Because Of Love

She watched him from where she stood, leaning against the sink as he quietly ate his sandwich. Rafe, the Rafael DeLuca II, award winning, well known and respected billionaire business mogul had run away from home and the pressures there. It wasn’t work, she was sure of it. Why else would he come here and terrorize his employees? He could do that just fine back in Italy. There was something at home that had made him say ‘enough, get out now before you suffocate’ and now here he was, half naked, eating a bacon sandwich in her tiny apartment. He ran away and he was still running. Was this a stop or a temporary respite as she just happened to be the one who could help him solve not one but two problems: insomnia and erectile dysfunction?

Don’t think about that! She stepped back and did a quick turn on her right foot, her right hand reaching for the fridge door, pulling it open with her momentum. She stuck her head into it and let the cold freezer air hit her in the face. Just the sight of him got her worked up. She needed him out of her home. Now. She stepped back and softly shut the fridge door, lest she drew his attention. This was ridiculous, why wouldn’t he just put on his damn clothes! She closed her eyes and did some deep breathing until she found her usual calm composure. Not daring to turn back around as her courage meter filled up, she decided it was too damn quiet with just the sound of Rafe’s teeth crunching on the lettuce. Music, that’s what she needed. It was always the answer. She grabbed her phone from the table top of the kitchen counter and searched for the music app, her fingers hurriedly swiping over the screen. Without checking which song was playing next, she approved the Bluetooth connection to her portable speaker that was so loud the song would blast throughout the apartment. Then it’s goodbye, awkward silence!

I like my kisses down low-

Talia squealed in horror when Kelly Rowland’s song ‘Kisses Down Low’ boomed, and sadly from the chorus! Butterfingered, she struggled to turn it off, settling for reducing the volume to zero. Rafe chuckled, low and long, his shoulders bouncing from amusement. Talia squeezed her eyes shut mortified, dropping her chin to her chest.

“Arrgh! So not the time…” she whispered with a whine.

“I know what you are trying to do,” he announced in a low controlled voice.

Talia’s head shot up then. He still had his back to her and she was relieved. Even more so that the eviction may just not be as difficult as she thought.

“Okay then.” She wanted to wince at how annoyingly perky her voice sounded. “When are you leaving?”

She heard another crunch and her right foot began to bounce. Why did he have to choose that moment to take a bite? Exactly when was he going to finish it? She was sure she hadn’t made him a thirty inch sandwich for crying out loud!

“After my shower,” he finally answered, taking another bite of the sandwich.

“Great!” she winced again. That sounded way too eager. “I’ll just grab a towel for you,” she said as she escaped the room, quickly rushing to the bedroom.

She grabbed a fresh towel from the wardrobe and laid it on the bed. Talia froze and stared at the ruffled bedding, a slow burn rising up the back of her neck. She needed to get rid of – to clean, to clean those. She reached for the duvet and began undoing the buttons but then stopped. Would it be better if she waited for him to leave before she stripped the bed? She didn’t want him to feel like she was kicking him out. But… wasn’t that what she was doing? She held the duvet up higher and buried her face in it and screamed. What exactly was she supposed to do in this situation? From what she knew, one night stands left before the sun peeked over the horizon. They didn’t stay till midday, walking around naked in their one night stand’s apartment. That is, unless they wanted more. Which he definitely did and she wasn’t going to cave in.

She lifted her head from the duvet dropping it on to the bed as she stared straight at the floral curtains covering her window. Her life used to be so simple, then Rafael DeLuca came into the picture and suddenly she couldn’t find her sanity under all the lust. From the corner of her eye, something moved and Talia dropped her head back and to the side to check. Her body jerked with a gasp in surprise. DeLuca was leaning against the door jam, powerful arms crossed over his chest. Despite the fact that she knew he was in the apartment with her, she just wasn’t used to not being alone and he already had her on edge.Exclusive content © by Nô(v)el/Dr/ama.Org.

“Make a sound for crying out loud!”

He smirked, pushed off the door jam, took two steps towards her and held out his hand.

Wide eyed, she stared at the hand then at his face. He seriously didn’t mean-

“Towel.”

She felt her body go lax and the tension dropped to the pit of her stomach. “Right.” She reached for it where she’d dropped it on the bed then placed it in his open palm.

The moment his fingers held onto it, she let go but he didn’t move. He just stared at her, his eyes lit mischievously. She leaned away from him. What was he up to?

“Are you okay?” he asked warmly, but the way his lips were lifted at one side, made her suspicious.

“I’m fine,” she answered in what she hoped was an even tone.

“You didn’t seem so a moment ago.” His eyes darkened and he took a small step towards her. The tension made its way back up, out of her stomach and into her limbs. “You can be honest with me, you know?” he added with the sincerity of the devil himself.

Talia pressed her lips together with a snort. He really thought he could pull one over her with those shiny eyes, and those plump lips and… and those big broad shoulders… Bloody hell! She cursed quickly, turning away before she walked herself into his trap. She quickly went back to fussing with the duvet, turning away from him.

“The right knob is for hot water. The left for cold. I strongly recommend using the left.”