, either. “You can, and you will. It’s the only way out, and you know it.”
It was. That didn’t mean she had to use it.
“I can go into the panic room.” There was an edge of hysteria to her voice now. “Remember? I showed it to you. It’s totally secure. I can wait in there until they put the fire out.” It was right next door in the other bedroom.
With all her paintings.
She felt like a knife had been plunged into her heart. “Oh, God, my paintings,” she moaned.
“Lil. Lillian.” He shook her until he had her attention again. “Is it fireproof?”
Was it? She had no idea. “Probably. Maybe.” What did it matter, when all her hard work was about to go up in smoke and ash?
Rafe took hold of both her arms and forced her to look at him. “Lillian—” He broke off to cough. “I’m not risking your life on a maybe. We have to go down the fire escape, and we have to do it now.”
He was right. She knew he was right. But…she just couldn’t do it. She shook her head.
“Yes. If I can do it, so can you, so pull up those freaking big girl panties of yours and move your sweet ass before I spank it.”
Her big girl panties? Move her ass? Seriously?
Fury raced through her veins, chasing away the numbing fear. She opened her mouth to tell him exactly where he could shove his attitude, but for once her brain kicked in before her voice. “You did that on purpose.”
He nodded. “Ready?”
Much as she wanted to say no, there was no real choice. She was either going out the window under her own power, or Rafe would toss her over his shoulder and carry her out, and wouldn’t that be fun? She’d probably end up getting them both killed.
That was the thought that got her moving. Risking her own life was one thing. Risking Rafe’s was unacceptable. He was in this mess because of her.
Panic seized control again as she swung her feet out into the darkness. Only Rafe’s steadying hands on her shoulders kept her moving in the right direction. By the time he joined her out on the metal grate platform, her heart was hammering so hard she could feel it thudding in her ears like a drum solo.
Rafe put himself at her back, hands on her shoulders. “You okay?”
Hell to the no. “Yeah. Are you?” Because now that they were hanging out in the middle of the air, four stories up, she remembered that the last time he’d been in this situation, he’d fallen. And almost died. He had to be freaking out every bit as much as she was. And yet, he was calm, cool, and one-hundred-percent focused on getting her to safety, without any regard for his own issues.
Was it any wonder she loved the guy?
“I’m good. Let’s go.”
He gave her a fast kiss before he got them moving down the ladder. He went first, blocking her body with his in case she slipped. With every rung conquered, Lillian was grateful for the darkness cloaking the very long way to the ground. If she’d seen how far there was to fall, she didn’t think she’d be able to move an inch.
When they hit the next landing, Lillian wanted to do a little victory dance. Since they were still about twenty-plus feet in the air, she settled for a sigh of relief. But when she headed for the next ladder, Rafe shook his head and pulled her to the window that faced the landing on that floor.
“What are you doing?” she asked as he pounded on the glass.
“This is Cris’s room. Cris! Open up, dammit!” He pounded again, hard enough to rattle the glass.
“Why aren’t we going all the way down on the fire escape?” Not that the idea thrilled her. But they’d just gotten out of the burning building. Why would he want them to climb back inside it?
“Because that’s what whoever set the fire would expect us to do, and I
’d rather not drop right into their hands. Cris!” He pounded again, and there was finally the sound of the latch being thrown on the window sash.
“Whoever set…” Lillian stared at him, her world tilting. “You think—”
“I’m not taking any chances. Not with you.” He kissed her hard as the window slid open. “Go inside. Tell Cris to pound on everyone’s doors to wake them up and get them out, and get down to the ground level. Stay with the crowd. Don’t get separated.” Sirens were screaming in the distance.
When he turned away, Lillian grabbed his arm. “Wait! Where are you going?”
“Trust me.” He kissed her again. “Stay with Cris. I’ll be right back.”
Before she could protest, he bounded back up the ladder and through her window. Back into her apartment. Where the fire was.
“Rafe!” Was he crazy?
She almost started to follow him. Only the fact that she’d be nothing but a hinderance to whatever insane thing he was doing—and that she didn’t think she’d be able to climb that ladder again without a gun to her head—kept her from it. Instead, she turned for the open window and, with one last look up to say a prayer for her brave idiot, she climbed through into darkness.
“Cris?” A lamp came on. She shielded her eyes from the sudden light, cursing as she blinked away the spots that danced across her vision. When she could see again, it wasn’t Cris standing beside the bed. “Bernice? What are you doing here?” Lillian had seen her following Rafe’s brother around the gallery with a look that said she wanted to sample more than the food on his tray. She hadn’t realized they actually hooked up.
The receptionist’s lip curled. “What, so now I’m not even good enough for your boyfriend’s brother?”
“What?” The angry tone made even less sense than the question. “Of course not. That’s not…whatever, okay? You slept with Cris. Fine. Fantastic. I’m thrilled for you. Now, can we get the hell out of here, please? In case you haven’t noticed, the building is on fire.” She pushed past Bernice and shook Cris where he lay sleeping on the bed, his lax face so like Rafe’s it almost hurt. “Cris, wake up.”