53- Soft
Bobby remained mute, until Rafe scowled at him. “Tell her, Rinaldi. All of it. She deserves to know why you turned her life upside down.”
“Because I’m in love with you,” Bobby said in a voice that was little more than a whisper. “I have been since we met. But the only time you even looked at me was when we were pulling the business together. I wanted that back again.”
She tried to make sense of it, but she couldn’t. “You had to know I would blame you, not turn to you.”
“Like I said, I wasn’t thinking very clearly. I was sitting down in the Caymans waiting for you to come down and give me hell. It would have been better than the indifference I usually felt from you. I dated all those women, paraded them under your nose, and nothing. You didn’t care.”
“Oh, Bobby,” she whispered. She couldn’t make herself regret how this was turning out for her, but she was brokenhearted over the damage he had done not only to the business, but to the rest of his life. She looked at Rafe. “What happens now?”
“We have an appointment at the D.A.’s office. A lot depends on how much of the money he still has and pays back.”
“It’s all there,” Bobby assured her. “Every penny.”
“Then they should go easy on him,” Rafe promised. He glanced at the packing boxes and her luggage. “Running again, Cara?”
“No,” she said with certainty. “Not running away. Going home. When you get back I’ll explain.”
He nodded. “I’ll be counting on it.”
As he and Bobby went out the door, Bobby turned back. “I really am sorry. I never meant for you to be left holding the bag. I really didn’t.”
“I know,” she said quietly, and to her surprise, she really did believe that.
Rafe had had a nasty moment when he’d seen the state of Cara’s apartment. Even before she’d explained, he had known that she intended to go straight back to Wyoming. What he didn’t know was what that meant for the two of them. He had some ideas of his own, decisions he’d made over the past few weeks, but he wasn’t so sure they meshed with her plans.
When he returned to her apartment, he found her dressed in some sort of velvety robe that covered her from her shoulders to her feet. Oddly enough, it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen her wear.
Despite the chaos in the apartment, she had a fire blazing on the gas logs.
The lights were turned down low, and she’d opened a bottle of extremely expensive wine.
“Interesting,” he said as he looked around. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were out to seduce me.” A smile came and went. “Again.”
“What if I am?”
“I’d have to ask why.”
“Because I want you to know exactly what I’m feeling, exactly what I want,” she said at once.
“Sex?”
She grinned. “That, too.” “What else?”
“You,” she said evenly. “I want you to come back to Wyoming with me. I know it’s a lot to ask, that your law practice is here, but you were happy there, once you got used to it, anyway, and I think you love me and—”
“Yes,” he said, interrupting her. Her eyes widened. “What?”
He grinned. “If that was a proposal, the answer is yes.” “That easy?”
“You wanted me to be difficult?”
“Well, I did have all these very persuasive arguments I was hoping to use,” she said, moving into his arms.
He lowered his head to capture her mouth. Only after she had been thoroughly kissed, did he take a step back. “By all means,” he teased, “persuade me, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m an easy mark where you’re concerned. I have
been since the beginning.”
“Not since the beginning,” she argued.
“Definitely the beginning,” he insisted. “In fact, I’ve been considering a partnership of sorts with you for some time now.”
“My experience with partnerships hasn’t been all that great,” she reminded him. “I told Tony I’d come back and work with him. I’ve known him my whole life. He would never betray me.”
“Maybe not, but this thing with you and me would be a very personal partnership,” Rafe pointed out. “No comparison.”
“Can I trust you not to run out on me?” “Absolutely.”
“What are the terms? I want to know exactly what I’m getting into.” “Love, honor and cherish. Now and forever. The usual.”
It sounded like a pretty decent deal. “Just one more thing. I intend to work for Tony. Eventually I’ll take over. If the place is swamped, are you going to help cook?”
“Only if the chef rewards me later.” Cara held out her hand. “It’s a deal.”
But—typical lawyer—Rafe wasn’t satisfied until they’d sealed it with a lot more than a handshake.
“Sex?”
She grinned. “That, too.” “What else?”
“You,” she said evenly. “I want you to come back to Wyoming with me. I know it’s a lot to ask, that your law practice is here, but you were happy there, once you got used to it, anyway, and I think you love me and—”
“Yes,” he said, interrupting her. Her eyes widened. “What?”
He grinned. “If that was a proposal, the answer is yes.” “That easy?”
“You wanted me to be difficult?”
“Well, I did have all these very persuasive arguments I was hoping to use,” she said, moving into his arms.
He lowered his head to capture her mouth. Only after she had been thoroughly kissed, did he take a step back. “By all means,” he teased, “persuade me, but I’ve got to tell you, I’m an easy mark where you’re concerned. I have
been since the beginning.”
“Not since the beginning,” she argued.
“Definitely the beginning,” he insisted. “In fact, I’ve been considering a partnership of sorts with you for some time now.”
“My experience with partnerships hasn’t been all that great,” she reminded him. “I told Tony I’d come back and work with him. I’ve known him my whole life. He would never betray me.”
“Maybe not, but this thing with you and me would be a very personal partnership,” Rafe pointed out. “No comparison.”
“Can I trust you not to run out on me?” “Absolutely.”
“What are the terms? I want to know exactly what I’m getting into.” “Love, honor and cherish. Now and forever. The usual.”
It sounded like a pretty decent deal. “Just one more thing. I intend to work for Tony. Eventually I’ll take over. If the place is swamped, are you going to help cook?”
“Only if the chef rewards me later.” Cara held out her hand. “It’s a deal.”
But—typical lawyer—Rafe wasn’t satisfied until they’d sealed it with a lot more than a handshake.