“Excuse me, who are you?” she asked again in a firmer voice. Whoever this woman was, she obviously didn’t know her place.
The other woman’s face became a flushed, angry scowl. “I’m Cynthia,” she said, holding up her left hand to show a diamond solitaire. “Didn’t Rafe tell you? I’m his fiancée.”
Chapter Sixteen
Rebekah sat on the edge of the bed with her fingers curled into the mattress. Stunned didn’t adequately describe what she felt. Flabbergasted and dumbfounded better explained her state of mind. Cynthia had provided a lot of information about her relationship with Rafael before she left.
She could hear him coming down the hall. Humming. As if everything was just fine. She wouldn’t cry. She would give him a chance to explain, because there had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
A few steps into the room, he stopped short when he saw her glaring at him. The dimples disappeared from his smiling face.
“What’s wrong, mi amor?”
Rebekah hardened her heart against the words of affection. “Who is Cynthia?”
When the color drained from his face, she got her answer. Her blood ran cold. “You bastard!” she screamed. She hopped to her feet and grabbed the nearest object—a pillow—and tossed it across the room at him.
He deflected it with ease. “Wait a minute. I can explain.”
“Explain? Explain this, you—you—” Rebekah pulled open the top drawer of the nightstand and started tossing objects at him—pens, a notepad, batteries. “‘No other woman has ever come close,’” she said, mimicking his words from several weeks ago. “Do you remember that—liar!”
“I never lied to you,” Rafael said, dodging an iPod and the connected ear buds. “Let’s talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.” She tossed one of her shoes at him. “The time for talking is over, and I don’t want to hear any more lies. How long did you think you could continue to have sex with both of us at the same time?”
“That never happened.”
“That’s not what she said. Two women for Rafe. Just like old times, wasn’t it?”
“Stop it, Rebekah.”
“Stupid, naive Rebekah. You probably couldn’t believe your luck. You’d fooled me again. You’d convinced me I was the most important thing in your life, the only woman you wanted, when at the same time you had your fiancée visiting from New York.”
“She had no right to come here and say what she did. I broke things off with her a long time ago.”
“Really? Did you tell her it’s over, because when she came here, she had a different story to tell. Oh, wait, am I the other woman in this scenario?”
“Enough! Everything you’re saying is incorrect.” He made a movement toward her, and she tossed the other shoe in her hand at him. It stopped him for second, bouncing off his chest and landing on the floor.
She made a mad dash to scramble across the bed.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Rafael grabbed onto her ankles and eased her backward across the mattress before she could make it to the other side. The hem of her dress rode up her thighs.
Rebekah tried to kick at him, but he held her tight and flipped her over onto her back. “You’re going to listen to me whether you want to or not.”
To her chagrin, when she swung at him, he blocked the blow with his forearm. She grimaced, cradling her arm against her chest.
“Maldito sea! When the hell did you get so violent?” he growled.
“Get up!”
“No.” He pinned her arms to the bed with one hand. Rebekah wiggled angrily, but he didn’t budge. “I can stay here all day,” he said calmly.
Finally, she halted her movements. Her breath came in short, angry spurts. She knew she could wear herself out if she didn’t stop because she couldn’t match his strength. Refusing to look at him, she stared up at the ceiling.
“Will you let me explain?”
Rebekah lowered her lids. She wouldn’t cry. Wouldn’t. But the pain was so acute, tearing through her with the precision of a blade.
“How could you?” she whispered brokenly. “You’re engaged—about to marry another woman—when I haven’t even…I’ve never…been with anyone but you.”
His hold on her loosened, and she opened her eyes to see the look of shock on his face. “No one?”
She pushed him away and sat up.
She hadn’t meant to admit that, but in her emotional state, the words flew past her lips before she could stop them. “After we split, I was hurting, and I didn’t want to be with anyone until we got a divorce.” She shrugged. “I definitely didn’t want to get involved with anyone when I found out I was pregnant. When Ricky was born, I got busy with work, going to school full-time, and being a mother.” She pressed her lips together, thinking about how she’d relied on these excuses over the years so she wouldn’t have to deal with the pathetic truth—that she hadn’t wanted to sleep with anyone else. No other man had ever come close to making her feel the way he did. “By the time I started dating, I was back at my father’s church regularly and had pretty much decided I would go back to the way I was raised, and I would only date nice men.”
They sat in silence for awhile, and then Rafael ran a weary hand over his face. “She was never my fiancée. We had a few dates, and that was it. There was something a little off about her, so I ended it right away.”
“Then why were you texting her in the middle of the night? And don’t try to deny it, because I know it was her. Why didn’t you tell me about her?”
“Because…”
“Why?” she screamed at him.
“Because I didn’t want to lose you!” he yelled back. He bolted from the bed. Standing with his back to her, he shoved his hands into pockets, his body still as a statue. “The first time I lost you, it ripped my heart out. I didn’t want you to find out about her because I know how you feel about living your life in the public eye. I was trying to fix the situation before you found out.
