Primary Colors (5 page)

“I don’t know what to say. It takes my breath away.”

“And this isn’t even the piéce de résistance.” His eyes sparkled with excitement. As they made their way to the other side of the loft, she realized he’d made the space he surrounded himself with a work of art.

Rafe let her and Sal go into the studio first
.

“Holy cow,” Sal said again.

“I agree.” Nia was equally
in awe.

The studio was crescent shaped, wide, with high ceilings, too. Skylights ran across the roof, and another wall of windows practically surrounded the area. When she looked up, she gasped. The wooden ceiling of light oak was wavy.

“I didn’t know that could be done.”

“Isn’t it breathtaking? Some of my art buddies helped me put it up.”

“It’s like wooden ocean,” Sal said.

He ruffled Sal’s hair. “Spoken like a true artist.”

Sal beamed.

“Wait until I tell Paulina. She’ll want to see this.”

“Anytime.” He winked. “As long as you come with her.”

Flustered, she nodded to a large table, “Would you like to start the lesson now?”

“Sure. You can sit in the little room off it that has a view of us.”

She’d noticed the rooftop near the studio was a miniature
design of the larger one on the other side of the house. It sported two cushiony lounge chairs, and she could keep an eye on Sal just fine. “Would you mind if I waited out there? I love the gardens. I have my coat on still.”

“Go ahead.” He picked up a heavy throw from a chair. “Use this if you get cold.”

Nia heard them talking softly as she let herself out the door and stepped onto the
patio. Taking a seat in one of the loungers, she stared out at the city visible from up here. The early November sun warmed the day, but still she covered herself with the blanket. As she did, Rafe’s scent rose up to meet her, the one she’d inhaled when he stayed for dinner last week. She remembered talking by his car, how they’d gravitated toward each other, how he’d kissed her head. Shaking off
the memory, she took her e-reader out of her purse and called up the latest romance novel she’d just begun. She felt her eyes close, though, after only a few pages.

One minute, it was sunny and bright. The next, the sky darkened and heavy rain began to pelt the windows at a slant. Rafe couldn’t remember a time when the weather had changed so quickly. Thunder clapped loudly
and Sal jumped up from the table, where he was trying oil paints for the first time. “Mommy?” His eyes rounded with stark terror
.

Rafe knelt before him. “Sal, I’m here. You’re safe.”

“I want Mom.” Pivoting, he looked out the windows.

Nia was just opening the door. Nonetheless, Sal threw himself at her. She went down on her knees. “Shh, it’s okay, honey.”

So she was familiar with
his reaction.

Rafe went to the bathroom off the studio, got some towels and returned. Sal had calmed some, but Nia was still on her knees, holding him. He crossed to them. Her face had tightened and her eyes were bleak.

Finally, Sal moved back. “Your hair’s wet,” he said, wiping his eyes.

“Just damp. I fell asleep out there. I heard you yelling for me.”

She stood and Rafe handed
her a towel. The jeans she wore fit her snugly before, but now they gloved her. The pretty white blouse clung to her…in all the right places. He had to drag his gaze away from her breasts, which he hadn’t realized were so full
.

Sal stood close by Nia. He’d calmed but was clinging to her again. Rafe hadn’t seen the kid do that in a while
.

Softly, Rafe ruffled his hair. “Don’t like thunderstorms,
buddy?”

He shook his head.

“I didn’t, either, as a kid.”

“Really? Ben says I’m a baby.”

Rafe gave him a skeptical look. “You know, Ben says a lot of things that I think aren’t true.”

“He’s okay most of the time.”

Sweet kid, defending his cousin
.

“I’m glad for that.”

Nia glanced out the window. “I’m afraid we’ll have to wait out the storm here. Sal doesn’t go out
in them.”

“You’ll need to change. Your blouse is wet.” He cleared his throat and left them to retrieve a shirt from his dresser in the bedroom. He handed it to her when he returned.

“Thanks, I’ll go change.”

He glanced at his watch. “Let’s order a pizza, and we’ll eat before I take you home.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ve already got subway tokens.”

“I know. I want to.”
He nodded to her. “Let’s get some food.”

