Dangerous Conceit by Ali Lee

Chapter 8

On the drive to Rafa's house, Lexi sat in the passenger seat and stayed quiet; thoughts were racing through her mind. She thought about the warning Royce gave the day before. She thought about the note that threatened Maura earlier. Now, she had this short dress to deal with, throwing her out of her comfort zone. Rafa must have noticed that she did not make eye contact with him once.

“Is something the matter, Lexi?”

“No!” she blurted out, startled by his voice in the silence. “No, nothing is the matter.” She smiled, albeit fake, and slightly tugged the black dress down.

“Nothing? You seem jittery for nothing being the matter. Are you still nervous around me?” Rafa asked.

As she thought back to Kayla’s words, she glanced at Rafa’s slick pants and the belt buckle holding them secure, blushing that she looked in the first place. If he only knew what her friends had planned for their date.

“There's no reason to be anxious. You’re not in danger…not much anyway. Others might say you were.” Lexi looked at him, unsure about the humored look in his eyes. He could be setting her up for all she knew. “Maybe a drink will relax you when we get to my place.”

“Maybe several,” she mumbled.

“That can be arranged.” He smiled, causing her cheeks to redden. If nothing, she could at least look forward to his imported liquors before the kill.

When they arrived at his house, Lexi looked up with wonder at the two-story mansion. She could not help but think this man lived without want or need for anything. The lawns were trimmed neatly around the white brick home with gorgeous pathways twisting around plant life of all forms. From lush red roses to tropical palms, he spared no expense. It was unusual for a man of his status to bring someone like her to his house. Even if they had met before, this was not normal.

Rafa smiled and held out his hand. “If you like this view, you’ll love the back yard.”

Inside was more breathtaking than she could have imagined—high vaulted ceilings, marbled floors, dark leather sofas and a dining room set that probably cost thousands. There was no end to his tastes in the finer luxuries.

He did not talk and let her observe, their eyes meeting a couple of times as she walked around one of the sofas. She was stricken with his house, her mouth opened slightly, unbelieving that someone lived in a place like this. When Rafa grabbed her hand again, her eyes remained on the intricate detail of the staircase. She did not take him for the type of person who would show off his house, so she wondered why he was showing it to her.

Outside the back door, a seven-foot fence protected the yard. There were more winding paths and exotic plant life that surrounded a swimming pool worthy of an entry fee. Stone fountains took the shape of angels in the four corners with earth-green lawn furniture and a full bar for guest entertainment around a brick fire pit.

Lexi took a seat to keep from gawking, instead staring at the pebble cement under her feet. She raised her head when ice clinked inside a glass—first in one and then another. Then a cork popped and Rafa poured something inside. She glanced back. A tall bar hid whatever contents Rafa poured. A quick smile passed his lips at her curious eyes, and he slid around the bar and handed her a glass.

“What is it?” she questioned while trying to guess the contents by the color.

“Oh,” he winked, “something that will make you feel better.”

She let out a breath, realizing he was teasing her. She told him the same thing about the Rob Roy the first night she had met him. Lexi did not care. She never took her eyes off him and drank the contents dry, making him chuckle.

“You might want to go easy on my liquor. It’s probably more potent than anything you’ve tried.”

“Why, thank you. Yes, I will have another.” She watched while he dumped his own down his throat.

“I'll bring you another if you can tell me the name of the drink.”

Lexi looked at the trees above. “Definitely bourbon, and something sweet, and lemony…but the red…?”

“Close enough if you can guess the ingredients.” He took both empty glasses to refill. “The red is wine, by the way. The drink is a New York Sour.” He handed her a filled glass that she sipped this time around.

“So,” Lexi started. “Do you live in this house alone?”

“Why? Did you expect me to have a wife?” Lexi dropped her hands to her lap, frustrated he would say such a thing. She never considered that he might be married. That was a completely different matter, and she wondered if he was trying to hint at something. “No, Alexis,” he said, reading her thoughts. “I’m not married. The only people who ever come here are the housekeepers and lawn service…well, and my boss.”

“Then why did you bring me?” she asked.

“Why else? Because I like you.” Lexi looked at the pebble cement under her feet again, assuming his answer was going to be something different from what he said, but her passing thought did not get past Rafa. “Why? Did you expect me to throw you down and have my way with you?” He chuckled at the rosy shade spreading over her cheeks. “If you keep looking so irresistible, Lexi, I might do exactly that.”

Without the sarcasm, Lexi was almost naive. She really was not used to male attention at all. Judging from the short dress she wore, someone else must have had a say. It was an obvious discomfort to Lexi. “I'll be right back.” Rafa walked inside the house and stepped back out after a couple of minutes. “Come here, darling.” He grabbed her hand and slipped her arms through the holes of one of his long shirts. “Do you feel better?”

Lexi smiled a genuine smile that lit up her eyes. “Thank you. How did you know?”

