by Ruff, K. S.
Rafael shook Kadyn’s hand. “It’s good to see you again.” He shook hands with Roger and gave Cenia a hug. “Is anyone interested in going to Cosi?”
“Sure,” Cenia replied. “I think we’re all in.” We began walking toward the parking lot.
“Do you want to meet at the Cosi over on King Street?” Kadyn asked.
Rafael nodded. “I think that’s the closest one.”
“We’ll meet you over there,” Roger replied. He opened the passenger side door of his Nissan Maxima for Cenia.
Kadyn tugged his helmet on, swung his leg over the Aprilia, and pulled out of the parking lot.
Rafael tucked me inside the Lincoln Navigator before climbing into the driver’s seat. I leaned across the center console and planted a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. “Thanks for being such a good sport about the dance lessons and for inviting everyone to Cosi. I know this seems awkward given our history, but I’d really like you and Kadyn to be friends.”
Rafael squeezed my hand before backing out of the parking spot. “I know, baby. We’ll get there eventually.”
We met Roger, Cenia, and Kadyn in front of Cosi. I smiled contentedly when we stepped inside. The dimly lit restaurant felt toasty warm. The scents of freshly baked bread, fresh ground coffee, and cinnamon chai tea lingered in the air.
Roger commandeered a table. We ordered our drinks and the s’mores package which included a burner, roasting sticks, marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers. Cenia distributed the roasting sticks while we waited for the blue, orange, and yellow flame to grow.
“Rafael and I ran into a mountain lion while we were hiking in Montana,” I revealed with some excitement. I was eager to discuss the trip with my friends.
Cenia’s eyes widened. “Really? Did she try to attack you?”
I speared a marshmallow. “No. She ran off when she heard Rafael remove the bear spray from the holster.”
“Bear spray?” Roger repeated questioningly. His eyes strayed from the marshmallow he was roasting. The sugary puff ball burst into flames.
Cenia blew the flames out. She gingerly removed the blackened outer shell surrounding the marshmallow and popped it into her mouth. “You don’t like blackened marshmallows,” she protested when Roger gave her a withering look. “Don’t you prefer them golden brown?”
“See?” Rafael interjected. “I’m not the only one who hasn’t heard of bear spray.”
“It’s a giant can of pepper spray,” I explained. “Hikers use it all the time.” I nudged Kadyn’s roasting stick out of the way as we jockeyed for the flame.
Roger resumed roasting the gooey remains of his marshmallow. “Why carry bear spray when you can pack a gun?”
“You can’t carry a firearm inside a national or state park,” I objected, “and you can’t just go around shooting bears and mountain lions anytime you want. You have to obtain a special permit, even during hunting season.”
“If a mountain lion attacked me, I wouldn’t be asking anyone for permission to shoot it,” Roger stated dismissively.
“If a mountain lion attacked you, you wouldn’t be asking a whole lot of anything,” I retorted. I began assembling my s’more.
“Guess who else we ran into,” Rafael encouraged with a wry smile.
Kadyn sat back and studied Rafael. His eyes suddenly lit with interest. “You ran into Tom.”
“Tom?” Cenia asked. “Your ex-husband, Tom?”
I chuckled softly. “Rafael’s fist, his knee, a table, and a wall ran into Tom.”
Kadyn smiled. “How’d you manage that?”
“The guy was slamming Kristine’s head into the wall when I walked out of the men’s restroom,” Rafael explained. He scowled as he reached for his coffee.
“We were at the Windbag, where you met Gra and Pa,” I clarified for Kadyn.
“The Windbag? Is that a restaurant?” Roger inquired.
“A brothel that was converted into a bar and restaurant,” Rafael replied. He was still tripping over the fact that I had taken him to a brothel.
I could practically see the wheels churning in Roger’s head. “A brothel, huh?”
“I’ve always wanted to visit Montana,” Cenia confessed. She was twirling her marshmallow through the flame.
Roger perked up even more. “Maybe we should go there for our honeymoon.”
Cenia shook her head. “We’re not honeymooning in Montana so you can wrestle mountain lions, frequent brothels, and provoke a bar fight.”
