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  When Ari did shatter, Rafe was right there with her, following her over the edge in a seemingly unending wave. Her body gripped him, pulsing over and over as her cries mingled with his groans of ecstasy.

  When the passion play finally came to a close, Ari had nothing left. If it hadn’t been for the restraints keeping her up, she’d have collapsed to the floor. Being with Rafe drained her, but in a wonderful way, in a way she feared she’d never experience with another man.

  How could she possibly feel anything as magical as what she felt in his arms? Barely conscious, Ari hardly noticed Rafe freeing her from his contraption. She rested her head against his shoulder as he carried her to her bed.

  When he laid her against the cool sheets, she whimpered, not ready to let him go. Her last thought was shock and pleasure as he climbed in next to her and tugged her into his arms. She knew she’d wake alone, but she was with him for now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ari climbed out of bed and winced. Her body felt as if it had been repeatedly run over during rush-hour traffic. Thump-thump, thump-thump… She’d never imagined that someone could have such an insatiable appetite for sex. If she had to continue the nighttime marathons, she’d have to start doing some intense workouts to get her strength up.

  “Rafe?”

  Ari waited, and when there wasn’t an answer, she let out the breath she’d been holding. It wasn’t that the sex wasn’t great — it was out of this world. But it was just too much. How did people do it so many times in a single week?

  She’d been Rafe’s mistress for three weeks with only four days off during that time, and two of them only because he’d had to take a trip without her. He’d tried to get her to give up her other precious days, and she’d emphatically refused, saying that she needed them for rejuvenation. He’d made up for it the morning after each one.

  Walking slowly into the kitchen, she smiled when she found a full pot of coffee and a note.

  We have a business function tonight. I’ve hired a personal stylist for you who will be at the condo at ten. You have the day off. My driver will pick you up at noon to escort you to the salon.

  Rafe

  Ari really didn’t feel like having a bunch of strangers plucking at her hair and body, especially after her last salon visit. It hadn’t been pleasant. They’d waxed her in places a person should never be waxed, offending her innate modesty. And her visit with the doctor last week had been almost as bad. Rafe had insisted because he didn’t want an unexpected pregnancy to throw a wrench into their relationship.

  Their relationship. That was a joke. So far, she’d managed to get a job she actually liked, doing charitable work. Though she knew he was simply humoring her, she chose to work as hard as possible and therefore take pride in what she was doing. The reality was that she was being told what to do night and day and had enacted so many scenes from the Kama Sutra that she didn’t remember what the missionary position was anymore.

  The thing that really confused her was that she wasn’t miserable. Rafe wasn’t treating her badly — quite the opposite, in fact. He was distant most of the time, but not unkind.

  Glancing at the clock, she was relieved to see it was only eight. She had two hours until she was bombarded. That was plenty of time to soak her sore muscles in a nice hot bath.

  Grabbing a thriller novel off the shelf, Ari walked to the bathroom and turned on the tap. No way she wanted to read anything having to do with love or romance — she wasn’t sure she even believed in the mythical emotion anymore.

  Ari remembered her mother warning her that sex wasn’t love’s equal, and telling her that she had to be careful because too many people equated the two. Ari could now see how that could happen.

  When she was in the throes of passion in Rafe’s arms, she had strong feelings toward him. When he left her lying in the bed all alone afterward, she felt an overwhelming emptiness and couldn’t prevent the abundant tears from soaking her pillow. How was she supposed to keep her heart uninvolved when the man was there each and every day?

  Sinking deep down into the water, Ari closed her eyes and inhaled the subtle scent of mango oil. The water jets soon soothed her legs and lower back. And after lying back for fifteen minutes and relishing doing absolutely nothing, she started to feel human again, so she took a sip of her tea and decided to lose herself in her newest read.

  An hour later, Ari realized the time and put down Stephen King’s Under the Dome, though she did so with great reluctance. What sort of barrier could have possibly sealed off the townspeople in the story? She would much rather soak in the tub all day and read make-believe than attend some stuffy function with a bunch of uppity strangers.

  Since her puppet master had commanded her to dance on his strings, it looked as though she didn’t have a choice. What if she stood him up? The thought brought a smile to her face. She knew she could tell him to kiss off, in so many words, but he’d honored his end of the bargain, and it felt wrong to not give a full effort on her end.

  Working for the charitable side of his company, reading donation requests and sending replies, was very engrossing. Some of the letters coming in had brought her to tears.

  What had completely surprised her were the thank-you letters that frequently arrived. Not only did Rafe donate millions of dollars to worthy causes, but he also made personal appearances. She’d stolen one of the pictures an elementary school class had sent.

  Rafe was surrounded by six-year-olds and he was wearing a T-shirt they’d obviously made him with their handprints all over it. The letter thanked him profusely for the donation enabling them to go on field trips that year.

  Letter after letter came pouring in, full of gratitude for everything from computers for senior centers to money for programs cut for lack of funds. Rafe had a generous heart. Why he guarded it when it came to women she didn’t understand.

  So what if his ex had cheated on him? That was an old song that many had danced to. Most marriages ended either because of infidelity or financial problems. Divorcés and divorcées didn’t normally turn into coldhearted monsters.

