“I never asked for your respect, Ari. All I want is your body,” he quickly responded, fascinated by the fire leaping to life in her eyes.
“Well, you can’t have either,” she muttered as she picked up her spoon and swirled it around her soup bowl.
The rest of the meal was fairly quiet as he polished off most of his dinner, having a ravenous appetite all of a sudden, and she simply picked at hers. He watched as she continuously glanced at the clock, knowing she wanted nothing more than to run away from him. He simply drew out the time, making her squirm in her seat.
After an hour, they sipped coffee and he debated seducing her again. He wouldn’t mind taking her once more that night. He just didn’t know if it was the smartest move for him to make in their little game.
“Mr. Palazzo, your mother is on line two.”
Well, that ended his debate. His family always came before any woman he was with or his own pleasure.
“Thank you. Take Ms. Harlow back to her room, please.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I don’t need taken back to my room. I’m ready to go home,” Ari said as she stood.
“I’ve grown tired of arguing with you for the night. You’ll stay here as the doctor ordered. Don’t worry. I won’t bother you any further this evening,” he said, letting her know the matter was closed to further discussion.
As he walked from the room, he heard her frustrated sigh, but he knew his staff would ensure she went upstairs and didn’t make any escape attempts.
*****
Ari woke the next morning to find a note on the nightstand. Relief flooded her when she read the words, releasing her from her luxurious prison. Rafe was allowing his driver to take her home.
She didn’t dare use his bathing facilities again, not wanting to get too used to the deluxe bath or shower. She knew she needed to get as far from Rafe as she possibly could before she did something stupid like agree to be his mistress.
With the feelings he inspired in her, she was afraid it would be entirely too easy to say yes to him. That would be suicide for her. She had a feeling women were never the same after being with Rafe for any amount of time.
The man inspired too much emotion – whether it was lust or hate. She couldn’t imagine how a woman felt who was stupid enough to fall in love with him. One thing she realized, though, was the fact that sex wasn’t a horrible thing.
Rafe had made her feel things she definitely wanted to feel again and again. She would have to allow herself some time to date, because now that those doors had been opened, she didn’t know if it was possible to shut them again. She really didn’t think she wanted to shut them.
She gathered her purse and walked down the stairs, taking her time to look around his home on her way out. The curiosity irritated her, but she couldn’t seem to stem it. Rafe had good taste in decorations and furniture, using bright colors and deep, rich-toned wood.
Not wanting to learn anything else about the man, Ari forced herself to head straight for the front door where she was pleased to find a car waiting.
“I’m glad you’re feeling better, Ms. Harlow.”
“Thank you, Mr. Kinsor. I appreciate all the staff taking such good care of me. I’ve never felt so pampered,” she replied. She genuinely liked Rafe’s right hand man, even if the guy knew exactly what Rafe had wanted to hire her for and hadn’t warned her. She wouldn’t expect him to sell out his employer.
“Do you need to make any stops before going home?”
Ari thought for a moment as he held open her door. She wouldn’t feel up to leaving her house the rest of the day and her head was already starting to throb a little. Why not take advantage of having a driver for a little while?
“If you’re not in a huge hurry and wouldn’t mind, could we stop by a drug store?”
“Of course. I’m yours for as long as you need me. Mr. Palazzo was explicit to give you whatever you needed today,” he answered happily as he shut the door and quickly went around to the driver’s side.
Ari’s confusion grew at Mr. Kinsor’s words. Why did Rafe have to be so accommodating and kind one minute and then such a brute the next? Why couldn’t he have been just a regular guy she’d met on her college campus? She hated to have any thoughts of Rafe, wanting to wipe him from her mind, but the more she ran into him, the more she wanted to know about this mysterious man who offered so much, but demanded more than she could bear to give.
“Just the drug store will be fine. I need to get home and take care of things so I can be well enough to go to work tomorrow,” she said when she realized she’d never responded to his last comment.
“Okay. If you do change your mind, just let me know. Would you like to listen to music?”
“No thank you. I’ve got a headache. I’ll just rest my eyes while we’re driving. I’ll feel better after taking a couple Advil’s.”
Mr. Kinsor was silent as they pulled onto the road. At least they were in a comfortable car that cruised along quietly and without many bumps. It didn’t take them long to stop by the drug store and then reach her home. Ari would miss the presence of other people around her. As she stepped into her apartment she realized how truly alone she was most of the time now.
Chapter Sixteen
“Rafe!”
Rafe braced for impact as his sister threw herself into his arms. A rare smile spread across his face as she jumped up and wrapped herself around him.
“How are you, Rachel?”
“I’ve missed you. It seems like years since I saw you last.”
Rafe laughed at his baby sister’s enthusiasm. She was eight years younger than him and full of life, certainly the most vibrant young woman he’d ever known, and also one of the few females he had complete respect for. He adored both of his sisters.
“I saw you two months ago. Are you going to let me go now?”
“If you insist,” she pouted as she released him. “Two months may as well be two years. Mom’s a tyrant who never lets me do anything.”
“You get away with far more than I’d let you get away with. You’re too beautiful to be allowed out in public,” he said only half-teasing. He would slaughter any man who dared even look at his sister wrong. He knew it was slightly ironic how protective he was of his sisters when he had zero respect for other women.
“You drive your poor father and I crazy. I am hardly a tyrant, peste” his mother, Rosabella, said, calling Rachel a brat in Italian before she approached and planted a kiss on his cheek. “How are you, son? You have darker circles beneath your eyes than you had last time I saw you,” she scolded.