by Ruff, K. S.
My eyes grew heavy as Rafael ran his hand up and down my back. “I think Michael knows that on some level, but he still loves you. He pushed you away because he loves you and doesn’t want you hurt.”
Rafael’s hand stilled. “I think he expected you to get back together with Kadyn… and that for you, at least, things would simply go back to the way they were before he forced you to Paris. He knew I had feelings for you, but I don’t think he believed for one minute that I would pursue a relationship with you.”
My voice grew thick as I fought to stay awake. “Do you regret that you did?”
Rafael tightened his arms around me. “No. My only regret is that I didn’t act on my feelings sooner. I’m sure that makes me a terrible brother, but I’m deeply in love with you, Kristine. I don’t want to lose you… to Michael… to Kadyn… or anyone else.”
I sought to reassure him as I drifted off to sleep. My words were whispered, but they wove a new dream. “I love you, Rafael.”
* * * * * *
I was driving home from class, relieved that my first week of work was officially behind me. I was feeling overwhelmed about the trip to Ukraine. There was so much to do between developing the training materials, practicing lectures and simulations, and the Russian immersion course. I had no clue how we were going to pull it all together in less than a month.
Work wasn’t the only thing stressing me out. My new dating schedule was wreaking havoc on my ability to study, and things were only going to get worse with final papers coming due. I needed to carve out more time for my studies, and the only way I could do that was to cut back on my date nights with Kadyn and Rafael. I was actually considering inviting everyone back over for Scrabble, so we could renegotiate the terms of our agreement.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I merged onto the King Street exit. I was pretty pumped about how my self-defense lesson with Rafael had gone this morning. I made it to the end of the hall before he caught me. Now he was challenging me to get to the bottom of the stairs without killing myself in the process. Good luck with that, I thought to myself.
Rafael had called earlier to see if he could take me to dinner in Georgetown and to a Stomp concert this evening. I had to look up Stomp on the Internet to figure out what it was. I was totally enthralled with the idea that people could make music by pounding on garbage cans with wet socks. I was completely exhausted, but there was no way I was going to miss seeing that.
Rafael’s garage door was open when I pulled inside my garage. I parked my jeep, then wandered next door.
“Hey, babe,” he called from inside his car.
I was too busy admiring his backside to speak.
He popped his head out of the car. “What are you looking at?” he teased.
Heat flooded my cheeks. “Nothing.”
He grinned as he leaned against the car. “You were checking me out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, duh. What woman wouldn’t be checking you out?”
His eyes heated. “Come here.”
I smiled and shook my head as I slowly backed away. “No.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No?”
My feet stalled as my body responded to the desire sparking between his body and mine. I took another step back as my eyes flitted to his feet.
Rafael’s muscles bunched as he lunged for me.
I dropped my purse and books and sprinted out of the garage.
He tackled me in the grass on the other side of my house. He tickled me, then growled in my ear. “I love it when you run from me, Kristine. It means I get to do this…” He fit his lips to mine as he drew me into a sweetly seductive kiss.
I made a half-hearted attempt to get away, then relaxed into his arms. “I like it when you do that,” I breathed.
Rafael stood and pulled me to my feet. He tucked me under his arm as we walked back toward the garage. “Do you want to drive my car tonight?”
I brushed grass from my slacks. “No way. Not with Friday night traffic in Georgetown.”
Rafael laughed. “Good. Then we’ll take my bike. You don’t mind wearing jeans to the concert do you?”
“Your bike?” I squeaked. “Can you even fit two people on that thing?”
He laughed. “I had it custom built to hold two riders.”
I eyed him skeptically. “Is it street legal?”
He shrugged. “That depends on which street you’re talking about.”
Rafael scooped up my books as I reached for my purse. I eyed the bike nervously. “Okay. I just need ten minutes to throw on a pair of jeans.”
He smiled as he handed me the books. “I’ll meet you back down here.”
I received a text from Kadyn as I made my way upstairs. Wear tight shorts, a fitted shirt, and some athletic shoes tomorrow. I’ll pick you up at ten so you can sleep in.
I quickly texted him back. What???
I watched for his response as I pulled a pair of jeans from my dresser. Finally, my phone beeped. Just do it.
I rolled my eyes as I texted him back. You sound like a Nike commercial.
See you at ten, was his only response.
I figured I’d get chilled riding on the back of the motorcycle, so I pulled a black long sleeved shirt and a pair of chunky black boots on with my jeans. It was pointless to mess with my hair, since we were going to be riding the bike. I dusted some powder on my face, then added mascara and lip gloss. I sprayed some Bvlgari Green on, grabbed a jacket, and tromped downstairs.
Rafael eyed my jacket. “You won’t need that.”
I looked at my jacket, then glanced back up at Rafael, thoroughly confused. “Won’t it be cold?”
“You won’t be cold, not if you’re wearing this.” He handed me a fitted black leather jacket.
The jacket nearly fell to the floor when he placed it in my hand. I studied it curiously. “Why is this so heavy?”
“It’s a metal jacket. You have to wear it… and this… if you’re going to get on the back of my bike.” Rafael handed me a shiny black helmet. “The helmet has speakers and a microphone so we can talk to each other while we’re on the bike.”