“Cynthia lives in New York, and our very short—I guess you could call it an acquaintance—had been long distance from the beginning. When I met her, I’d been retired for a year already and had a lot of time on my hands. Too much time. I started thinking about having children, but after a few dates, I realized I’d made a mistake. She became obsessed with everything about me. It was odd. Then she constantly asked me about money and couldn’t stop talking about how her status would change if we got married. I never even suggested marriage to her.”
He faced her again. “As a public figure, you never know who wants to be close to you for you or for your celebrity status and your money. With Cynthia, I thought maybe I’d finally found someone who didn’t care.”
“How did it end?” Rebekah asked quietly.
“I told her she was a great person but it wasn’t working out. Awhile back, she asked me for money, and I refused to give it to her. She became hysterical. She wanted to know how I could be so cold after everything we’d been to each other.” He shook his head. “I was on my way to New York to see her—to try to talk some sense into her in person—when I stopped in Atlanta to visit you. When I got to New York, I told her I had a son and I was still married, thinking maybe she would give up. It worked for awhile, but then she started again. She threatened to spread negative rumors about me to the media. I think she’s unbalanced. Lydia’s getting me a new phone number and my attorney drafted a complaint to the police, but it seems I’ll have to take more drastic measures. For her to show up here today and claim to be my fiancée…” He shook his head. “I may have to take legal action against her.”
“She had a ring.”
“I never gave her a ring. I don’t want to have anything to do with her.”
Rebekah wrapped her arms around her torso and walked over to stare into the fireplace. Were there other women from his past who would surface?
Just as she’d feared, his life in the spotlight was problematic. Her heart ached for what she was about to lose. Ther
e would be no more late nights curled up in bed listening to him explain the preparation and behind-the-scenes events of his matches as they watched them on video. She would no longer be awakened in the middle of the night by Rafael’s kisses and the urgent caress of his hands across her skin. No more trips to the beach to build sand castles, no more watching her son grow into a young man with the help of his father, and no more stroking her fingers across the silky hairs of Rafael’s head until he fell asleep.
She blinked back the tears and faced him. “She came to our—your house, Rafe. I don’t know if I can handle all these women all the time. When does it stop?”
“You’re the only woman in my life and the only one who’s ever mattered to me. There are no other women.”
“There will always be other women.” Her thoughts were like heavy sandbags, weighing down her hopes and dreams.
Rafael took a deep breath. “I can’t control what they do, Rebekah. I can only control the actions of Rafael Lopez.” His eyes blazed with the urgency of his explanation. “I intend to hold you in my arms every night and wake up next to you every morning. I’ll do my best to provide for you and Ricardo. But there is one thing I won’t do. I won’t—can’t go back to living without you and my son.”
“If I leave—”
“I’ll follow you.”
She paused. “You can’t. Your life is here.”
“My life is with you, and your life is with me. That’s the way it was nine years ago, and that’s the way it is now.” There was a hard, determined set to his jaw and an embattled, fierce gleam in his eye. “I won’t accept a lifelong punishment for a mistake in judgment I made almost ten years ago, and I won’t be punished for someone else’s actions.”
“We agreed to try for awhile, but it’s obvious this isn’t going to work.”
“Obvious to you, maybe, but not to me.” He came slowly toward her. Tension uncoiled in her body as he drew nearer. “I’ve told you she means nothing to me, and she had no right to come here because our relationship has been over for a year now.”
“It’s not just about her.”
“Then what is it about?” Rafael demanded.
“It’s about all of them,” Rebekah answered. “The groupies, for one. And I’ve seen pictures of some of the women you dated in the past. How am I supposed to compete against them—models, actresses? They’re beautiful and well-dressed and—and fabulous. I’m a science teacher!”
His face softened. “There’s no competition between you and anyone else. I meant what I said before. No one else has ever come close.”
The sincerity in his voice overwhelmed her. She so desperately needed to believe those words. “Never?”
“Never.” He extended his hand to her, and she rested hers in it. “And you are the sexiest science teacher alive.”
She gave him a tentative smile. “They don’t give out awards for that.”
He smiled back. “They should. If they did, you’d take the title every year.”
Rebekah shook her head. “You always know what to say, Rafe. No wonder you were able to steal me away from family.” She looked into his eyes. “No more secrets. We’re in this together.”
“Are you sure you can handle it?”
Rebekah nodded. “I can handle it, no matter what comes our way.”
“Bad press? Rumors?”
Rebekah nodded.
He quirked an eyebrow. “No more overreacting? You’ll listen first before you start throwing things?”
She glanced at the items strewn across the carpet. With an embarrassed smile, she said, “No more overreacting. I’ll listen first.” She wrapped her arms around his wide torso and gazed up at him. “I have a teeny-weeny jealous streak.”
“Me too.” Rafael pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. “Let me show you something.” He pulled out his wallet and lifted a wrinkled old photograph from it. “I couldn’t make myself get rid of it.”
It was a ten-year-old photo of the two of them. She hadn’t wanted him to take the photo that day because she’d wanted to fix her hair first, but he’d insisted she was beautiful and convinced her cornrows were fine. Their cheeks were pressed together, and she’d hammed it up by puckering her lips toward the camera in a saucy pose.
