Raphael’s jaw tightened faintly.
“What does he need?”
“There is an issue with the Philadelphia property,” Geoffrey continued evenly. “He suggests you may need to travel.”
I watched Raphael carefully. A few months ago, he would have been gone before the sentence finished. He looked at me. Really looked. Then back at Geoffrey.
“I believe Chandler is capable,” he said calmly.
Geoffrey’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
“Indeed.”
“If he requires counsel, he can call.”
“Yes, sir.”
There was a faint pause. Then Geoffrey’s mouth curved almost imperceptibly. “Very good, sir.” Satisfied. He turned and walked back inside.
I stared at Raphael. “You just skipped a business trip.”
“I delegated.”
“For me?”
He tilted his head slightly. “I’d do just about anything for you.”
The word settled warm in my chest.
The river moved gently beyond us. The house stood tall behind us. But for once, it didn’t feel like I was living in someone else’s world.
It felt like we were building one together.
After we had spent some time in the water, we decided to get out but spend some time poolside. I was lounging in one of the chairs when Raph went in to get us something to drink.
After a moment, he came out carrying two glasses filled with a fizzy pink drink.
“What did you bring us?” I asked, sitting up to take the drink from his hand.
I took a sip. It was cool, fizzy, and refreshing. There was a floral flavor that was delicious, but I couldn’t quite place it.
“It’s a white wine spritzer with Cherry Blossom syrup.”
“Holy shit. Raph, this is so good. I didn’t even know that was a thing.”
“I tried some on my last trip to Japan and brought some home,” he said before taking a drink from his own glass.
“I never thought I would see you drinking a spritzer poolside. You’re more a jillion-dollar whiskey, neat, in a room full of serious things.”
He leaned back and stretched out his legs. “While I can’t say I’ve ever had a jillion-dollar whiskey, I see where you're coming from, but I like to drink for the occasion. Sitting poolside with a beautiful woman called for a lighter drink.”
I looked at him, and I couldn’t fight the smile spreading across my face.
“What?” he asked, the serious expression I’ve come to know returning.
“You just surprise me sometimes, is all.”
I watched him for a moment, lying on the lounge chair, doing nothing but enjoying the warm summer weather with his eyes closed. The way his chest was still slightly glistening with water droplets was almost too much to look at.