“You know… if you went right after the wedding, you’d get there in time for hunting season,” I added teasingly.
Roger grinned. “I think we should do it.”
Cenia threw her marshmallow at me. “As my maid of honor, your loyalties lie with me.”
I reached for my coffee and snuggled closer to Rafael. I was thoroughly enjoying myself. “My loyalties lie with all of you.”
“Speaking of loyalties,” Rafael began. He looked at Kadyn. “Your friend, Dan, was sitting out on his front porch, polishing his rifle, when I stopped by to meet him.”
Kadyn laughed. “That sounds like Dan. Did he take you out shooting?”
Rafael nodded. “That guy’s got quite the arsenal.”
“I want to go shooting with Dan,” Roger whined. “Why can’t we go to Montana for our honeymoon?”
Cenia just rolled her eyes.
“Did Kristine tell you Maxim paid her a visit last weekend?” Rafael asked. He was staring intently at Kadyn.
Kadyn shot me a disapproving look. “No.”
“Maxim? Who’s Maxim?” Roger asked, thoroughly confused.
“The guy from the Russian mafia. The one who helped Rafael and Kadyn free Kri,” Cenia replied.
“What did he want?” Kadyn asked. He was still glowering at me.
I fidgeted nervously in my seat. “He wanted me to know he… uh…” I glanced at the couple sitting across from us. “He took care of the person who shot Michael and the ones who hurt Shae and me.”
Kadyn glanced sharply at Rafael. “Did you pay him to do this?”
Rafael shook his head. “No. I didn’t.”
“Maxim said he couldn’t allow their actions to go unpunished. If he let them get away with hurting us, he would have lost power, credibility, and influence in Ukraine,” I explained.
“Yeah, but that’s not his end game,” Kadyn surmised.
I looked at Kadyn. “What’s his end game?”
“You are,” Rafael replied.
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. Maxim knows I could never live in Ukraine.”
“He did kiss you,” Cenia noted before eating her s’more.
Kadyn stared dumbfounded at Rafael. “You let him kiss her?”
Rafael folded his arms across his chest. “He didn’t exactly give me a choice.”
“Maxim said it was the only form of payment he’d accept,” I interjected.
“For what?” Kadyn demanded.
“For killing those men,” Rafael growled irritably.
Kadyn’s jaw clenched. “So he didn’t kill them to maintain power and respect. He did it to get closer to Kri.”
“What’s the big deal?” Roger asked. “Clearly, this guy wanted to play the hero. He killed the bad guys, and all he asked for was a little kiss. Frankly, I think he deserved a kiss.”
Cenia shook her head. “It wasn’t a little kiss.”
Roger balanced a piece of chocolate on top of his marshmallow and held it over the flame. “It was a kiss. How bad could it be?”
“Evidently, his kisses are… orgasmic,” Cenia persisted.
“Cenia!” I gasped. She wasn’t supposed to share that.
“They’re what?” Rafael gritted.
I slid down in my seat. “He’s just… very skilled at kissing.”
Roger’s eyes widened. “You mean to tell me this man can give a woman an orgasm just by kissing her… on the lips?”
“And neck,” I clarified miserably.
&nb
sp; Rafael threw a wad of money on the table. He stood, grabbed my arm, and tugged me to my feet. “We’re leaving. Now.”
I was shocked. “What? Why?”
His eyes bore into mine.
My heart ground to a complete stop. “Okay. I… ah… guess we’re leaving.”
Kadyn, Roger, and Cenia looked mildly alarmed. “Is everything okay?” Cenia inquired warily.
I nodded. “Yes. Everything’s fine. We just need to talk. Thanks for coming, guys. I’ll see you later.”
Rafael didn’t speak. We exited the restaurant and walked toward the parking garage in silence. The tension building between us was oddly provocative.
The second we entered the stairwell, he backed me against the wall.
“What are you doing?” I cried.
“Maxim will not best me in this. I know your body better than anyone,” he growled. His lips crashed against mine.
