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He turned the large shower on and she watched him get into it. For a long minute she stood there before the pain she felt radiating from him made her move.
She undressed and got into the shower cubicle with him. He was facing the wall with his face turned upward to the spray and she just wrapped her arms around him and put her face between his shoulder blades.
She held him to her, trying to give him her strength and that love she hadn’t found the words to express yet. Even in her own heart and head.
He turned around, put his hands on her waist and brought his mouth down on hers. She felt the desperation in the embrace, the feeling that after this moment everything would change. He caressed her back, his palms settling on her butt as he pulled her closer to him, anchoring her body and his together.
She kissed him back, wrapped her legs around his hips and trusted that he’d hold her. And he did. He took a step forward and she felt the cold marble wall at her back. Then Rafe adjusted his hips and thrust up into her.
He filled her completely and just stayed still for a moment while her body adjusted to having him inside her. She ran her hands up and down his back, pushing her tongue deep into his mouth. She needed more and the way he was rocking into her sent sparks of sensation up her body.
He palmed her breasts and broke the kiss, lowering his head to take one of her nipples in his mouth. His strong sucking made everything inside her clench. She felt the first waves of her orgasm roll through her.
She grabbed his shoulders and arched her back to try to take him deeper and he started thrusting harder and faster into her. His mouth found hers again; he tangled his hand in her hair and pulled her head back as he thrust deeper into her.
She dug her nails into his shoulders, felt her body driving toward climax again and moaned deep in her throat as a second, deeper orgasm rolled through her. Rafe ripped his mouth from hers and made a feral sound as he thrust his hips forward and came inside her.
He turned and leaned against the wall. She rested her head on his shoulder as her pulse slowly returned to normal. She let her legs slide down his and stood there in his arms. He didn’t let her go. Just kept stroking her back and not saying a word.
She realized she was crying and really didn’t understand why. Maybe it was because she had the answer to the question about her love for him. It was true and deep. And she understood that now because she was willing to walk away from him if that was what it took for him to have all he wanted.
* * *
Jose was waiting in Rafe’s office when they got to the headquarters of Montoro Enterprises. His trusty assistant had a cup of decaf coffee waiting for Emily and a Red Bull for Rafe. He also had a file that needed Rafe’s attention before he went into the meeting.
“Jose, I’ve heard there is a sculpture garden in the building,” Emily said, as Rafe skimmed his papers. She was dressed in a scoop-neck blouse, a pair of white denim capris and two-inch platform sandals. She’d left her hair down to curl over her shoulders.
Rafe thought she looked beautiful, but there was a hint of vulnerability to her. One that had been there since she’d dashed to the bathroom from their bed this morning. Nothing he’d done had taken it away. And that was a horrible feeling for a man to know he wasn’t able to protect his woman.
“There is the Montoro collection and exhibit. It’s on the third floor. Would you like me to show you to it?” Jose asked.
“If Rafe doesn’t need you,” she said.
“I’m good,” Rafe said. Emily gave him a little wave and then walked out of the room with Jose.
The papers that Jose had given him to review showed him the main points of the new constitution of Alma. And he noticed that the part Jose had highlighted dealt with royal marriage. Since they were just reestablishing the monarchy, the rules were strict. Of course, existing marriages would be honored. In cases of divorce, the marriage must be annulled, which was why Rafe’s father couldn’t inherit the throne. The final stipulation was that the only suitable matches for a single heir to the throne were members of other royal families or the European nobility.
But since Rafe had yet to assume the throne, and this was still a new, untested document, there might still be room to maneuver. Or at least that was what Rafe hoped.
Rafe walked into the boardroom to find Gabe already there.
“I’ve been trying to get in touch with you all morning,” Gabe said.
“Sorry. I had to turn the phone off. I needed time to think,” Rafe said.
“Well, I’m the one that the family elected to talk to you. Juan Carlos has been on the phone with the prime minister and the court advisors. They are insistent that we have a scandal-free transition back to the monarchy.”