  What Ari was learning about Rafe, though, was that he was far from a monster — he just wanted women to think of him that way. What it would be like, she wondered, to peel back a few of his hardened layers?

  Was she bold enough to do just that? She honestly didn’t know if she was. Maybe he would behave abhorrently one too many times, and she wouldn’t care enough to find out what lay beneath. She could certainly imagine that scenario a lot more easily than one in which he had a change of heart.

  With a grudging sigh, Ari climbed from the tub and was just finishing up flinging on clothes when the doorbell rang. It looked as if it was time to play dress-up.

  The next two hours whirled away as Ari tried on dozens of dresses. Finally, the woman seemed satisfied and freed Ari from that ordeal. Which of the outfits would she be wearing? She honestly didn’t know, and at that point she couldn’t have cared less. The salon beckoned almost as a reprieve from all that zipping and buttoning and tying.

  Ari knew from her high school and college days that a lot of women loved getting dressed up and being pampered — if you could call it that — but she’d never been that girl. She’d been far more interested in studying than in the latest Paris fashions. It all just seemed so trivial.

  Granted, Ari did get off on finding that flawless pair of jeans — a pair that slid on and fit her as if they had been made just for her body. She had one pair in her closet that she loved. Those were from the days before she made such an attempt at hiding her curves. When she slipped them over her hips and they molded to her behind, she felt sexy and sleek. Yes, she’d take a pair of jeans over silk any day. Ari smiled at that thought.

  Since she was able to bring her thriller with her to the salon, having her hair tugged, ironed and twisted in all directions didn’t bother her. She became lost in the story again and was able to tune out the constant droning of the many people gossiping all around her. B
efore she knew it, this second ordeal was over, too.

  By the time she got home, put on the gold satin dress that had been laid out for her, and then turned to look in the mirror, Ari was shocked. Wow! She wasn’t in the least bit vain, but she just about took her own breath away. Slowly, she approached the mirror and looked at herself from head to toe.

  Her hair was partly up, so it was away from her face, but the rest was left cascading down her back in soft curls. Just how did she feel about the dress? She had no words. It molded to her curves like a second skin and dipped dangerously low in front and to nearly indecent levels in back. One more inch and she’d be showing parts of her behind not meant for public consumption.

  The makeup artist had transformed her features, making her appear almost exotic with dark eyes and rose-colored lips. With her mysterious look, her tumbling locks, and the golden gown, she felt like a princess from another era. Now all she needed was a knight to come riding in to rescue her from her lofty tower.

  As she twirled in front of the mirror, assessing the effect of four-inch heels, she felt invincible. Being a little vain wasn’t so bad, she decided with a laugh. Maybe the day, and night, wouldn’t be a terrible loss, after all.

  With a new bounce in her step, Ari made her way to the elevator and rode down with a smile that refused to leave her lips. Rafe was running late at work, so he would meet her at the business bash. She was anticipating his reaction; her grueling beauty boot camp had earned her at least a little head turning.

  “You look stunning, Ms. Harlow.”

  “Thank you, Mario. I was dreading the entire ‘day of beauty,’ but wearing this gown has changed my opinion of being ‘pampered,’” she responded with a giggle.

  “The gown is gorgeous, indeed, but you’re the one who makes it shine.”

  “You are about to sweep me off my feet,” she said, taking his hand as he helped her into the back of the car.

  “I don’t think my wife would be too happy to hear that,” he joked as he shut the door, then made his way to the driver’s side of the car.

  “I didn’t know you were married, Mario. Your wife must be a lucky woman.”

  “I think she’d agree with you on some days, and disagree on others.” Ari loved how comfortable Mario made her feel. He was a kind man, even if he refused to call her by her first name. She had argued with him too many times over the matter already; why resume the fight this beautiful evening?

  They chatted for a few more moments, and then Ari rested while he chauffeured her across the city. She wondered what Rafe would think of her look. But she hated that she cared.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Rafe glanced at his watch for the twelfth time in the past hour. It was ridiculous. He didn’t care if he was late to a function he hadn’t been interested in attending in the first place, so why was he continually checking the time?

  His life had stopped making sense. Sheesh. He couldn’t even make it through a simple business meeting without having Ari repeatedly pop into his head. And now he was rushing through town in the back of a limo to meet her at an event that promised nothing but boredom.

  He was losing control and the frightening part was that he didn’t much care half the time. When he was in her presence, he felt alive — as if he could do anything. No matter how much he tried to pull back from her, a secret smile on her face was all it took to make him fall to his knees.

  The situation was absurd and he knew that, but still he couldn’t stop himself from glancing at his watch, yet again.

  “How much longer until we arrive?”

  “We’ll be there in five minutes, Mr. Palazzo.”

  Rafe found himself wanting to snap at the driver to pick it up, but he forced himself to sit back and take a drink. If he didn’t want to pin Ari to a wall the second he saw her, he’d need a hell of a lot more bourbon before the night was over.

