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  “I don’t care. If you don’t like what I have to say, then quit pursuing me. ”

  “I’m not pursing you, Ari. You happened to show up on my boat, remember? Needless of who came to whom tonight, you’ll be mine – just like I owned you only moments ago. It’s only a matter of time. As long as you keep fighting me, you’re only denying both of us pleasure we could be feeling every single night. I’m not the monster you think I am. I just have certain rules. Doesn’t everyone feel the same when they go into a new relationship together? I just happen to be honest about myself, and I expect the same from my business partners,” he said as if he were the most reasonable man to ever exist.

  “If you’re so honest, does your family know about your little contracts?”

  He glared at her and she knew she was pushing all the wrong buttons with him that night. His hand lifted and she was afraid for a moment that he was going to strike her.

  He glared when she flinched.

  “I’ve told you before that I don’t need to use pain, Ari. You’ll learn that. There are much more pleasurable ways for me to punish you,” he threatened as he stepped back.

  She slowly scooted off the table, finding her legs weak as she stood. She didn’t know what to do next. She was stuck in the middle of a large bed of water on a boat with a man she didn’t know if she wanted to kiss or hit more.

  “I’ll escort you to your room. You know where mine is in case you change your mind about my contract,” he said stiffly as he turned and started walking toward the door. She had to jog to keep up with him as he led her down the hallway.

  No more words were spoken as he directed her to a door and opened it for her. She shut it in his face, then leaned against the solid wood and fought the urge to cry. She was really in the deep end. She walked to the bed and sank slowly onto it, not expecting sleep to claim her that night.

  She was wrong. The soothing motion of the boat rocking gently on the waves lulled her to sleep in no time – clearing her mind of stressful decisions, and allowing her body time to heal.

  *****

  Anger consumed Rafe as he walked away. His face was stone cold, not showing a single emotion he was feeling to the outside world, but his insides were mangled.

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  He wanted her to be with him. He needed her to do it willingly.

  Doubt flooded him for the first time, and the foreign emotion caused near panic to fill him. He didn’t like any of the weak emotions to penetrate his thick skin. He was too strong for weakness – he was too good for that.

  Rafe turned down the hall and walked into his room, quietly shutting the door, not allowing his anger control over him. He wouldn’t slam the door; he wouldn’t smash his fists into walls. He’d have a drink and figure out what his next move was.

  He would get what he wanted – always – it was just a matter of time.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Guilt consumed Ari as she slowly opened her mother’s hospital room door. She hadn’t been to see her in two weeks. She’d gotten a cold that wouldn’t end, not enough to keep her from work, but bad enough that the hospital staff said she shouldn’t visit her mother – that her immune system was still too weak from her last surgery for her to be exposed.

  The girls had wanted her to go to dinner with them since it was Friday and she had to turn them down, because seeing her mother was much more important.

  She’d rushed from work, straight to the hospital, not even calling. She’d spoken to her mom enough on the phone over the past two weeks, but she just wanted to be with her in person.

  Spending time with her mother was another reason why she couldn’t even think of signing any contract with Rafe. He’d made it clear that being with him was the only priority she was allowed to have.

  If she was his mistress she couldn’t see her mother when she wanted to. That would never work out for her. On top of all of that, the man had her tied in so many knots that she didn’t know what was up or down anymore.

  Two weeks ago when she’d awoken on the ship and found them at the docks, she hadn’t thought about anything other than escape. She’d made it from the ship without running into Rafe or any of his family members, and counted her blessings. She’d gotten as far from there as possible, and hadn’t looked back.

  She was angry with herself for being disappointed at not hearing from him. It was what she wanted. She’d known he’d grow bored with the game of chasing her, and she should be shouting from the rooftops at her joy of being free. She didn’t have to worry about her weakness around him if she didn’t have to see him. It was a win-win situation.

  “Ari! It’s so great to see you, darling. ”

  Ari jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice. She’d been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t even realized she’d pushed the door open all the way.

  “I’m so sorry I haven’t come sooner, Mom, I feel terrible, but the doctors said I could cause you an infection,” she replied as she rushed to her mother’s bedside.

  “Oh, posh. You have a life, dear, or I certainly hope you do. Young women have much more important things to do than to hang around an old woman’s bedside day and night, whether you’re sick or not. ”

  “There is nothing in my life that’s more important than you, Mom. Dr. Morgan said there were some complications from the surgery. He said it was an infection that turned septic, and they have to keep a very close eye on you or you could have organ failure. Why does one bad thing keep happening after another?” Ari sobbed.

  She wanted to take her mother home, though she still hadn’t told her that she’d had to sell the house. She didn’t know how she was going to put her mother through that when she’d been through so much already. It was going to be a very bad day, indeed.

  “I told the doctor not to tell you any of that,” Sandra said sternly.

  “I’m not stupid, Mom. You should’ve been out of here weeks ago. I knew something was going on. What was he supposed to do – tell me he had a big crush on you and refused to let you leave?”

  “Mmm, he is quite handsome, isn’t he?”

