His heartbeat echoed in her ear that pressed against his chest. Now was not the time to push him. "Then let's not make decisions that are final and use words like “only”. Let's just live in the moment."
He squeezed her a little and a tingling sensation trickled through her. In time, they’d had a chance.
"I don't want to hurt you or make promises I can't fulfill."
"Then don't make final decisions." There was no need to rush into a decision that either of them might regret, and they didn't have to hurt each other. She'd not ask for a ring on her finger. The image of asking that ran in her mind caused her to giggle. She then pressed her lips together to stop as she sat up to gaze into his eyes. "I enjoyed our afternoon and hope it happens again."
His lips met hers and the world dissipated around her. As he ended the brief kiss, he said, "I'd like nothing else than to have more of you. You're delicious."
His hardness became obvious. She wrapped her legs around his waist to sit on his lap. "Delicious?"
"Hell yes." He took one of her nipples in his mouth and sweet sensation burst through her.
In the distance she heard bells. For a moment she thought it was just her, but then she realized the source of the sound. "My phone is ringing."
His lips trailed up her neck and his five o'clock shadow tickled. "Let it go to voice mail. I want to get you into my bedroom."
He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Again? Already?"
"It's your taste and smell. If you're not ready..." He froze and his muscles didn't budge.
She squeezed his shoulder. "Let's go." He then picked her up like they were in a movie and she was a fragile heroine. She kissed his neck. "I'm shocked that you can..."
"That statement alone tells me your brother was right." His words sent a wave of desire as his hands massaged her butt—he carried her down the hall to his bedroom door.
Her eyebrows arched. "Right about what?"
He turned and opened his bedroom door without letting her go. "You chose weak men in the past, Liz. Weakness doesn't work for you because you're way too wild."
She ran her fingers through his thick hair. "I'm wild? I'm usually considered boring."
He laid her on the bed and kissed her. "This is boring?"
"Mmm... More please." She wrapped her arms around his waist and tugged him onto the bed with her.
Right now she'd forget the rest of the world. They were together and there was hope for more. She'd live in the moment and block out any doubts. Rafe's kiss brought her to life.
Chapter 19
"The sun is up." Rafe twirled Liz's long blonde hair around his fingers as he kissed her forehead. The birds chirped outside and palm trees swayed in the air.
Liz's skin was still warm as she turned onto his chest. She offered him a satisfied grin and stretched. "Last night was amazing.”
“We should get up and check on Brandon." He kissed her soft cheek.
She stretched again and his hand brushed against her spine. "And eat something before we head to Peter's. He’s texted ten times about a party Jen decided to throw."
"I promised news from the search I was running. Let me get the files from my desk."
"Then we eat. You have to be hungry."
"Quickly. If the woman I loved was missing, I'd want news. It's why I worked so hard to find Brandon and bring him back to you as fast as I could."
"You're right." She scooted out of the bed. "I'll have Ashley make us breakfast while you get everything for Peter."
"I also ran another search for who might be targeting you and Brandon. The threat at this point might be a coincidental prank, though I’m keeping that till I rule out anything else."
"I hope so. Right now, we're going next door and Star Island itself is pretty secure."
"We’ll be together there." He stretched his shoulders as he stood and grabbed a pair of sweat pants.
She snatched one of his shirts and drew it down her body, sexy in his gym tee. "We'll be fast. I'd rather stay here, with you..."
"Me too." She blushed and lowered her gaze. She walked to the door as she shook her head. "We can spend the rest of the day together. Want to go swimming later, in the pool?"
"Sounds like a plan." His heart skipped at the thought of betraying his friendship with Jen, but his family mattered more. He followed Liz and let the words slip out, casually. "There is one more thing before we go."
Liz turned on her bare heel, one hand on her hip. "What?"
He searched for balance. He’d given Jen his word, though he'd not compromise his family because of her lies. He came closer but he felt his face grow warmer. "I promised to give Jennifer until today to set everything straight with Peter, so I'm hoping when we go to your brother's house, he won’t be stressed over Jen. Don't ask me to say more,” he said in a rush. “It would break my promise, but I would do it for you.”
