A Prize Beyond Jewels

Rafe gave another chuckle. ‘There’s little chance of that happening. I happen to know exactly what you look like after pleasure, Nina, and believe me the hot, sultry glitter in your eyes, the blush in your cheeks, and those roused and puffy lips are a dead giveaway as to exactly what we’ve been doing.’

‘Oh, very attractive,’ she muttered. ‘You make me sound like a wild woman.’

‘No, just my woman.’ His arms tightened about her. ‘And I like you wild. I like it a lot.’

Nina liked the way Rafe made her feel wild too. A lot. Too much so to have the strength to deny herself just one more night in his arms.

‘Even so, I think you should return to the gallery on your own now, and then I’ll come back in a few minutes, when I’ve had a chance to tidy my appearance.’

‘That’s not going to change the fact that I will be aware for the rest of the evening that your ripped panties are sitting in my jacket pocket.’

Her cheeks felt warm at the knowledge that she was now completely naked beneath her gown, a gown that moved silkily, sensuously against the heat of her skin, and that it would also ensure she was aware of that fact for the rest of the evening.

‘Okay, I’ll come to your apartment later— Damn, I forgot! I have to go home with my father first,’ she realised with a wince. ‘We started a conversation on the way over here which we have to finish tonight,’ she explained ruefully.

‘Anything serious?’ Rafe murmured softly, not completely happy with Nina’s answer, but willing to settle for what he could get for the moment. He had seduced her once, he would do it again, and again, if necessary.

‘I’m not sure,’ Nina acknowledged slowly.

He frowned. ‘Does it have anything to do with your staying with me on Thursday night? Because if it does maybe I should—’

‘No,’ she assured him firmly. ‘This is just something my father needs to discuss with me. But hopefully it won’t take too long,’ she assured lightly, ‘and I can be with you before midnight.’

Rafe nuzzled his lips against the warmth of her throat. ‘I’ll see what I can do about persuading Michael into going straight to bed when we get home. Maybe remind him of his jet lag along with his advancing years.’

‘He’s only a year older than you are!’

‘Only in calendar months. Still he wasn’t particularly happy with me before I dragged you off into my cave,’ Rafe mused ruefully.

‘Why?’ Nina prompted slowly.

‘Because I told him about us.’ He shrugged. ‘Because he has the idea that your father might arrange to have me disposed of in a dark alley one night.’

Nina moved back slightly in his arms. ‘My father isn’t some sort of gangster, Rafe.’

He chuckled as his arms tightened about her. ‘I never said he was.’

‘But you and Michael think of him as being one?’

‘Hey.’ Rafe sobered as he heard the strain in Nina’s voice. ‘It was just Michael’s idea of a joke, Nina.’

‘If you thought that about him, I’m surprised either of you wanted to risk sullying the name of Archangel by displaying my father’s jewellery collection,’ she came back sharply. ‘After all, he might have stolen some, if not all, of it.’

‘Nina, don’t—’ He broke off as she pulled completely out of his arms. ‘Nina?’

‘We should get back.’

‘Not like this,’ Rafe groaned in protest at the distance he could feel yawning between them again, Nina refusing to allow him to take her back into his arms. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you just now, Nina. My remark really was meant as a joke. Obviously it was in poor taste,’ he added regretfully.

Unfortunately, Nina’s suspicions in regard to her father’s accident nineteen years ago prevented her from seeing anything in the least humorous in Rafe and Michael’s comments about her father.

‘I really have to go, Rafe.’ She opened the door before bending down to pick up her clutch bag from where she had allowed it to fall to the floor earlier, only to straighten and find herself prevented from leaving because Rafe had moved to stand in the doorway in front of her.

Allowing her to see now that the darkness of his hair was slightly tousled from where her fingers had been enmeshed in it just minutes ago, but otherwise Rafe looked as handsome and impeccable in his appearance as he had before their little sojourn to the supply cupboard.

Whereas Nina was pretty sure her own appearance was one of total dishevelment, and that she definitely looked like a woman who had just been made love to fully and well.