Her eyes filled with tears. “I can’t believe you still have that silly picture.” She had a duplicate copy in a box filled with mementos and photos of them at the top of her closet in her Atlanta home.
“I want us to be like that again.”
She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I do too.”
Rafael got down on one knee in front of her. “I made a stop on the way home today.” He lifted a velvet-covered black box from his slacks and opened it to reveal a large, emerald cut diamond ring with a platinum band. “I planned to take you to dinner and give this to you.”
“Oh my goodness,” Rebekah breathed. It was a far cry from the gold wedding band she still had tucked in the same box in her closet.
“I couldn’t afford to get you an engagement ring the first time,” Rafael began, his eyes filled with love and adoration. “If you’ll let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life giving you everything you deserve. Rebekah, will you marry me—again?”
The image of him blurred behind a screen of tears that overflowed onto her cheeks. She nodded vigorously. “Yes. I’ll marry you,” she said. “As many times as you like.”
He slipped the ring on her trembling finger, and they sealed the promise with a kiss.
Epilogue
The rented house in Maui couldn’t have been a better choice for a first honeymoon. It was right on the beach, and as long as they kept the doors to the balcony slightly ajar as they had them right now, they could listen to the sound of the ocean only feet away.
“It’s nice having an assistant,” Rebekah said idly.
Lydia had handled the reservations for their travel, and the entire trip had gone smoothly. She and Rafael had been in Hawaii for two days while Ricardo remained in California with the temporary nanny they’d hired for the two weeks they would be gone. They’d waited until he was acclimated to his new school before taking the trip.
Rebekah lay on top of Rafael, her head nestled against his shoulder. The only thing covering their naked bodies was his shirt draped across her hips. The arm along her bare back held her close, and Rebekah stroked his head, running her fingers through the silky short hairs in a comforting motion. Their original intention of going sightseeing got postponed in favor of an afternoon of making love.
“I’ve been wondering about something for weeks. What did my father say to you at the wedding?”
The outdoor ceremony had taken place at the home of one of Rafael’s friends. A small, intimate affair, only close friends and family attended the renewing of their vows.
“He threatened to hurt me if I ever messed up again. Then he welcomed me into the family.”
Rebekah smiled and placed a gentle kiss on the strong, dark column of his throat. “At least you received the welcome you’ve always wanted.”
“It wasn’t quite what I had hoped for, but I can live with it. Samirah and your brother also threatened me.”
“You’d better behave yourself then. What about my mother?”
“No, your mother didn’t say anything. She’s a good woman. I’ve always liked her. Much nicer than her husband.” The last sentence sounded slurred.
Rebekah glanced at him. His eyes were closed. “What are you doing? Don’t you dare go to sleep on me.”
“Then stop stroking my hair.”
When she stopped, he took her hand and replaced it on his head.
Rebekah continued to caress his head. “Tell me you love me,” she said softly.
“Te amo.”
“How much?” She already knew the answer, but it never failed to make her glow whenever he said it.
“Demasiado.”
She continued to caress his head until her fingers slowed. She drifted into contented slumber with him, lull
ed to sleep by the sound of the waves rolling up to drag sand into the sea.
The End
Private Acts
by Delaney Diamond
Miguel Delgado fell hard the first time he saw a beautiful woman on stage during a karaoke competition at a bar in Ecuador. Interested in a short, casual affair, he turns on the charm. But she won’t give him the time of day.
Samirah Jamison has met her match—in the form of a tall, hard-bodied sculptor who won’t leave her alone. She’s not running scared. She’s just trying to keep a level head and stay out of trouble for once. But it’s really, really hard to be good…when you’re used to being bad.
Chapter One
It was good to be back.
Miguel Delgado inhaled deeply, appreciating the familiar sounds and smells of his birthplace in the highlands of Ecuador. After the street vendor handed him the small bag filled with chifles, he paid her and walked away. He popped one into his mouth, enjoying the crunch of the thinly sliced fried bananas. They were one of the things he’d missed during his last sojourn to the States. After he arrived earlier today, he took a short nap before deciding to venture out.
He turned down a side street toward the bar owned by his friend, Seth, a former military man from Texas who’d first visited Cuenca over ten years ago. He’d met and fallen in love with a Cuencaran, chucked his life in the States, and opened Seth’s Bar for other transplants like himself. Expats from the English-speaking countries of the United States, Canada, and Britain frequented the spot.
Monday nights were rowdy and as busy as weekend nights because it was Karaoke Night. As a form of appreciation, customers donated cash, all of which was placed in a jar as prize money for the most popular singers.
Miguel stood inside the door for a moment and watched as another wannabe singer walked awkwardly back and forth across the small stage, singing a fifties song in the worst falsetto he’d ever heard. He couldn’t understand why anyone would stand up on a stage and put the spotlight on themselves in that way. It wasn’t worth the money. To think, people in bars around the world sang karaoke for free.
Hot Latin Men 1-5 Omnibus Page 40