A Fling to Steal Her Heart

‘I’m hungry,’ Carly said. ‘I was too nervous before the wedding, and the baby needs food.’

Isabella agreed. ‘I’ll bring one of those of hors-d’oeuvre plates over from the table.’

The day disappeared into evening while they ate dinner and drank toasts, and people made speeches, and had a wonderful time. Then Adem stood up and placed his hand on his wife’s elbow to bring her up beside him. ‘Thank you for sharing our special day, everyone. But now, we’re going to leave you and head to our hotel.’

Everything wrapped quickly after the newlyweds left.

‘Ready to hit the road?’ Raphael asked.

‘I guess. We’re all done here.’ Suddenly she didn’t want to go back to the house and find out if Rafe was going to make love to her or if tonight was one he said he had work to do. Like he had twice last week. ‘Or we could go clubbing.’

He shook his head. ‘Not me. I’m more than ready to hit the sack.’

With or without me?

‘Fine. Let’s go.’

‘Isabella, I’m sorry if I’ve let you down.’

She sighed. ‘It’s all right. Really. I’m feeling a little deflated after such a wonderful wedding, that’s all.’

The ride was so slow and yet sped by. Isabella couldn’t wait to get out of the car yet didn’t want to stop. She couldn’t face being turned down by Raphael heading to his office to work. As if he really had any that needed dealing with tonight. Was this when she stepped up? Put her feelings out there? Let him know she wanted more, not less? Her chest ached with the pounding going on behind her ribs. Be strong, be brave.

The moment Raphael shut them in the house she turned to him, reaching her arms up and around his neck.

He tensed. ‘Isabella.’ Never a good sign when he used her full name.

‘You’re not working tonight.’ Then she stretched up to kiss him, long and hard, and he kissed her back, demanding, giving, sensual.

Yes. She smiled under his mouth, and ran her hands down his back and under his jacket. Tugged his shirt free, touched his skin with her fingertips, absorbed his groans through their kiss. Yes.

Raphael pulled away, stared down at her. ‘Izzy.’ Better than Isabella.

She put her finger on his mouth. ‘Don’t say a word.’ Then she pushed his jacket down his arms and let it drop to the floor. The shirt was next, and then his belt and fly and his trousers landed around his feet.

Raphael stepped out of them, and waited, his reaction to her obvious and large in his boxers.

Afraid he might still change his mind, she kissed him, slowly, while she touched him, rubbed the head of his erection. Arousing him further. And then she was lifting her leg around his waist, trying to wrap herself around him. She wanted him. Now. Hard. Fast. Satisfying.

Raphael moved, took her around the waist, lifted her into his arms and charged upstairs to his bedroom, his manhood knocking against her butt.

What was wrong with where they were? She didn’t ask. With her finger she teased his nipple, made it peak and him cry out. Then they were on the bed and she was tugging her panties off and tossing them aside. Raphael pulled her dress up to her waist and bent down to lick her.

‘No. Now. You, me, together.’

He quickly sheathed himself, then rose above her and thrust into her. Hard and fast. She cried out and pushed up towards him to take him again.

It was over almost before they started. She’d been desperate to make love to him. To show him how she felt.

Isabella fell back against the pillow, her breast rising and falling rapidly.

Raphael sprawled out beside her, and draped an arm over her waist.

‘Rafe.’

‘Shh...don’t say anything.’

She stared up at the ceiling, seeing nothing in the dark. He didn’t want to talk. She wanted to tell him she loved him, but the words kept getting stuck in her throat. She still didn’t quite trust herself to be one hundred per cent certain she loved him, and at the same time she did. That was the trouble. She knew, bone deep, he was the only man for her. But she still needed to know that these feelings weren’t about settling down and making the life she’d craved since she was a kid. She’d done it once, had truly believed it was right, that her love had been for Darren and not just that picture, and she couldn’t have been more wrong.

* * *

Raphael listened to Izzy’s breathing as she slowly got her breath back. Did that really just happen? She’d been like a wildcat, taking him without preamble, turning him on so fast he’d hardly kept up. He’d tried to slow down, but she wasn’t having it.

