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She shrugged again, feigning nonchalance he didn’t buy. The flash of uncertainty in her eyes gave her away. “I didn’t expect to wrap up so early in Maui, so I didn’t make any plans. And,” she added in a slightly edgy tone, “we both know I’m not like normal people.”
She had a point. He said, “Without your work, you wouldn’t know what to do with yourself for two whole weeks.”
“Not a clue.”
Reaching for a wineglass, she took a quick drink. “Tonio said I’d have the kitchen all to myself tonight, so I thought I’d dive in.”
“You would have it all to yourself, but I couldn’t sleep.”
Jenna returned the glass to the table. “Please don’t get too worked up, Rafe. You said yourself you still have a devoted patronage. And I’ve got several ideas for attracting new customers. Though, I did veer off course.”
She inclined her head toward the Bose speaker on a shelf. “I synced my iPhone to your surround-sound system via Bluetooth and the music took over. The next thing I knew, I was freeing my body from its constraints and my creativity from six hours on an airplane. Being someplace familiar and comfortable with no cameras, assistants or clients watching my every move inspired me to let loose.”
“Makes sense, given that you’re always in the public eye.” A source of contention, so Rafe skipped right over it. “Just you and Billy. You always did have a thing for him.”
Jenna finally gave him a full smile. A radiant one that reminded Rafe how easily she stole his breath, even if she wasn’t standing in front of him in her lingerie. With nothing more than a dazzling smile that lit her striking features and vibrant eyes, he felt a jolt to the core of his being.
“What can I say?” she murmured in a playful voice. “I’m a sucker for bad boys with sexy smirks.”
“I’ll have to work on mine.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she mused, a twinkle in her eyes. “I’d say it’s still in top form.”
Rafe’s chest pulled tight. Maybe flirting with an ex you still lusted after wasn’t the smartest thing a man could do. But then, nothing about their marriage had been sane or sensible, so why should their post-nuptial association be any different? Besides, he liked the fact that, three years after they’d signed divorce papers, they remained close. It had to mean as much to her as it did to him, right?
Well, he hoped so, anyway. Their bond hadn’t been fully broken, but Jenna didn’t have much to say about the marriage or the divorce. As a rule, she didn’t discuss her feelings or anything that troubled her.
Strike two.
He was Italian, for chrissakes. When he felt something, he verbalized it. When he wanted something, he went after it. But when it came to matters of the heart, Jenna spooked easily. He wasn’t sure why. She’d never divulged much about her past. And, aside from the three weeks they’d spent in Italy, before impulsively marrying in Vegas, honeymooning in San Diego and then coming to his home in San Francisco, she’d never been around enough for him to find out much about her family or her upbringing.
The most significant thing he knew about her was that she had a sister named Linney, whom she hadn’t seen since her teenage years. Oh, and her parents were prone to roaming the world at will.
When he’d asked where she’d been born, Jenna had simply said, “In the family RV.”
What the fuck?
Yes, these tidbits—and the fact she’d lived out of hotels most of her adult life—should have tipped Rafe off that she wasn’t the type to settle down, despite her insistence otherwise. The hot sex had clouded hi
s mind—and had possibly impaired her judgment as well—diverting him from pressing Jenna further when she shut down emotionally.
Too bad his body, heart and soul still craved hers on a regular basis, because a happy-ever-after with this woman did not seem to be in the cards. Though, he had to admit, he’d been dealt a sweet hand tonight. Here she was, standing before him in nothing more than skimpy panties and a sexy bra that plumped up her breasts and did everything to evoke a man’s desire. And the chemistry between them still sizzled. She could barely take her eyes off him, he noted. In fact, she seemed to be as captivated as he was as she took in is six-foot-three-inch stature and dark-as-night hair.
With a fresh idea popping into his head, Rafe turned on his booted heels and sauntered off, heading toward the door that led to the dining room.
“Leaving so soon?” she taunted, as though she really thought he’d walk away when he finally had a chance to spend time with her. Ha.
“I’ll be back.” He pushed the door open, taking her dress with him so she couldn’t put it on while he was gone.
“Rafe!” she called after him, making him snicker.
He draped the garment over the back of a chair and strode over to the front door to secure it, having left it unlocked for the cops he now wouldn’t have to call. Then he crossed to the bar and grabbed a wineglass. He returned to the kitchen and set it on the table. Jenna was perched on the opposite end, her arms and legs crossed, her look a sardonic one.
Yeah, playing with fire could be hazardous for both of them. But with Jenna watching his every move and his desire for her still ratcheted to an intense level, he began unbuttoning his shirt.
“Hey!” she shrieked, her tone and expression turning incredulous. “What are you doing?”
“Helping you with the wine pairings.”
