Chapter Twenty-Five
When we arrived at the airport, the SUV pulled up alongside the jet. As Drea peered out the window, she remarked, “Looks like ours.”
“I’m pretty sure ours is bigger,” I teasingly replied.
Drea snorted. “I’ll be sure to tell that to my father.”
After the bodyguard opened the SUV door, Drea and I got out. Taking her hand, I led her over to the jet. “This should be interesting,” Drea mused as she started up the narrow stairs.
“Don’t worry. I’ll catch you if you fall.”
She threw a withering look at me over her shoulder. “Thanks a lot.”
Thankfully, she only pitched forward once, and I had her by the waist so she didn’t get hurt. When we got inside, we found Rafe already seated with his head buried in his iPad.
“We’re here.”
Without looking up, Rafe instructed, “Good. Go ahead and have a seat, so we can take off.”
Glancing down at herself, Drea then said, “I need to get out of this dress.”
I pointed at the bedroom. “You can change in there, and there’s also a bathroom if you’d like a shower.”
After throwing a quick glance at Rafe, she gave me a knowing look. “Yes, I need to get cleaned up. I’m a mess.”
With his head buried in his iPad, Rafe replied, “You don’t have to go to any trouble for us, Drea. You look fine.”
Drea held my gaze before darting her tongue out to lick her lips. “It’s more that I’m a mess on the inside.”
Inwardly, I groaned at the mental picture she’d just given me. To my surprise, she crooked her finger at me. “I need your help.”
“With what?”
“I need my dress unzipped.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
After turning her back to me, Drea swept her hair over her shoulder so it wouldn’t be in my way. My fingers came to grasp the zipper at the base of her neck. Slowly, I inched it down, savoring the sight of all her naked skin.
By the time I’d slid it down to her waist, Drea’s sides expanded with harsh pants. When I threw a questioning look over my shoulder at Rafe, he remained with his shoulders scrunched and his attention on his screen.
Dipping my head, I brought my lips to the top of Drea’s back. She sucked in a panicked breath and started to dart away, but my hands gripped her waist to keep her in place. Lazily, I drew circles with my tongue along her silky skin.
“Leo,” Drea panted.
Ignoring her plea, I gently grazed her flesh with my teeth.
“Got it!” Rafe exclaimed, which caused me to shove Drea away.
When I whirled around, he grinned broadly at me. “I found a car service to take me from the airport in Catania to the convent.”
“Good for you,” I replied.
At the sound of swishing satin, I turned around to see Drea disappearing into the bedroom. Thanks to Rafe, there would be no more teasing her.
Unless he fell asleep.
After dropping back down in the chair across from him, I started to take my phone out of my pocket when he leaned forward in his seat.
“Listen, with all the craziness, I haven’t had a chance to formally thank you.”
“You did at the ceremony,” I argued.
“I couldn’t say everything I wanted to say then.” With a nervous laugh, he said, “I’m not even sure I can now.”
“You don’t have to say a word.”
He shook his head. “Yeah, I really do, Leo. What you did back there…it was truly heroic.”
“While I disagree with her, Drea said the same thing.”
His brows furrowed. “Why would she find it heroic?”
Fuck. As I stared into Rafe’s eyes, I knew there was never going to be a better time to come clean with him. Sure, it probably wasn’t the best idea to be honest with him while we were trapped thousands of feet above the ground, but what could I do?”
“Here’s the thing, Rafe. I could tell you that Drea thought I was a hero because my actions–”
“Your sacrifice,” Rafe argued.
“Yeah, see, that’s where you’re wrong. I wasn’t sacrificing anything by offering to marry Drea. In fact, I’ve been a pretty selfish bastard this last year when it comes to her.”
Rafe creased his dark brows in confusion. “Does what you’re alluding to have anything to do with the way you two were looking at each other at the altar?”
Wait, what? Did I just hallucinate that Rafe noticed something between Drea and me at the church? “Maybe.”
Blinking at me, Rafe then eased back in his chair. “I think you need to explain yourself,” he replied in a measured voice.
I held up my hands. “Before I do, I just want to preface this by saying that if it had not been for your feelings for Maeve, I would’ve never allowed things to progress between Drea and me.”
Rafe’s jaw clenched. “What things?” he gritted out.
“We kissed.”
“Excuse me?”
“Okay, we did a little more than kissing, but in my defense, I didn’t know it was her.”
“How can you possibly claim that when you’d met her in person?”
“Well, she was wearing a mask, and you know how dark the dance floor at Inferno can be.”
Rafe exploded out of the chair. Grabbing me by the shoulders, he slammed me back against mine. “You were with my fiancée in my club?”
“I didn’t invite her. She came with her cousin. I ran into her on the dance floor and things got heated. But as soon as I knew who she was, I stopped.”
