I never could resist this woman.
And now I don’t have to.
I close my mouth over hers, gently sampling her. She tastes of the mint she had in the car, but more than that, she tastes of Annika. Like everything good in the world.
I lay my palm over her jaw, encompassing her neck and cheek, and take the kiss deeper, wanting to memorize every nuance. Each breath.
She sighs and leans into me, surrendering to me. Her breasts press against me, and I want to scoop her up and take her to bed—lose myself in her for several hours.
And I will.
Eventually.
“Rafe?”
“Yes, baby?”
“You kept asking me in those other condos if it felt right. If it was the place for me.”
“I did.”
“This is the one. Right here. This feels right.”
I let out the breath I didn’t know I’d been holding all day.
“I feel it, too.”
Her smile is slow and full of pure female satisfaction. “Good.”
Chapter 9
~Annika~
We didn’t have sex. I thought we would the first night I was in his place, but it didn’t happen. We ended up ordering in Chinese food and talked for hours, the way we used to when we were kids and falling in love.
That’s not to say that just because we didn’t do the deed, that he didn’t touch me. No, Rafe is the king of physical affection. There was plenty of hand-holding and hair-playing. He kissed me some and traced his fingers down my cheek and over my jawline.
It’s safe to say that he kept me in a constant state of pleasant arousal all day and into the evening.
And when we finally went to bed, we curled up together, fully clothed, and whispered into the night.
As much as I can’t wait to get naked with this man, I have to admit that our first night together was exactly what I needed.
I stretch and roll over in bed, expecting to find Rafe next to me, but the bed is empty. And when I reach out to touch where he lay, the bedsheets are cool.
He’s been up for a while.
I sit up, yawn, scratch my arm, and glance around. Rafe’s place is nice. It’s not fancy, and he certainly hasn’t done much to make it look like anything but a bachelor pad, but it’s super clean and updated. I can’t wait to get my hands on that kitchen.
I shuffle sleepily into the bathroom with the best tub I’ve ever seen and consider taking a bath, when it occurs to me that I smell…bacon.
Is he making us breakfast?
I hurry through the condo to the kitchen and stop short at the sight that greets me.
Rafe, shirtless with a white towel flung carelessly over his shoulder. His skin is smooth and tanned, and the muscles beneath bunch as he moves from the stove to the mixing bowl on the countertop.
He’s just so…hot. He’s big, at well over six feet, with broad shoulders. But his movements are graceful. Those clever hands crack an egg into a bowl, and he gives it a whisk.
He’s so competent in the kitchen, it’s as if he makes breakfast every morning of the week.
When we were together before, he hated to cook.
This new side to him is…intriguing.
“Are you going to hover, or are you going to come and get a cup of coffee?” he asks without turning around.
“I didn’t make any noise. How did you know I was here?”
“I always know where you are, Annika.” He turns to look at me over his shoulder, and the look he sends me makes my stomach quiver. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Oh, I’m hungry.” I cross to the island and sit in one of the stools, resting my chin in my hand as I watch while Rafe moves about with grace. I don’t mention that I’m equally hungry for him to boost me up onto this island and have his way with me, as I am to get my fingers on that bacon. “Wait, you made bacon with no shirt on? That’s awfully brave of you.”
“No.” He chuckles and then turns to pass me a cup of coffee, just the way I’ve always liked it. He remembers how I take my coffee? “I was wearing a shirt, but it got splattered, so I took it off.”
He flips the pancakes.
“How do you want your eggs?”
“I have to say, I’m impressed, Rafe. You used to hate to cook.”
“I can’t eat takeout all the time like I could when I had the metabolism of a teenager,” he replies. “And a man has to eat.”
“I suspect your metabolism is just fine.” I sip my coffee. “I’ll take mine scrambled.”
“Thank God. That’s the only way I know to make them.”
We laugh together as Rafe cracks more eggs into a clean bowl and begins whisking them with a fork.
“Did you know that if you add a little dill to the eggs, it adds a nice flavor?” I ask.
“Who’s doing the cooking here?” He opens the spice cabinet and hums as he picks up little bottles and then sets them down again. “Dill is on the shopping list.”
“We have a shopping list?”
“Of course. I didn’t know what you might like to snack on. I remember some of the things you used to eat, but tastes change.”
“Going to the store sounds good to me. I’d like to start cooking dinner in here tonight. Unless you have other plans.”
“My mother invited us over for dinner.” He sends me an apologetic glance. “But I can cancel if you’d like to take a couple of days to settle in first.”
“I adore your mother,” I reply honestly. “I can cook tomorrow. Ivie told me the other day that she and Shane are coming to Seattle for a couple of weeks. They arrive on Wednesday.”
“Shane mentioned it,” he replies as he sets my plate in front of me and then joins me with a loaded serving of his own. “It’s been nice this fall. Not as rainy as usual. If the weather holds, we might take the boat out on the Sound.”
“You have a boat?” I munch happily on a piece of bacon.
“A few, actually. My father always liked to sail. We spent a lot of time on the water growing up. It’s been a busy year, so we haven’t been out as often as we’d like. If the weather holds, we’ll go.”
“Fun.”
“Do you get seasick?”
“I never have.” I shrug a shoulder. “I should be fine.”
“Good.” He leans over and kisses my temple. “I’m looking forward to sailing with you.”
“So, let me get this straight. You’re a badass mobster who cooks breakfast and enjoys sailing?”
“I’m a man of depth.” He chuckles. “Mobsters have lives, too, you know.”
“Sure. Those lives just include killing people.”
“Sometimes.” His voice quiets as he wipes his mouth. “Sometimes, it does. But that doesn’t happen as often as you’d think. Certainly not as often as it has over the past year.”
“You really have had a busy year, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” He laughs, and I can’t help but join in. “It’s nice to know that things are calming down a bit. At least, for a little while. It gives me time to spend with you.”
“I have questions.”