  “Mom, this is serious!” Ari scolded.

  “Oh, Ari, you mustn’t worry so much. There’s nothing we can do about any of this so I tire of constantly discussing it. Please, please tell me anything to get my mind off it. I would even be happy if you start discussing the weather, or your last meal. ”

  Ari looked at her mom for several seconds, how pale she looked, how much weight she’d lost. She was beyond worried about her, but her mom was right – talking about it over and over again wouldn’t help her mother heal. All she could do was give her mom what she asked for.

  “I met these three wonderful women at work. They are a lot pushy, but make me smile when I think I have nothing left to smile about. They are a little crazy and I think you will adore them. Shelly, Amber and Miley are completely your type of women and like to try and find me brainless men, but they also make me laugh. I didn’t think that was something I’d ever do again after your accident. ”

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  “Oh, Ari, I’m so happy to hear that. You have always been too serious. You studied all through high school when you should’ve taken a bit of time for a social life, then you did the same during college. I’m proud of you, as I always have been and always will be, but I want you to stop and smell the roses once in a while. I want you to have fun. Getting good grades is important, but I think you can do that with one eye closed and half your brain shut down. Having fun once in a while is just as important to good mental health. ”

  Ari fondly smiled at her mother’s familiar speech. She’d heard it often in her late teens when she’d chosen to stay home each weekend studying instead of going out. It wasn’t that she hadn’t wanted to make friends. It was just that she hadn’t connected with anyone who became more important than her school work.

  If she’
d found something to do that was more interesting than getting lost in a favorite book, then she’d gladly have put away her reading glasses for the night and gone out on the town. Even the party that had been so detrimental to her mother, hadn’t been worth it. The entire experience had been a drag.

  Rafe.

  Yes, Rafe made her want to put away her books. He made her want to star in her favorite romance movie with him as the male lead. He made her want to rip off her clothes and cry out for him to take her. He frightened her, because he made her want to change everything about herself.

  He was dangerous.

  She needed to remember that and just stay away from the man.

  “Did I lose you, darling?”

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I haven’t gotten enough sleep this week, so I’m a little on the spacey side. Tell me honestly how you’re feeling today. ”

  “I’m feeling wonderful. I was going to call you this evening. Dr. Shepp’s last scans showed that most of the cancer was removed. He thinks he’ll be able to get the rest through chemo. I just can’t begin that treatment until this infection goes away. I may have to go in for another surgery, but you can wipe off that frown because it won’t be as bad as the last one. ”

  “I thought the money we got only covered the first surgery. Did we get more money?”

  “I don’t know. He said not to worry about any of the red tape, that it was all taken care of. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. I know I filled out a heck of a lot of papers. There are several organizations that step in to help in cases like mine. My best guess is that one of them said yes. ”

  “That’s wonderful, Mom. I’ll call my boss and take Monday off work. I’m staying here with you all weekend to make sure everything goes right. ”

  “You most certainly will not, child. You will go insane sitting in this room all day and night. I’m going a bit insane myself. ”

  “You’re too weak to stop me, so it looks like it’s just you and me and a full box of Yahtzee. I’m going to run home and grab a few things, and I’ll be back in an hour. It will be just like old-times, when we had all-nighters. I would get so mad at you for making me leave my books in my bedroom, but now, those are my favorite memories. ”

  “How can I fight you when you’re making me all sentimental? Fine. You can stay with this old lady if you like, but be warned, I’m not against a little cheating to win each game. ”

  “Even cheating, I’ll kick your bootie. I love you, Mom. I’m so glad you’re feeling better. I also think you’re right – I have a feeling that everything is going to work out. ”

  Ari leaned down and hugged her mother. Terror was seizing her heart that this could be the last weekend she ever spent with the most important person in the world to her, but with a hard swallow, she pushed the fright down.

  She hated that she’d been sick so long. What if something did go wrong and these days were the last she had with her? She’d never forgive herself, even if she couldn’t help getting sick. It would still haunt her forever.

  She wouldn’t allow fear to ruin her time with the woman who’d given her life – who’d always been there for her – who was her best friend. She couldn’t change the past, all she could do was make sure their present was as perfect as possible.

  She quickly ran to her apartment and gathered a couple changes of clothes, then stopped in at a local store and picked up a few games. Of course, she snuck in a couple books, just in case her mother got too tired and fell asleep for a while. She wasn’t leaving her side all weekend.

  If it truly was their last few nights together, she needed to pile on the memories. Losing her mom would be worse than anything she could imagine. The world would simply stop spinning. There just wouldn’t be a reason to go on for her. She’d smile and lie to her mom, telling her it would all be okay, but Ari knew if her mom died, it wouldn’t be okay. Nothing would ever be okay again.

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  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “If you see a bright light at the end of a long dark tunnel then you run like heck in the other direction. Do you understand?”