  Never had his sexual appetite been so endless. He wanted her night after night — no breaks in between except for those miserable Sundays she reserved as her own. She might not have realized it, but he was holding himself back. He could see that her body was sore, though she wasn’t complaining. She was still argumentative, and about the worst submissive he could imagine, but she made him — happy.

  When they arrived, Rafe didn’t wait for the driver to come around and open his door. He stepped from the vehicle the second it stopped and found himself rushing inside the exclusive country club.

  The function was to celebrate a new collaboration between his company and a foreign electronics manufacturer. The merger would create tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in revenue for both countries.

  Rafe should be joining in the celebration, seeking out his new business partners, not searching the crowd for a small, dark-haired minx who had his insides turned upside down.

  Snatching up a couple of glasses of champagne from a passing waiter, Rafe made his way through the crowd, intent on finding Ari. He’d get her alone for five minutes, and then he’d be back to himself and could handle his investors.

  When he turned a corner and heard the sound of Ari’s laughter, his apprehension faded. Then he saw her. For a stunned moment, Rafe stood motionless, gripping the champagne flutes almost too tightly as her beauty stole the air from his lungs.

  Ari was facing him, sheathed in a gold creation that flattered her every feminine curve. He drank in her alabaster complexion, touched with just enough makeup to bring out the fire of her eyes and the natural plumpness of her lips.

  When she threw back her head and laughed, his stomach tightened at the sight of her enticing cleavage, showcased by the exquisite cut of the gown. But when the man she was speaking to raised his arm and caressed her shoulder, rage quickly crowded out lust.

  Ari was his — and some man had just made the very foolish mistake of touching her.

  Rafe moved swiftly through the parting crowd, ignoring the few people unwise enough to try to speak to him. Ari didn’t notice his approach until he was grabbing her arm and pulling her away.

  “Rafe! That was rude. I was speaking to someone,” she scolded.

  “You were done,” he snapped as he dragged her across the room, intent on getting her away before his anger escalated.

  “What is your problem?” she asked as she stumbled along beside him, his pace making it hard for her to keep up in her heels.

  Before Rafe could answer, he got a glimpse of the back of her dress while prodding her to go through a doorway before he did. The amount of skin she was exposing for all the men to see jacked up his anger to a new level.

  Needless to say, his stylist was fired.

  “What is going on? Why are you acting this way?” she asked as he led her down the terrace steps and out to the back lawn. He spotted a secluded path and hurried her down it. When he found a small alcove with a bench, he pulled her inside and crushed her against his chest.

  “You are mine! Don’t ever forget it,” he growled before his lips crashed down on hers. The kiss was all about possession and need, about untamed hunger. He wanted to brand her, make sure she never looked at another man again.

  Even though Rafe knew jealousy was egging him on, he couldn’t seem to stop. His hand gripped her hips as he pushed against her — pressing his solid manhood against her body.

  He backed up and sat on the bench, pulling Ari forward so she was standing between his thighs. The anger still gripping him fused with an overwhelming passion that pulsed straight through his erection. Rafe leaned down and gripped the hem of her dress, sliding it over her seductive hips, his frustration mounting at the semidarkness and his inability to drink in her full beauty.

  “Straddle my lap,” he ordered as he drew her forward. Ari stumbled before he caught her and assisted her onto his muscular thighs.

  The feel of her straddling him was indescribable. His hands traced the curve of her back as he lost himself in the taste of her neck.

  “No one should see you in this dress except me,” he growl
ed.

  “It’s just a dress, Rafe,” she panted.

  Surprise made him lift his head. He needed to look into her eyes, but he could just barely see the outline of her features through the dim moonlight.

  “You’re right, Ari. It is just a dress — but with you in it, the material comes to life, showcases your curves, and makes every man in the room think of taking you home and ravishing you until the morning light breaks the dawn. That right belongs only to me.”

  Ari shuddered in his arms as she leaned toward him, and he couldn’t resist taking her mouth as he moved his hands to shift his clothes. He didn’t want foreplay — he wanted to sink deep inside her. He hoped she was ready because he felt on the verge of exploding.

  “Take me, Rafe. If I’m yours, then show me,” she demanded as her hands gripped his shoulders.

  Relief coursed through him as he finally freed himself from his pants. Moving his hands back to her hips, he ripped her panties free and then pressed himself against her aching core, with her wet heat summoning him to enter.

  “Mine,” he growled as he gripped her hips and thrust deep inside her, their bodies now fused into one.

  Ari took over as she clutched his shoulders and began moving up and down his shaft, her hips swinging forward, torturing him with pleasure. She wasn’t in a hurry, taking her time as she groaned with each seductive movement.

  “Faster,” he urged.

  Ari stilled as she bent down to kiss his neck, making a slow journey to his ear where she licked the outer lobe. “Don’t you know the voyage is what it’s all about, Rafe? Listen. Can you hear the music?”

  Her husky words confused him until she started gyrating her hips and rising and falling to the beat of the slow song that drifted out from the clubhouse and trickled down to them.

  “Yes, Ari. You can’t imagine what you’re doing to me right now,” he groaned as his head bent forward and he ran his tongue down her cleavage.