His shirt went to Liz’s knees, and she looked cute as she clenched her hands. "If she's hurting my brother..."
"If she hasn't told him, when we get there, then I will tell you everything and ask for your help.”
“Why wait?”
This had nothing to do with feelings for Jen. His lips ached to kiss Liz again to show her how he wanted her, but he held back. “Jen needs a chance to make everything right for herself and despite complaining, she usually does the right thing in the end."
"That's fair, I guess."
"Thank you for trusting me. If she hasn’t done it, I’ll look for you right away."
They walked down the hall hand in hand into her bedroom. He'd not lose his family over Jennifer's plotting. However they both stopped and saw on the monitor Brandon dressed in a suit, like he belonged to the House of Morgan.
“He’s adorable. The nanny must have dressed him up.” A huge smile grew on Liz's face as she spoke. He brushed against her arm and turned toward her. "Brandon looks handsome."
She winked at him. "He takes after his father." Liz went into her closet and pulled out a variety of dresses that she threw on the bed. "Wait here for a second—I hear my phone."
“I have a text from Peter. He’s having a small party right now and Jennifer’s cast are well dressed.”
“We need to go.”
“Of course. I also have a voice mail.”
Yes, they'd finish the conversation about Jen later. He had to ensure she understood that she was more important than Jennifer to him. His heart beat fast.
She walked into the room with her phone to her ear. He took a deep breath, ready to tell her that he wanted to be with her, always. Elizabeth's eyes widened.
"Rafe!" A gasp came out of her throat and her hands shook as she handed him her phone.
He placed his hand on her waist and pulled her in for a hug. Her body trembled. "What's wrong? What happened?"
She swallowed. "It's a threat."
No one was getting to his son. He picked up her phone and pressed the arrow button. "Let me listen." She gripped his waist and buried her head in his chest as he listened to a male on the phone who used a voice scrambler. “If you want to keep your son, prepare to hand over ten million dollars in cash at one o’clock today.”
At least this was someone after money. Rational thinking might prevail when he found the guy who threatened his son. For now, Brandon and Liz were fine and he'd not let either of them out of his sight—he’d alert Morgan Security. Rafe ran his hand over Liz’s soft hair. "Whoever it is has a voice changer. I’ll run it through the database."
"Rafe, they can't take our baby." Liz's voice choked a few times on unshed tears and then she ran toward the nursery.
The second she entered, Brandon reached out for his mother. Rafe handed her child to her and stood next to her as she rocked him back and forth. Rafe kept his words slow and calm. "He's right here. Today, at your brother's, we'll keep him with us the entire time. We won’t take him to any public place until I find whoever is doing this."
She kissed Brandon's forehead. At first she didn't say
anything but then he heard her whisper, "Okay."
"Okay?" A smile grew on his face. She trusted him. He'd not do anything to hurt her. He massaged the small of her back and placed his hand on Brandon as well. "So get dressed. I want to go over there early and then get home. I'll have Morgan security surround us."
She handed him their son but averted her gaze. He held Brandon closer and headed to the door when she called out, "Rafe?"
He turned. "Yes?"
Her blue eyes met his and she showed him the outline of a smile. "I'm glad you're here."
Yes. He'd keep her safe and their son. No blackmailers should get near either of them. "There is no place else I'd rather be. Do you need me to stay while you dress?"
"I can't live on eggshells in my own house." She shook her head and then stared at her dresses again. "Give me ten minutes."
"We'll meet you in the kitchen for breakfast."
As he took Brandon to the kitchen, Ashley, the maid, and Elle, the nanny, had everything prepared for Brandon, including a bib to protect his clothes. He handed his son to them and helped himself to coffee, quickly getting dressed and coming back to the kitchen.
A few minutes later, as he sipped his coffee, Liz joined them. She called out from the door. "I'm ready."
