Rafael (The Santiago Brothers Book One) (18 page)

Genie smiled at his scheming. “I’m fine
really, and I want to sleep in my own bed tonight.” She pushed his
hands away, but he planted them firmly on the bed on either side of
her. Genie sucked in air when his face stopped inches from her. She
stilled and nothing drew her notice but his face, his nearness.

“Eugenia, for once, just slow down. You don’t
have to do everything alone. Let me help you.” His voice was soft
but demanding. His eyes spoke of concern for her, and she marveled.
Could she let someone else help? Let someone else in? The
bitterness of her broken heart still had a stranglehold on her
life. And she was choking. All her energy went into proving her own
worth, her own merit. The man before her didn’t doubt her
abilities, didn’t ask her to sacrifice everything; he just wanted
to help. To be her partner. She could count on him.

As the heat of their bodies joined, she
inhaled his sweet, minty breath. Then, as if willed by something
beyond her control, her eyes drifted to his lips. What could she
do? Full, pleasantly curved, they were there — staring at her like
forbidden fruit… just ripe. She knew if she could just have one
taste, it would change her life forever, and satisfy a childhood
daydream. It’d been too long since she had been kissed. A kiss from
a man of integrity, of worth. Genie relinquished her control to the
magnetic pull and went willingly.

Her eyes closed.

RAFA
felt the
current pass between them when he suggested Genie slow down. Mere
breaths apart, his thoughts shifted from her safety to her response
to him. Her eyes grew hazy, as if she hadn’t heard a word he said.
Then the impossible happened. Her gaze drifted ever so boldly to
his lips.

His heart rammed in his chest, making it
impossible to breathe. Her lips parted and she swayed toward him.
Rafa’s body turned to stone. He knew what would come next, and he
couldn’t stop it if he wanted to. He never allowed the thought of
Genie desiring him to take root.

But now with her eyes closed and lips pursed,
the shock he felt when her mouth touched his caused his eyes to
widen. The will and effort to remain impassive to her kiss never
materialized, and he pulled her from the bed and into his embrace.
The taste of her supple lips, the heat from her body ignited a
white-hot flame within him. A soft moan from her invited a deeper,
more intense exploration of her mouth. Her arms wrapped around his
shoulders and locked behind his neck. Rafa had no sense of how long
they stayed wrapped in each other's arms, but when their lips
parted, their breaths in gasps, she didn’t pull away.

“Totally kissable,” she breathed and leaned
in.

Laughing, Rafa angled back. “What did you
say?”

“Hmm?” Her eyes closed as she searched for
his mouth.

“You said I was totally kissable.” He ended
her search with another kiss.

Her eyes flew open. She snapped her head
back. “I did not!”

He smiled at the indignant flare of her
nostrils. Color crept slowly into her cheeks. “Well, aren’t I?” He
pulled her deeper into his embrace. She huffed and shoved him away.
He laughed louder. When she tried to sidestep him, he pulled her to
his side. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to behave. Here, let me help you.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and they walked into the
hallway.

“Rafael, you… you don’t have to help me
home.”

The sudden nervousness in her voice surprised
him. She kept her eyes averted as they walked down the hall, but
continued to cling to his arm, which he kept wrapped firmly around
her waist. “And let you drive in your condition?”

Genie groaned. “I don’t have a condition!
Just a little dizzy is all…”

“You’re injured. I should have held back for
your sake.” He couldn’t help the jest any more than she could the
punch he received. Rafa chuckled. “I’ll drive and I’ll pick you up
tomorrow morning for work.”

“Okay.”

“Wait, what? Did you just agree with me?”

“Don’t let it go to your head. Right now mine
is pounding so I’m not responsible for what I say… or do.” She gave
him a narrowed glance.

Rafa smiled, knowing her mind was still on
their kiss.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled in front of
her house and Rafa turned off the car. Neither of them made any
movement to exit the vehicle. Sunup was in a few hours and although
he should help her into the house to rest, he didn’t want to leave
her. For the first time in years, he allowed himself a moment of
indulgence, but kissing Genie was more than an indulgence. Her kiss
wiped clean the memories of everyone before her. He closed his
eyes, allowing his mind to drift back to the moment before their
lips first touched and the look of desire in her eyes for him. Him!
He heard her shift beside him.

