Chapter 20
Lia
Even though I thought seeing Raph was nothing more than a fantasy, he spirited me away from my outing the minute I was alone. Had he been watching somehow? His arm cradled me possessively as we made our way outside, leaving the thumping energy of Aire behind us. I grinned, I couldn’t help my elation. Even though I had no idea where we were going, I didn’t care.
When Raph was around, my heart fluttered and danced its way up my throat, thrumming under my flushed skin. It was getting hard to remember what life was like before I felt so alive.
Monotony as far as my mind’s eye could see; there was no chance I wanted to go back to that. It would destroy me, ripping my heart from my chest.
Thinking about my heart wasn’t safe, either. Raph and I had only a few days left. I wouldn’t spoil the last best moments of my life gearing up for the consequences. Even though we found each other every day since we started this, the ending couldn’t change.
Could it?
Once I retrieved my coat, Raph took us down a short flight of stairs behind the coat check into a quiet hallway that ran the outer edge of the building. I could hear the clatter of the kitchen ahead of us, but we took a right out a metal door into the chilly night air.
As Raph guided me toward his black Mercedes, I pulled my phone from my coat pocket to message Shell.
Lia: I bailed. If you think about it, you know where I went. See ya sometime. Xx.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket, and climbed into the car with Raph, ready to go wherever he took me. I didn’t care where that was; the energy pinging back and forth in the car kept me occupied.
He drove in silence, hands clenched around the wheel and jaw set. My imagination wove the most intimate imagery. It had barely been a day, but I craved the man in the worst way.
“I missed you,” he said, reading my mind.
I reached over, brushing my fingertips down his arm.
“I did, too. As soon as I left that night.”
His eyes steeled, and the corners of his mouth turned down.
“It was late. You should have stayed.”
I peered up at his eyes, but they revealed nothing. He was stoic, in control. How did he do that? My heart was trying to bang its way out of my chest. I swallowed and took a calming breath.
“I didn’t want to disturb you or your schedule. I knew you were leaving for New York, and didn’t want you to be late. If you didn’t leave when you were supposed to.”
I felt like I was floundering, so I shut up. My cheeks heated. Another glance his way revealing a tic in his jaw. Was he mad? I grimaced.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. But we’re together now, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Raph sighed and let his shoulders relax.
“I let it shake my ego that you left in the middle of the night, like what we did was some dirty secret. I wanted to keep you there, have breakfast,” his hand moved from the wheel to my thigh, long fingers emanating teasing warmth. “Then, maybe cook for you, too.”
He chuckled when I gasped.
“Let’s pick up where we left off, go back to New Jersey tomorrow. Let me take you home and show you an amazing night. And the morning after.”
His fingers inched closer to the apex of my thighs. My mind flooded with thoughts of his mouth on me.
My head tipped against the headrest and a sigh escaped my lips when he connected with my panties. His fingers traced my lips through the thin silk. I moaned and wiggled back in my seat. Didn’t he know this was torture?
Then his fingers slipped under the edge and my eyes rolled back. Knowing Mystery Guy was a real man only added fuel to the already well-tended blaze. I licked my lips and swallowed another groan as Raph’s skilled hand glided over my heated flesh.
A whole day with Raph. What would he be like when he wasn’t up to his ears in obligations? Did he know how to slow down?
As if to punctuate the thought, his hand flicked up and drew lazy circles around my swollen clit. My teeth clamped down on my lip, and I rolled my head toward him.
“We’re going to your place, then?”
His fingers slid away from me, trailing wetness down my inner thigh. A dark, tense expression greeted me when I peered at him through my lashes. I didn’t need to look down to know he was as turned on as me, or even more so. Did he think of me as much as I thought of him?
Since learning his identity, I longed for more tidbits about the man. There were bound to be pieces of his personality scattered around his apartment. More than at the swanky downtown hotel, at least.
We turned into a gated community and I readjusted my expectations for where we were headed. Not an apartment, then. A couple turns later, and we rolled up a long driveway to a sprawling white mansion.
