The sound of Ari’s laughter filled him with delight. She was so unique — unspoiled. Even though he’d pushed her past the point a normal human being could be pushed, she still smiled, still found elation wherever she could. To snuff out her spirit would be a crime.
*****
The breath rushed from Ari’s lungs as strong arms wrapped around her. Fear spiraled inside her for just a moment, until she realized it was Rafe. He spun her in his arms and then she was pressed up tightly against him as his head descended.
Ari was winded and more than a little light-headed when he lifted his head again, his heated gaze aimed directly into her eyes.
“Where do you think you’re off to?”
“I don’t know yet. I figure once I find something fun to do, that’s where I’m supposed to be,” she answered. “What happened to your work?”
“I decided I’d take the rest of the day off.”
As Rafe released her from his arms only to grab her hand and begin walking with her through the park, Ari didn’t know what to think. This was another of those Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moments. Rafe seemed almost…carefree as the two of them began passing vendors and street performers.
“Just like that, you’ve decided to stroll through Central Park?”
“Yes, just like that. I am the boss, after all. If I want to take the day off, then that’s exactly what I’ll do,” he answered arrogantly.
Ari couldn’t find it in her to be even the slightest annoyed with him. She was too pleased to spend a somewhat normal afternoon in his presence.
“Well, then, we’re wasting time,” she announced as she picked up her pace. Ari was on a mission to experience everything she could during her brief time in what seemed an almost magical place.
Rafe held her hand and she raced down the path, stopping to watch street performers sing and dance, and insisting that Rafe give each of them a donation before the two of them moved on to the next sight. She didn’t know how hard it was for him to resist bending to her will when her countenance lit up the entire park as she observed everything she could with childlike wonder and joy.
They reached the Gapstow Bridge and she felt as if she were in a foreign country because of the architecture’s pre-World War I feel, and she admired the stunning detail.
“You know, Ari, this was designed to look like the Ponte di San Francesco in San Remo, Italy, a beautiful area not far from my mother’s home.”
“That’s amazing, Rafe. I bet you come here all the time just to feel as if you’re back home. How do you stand having two separate places calling to you?” Ari asked as she looked around the park.
“I visit Italy when I get homesick, which isn’t too often. My work keeps me very busy. Still, we may need to make a trip there in a couple of months. I have several businesses in my mother’s homeland, and it’s never a hardship to visit them.”
“You want me to go with you?” Ari had long given up imagining she might get to travel around the world. That prospect might not make up for the fact that he liked to hire his women, but it definitely didn’t hurt.
“It’s business, Ari. Don’t get too excited.” Rafe’s words were like a cold metal snuffer to a single-candle flame.
“I know,” she replied as she moved forward, some of the magic from her day stolen away by his insensitive words. Before she managed to get too far, Rafe’s hand was gripping her arm.
“Look, I’m sorry. I…I don’t really know how to talk to you sometimes. This situation is all new to me. I just want to make sure you aren’t getting your hopes up that this may lead into something more permanent. Our relationship is…a temporary thing.”
The fact that Rafe wasn’t trying to be cruel — that in reality he was trying to make sure she didn’t get hurt — didn’t keep his words from stabbing her straight in the heart. This was the reason she didn’t want to get attached to him, why she couldn’t afford to let her emotions get involved.
Her earlier joy crushed, Ari turned away and began walking through the park. She hadn’t needed a reminder of their relationship. She’d just wanted one day where none of it mattered. She was simply a normal girl and he was an average guy and they were strolling through a beautiful park like all the other couples around them.
It seemed she wasn’t allowed to have even that — not as long as she was Rafe Palazzo’s mistress. It suddenly seemed odd that there weren’t dark clouds in the sky, she was so filled with gloom.
“Follow me,” Rafe said, taking her hand and dragging her forward. She just wanted to go back to the hotel, but she followed him, the nice little obedient mistress, she thought sourly.
But Ari forgot about her bad mood as soon as she looked where he was pointing. There was a large group of people doing something she couldn’t quite make out, and as music drifted toward her and Rafe, someone turned up a loudspeaker.
“What’s going on?”
“Just wait,” he said with a mysterious smile. His grin drove away the rest of Ari’s gloom, and she watched as the large group started to break out in a synchronized dance.
“It’s a street mob!” Ari shouted as she took several steps forward for a better view of the group. She’d never seen one live before and excitement filled her as she watched the performance and saw that it also stopped other tourists, who seemed as entranced as she was.
After the dance ended, Rafe took her on a lengthy tour of the park. Ari dashed into the beautiful zoo showcasing creatures from tropical, temperate and polar zones from around the world. The human pair wandered around hand in hand, pointing out different animals and their antics, and laughing particularly at the exhibitionist monkey urinating from a tree.
“Oh, Rafe! These are my favorites!” she exclaimed at the pool of sea lions in the center courtyard. The creatures shared their playful mood with onlookers as they performed tricks for snacks, and then spiraled underneath the water. A close second to the sea lions were the penguins. Ari couldn’t help but giggle at the way they waddled on land but then dived into the water like bullets fired from a gun. They appeared to be having so much fun, it was difficult not to catch their enthusiasm.
Rafe had to drag her from the zoo, especially after Ari, with her profound love of history, fell in thrall to the Arsenal building at the zoo’s edge. She drank deep from its treasure trove of historical memorabilia.
Ari found the day passing by far too quickly as they continued their rambles. “Stop!” she cried when they came upon a hot dog vendor. “We have to have a New York hot dog,” she insisted as she saw the look of disbelief on Rafe’s face.