Rafe searched my face intently. “You’re lying.”
“It’s the truth.”
“There’s more you’re not telling me.”
“I fell in love with her the moment I laid eyes on her.”
Red rage scorched across Rafe’s cheeks at my admission. “You only offered to take my place today because you wanted Drea all for your own.”
I shook my head. “I wanted you to be happy. You know I did. Hell, I was helping Maeve to surprise you on your birthday. Why would I do that unless I wanted you to be happy? For fuck’s sake, I would’ve never allowed myself to even jerk off to her had I known you cared for her.”
“My lack of feelings for Drea is irrelevant. She was my property by right of the contract.”
Now it was my turn for rage to scorch my cheeks. “She was never your property.”
“How quickly you forget what our marriage contracts say,” Rafe sneered.
“I don’t give a fuck what bullshit is in the fine print. You can’t own someone, least of all someone like Drea. She is an independent woman with hopes and dreams. She’s a good student and an accomplished artist. I bet you don’t even know what her favorite color is or what she likes to eat.”
“We have rules in this world, Leo.”
“Spare me. You fucked over every rule in the book because of your feelings for Maeve.”
“Do not bring her into this!” Rafe roared.
“I sure as hell will. She’s at the root of all of this.”
Rafe shook his head at me with disgust. “You betrayed me.”
“Yeah, well, you betrayed me, too. You let your cock lead you from your duty.”
The next thing I knew Rafe unleashed his famous right undercut on my chest. “Oomph,” I muttered.
When he tried launching his fist at my face, I deflected his hit and socked him in the nose. “Motherfucker!” Rafe roared.
We then fell into punches and jabs. We slung each other around the interior of the plane. When I shoved Rafe into the drink cart, he flipped over, sending bottles of alcohol scattering along the floor.
After landing two harsh kicks to his shins he rolled away before clamoring to his feet. Limping slightly, he then rushed me. His giant head slammed into my abdomen just as the plane took a turn. Losing my balance, I grasped at his sleeves before taking him down with me.
“Stop it!” Drea screamed.
The sound of her voice, coupled with the desperation of her tone, caused us to freeze. I was momentarily distracted by the sight of her clad only in a towel with water trailing down her gorgeous body.
But it was her tears that had me shoving Rafe away and shooting to my feet. Well, as best I could with my present injuries. When Rafe remained on the floor, I held out my hand to him. With a disgusted snort, he knocked it away before lumbering to his feet.
Instead of coming to me, Drea went over to Rafe. “Please don’t be angry at Leo. We’re both to blame, and we both betrayed you.”
Swiping the blood from his nose, Rafe countered, “Considering my brother’s history with women, I seriously doubt that.”
Drea hook her head, sending a spray of water droplets onto Rafe’s shirt. “He was always a gentleman with me.”
Rafe stared past Drea to cock his brows at me. “Is that right?”
“Yes, it is. We never…” Drea’s cheeks tinged pink.
“I get it,” Rafe mumbled.
“I know you’re angry at the moment at the way we handled things, but I’d ask you to please forgive us. I think we both know you can’t help who you fall in love with.”
Rafe sighed. “No. You can’t.”
“Leo and I both want you to be happy in your future with Maeve, and despite how things started out, I hope you can be happy for us.”
Closing the gap between them, Rafe stared intently at Drea. He was a little too close for my liking, but I didn’t think it would help matters if I voiced my concern.
“You really do love him, don’t you?”
Drea nodded. “I mean, we don’t know each other as well as you and Maeve, but we’ve got the rest of our lives to fill in the gaps.”
My heart broke into a wild gallop at her words. “We sure as hell do.”
A ragged sigh rumbled through Rafe’s chest. “I want you to be happy, Drea. And if you’ve found it with my bastard brother, then you have my blessing.”
“That makes me happy, too. I look forward to being a part of your family.”
“You have your work cut out for you keeping Leo in line,” Rafe mused with a smile.
“If there ever was a woman strong enough to do it, it’s Drea,” I replied.
Rafe nodded. “Leo is a very lucky man.”
Although I should’ve appreciated that remark, the fact Drea was standing in front of Rafe in only a towel made it less complimentary than it should. Closing the gap between us, I said, “Come on. Let’s get you in the bedroom and dressed.”
She gave me a sheepish look. “Yeah, about that. I just realized all my luggage is under the plane.”
Rafe cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure Maeve left some things in one of the drawers.”
“Thanks. I’ll check.”
When I started to follow her, Drea shook her head wildly back and forth. “Oh no. You’re staying out here.”
“Can’t I at least watch you get dressed?”
She smacked my arm. “Don’t talk like that in front of your brother.”