Broken Wings (The Broken Series Book 3) (2 page)

I
reached for his face, trying to ease the sadness reflected back at me. Rafael
captured my hand and brought it to his lips as his eyes met mine. “I’ll never hurt
you, Kristine. I promise I’ll never be the cause of your tears.”

His
promise echoed deep inside of me, tugging one last tear from the corner of my
eye. He gently placed my arms beside my head. His eyes followed his fingers,
which trailed down my arms and sides. He paused as he stared at the bare skin
that was now showing between my silk camisole and shorts. Even as I wondered
what he was thinking, I knew something important lie in the balance.

My
body arched against his hand as he slid it under my camisole. He softly
caressed my stomach, then grazed his thumb across one of my breasts. I
whimpered softly as his intentions became clearer. His eyes darkened with
desire. He slid his other hand under my camisole and lightly caressed the other
breast. I squeezed my legs together as I tried to ease the longing that was already
coiling deep inside of me. “This is so wrong,” I groaned, even as my body
pleaded for more.

Rafael
shook his head. “This is the first thing we’ve done right.” He slowly pulled the
camisole over my head. “You were meant to be mine, Kristine.
Mine.
And,
unlike Michael and Kadyn, I will never let you go.”

A
wave of pain washed over me as I thought about the two men who had rejected me.
Rafael kept his eyes locked on mine as he eased me out of my sleep shorts and
panties, then slipped out of his own pajama bottoms. My eyes drifted from his
face to his chest. My fingers trailed hesitantly across his well-defined pecs. I
was too scared to look any further than that. If I hadn’t already known how
gentle Rafael could be, I would have been terrified by his insanely muscular physique.

A
searing need arced across my abdomen and chest as he nudged my knees apart and fit
his warm body to mine. He twined his fingers with mine, then rocked against me
as he settled between my legs. I bit my lower lip and tried not to moan.

Rafael
pressed just inside of me. He was still holding my eyes and hands. “Please,
Kristine, tell me you want this as much as I do.”

I
was too shocked by my body’s response to speak. Pleasure pulsed through me
where our bodies joined, making my body arch toward his as he rocked against me
and eased in a little further. My breasts pebbled against the fine hair on his
chest as I wrapped my legs around his. I could feel myself unraveling as I dug
my fingernails into the backs of his hands. “
Rafael,
” I pleaded, too desperate
and overwhelmed to say anything more.

Rafael
closed his eyes and sighed as he filled me completely. He stilled when I took a
couple of deep breaths. I was trying to get my body to relax, to adjust to the
feel of him inside of me, but I panicked as my thoughts caught up with the rest
of my body…
What am I doing? Oh God, what am I doing with Rafael?

He
fisted his hands in my hair, locking my head in place as he kissed me long and
hard. His tongue seduced mine until I was no longer capable of thought. Slowly,
he began to move. Rafael’s hips carved provocative circles into mine. He
trailed open-mouthed kisses all down my neck before settling just behind my ear.
He eased out of me, then slowly filled me again. We both moaned as he reclaimed
my hands and pinned them against the pillow. He drove inside of me in long, determined
strokes. A thin layer of sweat formed between us as Rafael knit our bodies
together over and over again.

The
soothing scents of cedar and cloves enfolded me, and suddenly I knew. It was Rafael’s
cologne. This wasn’t the first time he’d been in my bed. Shockingly, that realization
made me want him even more. I half sobbed half moaned as my hands gripped his. I
could feel myself spiraling out of control as he nudged my legs higher. I
locked them around his hips, anchoring myself to him in every way I could.

Rafael
kissed me with a fierceness that stalled my entire body. He pulled back and
thrust deep inside of me, possessing me with a force that robbed me of all remaining
breath. He braced his forearms on either side of my head. He was still gripping
my hands. He drove into me over and over again. My hips rose, accepting each
demanding thrust. The only thing I could think of… the only thing I could feel…
was Rafael.

