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Ari agreed with him on that. As she stepped out of her suit, she heard a shout and looked up to see Rafe roaring toward her. Pure joy suffused his face.
To see him wear such an expression completely canceled out her earlier fright. He so rarely ever did something for pleasure alone — with the exception of sex — that she was grateful to be sharing this moment with him.
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“What did you think? Was it great?” he asked her even before the attendants were able to unstrap him.
How could she disappoint him? “It was terrifying, but a little thrilling too,” she admitted.
“Want to go for a second trip?” he asked eagerly.
“No!” she answered quickly, then gave her heart a moment to calm down before continuing. “I’m glad I jumped, but once is plenty for me. If you have anything else like that planned for the day, I’m going to have to decline. ”
“I promise that was the worst of the daredevil stuff. The rest of the day is all about fun,” he promised.
What frightened Ari was that his idea of fun and hers seemed completely opposite. As they left the Stratosphere and caught a cab to an area closer to their hotel, Ari enjoyed the warm air and the sight of all the tourists.
When they entered the Mandalay Bay and she discovered a large shark tank, she turned an incredulous eye on Rafe.
“I promise you won’t have to come near the sharks; there’s a great water park where you can go down the slide if you want and look at their beautiful collection of marine life. ”
“Are you going?”
“Not on that one. If you don’t mind, I’d like to dive. You could sit in the observation room and watch if you wish. ” The hopeful tone of his voice was refreshing. He wasn’t telling her she had to sit and wait for him; he was asking if she wouldn’t mind. It made a huge difference in how she felt about it.
“I’d love to see you play with the sharks. One of them may eat you,” she added with a wide grin.
“Are you really so ready to get rid of me?” he growled as he pulled her into his arms.
“Mmm, not today,” she offered before he silenced her with his mouth, leaving her breathless in a matter of seconds. His hands moved down her back and gripped her backside, pulling her tightly against him for a moment.
“I think it’s far more dangerous to be standing here with you than to enter the shark tank,” he said before squeezing her hips, then letting go and pulling her toward the scuba room. “This isn’t nearly as great as diving in Mexico, but I haven’t had the chance to get down there for a while, so it’s better than nothing. ”
“Do you do this kind of thing a lot?”
“Yes and no. I like to dive every chance I get, but I’m usually too busy. ”
“That seems very sad to me, Rafe. Why don’t you take more time for yourself?”
“I think I will, Ari,” he said, while pausing to look in her eyes.
Something seemed to be changing in him — maybe, just possibly, they had a chance.
Ari watched him get ready; he looked pretty spectacular, she thought, in the skin-tight wet suit. She was led to an observation area, where she was able to watch him float around as he caressed the terrifying sharks. She could barely watch. Most of them were far bigger than Rafe, and though she was sure the hotel had ample precautions in place, all it would take was one good snap of their jaws to rip his head off. A shudder passed through her.
“The hotel has seven different species of sharks — sand tiger, nurse sharks, gray reef, and more. Also, there are a variety of fish and a few different stingrays inside. It’s a thrilling experience, but it can be dangerous at the same time. ”
Ari turned to find out who was speaking — it was an employee standing right next to her. Why in the world would he tell her Rafe could be in danger? Was he trying to keep her blood pressure at an all-time high? Was she supposed to thank him for the information? She kept silent.
When Rafe gave her a thumbs up, then made his way to the surface, Ari let out the shallow breath she was holding and went to meet him by the changing area. She didn’t yet know whether she’d survive the day.
Luckily for her, the rest of the afternoon was a lot more mellow. They went to The Mirage and entered Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat, where she picked up a picture painted by the dolphins with their noses. She’d treasure those memories forever.
As the day wore on, she was finding herself fading. The hours of shopping in the forum shops left her barely able to make her way back to the hotel. Nobody could say that Rafe wasn’t generous, and it made her incredibly uneasy.
When — if — she wasn’t with him anymore, she wouldn’t ever have a need to wear the abundance of fancy gowns and jewels he’d insisted on buying her. If and when that day came, she’d just have to leave it all with him. The thought of another woman having the items choked her up, but the guilt of keeping them would consume her.
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When they finally entered their hotel and made their way to the elevator, Ari couldn’t even muster up the energy to smile in relief; she just blindly followed behind Rafe.
“I’m falling asleep standing up,” Ari said with a sleepy laugh as they entered the room. Her feet felt as if they were going to fall off, but the day had been more than worth it.
“Take a nap. I want you refreshed for part two. ”
“There’s more?” she asked.
“Yes, and I want you rested. ”
Rafe didn’t have to say anything further to convince her. She was so tired, she didn’t know whether she’d make it to the bed, but a couple of hours’ nap should refresh her. Ari lay down and nodded off immediately, but she did so with a smile on her face.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Put on the dress hanging in the closet and meet me by the front desk at eight.
Rafe
Ari looked at the note and forgave the ringing of the phone that had jolted her from her restful sleep. She hated wake-up service. The jerks didn’t stop ringing until you answered the dang phone. She’d been sacked out for two hours, and as she crawled from the bed and stretched, she felt rejuvenated. It was only six-thirty, so she had a little time to spend on making herself beautiful for an evening out. There was something about being in Vegas that made her actually want to dress up and put on makeup. She hoped she got back to her normal self once they returned to California.