My eyes grew wide. “Did you buy this for me?”
He smiled. “Who else would I buy it for? Try it on. I want to see how it fits.”
I slipped the jacket on. “This feels amazing,” I murmured as I ran my hands down the front of the jacket.
Rafael reached for the zipper. He tugged it up toward my chin before standing back to admire his purchase. He grinned. “You look like trouble… the really, really good kind.”
I laughed as I fisted my hand in his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss. “Thanks for the jacket… and the helmet… and for keeping me safe.”
Rafael locked his arms around me. “Maybe we should just ride the bike and skip the concert,” he mused as he began kissing my neck.
Every inch of my skin tingled. I let my head fall to the side so he could reach more of my neck. “You decide. I can’t think when you’re kissing me like this.”
He reached into my coat pockets, pulled out a pair of leather gloves, and handed them to me. He slid the helmet over my head. “I want to take you to the concert, but there are no guarantees that we’ll make it through the whole thing before I drag you back home.”
My eyes widened as Rafael slipped into his own leather jacket. He tugged a pair of leather gloves on, then slid a sleek black helmet over his head. “Can you hear me?” he asked.
I nodded.
He flipped his shield up and narrowed his eyes at me. “I want you to speak so I can make sure the microphones and speakers are working before we leave.”
I smiled, although I doubted he could see it under the helmet. “You look really hot,” I breathed.
He groaned loudly as he swung his leg over the bike. He reached for my arm and tugged me toward the bike. “I just hope I’m getting brownie points for not taking you right here in the middle of the garage.”
I laughed as I swung my leg over the bac
k of the bike. I reached for his hips and scooted forward until I was sitting snug against his back. “Actually, you’re getting points docked for that.”
Rafael shook his head as he started the bike. “You’re going to wish those words had never left your mouth.”
I wrapped my arms around his well-muscled chest and settled in to enjoy the ride. I knew full well he’d be earning those points back later. If I had any say in the matter, he’d be earning them on this ridiculous racing bike.
* * * * * *
My eyes flew open when the alarm sounded on my cell phone. Rafael yanked the phone from my hand. He scowled at the phone. “Why is your alarm going off at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning?” He turned the alarm off before tossing my phone over his shoulder.
I watched the phone bounce off the bed. “I’m supposed to meet up with Kadyn at ten.”
He tucked me back into his chest. “That’s two hours from now. Go back to sleep,” he growled menacingly.
I was tempted to sneak out of bed, but Rafael’s death grip made it impossible to move. His warm body quickly lured me back to sleep.
I woke again at nine o’clock. This time, I managed to make it out of bed.
He scowled as I dressed. “Do you really have to leave?”
I tugged my jeans over my hips. “Kadyn’s picking me up in an hour. I need to shower and change before he arrives.”
Rafael propped himself up on his elbow. “How did you sleep?”
I reached for my shirt. “Good.”
“No more nightmares about Michael?”
I shook my head. “Nope. My brain was otherwise engaged.”
Rafael grinned. “With what?”
I rolled my eyes at him as I tugged my socks on. “You… taking me on that bike.”
Rafael laughed. “I’ll never look at that motorcycle the same way again.”
I hopped to my feet as Rafael slid out of bed.
He began sulking as we made our way downstairs. “I hate sharing you like this. I want to spend an entire weekend with you… a long weekend. What if I want to take you on a trip somewhere?”
I offered him an apologetic look as I pulled my boots on. “I don’t know. I’m having a hard time juggling this too. Let me think about it. I’m sure we can figure something out if you want to travel somewhere for the weekend.”
Rafael reigned in his frustration as he pulled me back onto my feet. “I’ll be at your house at exactly one minute after midnight. I want to jump start our date for Sunday.”
I had all kinds of visions of what that might entail, especially after what happened on his motorcycle. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him thoroughly. “You’re not allowed to ride your motorcycle with any other girls,” I teased before trotting down his front steps. I glanced over my shoulder as I waved goodbye. I was relieved to see him smile.
He stood on his steps and watched me as I unlocked the door to my house. “One minute after midnight,” he called out.
I smiled and blew him a kiss. “See you then!”
I went straight to the kitchen so I could brew an extra strong pot of coffee. I had no clue what Kadyn had planned, but I had no doubt it would require high doses of caffeine. I ran upstairs and took a quick shower. Then I spent a good thirty minutes rummaging through my clothes so I could track down a pair of tight shorts. The only shorts I could find that qualified as tight were my black spandex biking shorts. I paired them with a black sports bra and a bright pink tank top. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and added a black hoodie, so I could hide how fitted everything was. I slipped some black socks and running shoes on, still uncertain as to whether this was the type of outfit Kadyn really had in mind.
Kadyn showed up at ten, just as I was pouring the remaining coffee into a travel mug. His eyes raked over me when I opened the door. “Good. That’s perfect.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You could have just told me to wear gym clothes. I didn’t have a clue what you had in mind when you told me to wear tight shorts.”
He laughed as he pulled me in for a quick kiss. “Are you ready? Do you have enough caffeine?”
