“Nicole, wait! Nicole.”
Hearing him gain on her, she ran faster. She felt like such a fool. There for two nights, she’d believed it was possible that she and Rafe could make their marriage work. Now, she knew better. He was wealthy and successful, so the usual rules didn’t apply to him. He was entitled to whatever and whomever he wanted just like her father.
She felt his hand on her arm and she tried to pull away, but he caught her shoulders in a gentle, but firm grasp and turned her to face him. His gaze bore into hers. “You were right about Maddie. I told her you and I got married and she went berserk. She said it was a mistake and that we belonged together. You saw.”
“But she said our marriage wouldn’t change anything between the two of you,” she said, afraid to believe him.
“She was wrong and I’m going to have to dismiss her. She’s never crossed that line with me until today.”
“You’re going to fire her?” she said, not sure whether she should be relieved or feel pity for the woman.
“I don’t have a choice,” he said. “You and I are just getting started and you and Joel are most important.”
She bit her lip, wondering why she believed him. Was it the rock-solid honesty she saw in his eyes? Or was it wishful thinking?
He rubbed his hands over her upper arms. “I don’t want you going anywhere right now. I’ll take you home,” he said.
“Are you sure?” she asked. “Don’t you already have your Corvette here?”
“I’ll send the chauffeur for it.” He raked one of his hands through his hair. “Just give me five minutes. I need to officially dismiss Maddie and have her escorted off the yacht.”
“Escorted off?” she repeated, wincing at the implications.
He nodded. “I’ll send her a letter of recommendation via email, but she needs to leave immediately. I’ll meet you at the valet in five minutes or less.” He lowered his head and pressed his mouth to hers, his kiss providing a reminder of promises they’d made so recently.
She walked along the dock toward the valet, feeling a stab of sympathy for Maddie. Rafe was irresistible. Heaven knew, she had tried not to fall for him, but his combination of strength and drive, not just for business, but for Joel, had made something inside her shift. Maybe everything inside her had shifted, she thought as she turned and saw Rafe striding toward her. Her heart stuttered.
“Is she okay?” she asked as he stepped beside her and guided her the rest of the way to the valet.
He asked for the car and turned to her, shaking his head and lifting a strand of her hair. “You’re incredibly beautiful on the outside, Nicole, and your heart is just as beautiful.”
She felt a crazy thrill at his words. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you just walked in on a woman trying to steal your husband of two days and you’re concerned about her welfare. That’s pretty damn exceptional to me.”
“I feel sorry for her. I try to imagine working for you all these years and hiding my true feelings. You’re very difficult for women.”
He tilted his head and wrinkled his brow. “Difficult?” he echoed, helping her into the passenger side of the Lincoln. He climbed into the driver’s side and closed his door. “Difficult?”
“Well, yes,” she said as he shifted the car into gear and accelerated. “You’re good-looking, successful, charming and considerate. How is a woman to resist?”
He pulled the car to a stop. “Are you telling me you can’t resist me?”
She opened her mouth then closed it. “You don’t need me to feed your ego.”
“Yes, I do. I’m starving,” he said, flirting outrageously.
She glanced out the window to hide her smile. “I somehow think you’ll survive.”
Twelve
The only thing better than teasing Nicole was ha**ng s*x with her. A discerning woman if ever there was one, Rafe felt as if he’d won a prize by earning a portion of her trust. He had far to go, but he was determined. From the devotion she showed Joel and the way she’d already given herself to Rafe, he knew she was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of woman. He was determined to win her mind, body and soul.
As they pulled into the driveway, Rafe noticed another car. “I wonder who it is. Did you schedule any appointments this afternoon?”
“None,” she said, shaking her head. “You don’t think one of your clients could have gotten confused and decided to try to meet you here?”
He shook his head, thinking of the conference call he’d made this morning to seal his latest deal. “No. I was wrapping up some details just before Maddie ambushed me.” He killed the engine. “Let’s see who it is.”
After they got out of the car, he slid his arm around her waist and walked into the house. Carol immediately appeared. “Mr. Conrad Livingstone is here. He said he was Nicole’s father, so I let him in.”