When she opened the closet and saw the shimmering floor-length gown hanging before her, she couldn’t contain her pleasure. Nothing was going to get in the way of her enjoying all this attention to the fullest. When they returned to the real world, things would go back to the way they’d been before, but for this one magical day, she would feel as if she were in a real relationship and the man she was with wanted to make her feel like a princess. It was sadly funny, of course, that she had to be in a fairy tale to be in that real relationship.
Leaving the closet open, Ari put her hair up and jumped into the shower to rinse off the grime from their busy day traipsing through the city. She used her favorite coconut body wash, knowing that it was Rafe’s favorite, then rubbed herself from head to toe with its companion lotion. She now had costly French perfumes, but she chose this, knowing that the scent enveloping her would ring a little bell in his brain, starting a chain of reactions that would lead him to ravish her the instant they returned to their suite.
Not that their sex life was lacking — he was a magnificent lover, and she was more than satisfied in that department, even if some of his requests tended to frighten her. She still hadn’t been pushed into doing anything that had struck her as less than fulfilling.
Fear kept her from wanting to try new things, but Rafe was such a considerate lover that only escalating anticipation flowed through her veins whenever they set foot in the bedroom. She was starting to want to learn some new tricks of her own.
/> Maybe if she kept things exciting, they’d both get to enjoy each other a while longer. Hard as she tried to fight it, she couldn’t squelch that thought. She was enjoying Rafe’s presence more and more — when he acted the way he did today.
Taking extra time with her hair and makeup, Ari made it back out to her closet at seven-thirty. She’d barely have time to get into the dress and delicate shoes and still make it down to Rafe in time. But hey! If she happened to be a few minutes late, he’d survive. Wasn’t it a man’s job to wait on a woman? According to a popular country song, it was. The thought made her smile. Again.
Slipping into extra-sexy lingerie, Ari looked at herself in the mirror and shook her h*ps slowly from side to side, dipping lower in mid-sway. She’d never before considered doing this sort of dance for a man; now her ni**les hardened and her stomach clenched at the thought.
When she’d lost another five minutes moving her body in seductive circles, Ari frantically abandoned her dance practice and grabbed the dress. It fit her as if it had been tailored specifically for her body. How does he do that?
Sliding her shoes on last, she looked in the mirror again and decided she was as ready as she was going to be. She felt good — who wouldn’t in that dress and those shoes? Grabbing her small clutch, Ari headed for the door and walked quickly to the elevator. She was ready to see what else Rafe had in store.
*****
“You look even more stunning than I imagined. How can that be?” Rafe asked as she approached. Seeing her face glow at his praise made his heart race. She was so easily pleased — another shocking attribute. Though he was proud to have such a beauty on his arm, her company was what captivated him. He greeted her with outstretched arms that gracefully moved up to her face where his large hands tenderly cradled the sides of her neck and his thumbs caressed her soft cheeks. He tilted her head back and kissed her with a passion that nearly made her breathless and she felt all the way to her toes.
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“Thank you, Rafe. I have to admit that you’re incredibly dashing in your black suit. That red tie is my absolute favorite. ”
Warmed by her honest compliment, he placed her delicate arm through his and led her out the front doors to their waiting limo.
“The day has been adventurous already. I can’t imagine what else you have in store,” she said as they settled down in the back seat and he pulled out a bottle of chilled champagne and a small bowl of strawberries.
“Ah, the night is young,” he said as he handed over the glass. He wanted to keep pleasing her, see excitement shining in her eyes. To give to someone who asked for nothing was a real gift.
“If I don’t get a chance to say it later, thank you, Rafe. Thank you for giving me such a perfect day. ”
Rafe didn’t know what to say as he looked into her eyes, so he chose to say nothing, but instead bent forward and gently connected their lips. The soft feel of her kiss tugged at his emotions, but he suppressed them as he took her glass and set it aside so he could pull her onto his lap.
Their kiss deepened as the limo made its way through traffic toward the intimate rooftop restaurant. Just when he was getting ready to cancel their evening plans and take her back to the room, the car stopped.
With reluctance, Rafe gently eased Ari off his lap and took a moment to adjust his pants. Even after months of sinking deep within her flesh, he still couldn’t get enough. He was beginning to think he never would. What if no other woman would be able to replace her?
He refused to think those thoughts right now.
Rafe made his way out of the car first and held out his hand. She took his fingers and emerged, and then, with his palm resting on the small of her back, he led her inside the hotel and up into the restaurant on the strategically covered rooftop. The maître d’ greeted them as if they were familiar guests and escorted them to a private area.
“Oh, Rafe, this is stunning,” she whispered as she walked to the railing, drinking in the picturesque landscape of the distant mountains. Below them was a man-made waterfall, its sound swallowing up the noise of the bustling city on the other side of their small paradise.