His
voice broke as he spoke. “Look at me, Kristine. I want you to know who is
making love to you.”

I
willed my eyes to open.

Rafael’s
eyes locked on mine before he slammed deep inside of me again. “I will never
leave you, Kristine. I will never let you go.”

I
bit back a sob. Rafael couldn’t possibly know how much I needed to hear those
words. Still he held my gaze. His chiseled arms shook as he struggled to hold
back. My breath caught. He thrust inside of me again. I clung to him as my body
clenched. He stilled, and we hung suspended just on the edge of release. He captured
my lips in a bruising kiss, then fixed his eyes on mine as he slammed inside of
me. I gasped at the force at which he finally claimed me. My body quivered in
submission, then pulsed as he filled me with a searing heat. Pleasure ripped
through me, arching my back sharply as I cried his name. “
Rafael
.”

Not
another word was spoken between us. Eventually, our breathing slowed and our lungs
rose and fell in time. Our hands and bodies remained locked together, even as we
drifted off to sleep.

I
wasn’t sure if it was the warmth that radiated from his powerful body or the
scent of his cologne, but I found peace in his arms. Rafael was right. Somehow
we fit. It defied all logic, but being with him felt undeniably right.

*
* * * * *

My
eyes flew open when I felt sunlight on my face. I bolted upright and glanced frantically
around the room. I ran my hand over my face as I tried to chase away the
remaining dredges of sleep. I could have sworn Rafael was here last night.
There was no way
that
could have been a dream. I gathered my sheets and
brought them to my nose.
Cedar and cloves
. My eyes widened. I was
completely naked under the sheets. I fell back against the pillows. “What have
I done?”

Just
then, the smell of bacon and freshly brewed coffee wafted through the room. I stumbled
out of bed in search of clothes.

I
brushed my teeth, threw cold water on my face, and raked a brush through my
nightmarish hair before creeping down my own stairs. I froze in the entrance to
the kitchen.

Rafael
was standing over the stove, apparently cooking breakfast. My breath caught at
the sight of his broad shoulders. I had forgotten how tall and muscular he was.
His long dark hair fell in soft waves down past his shoulders.

My
entire body clenched, remembering how good his body had felt inside of mine. I
willed myself not to orgasm at the sight of him.

“You
don’t want breakfast in bed?” he asked without turning from the stove. He
sounded entirely too amused with the suggestion.

I
knew exactly what would happen if he served me breakfast in bed. “No,” I replied
emphatically. I walked toward the coffee pot with false bravado. My hand
wrapped around the handle of the carafe.

He
lifted my hair and kissed me on the back of the neck.

My
breath caught as goose bumps danced along my skin. I hadn’t even heard Rafael move.

“In
the sun room then?” he murmured suggestively.

Given
his tone, I wasn’t entirely sure he was still talking about breakfast. I set
the carafe back down. My hands were shaking too hard to pour the coffee.

Rafael
pressed his body firmly against my backside as he reached around me and poured
the coffee. He set the carafe back down, then ran his hand up my abdomen and chest
until he reached my chin. He turned my head until he could capture my lips in a
kiss. I steadied myself against the counter as he turned me in his arms. Rafael
deepened the kiss. He continued kissing me until I wrapped my arms around his
neck and surrendered a moan.

I
had to brace myself against the counter when he finally released me. I stood
there dazedly and tried to catch my breath.

He
grabbed two plates from the cupboard and sauntered into the sun room. My legs
shook as I trailed after him with the coffee and orange juice.

Rafael
pulled a chair out for me as we settled in next to each other at the wrought
iron table. He grabbed the remote from the center of the table and raised the glass
windows and screens. Clearly, he’d been in my sun room before.

He
winked at me as he raised a fork full of eggs to his lips. “
Bon appétit
.”

