When she paused in her steps to let him cut in front of her so that she could walk towards the driver’s side, he tugged her forward and led her to the passenger side. Wide eyed, she gaped at him in surprise. He opened the door and ushered her in. He went as far as fastening her seat belt before shutting the door. As he rounded the hood of the car on his way to the driver’s side, Talia watched him, wide eyed and jaw slacked, wondering what the hell had gotten into him. He never drove!
The other part of the trade in compromise was that she would do the driving, in fact, just to drive the point in, everything about the car was in her name. She protested but the threat of the Ferrari staying made her cave.
“What if I run off with it?” she’d asked once the contracts were signed and he just shrugged his shoulders. Only then did she discover, when she asked if he wanted to drive, that he had every intention to be chauffeured around.
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“The neighborhood looks good,” Rafe said as they drove down the beautiful leafy suburb.Talia felt little butterflies of excitement flutter in her belly. She’d waited a long time for this. She was finally going to own her own home! Yes, she would be paying the mortgage for the next fifteen years but it was the best deal out of all the places she’d looked. And this house… it just spoke to her.“Right there!” she pointed out excitedly on his side. “The house with the big tree in the front lawn.”Rafe’s head turned to follow her finger then he looked at her with an amused smile. “You’re pretty excited,” he said, his lips pulling higher to expose his teeth.She nodded, bouncing in her seat. “Like a fat kid on her way to a candy store.”He chuckled softly with a slow shake of his head. “An apt analogy.”He pulled into the driveway that had a bea
He shook his head with a purse of his lips.She’d forgotten to introduce them and he’d been forced to be a little social. She smiled a little. She wasn’t that sorry.“I can’t believe I got beat by an old century looking house,” a smile teasing on his lips.Her own smile widened behind her fingers.“You love it that much?”She nodded.“Take your time,” he said, and with that, he turned and began to walk away, disappearing from her view.Nelson gave her a thumbs up and then quickly followed. Not long after, the sound of his conversational voice carried to her as he gave Rafe a tour, quick to mention which were her favorite parts of the house.It took her about thirty minutes to read and re-read the contract before she was sure she was ready to sign. As much as she loved the house, she was about to make the biggest decision of her life, financially and emotionally.
Talia’s heart beat wildly at what she assumed he was saying without actually saying it. The man had a habit of not answering to the obvious. Actually no, he did. He stared, like he was at the moment.You are jumping to conclusion Talia. Pump the brakes, take a breath and try and clear it out before you have a heart attack.“Is this going to be the car again? Just because you live in my apartment I would never ask you to split the rent. Sure, pay for a few things here and there but—”“You know what I mean,” he said, cutting her off.Talia clenched her jaw hard. No, she didn’t want to know what he meant!“Just because in three months the house will be officially mine doesn’t mean I’ll move in immediately,” she went on with her rumble. She pressed her hand to her forehead as an anxious tremor came over her with a chill. “You’ll probably have figured everything out b
Was that understanding? Or was it a concession? She wondered as a soreness filled her chest.Digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands, she gave him a strained smile, an apology on her lips. She was too much of a coward to trust that he was done searching. To trust that the peace he was desperately looking for was with her. The peace that he greatly needed. She truly understood that he should seek it out until he found it, even if it meant leaving her behind. She understood. She supported him even if it hurt like hell. With that thought, the gatekeeper slowly pushed the door closed, snuffing out that little light.It was better to be clear, resolute than jeep encouraging something that would only end badly. The man wouldn’t even let her into the darkest corners of his heart and mind, the reasons behind his anxieties. If he couldn’t trust her with those, how could she trust her with her heart, her future? It was like asking her to bungee jump
Elbow pressed to the arm of the chair, he leaned in closer towards her, a fire in his eyes that told her to listen carefully and believe every single word that would be coming out of his mouth because he meant each one and said, “It means, I’m going to start living my life the way that I want and no one is telling me otherwise. Not. Even. You.” Then he sat back in his seat, like he hadn’t just blown her mind with that statement and casually asked, “When are we moving in?” Ha! He may have shocked her, but he hadn’t turned her brains to mush. “Since I’m paying for the house and I bought it for me, I’m moving in three months. You’re still a guest in my apartment. You can take over the lease if you want.” His brows pulled in a deep V over his narrowed eyes. “You didn’t hear me.” “Oh I heard you,” she said standing up, “but no one strong arms me into anything.” She shrieked with a sharp intake of breath when he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her onto his lap. His arms wrapped aroun
Months later…Talia McKenna sat in the beautiful church listening to the choir sing the bridal march as she watched the bride sashay down the aisle to her waiting groom with grace befitting a princess. The beautiful voices echoed in the large hollow ceiling, bouncing off the walls, creating an angelic feeling inside the church. It hugged her, giving her comfort, and she sat there in complete awe, for a moment, forgetting why she was there in the first place.The architecture blew her away. The church looked historical, something from the seventeen hundreds and Talia was surprised there weren’t any tourists wandering into the church, taking pictures in complete wonder of the beautiful infrastructure.Of course getting by the heavy security would prove an issue. There was a wedding currently in progress and the bride would most definitely take offense to any interruption. Talia knew without a doubt the groom would. He was the type of person who didn’t appreciate interruptions, plans goi
Rafe wasn’t sure exactly how long he stood there, looking at Talia. He’d tuned out the yelling and commotion brought on by the surprise interruption. He didn’t give a single glace to Gabriella as she insistently tugged on his jacket sleeve trying to get his attention, and just stared at his object of torment for the last five months with fleeting joy. He’d woken up every morning since that fateful day wet with more than just sweat, remembering how her small, voluptuous, naked body felt bucking under his as he rode them both to ecstasy, which usually left him feeling like he was in a drug induced haze. But waking up alone with nothing but her memory left him feeling frustrated and incomplete. Her betrayal had broken him and as the memory of the last time he’d seen her played in his mind, his rage grew.Inferno! His fisted hands shook at his sides as he charged down the aisle towards her.“What the hell do you want here, Talia?” he bellowed, bringing an uncomfortable silence into the bu
He turned around to find himself alone in the office but for just a few minutes. Talia walked—more like waddled—in followed by the man who brought her. He led her to a chair and helped her sit down before he turned to the door.Rafe noticed the relief on Talia’s face when she sat down, before she winced, her hand moving to her back.“What do you want?” he barked, startling her.“I think it’s best to wait for your lawyer,” the man commented, moving to stand behind Talia.“I’m here,” Angelo spoke closing the door.“Wonderful,” Rafe commented dryly as he perched himself on the desk, then he leaned down until his face was inches away from Talia’s. He had an incredulous desire to kiss her lush lips but he held back and whispered, “What do you want, Talia?”He watched as the tip of her tongue darted out to slide between her lips. His fingers tightened on the edge of the desk to keep himself from reaching for the back of her neck and pulling her forward so she could run that tongue over his