“How are you?” It was Raf that asked the question, his eyes holding hers with that same intensity she’d felt the day before. Reminding herself that he meant nothing to her and that he’d spent the day with another woman, she stiffened her spine and assumed a look haughty cool. “Fine. I’m just going to Yaya.”
“She’s with Alessia and Max,” Nico offered, gesturing towards the terrace. “You’re welcome to join us for a drink, if you’d like.”
Lauren ground her teeth together, feeling nothing but resentment for how open and accepting this family was. Couldn’t they see she just wanted to be left alone?
“No, thank you,” she said with a firm insistence. “Good night.”
How many times had he watched her walk away? Raf did so again now, a muscle jerking in his jaw as he fought every impulse to storm through the corridor and drag her into his arms, kissing her until she was senseless with longing and crying out his name, just as she had that night. Had it really happened? The moon had been full, the light like something from a fairy tale. Perhaps he’d simply conjured her up out of his fantasies? But no, it hadn’t all been a fantasy. His stupidity in forgetting to use protection, her swift rejection of him – a completely unfamiliar experience.
He knew that if he followed her now and kissed her, pinned her to the wall with his body, she’d react to him. Her cool veneer was well-practiced but he’d seen beneath it now. He knew the passions that stirred the depths of her soul and he had the scratch marks down his back to prove it.
“So you’re seriously going to move back here?”
Raf returned his attention to Nico with difficulty. “For a while, yes. Perhaps a month. I mean, why not?”
Nico frowned. “Because it’s a long way from your usual pace. It’s not exactly a buzzing nightlife at Villa Fortune.”
“I don’t care about that right now,” he said, quietly. “I hate to think of Yaya being here alone in between our visits. I hate to think of her being surrounded by paid medical professionals who prioritise her physical recovery above her need for the things that make her happy. Besides, I can fly back to my place in twenty minutes.”
“True,” Nico nodded as he began to move towards the terrace. Raf threw a last glance over his shoulder; Lauren was gone. He told himself he didn’t care.
“What did you just say?” Lauren’s breath hitched in her throat. She was sure she’d misunderstood Ellen, the Swedish nurse.
“The grandson is staying. What’s his name?” She turned to the other nurse in attendance – Debbie. “The hot, ridiculously charming one.”
Lauren’s stomach did a flip flop.
“Rafaello,” she supplied, her eyes fixed on Yaya’s chart.
“Yes, Raf,” Debbie grinned. “So that’ll be nice.”
Lauren shifted her gaze to the nurse’s face in silent enquiry.
“For Paula,” Debbie clarified, but her expression showed that she saw other silver linings to Rafaello staying.
“Did he say for how long?” She kept her voice neutral with considerable effort.
“No, but I hope it’s a long time. At least as long as I’m here to perve on him,” Debbie winked and the other nurse giggled.
Lauren offered a tight smile before leaving the room, but her heart kept racing, her pulse gushing noisily.
Rafaello was staying? Here, at Villa Fortune? She’d been banking her entire sanity on the fact she only had a little longer to get through. Knowing he was here was stirring her body to a fever pitch, where all she wanted to do was go to him and beg him to make love to her again.
She’d been hoping that once he left that temptation would abate. She’d even been hoping she might forget about him altogether. But the possibility of that when he was right here under the same roof as her seemed incredibly unlikely.
“Jesus,” she swore, a curse her mother would have scolded her for. Lauren made a living from facing grim realities and this was no different. She had to face this head on.
If this was true – and perhaps there was a faint hope the nurses had somehow misunderstood – then she needed to define clear parameters. She didn’t want him thinking there’d be any repeat performances of what had happened the other night. Her stomach was in knots, her expression furrowed.
She needed to speak to him.
The problem was, she didn’t even know which of the bedrooms was his. The villa was enormous, with many rooms, each with their own bathrooms and several boasting either balconies or private terraces. She considered taking pot luck but how could she explain if she ended up knocking on Alessia’s door?
With a suppressed sigh, she moved into the kitchen, flicking the kettle to make a tea. A movement near the pool caught her attention. She turned her gaze that way, and saw Nico, Gabe and Fiero locked in earnest conversation, the morning sun beating down on them, bathing them in gold.
She studied the men impassively, her eyes taking in the details of each with interest. They were all handsome, but Gabe was particularly interesting with his tattoos and perma-scowl. She wondered about that – what had happened in his life to make him so determinedly dark all the time? Despite the fact Lauren kept a professional bearing, she couldn’t help but feel an affinity with Gabe and his demeanour. He acted how she often felt. He was prickly and salty and preferred his own company. She’d often noticed him hanging back in the family situation, preferring to sit quietly – broodingly – observing rather than joining in the family fun.
The conversation looked serious. Lauren felt like a busy body standing there watching