* * *
The ocean breeze was heaven on my burned skin, blowing through the daybed by the pool like a cool gift sent from the spirits. I drifted in and out of consciousness while I read with Rafael at my side doing some work on his phone.
He'd determined a quiet day was in order while I recovered from the exertion of the day before, making me feel pathetic. I'd given in when I fell back asleep in bed after he made love to me after breakfast, and hadn't woken up until noon. My jobs back home didn't require so much walking and weren't nearly as exciting.
I had a feeling the new and regular orgasms weren't doing much to dissuade me from sleeping either.
I opened my eyes, looking up to find Rafe staring down at me. His face was relaxed as he studied mine. "How long have you been watching me?" I asked with a hoarse giggle. He grabbed the water bottle off the edge of the bed, tipping it so that water poured into my mouth slowly.
"A while," he said vaguely. "I like watching you."
"That is either very sweet or slightly creepy. I can't decide which." He ducked down and nipped my bottom lip. Kissing me, he groaned into my lips as he shifted his weight to hover over me as his lips moved against mine with a smile.
"It's probably a bit of both," he admitted, his chuckle a deep rumble as his chest shook against mine. The ring of his cell phone on the day bed broke the moment, shattering the intimacy between us as I held my breath. He glanced at the phone, sighing in frustration before he picked it up and looked at me while he answered."Espera un minuto,"he barked into the phone, turning his eyes to me as he stood. "I have to take this, Princesa," he said, leaning down to kiss me firmly one last time before he walked to the edge of the pool where the steps led to the beach below. He leaned on the railing, watching me until his face hardened at whatever the person on the other end of the call said and he turned his cold gaze toward the ocean.
Grabbing my own phone off the bed, I pulled up Chloe's number and called her, needing advice on how to handle a man who kept secrets so efficiently that I couldn't even guess what they were. "Yo ho," she sang on the other end, the sounds of the city echoing in the background as I heard Hugo's voice yelling at someone playfully.
"Do you think he's married?" I asked, not even bothering to say hello. Without a clue for how long his phone call would take, I watched him pace back and forth on the walkway, barking orders at the person he spoke with.
There was a pause, and I wondered briefly if Chloe knew something I didn't. "What would make you think that?" she asked finally. "I didn't see a ring or a tan line the other night."
"No, there's no tan line," I agreed. I'd checked multiple times during our time together, wondering why I couldn't get rid of the nagging sense that something was justwrong."He always takes his phone calls in private. Isn't that strange? It's not like I speak much Spanish so I couldn't understand what he said if he sat right next to me. The walking away just seems...excessive," I said.
"Let it go," she said. "Even if he were married, that's not on you. If you knew he was married and slept with him anyway? Sure, then you'd be partially at fault, but if he's going around and seducing women without disclosing that, then the blame falls on him entirely," she said. I started to interject when she cut me off to finish. "But, I don't think he's married. Married men who want to cheat don't pick one woman to spend their week with, they sleep with as many as they can in the limited time frame they have. At least, that's what I would think they do."
"So why the distance for phone calls?" I asked, picking at the fraying edges of the nail polish on my fingers. I shouldn't have done it since I hadn't brought any, and to be with Rafael I'd need tonot have chipped nails.
"Maybe he just takes his business seriously. Men don't get to be as rich as he is without being professional. It's probably just a habit. You said he's in sales and investments, right? That sounds like it could be confidential."
"I hope you're right," I agreed. I'd never forgive him for deceiving me if he had someone waiting for him, but I'd also never forgive myself. I hadn't outright asked, and now I was terrified to.
How did I ask a question when I didn't want the answer?