Rafe looked at Nicole. Her face turned ashen. “It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll tell him to leave.”
“Do you think-” she began.
Mr. Livingstone, a tall, distinguished-looking man with a good ol’ boy Southern accent, strolled into the foyer. “Well, well, how do you do it?” he drawled. “Take both of my daughters to bed and steal my deal with the Argyros Cruise Line?”
Rage rolled through Rafe. Instinctively, he pulled back his arm, winding up for a punch to the man’s face.
Nicole covered his arm. “No.”
He blinked, taking a breath, itching-with every fiber of his being-to wipe the smile off the bastard’s face.
“If you hit him, you’re no better than he is,” she said in a low voice.
He took another breath to try to calm himself and lowered his fist. “First, don’t speak that way to my wife,” Rafe said, and watched Livingstone’s composure slip.
“Second, I won that deal because I worked it better than you did,” Rafe said.
Nicole looked up at him. “Is this the Greek deal I told you about?”
Rafe nodded. “I’d been talking to the same company.”
“You bastard,” Livingstone said.
“Not bastard,” Rafe said, checking his anger. “Orphan, but not bastard. You can leave now.”
“Not without my daughter and grandson.” Livingstone looked at Nicole. “Surely you can’t trust this man. You know you’re just a substitute for Tabitha,” he said.
Rafe’s anger flared again. “Shut-”
“The only reason he wants you is because you have Joel. He’s just using you,” Nicole’s father said.
“That’s a lie,” Rafe said. “Nicole is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Nicole did a double take.
“He’s just saying that so he can keep Joel. He wants control of Joel’s inheritance.”
Nicole shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense. Rafe has plenty of money of his own.”
Rafe felt a swell of pride.
“The only reason he wants you and Joel is to get revenge against me because I broke up him and Tabitha.”
Until then, Nicole had stood firm, but that last dart appeared to have hit the target dead-on. She bit her lip and closed her eyes as if she were trying to gather her sense, her composure.
“Nicole, he doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Rafe said in a low voice, slid his hand around her back. She stiffened against his touch. The slight movement wounded him. “Nicole.”
She lifted her hands.
“Nicole, I’m your father. I’m Joel’s grandfather. Surely you wouldn’t want to deprive him of his heritage as a Livingstone. I’ll take care of you. I’ve always been there for you,” he said. “Where was Medici when Joel was born? When Tabitha died?”
Rafe clenched his fists at his sides in controlled fury.
She closed her eyes and he sensed her wavering. It stabbed at his gut.
“Do you know what a coup it is for someone like him to associate with a Livingstone?” her father goaded.
A long silence passed and Rafe had the sensation of hanging over a pit of snakes. Would Nicole really go to her father?
She finally opened her eyes. “Rafe couldn’t be there because he didn’t know Joel existed. You made sure of that, didn’t you?”
“I told Tabitha that if she didn’t break up with him, then I would take away her trust fund. It was for her good. Even you know she was impulsive. She didn’t fight me,” he said, giving Rafe a condescending look. “I told you before he just wants you as a substitute for Tabitha. He just wants Joel to get back at me.”
She flinched then seemed to stiffen. “That’s where you’re wrong. Maybe I’m only a substitute, but he wants to be a father to Joel. It’s very important to him. He loves Joel and would do anything to protect him.”
“I would protect Joel,” her father said.
She shook her head. “Only until he displeased you,” she said. “Joel and I will never live with you. I’m not going back with you.”
Livingstone’s face turned to stone. “You’ll regret it. Are you so desperate that you’re willing to be your sister’s stand-in?”
“Get out,” Rafe said. He refused to allow her to suffer one second longer.
“Who do you think you are?” Livingstone said. “Giving me orders.”
“You’re in my house and I want you out. I’ll call security if necessary.”
“Not man enough to do it yourself,” Nicole’s father goaded.
“Nicole is too important to me to resort to violence with her father. Get out,” he commanded.
As Conrad Livingstone stalked out the front door, Nicole wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes dark with turbulent emotion.
Rafe put his hand on her arm, but she backed away, not meeting his gaze. “I need to pick up Joel,” she said. “I don’t want to be late.”