The soft light of the setting sun falling over Ari seemed to uncover a window to her soul and the exquisite beauty within. In that moment Rafe made up his mind to take her to Italy — he had to show her his home, to explore the countryside with her next to him. Viewing it through her appreciative eyes would surely renew his jaded soul. She had such a love of new experiences that it humbled him, stirring emotions inside him of how truly lucky he’d been in his youth.
“Back home, we’d take a lot of picnics. My mother’s country is beautiful with water everywhere, and the land filled with green. I look out at the desert here and I can appreciate its peculiar beauty, the deathly traps it holds, the amount of survival it takes to live in such a barren area, but I need more where I choose to live. I need the fresh blooms of spring and the feel of soft grass in a park. I need seasons. ”
“I’d never been outside of California before meeting you,” Ari said, “so it’s all beautiful to me. I love the way the land changes as you move across it. It fascinates me how on one side of a mountain there can be thick, lush greenery and streams of flowing water, and then on the other side, dry, crackling ground and minimal plant life. Yet each area, no matter what it is, serves its purpose, and different people find beauty all around them wherever they choose to live. ”
“Do you ever have a negative way of looking at something?” he asked with a laugh.
“Well, I had quite a few negative thoughts of you when we first met,” she replied teasingly.
“Do you still?” he asked, all laughter suddenly vanishing from his features.
The smile dropped from her face, too, as she tilted her head and looked at him as if really thinking about her answer. Rafe was unsure whether he wanted to hear what she had to say.
“You’re not the monster I thought you were, Rafe. I can see the amazing man beneath your tough shell — but I also know our time will come to an end. I just hope we both walk away feeling as if we’ve gained something — as if our time spent together wasn’t a waste. ”
The tightening in Rafe’s chest became almost unbearable as he watched a bit of the light wane in her expressive eyes. Could he ever forgive himself if he permanently snuffed out her inner light of joy?
Rafe shook off the unwelcome thought. He’d promised himself he would let it all go for one night.
“Tell me about your home,” Ari asked, as Rafe took her hand and led her back to the table, where dishes Rafe had ordered earlier were laid out for them. While she waited for his reply, she bit into a piece of roast duck, closing her eyes for a moment to savor the myriad flavors. “This sauce is amazing. ”
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Rafe was silent as he enjoyed Ari’s pleasure — her eloquent face fascinating to watch. When she looked up with raised brows, he smiled before he began to speak.
“We all led such a double life — no, not in that sense. We had two homes, two countries, and it’s reflected in a split in each of our personalities, I think. Life was different in Italy. In my younger years I didn’t like the time spent in the States — it seemed too driven, too focused, too…lonely, perhaps. When we were back in Italy, my father was home more, would take time to go on hikes with us, and take us on boat rides. When here, he worked long hours and we didn’t see him as much. As I got older I realized he was only trying to make a comfortable life for his family, but I felt a lot of resentment during my teenage years. ”
“When did you meet Shane?”
“Here, in then States. He was unlike anyone I’d met before. My truest friend has a natural ability to draw others to him. I learned early on that most people wanted something out of me, whether it was my money, connections or the status of being friends with such a wealthy kid. I started to become bitter, I think — it goes with the territory. N
one of those things mattered to Shane. Even though he doesn’t act like someone with an impressive balance sheet, the man is probably wealthier than I am. We got on immediately, and I know he needed someone. He hated his family with a passion — they were enemies, not allies, infected with intense hostility — and he refused to follow in his father’s footsteps. ”
“What happened to make him hate his dad?”
“That’s a story for Shane to tell. Let’s just say that if I had been in his shoes, I’d most likely have ended up in prison for murder. ” As Ari cringed, Rafe shuttered his emotions. This was no time to display rage.
“He seems like such a carefree guy,” Ari said, furrowing her forehead.
“Shane learned early in life how to mask what he was feeling. He had to in order to survive. His father was the true definition of a monster. ”
“Is he still alive?”
“We need to change the subject. This night is about relaxation and romance.
“Romance?” Ari asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
“Yes, romance. We’d better get on with our evening,” Rafe said as he stood and held out his hand.
Soft music was filtering out to them, and Rafe pulled Ari into his arms, inhaling her unique scent as she leaned her head against his chest and the two began a slow, reverent dance.
“I could do this all night,” she whispered.
“Then we won’t leave. ” He found himself not wanting to deny her anything.
The waiter brought out their next course, and Rafe reluctantly released Ari so she could eat. Though the dishes were prepared to perfection, Rafe had no desire to sit across from Ari at a table. Too much distance. He wanted to hold her, feel her body pressed against his. And for the first time he could remember, that was good enough. Tonight, he wanted nothing more than to caress her smooth skin, run his fingers through her hair and whisper his dreams in her ear.
So dangerous. But one night of letting go wouldn’t harm him. One night to feel more than lust wouldn’t break him.
When their meal was finally finished and forgotten, Rafe took Ari to a smoky jazz club, where he held her in his arms as the sweet sounds of music drifted through the room. Cradling Ari’s delicate hand in his, he gloried also in the warmth of her cheek as she rested her head on his chest. It was so easy to lose himself in the moment. He was in deeper than he’d ever planned — but he couldn’t make himself feel regret.