Wrapped up in his warm blue fleece, Nia sat next to him in the front seat of his new car. Sal snored softly from the back. It was still drizzling, and she watched it form rivulets on the glass
.

Rafe said, “Penny for your thoughts.”

“Truthfully, I was thinking about how we keep inconveniencing you.”

He sighed. He sounded
like Luke when he was impatient with one of them. “Nia, I want a favor from you.”

“Anything.”

“Hmm.” He shot her a sexy look. “Maybe I’ll reconsider my request.”

She chuckled, and couldn’t believe she was actually comfortable with the flirting. “What is it?”

“I’d like you to stop saying that you and Sal take up too much of my time. That you inconvenience me. Do you really think
I’d be doing all of this if I didn’t want to?”

“Not all of it. Today was a big extra. I can tell you like teaching my son. And you like him.”

“And you.”

“Me?”

“I like you, too, Nia.”

The notion warmed her. In the cozy car, lit by only the streetlamps, she didn’t tense at his statement. “I like you, too, Rafe. You have a lot of depth. And you’re innately kind.”

“Well, good.
So we’re clear on this?”

“Not totally. I thought you’d probably have a date tonight.”

He waited a beat. “Are you asking me if I have a girlfriend?”

She waited, too. And told herself she should know that about him if her son was to continue spending time with him. “Do you?”

“Nope. I date, of course, but no special woman in my life. You?”

“No, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

He laughed aloud. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I’m glad. How about guys?”

“Not much time for romance in my life.”

“Hence, the novels.”

“What novels?”

“You said you read romance novels.”

“Oh, God, I forgot I told you that.”

“Were you reading one on the deck?”

“Don’t tease.”

“I think it’s cute.” He turned onto her street and then into the driveway.
“And I think this is lovely.” Reaching out, he took a lock of her hair between his thumb and forefinger.

She’d had to unbraid and towel dry it, so the strands were still damp and curled some, like Paulina’s. “Why on earth don’t you ever wear this down?”

Because that’s how Peter liked it.

She pushed the thought away. She didn’t want her memories here with him in the car. “It’s a pain
in the ass. I should cut it.”

“Now that would be a mortal sin, darlin’.”

A small chuckle escaped her.

“Is everyone’s like this? I noticed the sisters who were there Saturday night had hair like Rapunzel’s.”

“Uh-uh.” She didn’t tell him that in some unconscious gesture of solidarity, all the girls had let their hair grow after the guys died.

“Do you know how gorgeous it is?”

She blushed. “There’s no way to modestly answer that.”

“Modesty is highly overrated.”

She saw the house had only the outside lights on. “I should go.”

“All right. I’ll carry Sal in.”

“I can wake him up.”

“Why would you?”

Nia watched him get out of the car and open the back door. She was hit by a brutally clear image of Peter gently tugging Sal out of his car seat, joking
about how heavy he was. Tears prickled her eyes, but she battled them back. Quickly, she exited the car and led him into the house, through the foyer and up the stairs
.

From behind her, he whispered, “Is everybody out?”

“It’s Friday night. The boys are sleeping over at Ana’s, my older sister. We trade kids often. Both
Matka
and Paulina have dates.”

“I love how you share so much of
your lives.”

He put Sal on his bed, and Nia removed his shoes and jeans. Rafe covered him with a quilt. “There you go, buddy, sleep well.”

Her son had had a big day.

Rafe looked around. “This room is new.”

“Uh-huh. We built suites up here for me and Sal, Paulina, her boys.”

“It’s great. Cozy.”

“A little too cozy,” she said as they left the room.

“Don’t you like cozy?”

“Paulina doesn’t anymore. I’m sure she’ll move out soon, get married.”

“That will be hard for you.”

“I want her to be happy.”

“You’ll miss her.”

They made their way downstairs and to the foyer.

Rafe gestured to encompass the house. “There’s so much love here.”

“I’m sorry you never had it in your life.”

“Me, too.”

She wanted to ask him to stay for coffee. She
wanted to be close to him. But she didn’t say anything, because the image of Peter she’d had earlier wouldn’t go away. And that made a part of her angry.

“Well, thanks again.”

His navy eyes dimmed. He knew what that meant.

She reached for the door, but he stopped her. “I enjoyed today, Nia.”