I groaned softly when his tongue thrust inside my mouth. “Rafael,” I interjected when he began kissing my neck. My nipples hardened against his chest. His hand tunneled beneath my bra. “Oh, God!” I gasped. My knees nearly buckled as he rolled my nipple between his fingers and thumb.
“Rafael,” I tried again. “We’re in…” I groaned when he kicked my feet apart and stepped between my legs. He hiked my knees over his hips and pressed me back against the wall as he settled his thickened shaft against the sweet spot between my legs. My entire body clenched.
I nearly sobbed, I wanted him so bad. “Someone could…” My eyes slid closed as he began sucking just behind my ear. He braced my back against the wall as he began roughly kneading my breasts. Both of his hands were shoved under my bra. My body wound tighter and tighter. His tongue swept through my mouth, seeking… claiming… branding everything. I started trembling.
I abandoned the protest. I no longer cared that we were standing inside a public garage. I wanted him inside of me regardless. I fisted my hands in his hair as fought to gain control over the kiss. He kissed me even harder, then held me in place as I disintegrated in his arms. A smug look settled over his face as he slowly released my legs.
I slid down his body, too sated to be angry. “Shall we?” I asked, tugging my bra back into place.
He nudged me toward the stairs. “Just so you know, we’ll be finishing this at home.”
I smiled unabashedly. “I was hoping you would say that.”
* * * * *
Rafael tossed my suitcase in the back of his SUV. “Would you stop asking questions and climb in already?”
I assumed the most hostile posture I could muster. The guy had packed my suitcase in the middle of the night, so there were no clues as to what he’d packed. “No. Not until you tell me where we’re going.”
He laughed when he walked out from behind the SUV and caught sight of me. “I don’t feel even remotely intimidated.” He opened the passenger door for me.
I paused just before I climbed inside. “Please?” I asked. He had seemingly conjured this trip out of thin air. I had no clue where we were going, why, or how long we would be staying there. “I need to let my boss know if I’m going to miss work on Monday,” I protested in a feeble attempt to get him to reveal where we were going.
Rafael tugged me against his chest. “If I were planning for you to miss work on Monday, I would have covered that.” He caressed my bottom. My eyes nearly rolled into the back of my head when he began kissing my neck.
I wiggled out of his arms before he could leave another hickie. I climbed into the SUV, no closer to learning what he was up to.
I texted Shae to let her know Rafael and I were leaving town. We’d made each other a promise to alert the other if we were going off the grid for any reason. That way neither of us would panic when the other was suddenly unavailable. That was just one of many pacts we’d made after Ukraine.
Rafael drove into DC. I glanced at him curiously when he pulled into the parking garage for Union Station. “Union Station? What are we doing at Union Station?”
“We’re traveling by train,” he replied evasively.
My eyebrows furrowed. “A metro train or a train train?” Both ran under Union Station.
He laughed as he eased the Lincoln Navigator into a parking space. “A train train. And don’t bother trying to figure out where our final destination is. This train has stops all along the east coast. Ours could be any one of them.”
“You’re impossible!” I exclaimed. I jumped out of the SUV before he could open the door for me.
He was still laughing when he pulled the suitcase out of the back. “Have you ever made love on a train before?”
My feet stalled. “No.”
He nudged me toward the elevator. “Me either. Wouldn’t you like to?”
I grew quiet as I pondered how that might work. “Does the train have bathrooms like an airplane?”
He laughed as he ushered me inside the elevator. “I reserved a bedroom.”
I gaped at him. It was eight o’clock on a Saturday morning. “Are we spending the night on the train?”
He shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make good use of the room for the next few hours.”
Suddenly, it didn’t matter where we were going. He reached for my hand as we walked out of the elevator. Then he began whispering all of the wicked things he was going to do to me once we got on the train.
The car attendant greeted Rafael like an old friend when we approached the train. “Mr. Garcia, I’m so pleased you could join us!”
I eyed him curiously. How did he know Rafael?
The man helped me up the stairs before leading us down a narrow passageway. This section of the train contained no seats, only private rooms. “Looks like we’re in for some beautiful weather today,” he noted cheerily.