Hell, he’d tried to avoid going to bed with her altogether. After seeing the sadness lurking in her eyes as she witnessed her friend’s betrothal he’d known he had to stop leading her on. Not that he was deliberately playing with her, but he didn’t think he could promise her what she so desperately wanted—a for ever love, marriage and children. Yes, he had been moving on from Cassie a lot faster now, and believed she was history. She’d left him, and that was that.

As for Joshua, he had a way to go on that, and probably would never completely get over the pain. But before he could move forward he had to tell Isabella, and then his family. And he just wasn’t sure how to do it. It meant exposing his heart, his vulnerabilities. Izzy knew him well, but still. It wasn’t easy. He’d never talked much about the things that mattered, had kept them in wrappers so no one could use them against him.

Tell her now.

She wasn’t sleeping. Her breathing had returned to normal, wide awake normal. He opened his mouth. Closed it. No. Not yet. He rolled away, stretched the length of the bed and prepared to wait the night out.

* * *

At last Raphael’s breathing deepened.

Isabella carefully slid out of bed and crept out of the room. In the bathroom she took a short shower, then dressed in track pants and a sweatshirt before heading downstairs where the crossword book lay on the bench. She was done with trying to sleep, and with thinking about her and Raphael. There were no answers at the moment.

The sky was beginning to lighten and the birds were waking up, chirping happily, lucky things. Her body ached. Her heart was heavy. Her head pounded. Despite the number of times she’d not known what to do with her life, she’d never felt quite this bad.

A phone began ringing. Raphael’s tune. Looking around, she couldn’t see it. Listening harder, she followed the sound out to the hallway and his jacket. As she removed it from the pocket the ringing stopped.

At least it won’t be work, she thought.

It rang again.

Raphael’s mother’s name showed on the screen.

‘Bonjour, this is Isabella.’

‘Is Raphael there?’ Celeste sounded stressed.

‘He’s up in his bedroom. Hold on, and I’ll run up there.’

‘Izzy? Who is it?’ Raphael appear

ed at the top of the stairs.

‘Your mother.’

He jogged down and took the phone. ‘Maman, what’s happened?’

Izzy held her breath as she blatantly listened to Rafe’s side of the conversation.

‘When did that happen? During the night?’ Rafe looked to her and held the phone away from his ear. ‘Grand’mère’s in hospital. Fell down the stairs. Again.’ He put the phone back to his ear. ‘Maman, what are her injuries? Are they serious?’

Izzy reached for his free hand and gripped it. ‘Is she going to be all right?’ Grateful she understood French, Izzy stayed still, and waited. Fingers crossed nothing too serious had happened.

‘She broke her other hip? And her femur?’ Raphael looked shocked. ‘And she’s unconscious?’

This did not sound good. Raphael had to go home and see his grandmother, as soon as possible. Isabella headed for the kitchen and her phone, tugging Raphael along with her. Typing in London to Avignon on her airline app, she waited for the flights to come up.

‘Being in a coma is worse than broken bones.’ Raphael shoved a hand through his thick hair, his gaze clouded with worry. ‘Oui. I’ll come as soon as I can. Yes, today if possible.’

Isabella tapped his shoulder, said, ‘There’s a flight at 5:45 out of Heathrow.’

He raised his thumb. ‘Maman, Izzy’s on to it already. I’ll send the details as soon as I have them.’ His phone clattered onto the bench. He did the fingers through his hair thing again, while reaching out to her with his other hand. ‘You heard? She’s in a coma after falling down the stairs going down to her room, which she’s not meant to be using yet. Stubborn old lady.’

‘I know those steps. None too forgiving for old bones. Or her head.’ Grand’mère was strong but still. Who knew what the outcome would be?

‘I need to see for myself, find out all the details from the doctors. Let me look at that flight.’ Moments later, ‘Yes, I’ll take it. But I’d better talk to someone on the ward first, make sure they can cover for me for a couple of days at least. Not that I’m not going to Avignon.’