He turned and his pulse quickened. Liz had transformed from the sweetheart with golden hair to Morgan Heiress. The ice-blue knee length dress fit every curve. His lips couldn't quite close. "You look stunning."
"Thank you Rafe. I wanted to look good for you." Her face had a slight blush as she went and picked up the tea he poured for her.
Both naked and fully dressed, she reminded him of a goddess. Once she’d picked over the eggs on her plate, she motioned that she was through. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
The nanny followed them holding Brandon as they headed out the door. Peter Morgan's mansion had white drapes hanging from the sides which made the mansion seem like a castle of old that hung its banners in honor of a returning knight. Jen always wanted to be a princess.
Rafe guessed immediately Jennifer hadn't told Peter, and planned something spectacular. She very likely transformed his already breathtaking mansion into some version of a palace she imagined. His gut churned as he worried that Jen hadn't told anyone the truth and was instead planning a party with herself as the star.
Liz stroked his arm as they walked up the path. Brandon laughed at the manatees floating near the dry dock that normally housed Peter's yacht.
As they made their way to the patio door, Rafe held Liz closer. "Neither one of you leaves my side today."
"What's happening here?” Liz tugged at her dress to straighten the hem. “It looks fancy enough for a wedding."
"Jennifer."
She placed her hand on his bicep. "Peter wouldn't have agreed to marriage like this."
He opened the door for them and the music blared. Liz tugged at his arm. "You have to talk to Jennifer. I don't want my brother taken advantage of when he's vulnerable."
"Give me ten minutes." He cleared his throat as he thought of the threat. “I won’t leave you alone.”
“We’ll find someone we can trust.”
Half of Jennifer's cast from her telenovela lounged in the living area, and draped the furniture like they were part of the scene. What if he couldn’t stop whatever Jennifer planned? The word wedding rang in his ear. She had said she'd marry Peter, though Peter had said no.
Rafe patted Liz's arm just as his sister, Caro, and Luke Morgan came toward them. He braced himself for Caro’s reaction—he’d given her a hard time when he probably shouldn't have on dating a Morgan. As he led Liz to meet his sister halfway, he said, "We'll figure out how to make it work. I have to speak to Jennifer, and then I'll be right here, with you."
"Whatever is going on, please find out and tell me. I'll stay with Luke and Caro." Liz had no idea why he froze and he had no time to tell her. "Nothing will happen to us as long as I stay here, with my family."
As Luke came and hugged his sister, Rafe lowered his head and hugged his sister too. "Caro!"
Caro's dimples showed though she crossed her arms. "Here he is. My brother, the hypocrite."
Next time, he'd try not to be so protective and he shouldn't have run his mouth about all the Morgans when she brought Luke home. He tugged his ear. "Sis..."
She interrupted. "Those season tickets Luke bought you for Christmas..."
"Yeah..." His eyebrows arched. He'd not give them up. They were good seats and he loved the Dolphins. Luke won him over already.
Her sister glared at him. "You're taking Luke."
Luke was on the list anyhow of people he'd invite. He dropped his shoulders. "Sis..."
Caro held up her hand toward his face. "No. You gave me a hard time about dating a Morgan and now you're Brandon's father? In the car ride, all you did was tell me how the Morgans and the Soliz family would never work when clearly you had already broken that rule of yours."
He reached out and took his sister's hand in his. "I'm sorry. I was upset in the car and mostly talking about myself."
Her brown eyes softened. "You’re sorry?"
"Yeah." He glanced at Luke who stood next to Liz. The doctor clearly was in love with his sister and she’d wished for him her entire adult life. He lowered his gaze as he nodded.
Caro winked as she took her hands out of his and wrapped her arms around Luke's waist. "Then we're good. My nephew is adorable. Mom told me this morning."
Liz came beside him and took her hand, asking Caro, "Is Luke treating you okay?"
Caro gazed from Rafe to Luke to back to him. She beamed like she had a huge secret. "Yes. In fact, we're getting married, though our wedding is not going to be ornate like this party invitation that came to us this morning. I just want our families on a beach somewhere."