Rafa laughed, “Sweetheart, I've been around a lot of women who wouldn't hesitate to flaunt a body like yours. Trust me; I knew with the way you inhaled that first drink. Now, maybe we can have a normal conversation?” Lexi gave a slight laugh as Rafa gestured her to sit beside him on the hanging porch swing. Without reserve, he rested his arm around her shoulder and said what was on his mind. “Tell me about Royce Payton, Lexi.”

At the name, she stiffened but tried to squirm her way out of the question. “I don't know who he is.” Rafa removed his arm and turned her cheek to see how well the swelling subsided.

“Try again, Alexis.” He lifted her face. Rafa was an excellent judge at discerning the truth but could read Lexi with little effort at all. “Still not talking?” He wrapped his arm back around and noticed she was shaking. Rafa considered that Lexi had no idea of what he was capable of doing. She did not trust him…not enough—yet.

“You know, I can find out these things, Lexi. Wouldn't it be better if you told me first?”

She took a deep breath at his words and hesitated. “I will tell you. I just can't now.”

“Fair enough.” He pulled her closer and let the patio swing rock. Lexi admired the view of his back yard; Rafa admired Lexi.

“Rafa.” A thought seemed to occur to her, but she was probably trying to change the subject. “Why do you keep saying you can get any information? Are you part of the police force or something?”

“Something like that.” He kept swinging, showing no change in composure.

“So you aren't talking either, are you?”

“I'll talk when my boss wants to meet you. He's giving me a month to change my mind. After that, I guess he'll believe I'm serious. That’s the guess. Who the hell knows what he really thinks.”

“Your boss has a lot of say in what you do.” Lexi looked off to the side.

“Isn’t that the truth…way too much say. Our relationship is…complicated. It's a lot to grasp for a child.” Rafa always did enjoy aggravating her. He waited for her reaction with a small smile on his face.

Lexi let out an irritated breath and muttered with displeasure, “Trust me. I am no child. Short dresses might make me uneasy, but that’s because I'm around somebody I like.”

He did not expect that comeback. “So you would wear that around other men, and it wouldn't bother you?” Rafa asked surprised. Most women tried to seduce the man that attracted them.

“Exactly, if it were for a job, I could completely ignore what other men thought. I'm not there to impress anyone.”

“Oh…then you’re trying to impress me. Is that it?” Rafa grinned as Lexi held up a finger but could not manage a single word of defense. Lexi was intriguing him more now than when they used to talk years ago.

“W-ell, I guess if you put it…” She stopped mid-sentence and looked away, embarrassed with his gaze.

“Does that mean I can take this shirt off of you?” He slid his hands underneath the material hiding her body and let the shirt fall to the seat. “I’m definitely impressed with what I see.” Her blue eyes stared back at him as he drew her by the waist, pulling her breasts flush with his chest.

“Rafa,” she muttered his name, thrilling him with the sound of her voice as he tilted her head, letting his lips taste the delicate creases below her ear. The kisses made every nerve on his body ache. It had been too long since he felt this way. The numbing feeling of her closeness coerced his body to want more.

“It’s in the voice, Alexis. You know that we’ve met before.” His fingers crawled through her hair, causing her to gasp as he met her eyes. “I know this is too soon for you, but I’m not a patient man.”

Rafa touched her lips, separating them with his thumb, commanding them with his own as he pushed through their opening and thoroughly explored every crevice within. He had never experienced this sort of desire, the kind to which he had no control. Rafa may have been impatient but never out of control.

Lexi shivered as he gently pulled her hair, giving him better access to the arch underneath her neck and leaving small red blemishes below her chin.

“Rafa,” she breathed. Her heart beat faster when his fingers strayed lower, lifting the lining of her dress.

“Let me,” he whispered.

She could not help but enjoy his touch and reacted with deep, pleasured breaths as his cool fingers slid smoothly across her naval and then to her inner thighs. When her body started to warm, a humming sound interrupted from the pocket of his slacks. It was his phone. The number calling had an assigned ringtone, and he knew all too well that he could not ignore the call. Rafa closed his eyes as his chin rested against her shoulder. Then he pressed his lips to Lexi's ear and spoke, “I have to get that. It's my boss. I'm sorry.”

Lexi nodded, a little disoriented and attempted to settle her beating heart as she heard him answer the phone in a low, gruff voice. “Yeah,” he spoke, running his fingers through his hair while glancing at Lexi. “I'm busy. Get someone else… It’s ten o’clock. Can't this wait until morning?” His grip steadily tightened around the phone as he fumed at the sky. “You know, I think you do this to me on purpose…to piss me off. Why do I have to drop whatever I'm doing to appease your ass… Fine, I'm on my way.” Rafa hung up and looked at the woman in his arms.

“My boss has something urgent to discuss, and there’s no way I can ignore him. We will make up for this later, love.” He kissed her lightly and gave her a minute to compose herself. Then they were both out of the front door and back in his car.