She smiled and nodded. But he could tell from her eyes that she didn’t believe him. “Of course you would’ve.” She nodded toward the back rooms. “I guess your girlfriend is waiting on you?” Emilie’s eyes narrowed toward the back hall.
“Yes. She is. So you’d better go.”
“Fair enough. I’ll save our sleuthing for the office then. As the details of this case are classified, it’s not wise to discuss it where someone else might overhear. I’ll call Alan to set something up.”
“That’s probably for the best. Besides”—he shrugged—“I’ve given you all the details I have of that night.”
“Well, it’s always a good idea to double-check. I suppose I’ll let you get back to your guest.”
What was she playing at? Why was she really here? She couldn’t think that he’d possibly be interested after everything that had happened before.
“Perfect. I look forward to a more official meeting.”
She smiled up at him. “You go ahead and enjoy that beer though. Hope you and your guest enjoy the night.”
Rafe showed her the door and deliberately avoided her attempt to brush up against him. “I’ll be seeing you, Emilie.”
“That you will, Rafe DeMarco.”
After Rafe locked up and reset the security alarms, he pinched the bridge of his nose, his headache having become more prominent.
That’s what happens when you live a life of lies. They weigh on you.
In the kitchen, he found just what he needed on the counter. It looked like it had fallen out of Diana’s purse.
Picking up the bottle of aspirin, he took two. He’d carved a new life for himself. He was a new man now. The past was the past. Dredging up that old file would just drag him back to a place he never wanted to go again.
He was not that man. He wasn’t. And he resented Emilie trying to remind him of who he used to be. His future was down the hall and uptown in a glass penthouse. Family. He’d forgotten how important they were.
He was never going to be out in the cold again.
chapter fifteen
Rafe stood in the kitchen for a few minutes, too wound up by Emilie’s visit to pretend. Diana would want to know what was wrong and there was nothing he could tell her. She didn’t know about his past and how he was trying to reinvent himself. With her, he’d been able to start fresh, and he didn’t have to drag any of that shit into what he had with her.
He liked that what he had with her was pure. Untouched.
Gradually his thoughts turned back to where they’d left off, and he imagined her naked and wet in his bed. His erection sprang up immediately, and he followed it like a beacon to the room where Diana reclined on the bed. All he could see was soft skin, pink lips, and a smile.
At the sight of her, he felt a punch of lust so strong it almost took him to his knees. He climbed onto the bed and over her. Dimly, he realized that he was going too fast. Being too rough. But suddenly all he could think about was her—her smell, her taste, being inside her.
“Need to feel you,” he rasped before burying his face in her neck and breathing deep.
Diana scratched her nails through his hair, and a wave of lust drowned out rational thinking. He cupped her breast and groaned as the soft, plump globe filled his hand. God.
Every time she touched him, electricity arced between them. A woman’s touch had never affected him like this. What they had was pure fire.
Shifting off the bed, he yanked off his jeans, and her eyes focused on his thick erection.
Her eyes on his flesh only made him harder.
Rafe climbed back over her and placed openmouthed kisses along her jawline, the column of her throat, her collarbone. When he dipped to kiss her breasts again, she moaned just before his lips covered the pointed tip. With his other hand, he teased the other nipple until she whimpered. Releasing her nipple, Rafe continued the path of hot kisses down her stomach, past her belly button.
Rafe settled between her thighs and gave a long, leisurely lick of her pussy. Diana dug her hands into his hair, but he didn’t stop the expert strokes of his tongue except to occasionally nip and suck on her flesh.
Diana shuddered and cried out.
His deft thumbs separated her flesh slowly. He slid a finger into her and murmured against her flesh. “C’mon sweetheart. Come for me.”