“You received an invitation?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Liz had a text from Peter.”
A rushed wedding? His sister deserved the best. "This is fast Caro."
Her lips pressed together as she stepped forward. "Don't even. Just say you're happy for us."
"I just want you to be happy," he said. Liz squeezed his hand.
Caro directed them both toward Elle, the nanny. "We are. Your son looks just like you."
"Brandon has our mom's eyes, but he has his mother's cheekbones." He huddled closer to his sister and Luke. "Do me a favor."
It wasn't a question. Caro never blinked. She simply nodded. "What?"
Good. Luke seemed strong enough to keep his family safe for a few minutes, and Caro he trusted implicitly. He glanced at the marble staircase. "Keep a watchful eye on Liz and Brandon. I have to go talk to Jen."
Caro's face went white. "Jennifer shouldn't get to keep pulling you back into her web."
"Be nice." Caro and Jen had been fighting since childhood. He patted her shoulder as he dropped Liz's hand.
Caro crossed her arms. "I'm always nice." She then flipped her hair as she turned on her heels. "Liz, let's go have a girl's chat. I'll tell you all about my brother, anything you want to know."
Part of him wanted to stay with them. The other part of him knew he had to make everything right for Peter, and for Liz. He stomped up the stairs two at a time and then went down the hall. Jennifer's old room from when she dated Peter had been converted to a bridal suite of sorts. A few of her cast-mates plus Alice and Victoria Morgan were in the hall as they whispered to each other. This was not a party but a Jennifer wedding plan. He passed them though he nodded at the Morgan women. At the door, he gently tapped his knuckles on the wood as he called inside, "Jen, it's me."
No one answered. He pushed the door open slightly and Jen shouted, "Go away."
As he opened the door, he saw her fully dressed in a silk wedding dress reminiscent of the 1920s but with a modern flare. He closed the door. They were completely alone. "You didn't tell him."
She lowered her head and rushed to the vanity. "I cancelled my appointment at t
he sperm bank. I can show you the email on my phone."
She dug in her pocketbook and let her makeup and other things fall to the floor. He pressed his hand on hers to tell her to stop. "That wasn't the deal."
She took her hand and placed it on her heart. "I'll tell him I had a miscarriage on our honeymoon, Rafe. Please let me be happy for once."
Her mother encouraged countless plastic surgeons that Jen had never needed. He wished she respected herself more, but he couldn't convince her of her issues. "Jen, that's not what I said. Did Peter agree to marry you because of this pregnancy?"
"Technically no, not yet. He doesn't know my plan. He's on his yacht. This was a surprise for him, so please don't get involved." She came forward and lunged into a hug. "Please Rafe."
He hugged her. Jen had a rougher life than his. "I told you I'm telling Peter and I meant it. You can't plan a wedding without consulting the groom, Jennifer."
"I hate you." She hopped out of his embrace like he was on fire. "How could you do this to me? Just stay out of my life, Rafe."
Liz and his family downstairs needed him. Silence meant he condoned what she did and he had to set the record straight. He opened the door. "I am your friend, Jen. This comes better if you do it, but I'm not going to let you ruin your life as well as Peter's because you're afraid. I can't let you trick someone into marriage when his wife might still be alive."
"You have news on Belle?"
He’d discovered that the owner of the yacht was Matthew Marshall and Rafe had questions to be answered, after finding Liz and Peter. "I came to talk to Peter."
Alice and Victoria Morgan gawked at him as he passed them in the hall. Right now he had to find Liz. He made a promise. Once he had her at his side, they'd find Peter, together.
As he made his way down the hall, he saw Liz and Caro laughing together as they sat on a couch. He met Liz's blue eyes. She trusted him and he’d promised.
She stood as he approached. There was no gentle way to stop what he had to say. He straightened. "Liz, Caro, Luke, I need your help finding Peter. To tell him that Jennifer is not pregnant. She's planning a wedding based on a lie, and he has no idea about any of it."
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