“Rafael, I… I feel I owe you an apology.”

Her eyes leveled with his and he saw
trepidation in their depths. She was going to apologize for the
kiss. Did she think he didn’t want it? Is that what spurred the
need to ask for forgiveness? If she was asking him to convince her
of his mutual desire…

He leaned across the center console and took
the back of her neck in his hand, urging her forward. She pulled
back.

“I can’t.”

Her refusal flattened him. His mind worked to
form a question, but one didn’t come.

“I’m sorry, this is my fault.” She removed
his hand from her neck and edged back toward the door.

“Genie—”

“I agreed to tell you who hurt me.”

Numb from his own growing pain at her
rejection, he nodded at the chance for an explanation. “Let’s get
you inside, and we can talk,” he whispered.

After he walked the property and secured the
windows, he entered the kitchen, where Genie was pouring him a cup
of liquid from a teapot. Genie placed a tea bag into the cup. “I
hope that’s decaf,” he said lightly.

She smiled. “Of course, but I’m sure even a
little caffeine won’t keep me from sleep as soon as my head hits
the pillows. Do you want sugar?”

“No, thanks.” She handed him the steaming cup
and, after pouring herself one, motioned for him to take a seat at
the small, round table in her breakfast nook. “You sure you don’t
want to sit on the couch? It’s probably more comfortable.”

Taking her seat at the table, she shook her
head. “I’m fine here.”

“Thank you for the tea,” he said.

“You’re welcome.”

They both took a sip of their drinks, keeping
their eyes locked. Then they snickered and heat scorched Rafa’s
cheeks. Genie sported a little pink as well. “This might be the
longest time we’ve been in each other’s presence without, you know,
arguing.” He smiled at her over the rim of his cup.

“I don’t know how I feel about making
civility a habit.”

His eyes
narrowed. “So you
do
enjoy arguing
with me?”

Genie
snorted. “I don’t
enjoy
it. It’s
just necessary.”

“Like now?” He grinned at her, and the color
in her cheeks deepened.

Her smile faded. She cleared her throat and
fingered her hair, a nervous habit. He sat quietly, allowing her to
confide in him in her own way, and her own time. She exhaled
heavily. “I guess I have some explaining to do.”

“Take your time.”

“No, it’s late. And I prefer to be direct.”
She shot him a half smile, but her eyes held only sadness. Rafa’s
heart constricted. She had already been physically injured tonight.
He didn’t want to reopen old emotional wounds with far worse
pain.

He reached for her hand, clasping it in his
own. “Look, if you want to do this in the morning or some other
time—”

“No,” came her resolute tone. “You deserve
the truth. You’ve been honest with me and I promised, so here it
goes.” She expelled a quick breath. “In college, I was seeing a
man, Jeff is his name. He and I were going to be engaged.” Her gaze
dropped to the cup in her other hand. Her lower lip trembled and,
suddenly, Rafa wished he’d never asked. But to stop her now would
embarrass her, so he remained silent.

She lifted her head, her eyes brimming with
tears. “Rafa, I was in love. I mean, I thought he was ‘the One.’”
She sniffed as a lone tear streaked down her cheek. “I found out
that he was seeing another woman, at the same time he was courting
me.”

Rafa’s heart sunk. He was all too familiar
with Jeff’s behavior, having disrespected women in that manner
before. Only after he became a Christian did he value women,
appreciating more than just their physical attributes. He kept his
hands to himself and fostered friendships out of mutual
respect.

“He fathered a child with her. He even asked
for my advice for a ‘friend’ who was considering returning to his
first love, the mother of his child.” She sniffed loudly, wiping
her cheek with her hand. “And like an idiot, I said that his
‘friend’ should try to work it out with the woman he loved. In a
week, Jeff dumped me.”