  “Surgery will be fine, Ari. You need to quit worrying about me, okay? I’m your mother and it’s my job to worry about you, not the other way around. You just take care of yourself. The doctor said surgery will last for several hours. I’d tell you to go outside and enjoy some of this beautiful sunshine streaming through the windows but I know what a worry wart you are and I realize you won’t leave this hospital. Instead, I need you to do your best to stay calm, and know I’ll be as good as new in just a few hours. ”

  “I love you so much, Mom. Don’t you dare leave me. I mean it. ”

  “I promise you I won’t. ”

  “Ms. Harlow, it’s time to go now. ”

  Ari’s jaw tensed in frustration. Knowing the woman was only doing her job didn’t help because Ari had a horrible feeling in her gut and she didn’t want to let her mother out of her sight. All she wanted to do was keep holding her hand. If there was a way for her to go into the surgical room with her, she would. She wasn’t ready for this, not that any amount of time would prepare her for her mother’s possible death.

  “Quit trying to intimidate these nice medical people, Ari. You are far too petite to scare anyone. ” Ari hadn’t even realized she’d growled at the nurse when the woman had stepped up to the bed.

  “You raised me, Mom. I’m tougher than I look,” Ari joked as she bent down and kissed her mother’s cheek with tenderness.

  They took her mom from the room and Ari slowly sank down into her chair, finally allowing the tears that had built up all weekend to fall. Her mother was tough and Ari knew she’d make it through this just fine. She was being paranoid for no good reason.

  After about an hour of sitting alone in the room panicking, Ari decided she had to get up and walk around. Driving herself crazy wasn’t helping and sitting there all by herself was only fueling her paranoia. She wandered from the room and found herself in the spot she’d run into Rafe so many months ago.

  It seemed like a different time. She’d grown so much in the last several months – dropping out of college, losing her family home, finally finding work and, of course – meeting Rafe. She almost wished she’d taken up his offer just so she could lean on his shoulder in this moment.

  She snapped herself from those kind of thoughts immediately. Even if she had taken his offer, it wasn’t like he’d be there for her. The whole point of his kinky arrangement was to have his women at his beck and call. He wouldn’t be her boyfriend and he certainly wasn’t the type of guy to hold her hand while she worried about her mother.

  Moving down the hall and finding pictures lining the beautiful tan walls pulled her thoughts in a different direction. She admired the work of the photographer, seeing beautiful images of historical homes, blooming flowers and important members of the community in different outfits, most of them volunteering at various functions.

  When she got to the end, she found a picture of Rafe wearing a hardhat with a hammer in his hand and a big smile on his face. She was stunned at how human he looked without his custom suit on.

  She read the words beneath; Many thanks go out to Raffaello Palazzo who donated the money for this wing to be built. He’s a dedicated member of the community and can always be counted on to lend a helping hand.

  Ari rolled her eyes at the words. She was sure the picture had been nothing more than a publicity stunt. He most likely had dressed in a pair of jeans, had the paper come out and take his picture, then ran as fast as he could to his air conditioned limo.

  “I’ve never been very fond of that picture. I always photograph so much better on my left side. My assistant insists that it’s her favorite image, though, and I’ve learned over the years that it’s a losing battle to argue with her. ”

  Ari jumped at the sound of Rafe’s voice. By the teasing quality of his tone she knew he was once ag
ain trying to rile her – she refused to bite.

  “Hello, Mr. Palazzo. It seems to be an unfortunate occurrence that I continue running into you here. Hopefully this time I don’t end up needing an x-ray,” Ari said as she turned to see his eyes narrow.

  “Ari, Ari, Ari. Did you not listen the last time we spoke? I warned you that you’d be punished the next time you called me by my last name. ”

  “As we’re in a public building, I don’t see that there’s anything you can do to me,” she smarted off, secure in the knowledge that not only were they surrounded by patients and visitors, but there were also armed staff throughout the building.

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  “I see that you think you’re safe, but never underestimate me, Ari. Once I decide on a course of action, nothing… and no one… can stop me,” he threatened as his hands came up on either side of her head and he boxed her against the wall.

  “Normally, I’d love to prove to you how wrong you are, but today’s not the best day. I need to get back soon. ”

  His eyes assessed her face, and though she tried to keep a neutral expression plastered on, she knew he could see right through her. She had dark circles, edged by red from the tears earlier shed, along with another five pounds of weight loss. She looked terrible, and she knew it.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “None of your business. ”

  “I thought you said you didn’t want to play games. If you don’t, then just answer my question,” he said firmly.

  “Fine. It’s not like you can’t figure it out. With most people, you barely open your mouth and they’re spilling everything to you. My mom’s in surgery. It’s just been a little stressful. She had complications from her last surgery and they had to go back in. She should’ve been out of her weeks ago, but her body is fighting her every step of the way. I know she’ll be fine but I can’t stop worrying.

  “I wasn’t sure if you’d tell me or not. Thank you for sharing. I’m going to help you take your mind off the surgery while we wait for information from her doctor. ”

  Rafe moved his hands from the wall and gripped her arm, sliding it through his. He started tugging on her, causing her to nearly trip as she tried to make a stand. Since she could either plummet to the floor or go along with him, she finally started to move. It was the lesser of two evils since she didn’t want to cause a scene and have people staring.