The house exuded the same elegance I’d come to expect from Raph. It was the perfect depiction of obscene wealth tastefully spent. There was a fountain in the front courtyard. Around the left side of the house stood a carport that could shelter ten cars. Then, finally, we pulled into the garage.
Before Raph killed the engine, my phone vibrated with an incoming call.
“Hello?”
“Where are you right now?” Shell demanded.
“In a car, pulling into a garage. Did you get my message?”
“Yeah, sure did. I was just making sure you didn’t go home. But if I didn’t know better, I’d say it sounds like I’m interrupting. Am I cock-blocking you right now?”
I snorted. “No! But I’m not going to squander my time with you and Nick grinding in a club.”
“Say no more! I’ll let you get back to grinding elsewhere. Get ‘em, tiger!”
She ended the call, and I shook my head, smiling. Friendship came in handy for some fast confidence. I shoved my phone back into my pocket after turning it off. I didn’t need any other interruptions.
“Ready, gorgeous?”
I flashed him a cheesy grin. The warm fuzzy feeling of this Raph bubble had me ready to take on anything life threw at me. Derrick could wait another day if it meant uninterrupted alone time with Raph.
Why does this have to end so soon?
I didn’t want to dwell on the inevitable end, since its weight threatened to crush me. I got out of the car, flirty smile in place. He returned my energy, and my knees went weak.
If a day is what I get, then I’ll enjoy every last second.
My eyes wandered around the expansive garage. It was almost as big as my apartment. Raph came around the side of the car and slipped his arms around my waist. My nose filled his his scent and his heat warmed my back, making my head spin. I fought the urge to turn and jump into his arms.
“Shall we head inside?” He asked.
I looked over my shoulder. He was so damn handsome, it hurt. I reached a hand up and brushed my fingers along his cheek. He clasped my hand in his and pulled me toward the door inside.
After keying in a passcode, the lock clicked, and he opened the door into a gorgeous foyer adorned with charcoal, stone tile. He slipped my coat from my shoulders and hung it in a closet and guided me up two steps into the house.
The walls were a pale cream, and the entryway led into a sprawling open concept living space with mahogany hardwood floors throughout and a curved staircase in the center. My jaw slackened as I looked around.
To our left was the kitchen of anyone’s dreams. Cabinets that matched the soft cream of the entryway walls, sparkling grey granite countertops with bold veining, and a wide Carrara marble island with a cooktop. A large sink, double ovens, oversized French door refrigerator that matched the cabinets. With all that space, he could cook three thanksgiving dinner’s simultaneously.
I glanced at Raph, awestruck. I hadn’t known what to expect, but his home would have exceeded any expectation I could have come up with. He seemed so nonchalant, carrying his bag and my purse. He looked down at me and smiled. I loved when his eyes crinkled at the corners.
“I’m glad you’re here with me.”
I hummed and leaned my head against him. I was glad, too. His obvious relief brought me ease.
I always thought a home like this would intimidate me, but with Raph, it didn’t matter. The only thing that registered was him. He was my dream man for so long, and now he was a part of my reality.
With a light, guiding hand on the small of my back, we walked through the main floor to the staircase.
The second floor was more homey than showy. Plush carpeting ran the landing and hall. A cozy seating area below a large arching window below a crystal chandelier beckoned to me. I could curl up there and work. We walked down the hallway to the end; the master bedroom.
Once the door opened, I was lost for words. It was perfect. Masculine, yet still warm and inviting. Different shades of grey with pops of color. It was a restful oasis.
There were a few doors left ajar around the room’s perimeter. One lead to the ensuite, another to a balcony with two chairs and a small table, and the last to the walk-in closet.
Raph dropped his bag on the side table along with my purse and started unbuttoning his shirt buttons. He always looked so intense, but today he seemed tired. Not sleepy, but tired. He stretched, and my eyes feasted on his sinewy muscles flexing beneath his tailored shirt.