“
Bon
appétit
,” I replied as I watched him chew his food. A million questions
were jockeying for position in my mind, but I didn’t know where to begin. I tried
the scrambled eggs. They were loaded with red bell peppers, jalapenos,
cilantro, onions, and cheese. I glanced up in surprise. “This is really good,
Rafael. I didn’t know you could cook.”

“I
love to cook,” he replied over the top of his coffee. “Not everyone who comes
from money wants to be served like a king.”

I
knew he was referring to Michael. “You two couldn’t be more different,” I mused.

He
shrugged. “I like to do things for myself.”

I
popped a piece of bacon into my mouth. “What did you do before you worked for
Michael?”

Rafael
ate another forkful of eggs before responding. “I served in the Portuguese
Police Special Operations Group, first in the counter-terrorism unit, then in
VIP protection.”

My
mouth fell open. That certainly explained the chiseled body and his ability to
move without making a sound.

His
eyes glittered with amusement. “Why do you think Michael asked me to protect
you? He hires only the best.”

All
this talk of Michael was making me feel uncomfortable. I longed to know how he
was doing, but I was afraid to ask. I changed the topic. “You’ve been here
before.”

He
nodded. “How did you know?”

I
reached for the coffee carafe and refilled our cups. “I could smell your
cologne.”

He
raised an eyebrow appraisingly before folding an entire piece of bacon into his
mouth.

I
fidgeted nervously with my coffee cup. “Have you held me before, when I was
asleep?”

His
eyes clouded with concern. “Only when I heard you scream or cry. You still do
that a lot, you know. At first, I just sat and watched over you to make sure
you were okay. But, after the second or third night, I couldn’t take it. I
couldn’t just sit there and watch you cry. Holding you seemed to bring you
peace.”

I
set the fork on my plate. “It did, but why didn’t you wake me? Why did you
sneak into my house, and why didn’t you approach me during the day to tell me
you were here?”

Rafael
studied me long and hard. “You weren’t ready.”

My
eyebrows furrowed. “Ready? For what?”

Rafael’s
eyes held mine. “For a relationship with me. I wanted to give you some space
and time to get over Michael. I tried to watch over you from a distance, but it
became increasingly difficult to stay away. Being here in this house, among
your things, brought me peace.”

“
You
needed peace?” I asked incredulously. “Why?”

“Kristine,
I wanted you from the moment I first saw you…”

I
rolled my eyes.
This was Michael all over again, albeit in a younger,
sexier body.

Rafael
ignored me. “I think on some level Michael knew. That’s why he didn’t want me
touching you. I knew Michael wasn’t the right man for you, but I kept my
feelings to myself because I knew how much he loved you.” Rafael turned his chair
toward mine. He lifted my chin as he forced me to look at him. “When he pushed
you away, after you lost the baby… I lost all respect for him. You don’t push
the woman you love away when she’s dying inside. That’s when you hold her and
never let go.”

Tears
pooled in my eyes as a lump formed in my throat.

Rafael
released my chin. He softly caressed my cheek before tucking a loose strand of
hair behind my ear. “Kristine, it killed me to see him treat you like that. You
deserved so much more, especially considering what you sacrificed to be with
him.”

I
closed my eyes and shook my head. I didn’t want to think about Michael pushing
me away after I lost the baby. I had relived that moment far too many times,
and it was still too painful to think about.

I
opened my eyes as Rafael brought my hand to his lips. “When I left you with
your cousin, I returned to Paris. I tried to talk some sense into him. I tried
to convince him to take you back because I knew that’s what you wanted. I wanted
you to be happy, even if it cost me my own happiness.”

I
swallowed nervously. “And, now?”

“He’s
had five months to get it together. The same goes for your friend Kadyn. I’m done
waiting for those idiots to do the right thing. I won’t deny my feelings for
you anymore. I won’t stand by while someone who doesn’t deserve you tries to
steal your heart again. I love you, Kristine, and I want a chance to prove it
to you.”