Instead, she asked for time. And like a jackass, he’d given it to her. Now he wondered if her sister had found her that night and told her to stay away from him. He wouldn’t doubt it.
The memory troubled him. He’d kept it from Cat so he wouldn’t upset her, but maybe that had been the wrong choice. She deserved to know.
But how would she react, knowing he kept it from her all this time? He didn’t want to face that.
They eventually wrapped up the lunch, Stasia and Gavin going their way with Sofia in tow, while he and Cat hopped into a taxi and headed back to his apartment. She needed to get back so she could pack her things and prepare for the flight back to Italy, which he’d arranged with the Worth private jet once again through Stasia. And he needed to get Cat alone so he could make love to her.
He desperately wanted to lose himself inside her before he returned her home one last time.
And that was the one thing that kept him going, that he knew she would return. That he could make her his bride and they could live together here in New York. He also wanted her to work at Renaldi. He hadn’t mentioned it yet, thought it too soon to ask, but he knew she would be a good fit there. She seemed to get along well with Stasia and wondered if his sister would want an addition to her jewelry line team in the publicity and marketing department. He knew that was where Cat’s strengths were. He’d done his research before this, but it was different, assessing her in person.
She was smart and capable, creative and full of ideas. He’d asked her a barrage of questions about her job at Campioni on purpose, trying to get a glimpse of her working style. He’d liked what he’d seen. Hoped like hell she would agree, though it would mean she wasn’t going to work at Campioni at all anymore.
She hadn’t protested when he mentioned it earlier, but she might not like that. It was a chance he needed to take. Only after he made her his bride, though.
“You’re very quiet,” Cat observed when they walked into his apartment. She headed down the hall and he trailed after her, watching as she went into the guest bedroom and grabbed her small travel bag, tossing it onto the bed. “Is everything all right? Did I pass the sister test?”
“With flying colors. She likes you, just as I said she would.” He strode into the bedroom, and stopped behind her, his hands going to her waist. “I’m feeling melancholy.”
She leaned back against him, and he could hear the smile in her voice, the teasing lilt. “Why? Because you’ll miss me?”
So intuitive, not that he was subtle. “I don’t want you to leave.”
Shoulders sagging the slightest bit, she slowly shook her head. “I have to. I need to talk to my family and make things right between all of us. There are matters to wrap up, both business and personal. Plus, I need to pack my things.” She paused, her entire body stiffening beneath his touch. “Are you sure this is what you want, Rafe? Me returning with you? Marrying you? We’re taking a rather huge step in a short amount of time.”
Irritation flashed through him. Did she not get it? They’d discussed their plans plenty of times. “We’ve already been over this. I want you here with me. As my wife.” He tightened his grip on her waist, turning her so she had to face him. “This is right, Cat. What’s happening between us. It’s meant to be. No one can stop us from finding our happiness together.”
Cat threw herself at him, her arms going around him tight, her body nestled close. He held her, his face in her hair, his hands stroking her back. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Your words mean so much to me.”
You mean so much to me, he thought as he kissed her, slowly undressed her and took her right there on the guest bed.
But he didn’t have the guts to say it.
Chapter Eleven
Cat sat in the dark living room, her hand clutched tight around her cell phone as she waited for it to power up. She’d fallen into bed with Rafe, packed her belongings, fallen back into bed with Rafe—his bed this time—and they’d made love for what felt like hours. Until the both of them were exhausted and he encouraged her that they should get some sleep before they left for the airport and their red-eye flight back to Italy.
She’d finally asked for her phone, knowing she needed to face the cold, harsh reality that was her life with her mother and sister sometime. He’d agreed readily, handing over the phone from where he kept it in the nightstand, but warned her it was most likely dead.
Which it had been. She’d found her charger and plugged it then, then lay down with Rafe because he’d called to her, telling her he missed having her close.
So she’d snuggled into bed with him, their naked limbs entwined around each other. Sleep came quickly for Rafe and she envied him that. She couldn’t sleep at all.
Too excited, too worried over what the next few days would mean for her.
Finally giving up, she’d grabbed her fully charged phone and snuck out into the living room, nibbling her lip as she saw the endless list of unread text messages.