“Eugenia—”

Her eyes hardened, the moisture drying. “So,
from that moment forward, I focused on my job and being the best
man a woman could be. I’ve also sworn off relationships with men.”
She glanced away, her expression falling, her eyelids rapidly
blinking. “I’ve also been so mad at God, I’ve let my relationship
with Him suffer. I just couldn’t understand why… why He’d allow me
to be so betrayed.”

Rafa took hold of her other hand, drawing her
gaze back to his face. “Genie, I’m so sorry.” His breath hitched
and he bowed his head to compose himself. When he was ready, he met
her gaze again. “I’ve been Jeff. There’s no excuse for it. But for
the past few years, I haven’t allowed myself to pursue any woman
because of the mistakes I’ve committed in the past.” Her eyes grew
large, filled with hope. Was it for an answer to her dilemma? Maybe
how to forgive others? What could he say when he had such a hard
time accepting forgiveness? “I couldn’t understand, at first, why
my mother forgave me… how God could forgive me.”

“And what did you discover?” She whispered
the question.

“She loves me. God loves me and they both
forgive.”

She pulled her hands away.

“Don’t hold on to it. Let it go,” he urged.
She nodded but, whether she would, he didn’t know.

His mother had made the same plea to him, and
only now did he begin to release that burden. He didn’t want to be
shackled to the past. He’d made mistakes, but now he was ready to
embrace a brighter future. Would Genie be a part of that future?
He’d never go back to the life he used to lead, and Genie couldn’t
undo the hurt Jeff had caused.

Rafa stood and gently pulled her from her
seat. He wrapped his arms around her and she rested her cheek
against his chest. He held her close, breathing in the soft floral
scent of her hair, relishing in her nearness.

“Thank you for listening,” she murmured into
his chest.

“Thank you for trusting me.”

She
laughed, and then clutched her chest, her face twisting with
obvious pain. She waved him off when he reached to help her, and
after a few seconds, a weak smile returned to her face. “After all
these years, I can’t believe I’m confiding in
you
.”

He chuckled. “Who would’ve thought? The bad
boy and the Bible girl. We make a great team.”

She whacked him on the arm.

Rafa chuckled as he headed towards the front
door. Genie followed. He opened the door and turned back once more,
no laughter in his eyes. “Lock up.”

“Goodnight, Detective.” Genie rolled her
eyes, but her lips curved upward.

****

Physically exhausted from her bruised ribs,
and emotionally spent from her confession to Rafa, Genie plodded to
her bedroom with one goal: to be asleep within five minutes. She
yelped from the pain of removing her blouse. The thought of a
shower too difficult, Genie kicked off her shoes and pulled back
the comforter. She climbed into bed, pulled the covers up to her
chin, and sighed, her tense muscles relaxing.

Ten
minutes later, she lay wide awake. Her thoughts drifted to her kiss
with Rafa at the hospital. Genie groaned.
She
kissed
him
!
How many other women had kissed him first? She blamed him; he was
pretty irresistible and frankly, she couldn’t resist. She wanted to
know what it felt like.

Yet, that was only partly true.

Rafa had
worn her resolve down. She tried to convince herself she wasn’t
attracted to him; she couldn’t trust him because of who he used to
be. Yet she couldn’t help but notice him, his kindness, his
dedication to the job and his mother, his faith. It occurred to
Genie that Rafa was a sweet man. An efficient officer and capable
of securing her own residence, she reveled in his care of her.
Genie placed a shaky hand over her pounding heart.
Am I falling for
him?

Her cell phone rang and caused her to lurch.
Genie cried out in pain. She saw her friend’s name on the caller
ID. “Audrey!”

“Hey, I know it’s really late, but I got your
text. Did you make it home safely from the hospital?”

“Yes, Rafael drove me home.” Her trembling
hand moved to her lips. “Audrey, we kissed.”

Silence greeted her on the other end.

“Audrey?”

Her friend laughed. “I was just picking my
jaw up off the floor. What happened?”

“We were in the hospital and when I tried to
walk out, he stopped me. Audrey, he was so close to me, and I
couldn’t help myself.”

“
Wait a
minute. Are you telling me that
you kissed him
?”

“Yes,” Genie laughed. “Audrey, I can barely
believe it myself.”