“That’s good,” Rafael replied. “Will the train be departing on time?”
The car attendant glanced at his watch. “Yes, sir. The train will be departing in six minutes.” He stopped in front of a room near the end of the car, unlocked the door, and handed Rafael the key. “Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything further.” He began whistling as he walked away.
Rafael opened the door and ushered me inside.
My breath caught. Hundreds of deep red rose petals formed a perfect heart in the middle of the white linen bedspread. A bottle of champagne, a decanter of orange juice, and a coffee carafe sat next to an assortment of pastries, a platter filled with meats and cheeses, a bowl of fresh fruit, and the largest chocolate dipped strawberries I’d ever seen. I stood gaping at the room.
A soft click sounded as Rafael closed the door. “What do you think?” he inquired softly. He nuzzled my neck as he wrapped his arms around me.
I turned in his arms. “I think I’m hopelessly in love with you, Rafael Tiago Garcia.” My eyes and hands slid over his finely sculpted chest. My heart clenched when our eyes finally met. “Would you like some breakfast?” I whispered hoarsely.
He shook his head. He stared at me intently while lifting my shirt over my head. I watched the long sleeve t-shirt fall to the floor, then glanced nervously toward the bed, which was nestled just below the window. We were standing right in front of the window, although it appeared the train sat high enough to where no one would see us. Still, we hadn’t even left the station. My stomach fluttered nervously. To be stripped naked in front of a window in broad daylight was a tad bit unnerving.
The window fell out of focus when he began kissing my neck. “That feels nice,” I murmured, deeply aroused. I tugged Rafael’s shirt over his head. “You have the most amazing chest.” I planted open mouthed kisses all along his pecs before kissing his neck.
We both kicked our shoes off. Rafael unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down my legs. “Not nearly as impressive as these legs,” he said. He tugged my socks off before licking and kissing his way back up to my lips.
I fingered the button on his jeans. “These are in my way,” I announced teasingly. I released the button
and slid the zipper down so I could dip my hand inside his boxer briefs. He pulled me into a deep, provocative kiss as I began fondling him. Heat pooled between my legs. His jeans were definitely in my way.
I ran my hands along the inside of his jeans and around his backside until the jeans and boxer briefs fell to the floor. He kicked his remaining clothes aside.
I jumped when the train sounded its horn.
Rafael laughed. “I think we should sit down.” The train lurched forward as he sat on the edge of the bed. He pulled my legs over his until I was straddling his lap. His lips sought mine in a feverish kiss.
Rafael slid the bra strap over my shoulder as he layered open-mouthed kisses all down my neck. My nipples hardened, beckoning his tongue. His warm, wet mouth latched onto my breast, drawing it deep inside his mouth. My head fell back as I arched against him.
I moaned when his erection pressed insistently between my legs. I ran my hands along his hardened shaft, wishing it were inside of me. He unfastened my bra and ripped my thong off. He swallowed my objection with a kiss, lifted my hips, and pushed just inside of me. “I want you to watch the world go by while we make love. I’m going to take you over and over again until you know where you belong.”
I glanced at the blurring landscape flitting across the window, then gazed deep into his eyes. “I know where I belong.” He was already filling me inch by glorious inch when he suddenly thrust deep inside of me. “Rafael,” I cried when our hips collided.
He set a slow, erotic pace as he resumed kissing my neck and breasts. Rafael fell back against the pile of roses. The intoxicating fragrance wafted all around us. Our hips kept time with the methodical clacking of the train until Rafael tucked me beneath him. The cool, velvety petals caressed my arms and back. “Nothing else matters,” he rasped. “This. This is the only thing that matters.” He thrust inside of me in three powerful strokes.
“Yes,” I moaned. I closed my eyes and let go, completely surrendering my body as he slammed inside of me. He wedged his forearms beneath my back and clamped his hands around my shoulders so he could pin me in place. He drove inside of me with unconscionable force.
He captured my scream in a kiss as he pulsed inside of me. The searing heat collided with my orgasm. My body milked his until he had nothing left to give. “Again,” I whispered as we rolled into the next station. My body quivered with anticipation.