“Thank you. So did Sal.”

“Did you?”

She might be rusty, but her feminine instincts
told her that he wanted to know if she enjoyed being with him. The least she could do was tell him the truth. “I did, Rafe. Your place is beautiful. Your hospitability impeccable. I truly liked being with you.”

“Then you won’t mind this.”

He stepped forward and tugged her to him
.

Nia was swamped by feeling—of a man’s hard body aligning with hers, of the masculine scent of citrus and
the outdoors, of strong arms banding around her. For a moment, she basked in the once-familiar experience that she’d so taken for granted.

It was he who stepped back. “Good night, Nia.”

“Good night, Rafe.”

He went out the door and she closed it gently. Leaned against it. Two parts warred within her. One who missed Peter and what they’d had together, and the other who knew in the moments
he’d held her, she wanted more from Rafe Castle
.

When he got back from taking Nia and Sal home, Rafe stood before an easel in his loft. Usually, when he painted his skyscapes, the background came first. He dipped the brush into a soft shade of blue from the palette and it flew across the blank canvas, almost of its own accord. Next, he went on to pinks, in a variety of hues.
He’d seen those colors on Siesta Key beach sunsets, and the shades always drew him. He used lighter blues, a touch of white. When he finished the background—for now—he let the image come. It was sketchy, as he had to know the subject of the painting before he could go into detail. Swirls of pink bled out from the deepest tone to the lightest. Brushstroke after brushstroke followed.

It was
four in the morning before he got to the flesh tones. At 8:00 a.m., he was done. Quickly, he pivoted away from it for a minute, knowing when he turned back around, he’d be disappointed. Never in his life had he completed a painting in one sitting. And his gut told him that there was no going back to rework this one
.

“Go on, Rafael,” he told himself. “It won’t be the first canvas you trashed.”

When he faced it again, his jaw dropped. He’d never expected this.

The sharp sound of hammering and of shingles slapped down onto plywood filled the early Monday morning air. Wrapped in a fall jacket, as early November had turned cool, holding two cups of steaming coffee, Nia headed outside to watch the roof take shape. They would finish this phase today, so the interior could be worked on in the colder weather. Paulina, on
the ground with a clipboard, was taking notes. Probably sensing her twin near, she looked up
.

A smile broached Paulina’s mouth. “Oh, God, do I need that.” She hurried over to Nia. This morning, her sister’s face was relaxed and happy, rouged by weather. Her hard hat partially shaded her eyes, but Nia could see they were filled with satisfaction. At the completion of another phase of the building.
And because of Adam Armstrong
.

“Here you go.” She held out the cup of strong black coffee they both preferred
.

“Thanks, sis.” Paulina sipped. “Hmm. There was no time for any caffeine this morning.”

“It was a zoo.” They’d woken up late, Sal couldn’t find his backpack, Tommy had been cranky and Ben was sullen. The boys had just made it onto the school bus.

Paulina stared ahead. “I
wonder what was wrong with my guys.”

“Did you ask?”

“Yeah, while they got dressed. They said ‘NOTHING!’ in capital letters.”

Nia laughed. “They’re kids. They’re entitled to have moods.” She nodded to the music hall. “I can’t believe we’re almost done with the outside.”

“Yeah, I like this phase.”

“You like all the phases. You were cut out for this kind of work, Paulie.”

“I know. Interestingly, Adam feels the same about his designs.”

“A match made in heaven.”

“I’ve come to see that. Hey, it was fun with Rafe at dinner that night. He’s a great guy.”

“I’m afraid we’re taking up too much of his time.”

“Nia, he wouldn’t have stayed for dinner if that was true. I think he genuinely likes Sal.”

“Oh, I think so, too. He had a rough childhood, which
made him sensitive to kids like Sal.” She hadn’t told her twin about the kiss on her forehead that night or the full-body hug when he brought her home after the rainstorm. For one thing, she didn’t want Paulina to get ideas about the two of them. But also, she’d forgotten what it felt like to be in a man’s arms, and the experience had left her nostalgic, wanting that again. And torn, of course, about
accepting it from another man.

Reaching out, Paulina grasped her hand. “It’s all good, sweetie. Just enjoy it.”