“I could really use a shower. Join me?”
I nodded and turned so he could help me with the zipper at the back of my dress. When I picked it out, I imagined running into him. Seeing it on his floor brought a soft smile to my lips. I toed off my heels.
I turned in his arms, wearing nothing but a scant scrap of silk. His fingers skimmed down my sides, and goosebumps sprang up all over my body. I rose on my toes and planted a chaste kiss on his lips before stepping back.
I padded toward the bathroom while he undressed, and when I crossed the threshold, the overhead lighting flicked on automatically, gradually brightening. There were conveniences crammed into every nook of this house.
I opened the glass door to the shower and turned it on to heat while I waited for Raph. As the room filled with steam, I thought back to the day I met him.
I had no idea what was coming when I got ready for work that morning, no idea how things were going to change, no idea how wrong I’d been about Raph as a man and lover. I’d always allowed him to be passive in my imagination because that was all I’d ever known. It thrilled me to stand corrected.
Raph entered the steamy space and stood flush against me. My pulse fluttered as he pinched and rolled my nipples into firm buds. His touch felt like heaven. I purred and pushed back against him.
With Raph, I didn’t need to hold back. He was a dream turned reality, but better still because he was real, and hot, and hard enough that I could feel him, solid and twitching against my back. This must be what love feels like.
I turned in his arms, and his mouth fused with mine in a searing kiss. My back hit the wall next to the shower, and Raph hiked my leg up against his hard body. Warmth flooded me, pooling in my center. He was big in every way. Tall, broad shouldered, and lower than that.
He pressed a trail of hot kisses down my neck to my collarbone, then sucked my right nipple into his mouth, sucking hard. A broken moan slid from my throat as he pushed my panties aside and thrust his fingers into me. The firm pressure made the room spin.
The fire from before escalated into an inferno. My hips bucked toward his hand as he worked me from inside. Small gasps and cries filled the air, and I was only vaguely aware they came from me.
My knees shook as he drove me right to the edge. Sighs and pants turned rasps and moans. He swallowed them up with his mouth, stroking my tongue with his. Every time I thought he’d let me fall, he’d pull back, teasing and holding me there, dangling on the precipice of pleasure. With a devilish grin, he stepped back and took my hands, stepping into the spray.
The spacious shower had side jets, and a curved marble bench. Once we were inside, he closed the glass door and kissed me again. I sighed and sagged against him.
Raph poured some body wash into his palm, then rubbed his hands down my torso and around my back. We slipped and slid against each other as we kissed and sank into the languid heat.
My wandering hands wrapped around his cock, stroking up and down his length. He stiffened against my palm, and braced against the wall. With a growl, he lifted me by my thighs and pinned me against the wall. I gasped and our eyes held. He moved his hips, and his hard length slid against me where I was slick and needy.
“I need you. Bedroom?” His voice was a low rumble.
Breathless, I shook my head. “Let’s stay. Please, now.”
“But, a condom…”
“I’m on the pill, and I’m clean. Please, Raph.”
His tongue plunged into my mouth, and I tugged at the damp strands of hair I’d coiled around my fingers while he pull back, angling toward my entrance.
I urged him forward, digging my heels into his back, and he slid into me hard, fast, and to the hilt. I cried out and threw my head back, arching.
He kept me pinned against the wall as he thrust inside me over and over. Greedy hands kneaded and gripped my ass. He felt too good, bare flesh against bare flesh. My eyes fluttered closed as the tightening started deep in my core. It wound tighter, coiling and stretching like a rubber band ready to snap. His fingers found my clit and circled. It took all of five seconds.
I came apart with a sharp, wordless cry. My orgasm smashed into me like an avalanche, knocking my head back against the wall of the shower and releasing all that over-wound tension.
I could still feel Raph pumping into me with all the force he could muster while I clenched and convulsed around him. He came inside me with a raspy shout, and laid his forehead against mine, breathing heavily while I trembled in his arms. Spent.
He was heaven on earth.