I rolled my eyes as I pulled the door closed. “Yes. I have enough caffeine. Are we going to the gym to practice Karate?”
Kadyn shook his head. “Nope… and don’t bother trying to pump me for any more information. You’ll find out what we’re doing when we get there.”
Kadyn opened the car door for me. I slid into the warm leather seat and sighed appreciatively. “You had your seat warmers on.”
Kadyn chuckled as he slid into the driver’s seat. “You need to get rid of that jeep so you can purchase something with seat warmers.”
I looked around the car to see if I could find any clues as to where we were going. There wasn’t a single thing in the back seat, so I turned around and settled in to enjoy my coffee. “I love my jeep.”
Kadyn flipped through his XM channels until he found a jazz station. “You do realize the newer jeeps have seat warmers,” he murmured sarcastically.
I grew quiet as I reflected on my jeep. That jeep was the vehicle I’d used to escape from my ex-husband. I had spent countless hours tooling around with my dog, Cade, in that jeep. I could still picture my Montana friends in the passenger seats and the bear that climbed on top of the hood in Cooke City. There were too many memories tied to that jeep. It was a part of me… and one of the few things that still connected me to Montana. I shook my head. “I don’t want to trade in my jeep, not until it starts falling apart.”
Kadyn laughed. “That shouldn’t take long.”
I swatted at his arm. “Quit picking on my jeep. You act like it’s an antique. It’s only seven years old!”
He shot me a sidelong glance. “How many miles do you have on that thing?”
I resisted the urge to slump dejectedly in my seat. “Just over a hundred thousand miles.”
A smug look fell over his face. “Point made.”
I scowled at him as I leaned over and turned up the radio station. “I’m done talking about this. I’m not trading in my jeep.”
He reached over and turned the radio back down. “About the other night…”
I glanced at him, completely mortified. “Please don’t apologize again, Kadyn. It wasn’t your fault.”
He eyed me cautiously. “I don’t want to repeat the same mistake twice. Can you help me understand what happened?”
I stared at my coffee mug as I sank into the seat. “I don’t know what happened. I’m still having nightmares about Michael, and sometimes the memories just come out of nowhere. I was a little freaked out waking up in my old room. The last time I slept in that room was the morning Michael kidnapped me. Maybe that was it.”
Kadyn shook his head. “You said it was the way I kissed you.”
I peered out the window as I reflected on the kiss. “That is when the memories hit.”
He glanced at me as he changed lanes. “What kind of memories?”
I turned to face him. “Kadyn, you really don’t want to know the kind of crap that goes on inside my head.”
He shot me a determined look. “Yes, I do.”
I sighed heavily. “I started out thinking about you. I was thinking about our first kiss and the first time we made love after Senator Rockefeller’s party. My thoughts turned to Michael when I thought about all I had lost… not just with you but with him too.”
Kadyn couldn’t hide his confusion. “But I’ve kissed you before, and you didn’t react like that.”
I slowly shook my head. “I don’t think you have poured so much hope into a single kiss before. You kissed me the same way Michael did when he was trying to convince me to fall in love with him. His kisses were so pleading...” I paused as I fought to overcome my discomfort in discussing Michael with Kadyn. “His kisses were desperate and raw. You’ve never kissed me like that before. Usually, your kisses are more… I don’t know… cocky.”
His eyebrows shot up. “Cocky?”
&nb
sp; I laughed. “Not in a bad way, just… more confident, more determined, and self-assured.”
Kadyn looked relieved.
I continued cautiously. “Michael’s kisses were so pleading and full of hope, especially in the beginning. When you kissed me like that, it brought back so many memories. The only thing I could think of was how much I had lost. It just… threw me off. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run out on you, and I feel like an idiot for dragging you out in the rain.”
Kadyn turned onto a vaguely familiar road. He glanced at me as the cars in front of us slowed. “You’re still not over Michael.”
I silently contemplated whether I’d ever get over Michael. I stared out the window at the thick wall of trees. My eyes widened when I recognized the road. I shot upright. “We’re going to Great Falls Park!”
Kadyn laughed. “It’s been a while. I didn’t think you’d remember this place.”
I leaned forward excitedly. “Are we going hiking?”
Kadyn shook his head. “Nope.”
I didn’t bother hiding my disappointment. “We’re not?”
Kadyn paid the forest ranger before turning into the first parking lot. He snagged a parking spot under a cluster of trees. He hooked his arm around the back of my seat as he turned to face me. “I don’t know how or when I lost your trust, Kri, but we’re here for one reason and one reason only.”
My pulse quickened. At some primitive level my body registered the need to flee.
A determined look settled over Kadyn’s face. “We’re here because I want you to trust me.”
I swallowed against the lump in my throat.
His eyes captured and held mine.
I slowly nodded. My nerves were pinging by the time we climbed out of the car. I watched with baited breath as he popped open the trunk. I studied the contents curiously. “What is that for?”
Kadyn smiled. “Rock climbing.”
My eyes widened. “You’re taking me rock climbing? But I haven’t climbed outside before. I’ve only climbed on those fake walls at the indoor rock climbing gyms.”