“You are wasting your time, Rafe. I would have thought you’d have moved on by now. Have you had trouble hiring your next mistress?” Finally, Ari peered up at him, prepared to see irritation on his features.
When a smile formed on his lips instead, she was taken aback. What was this new game he was playing? She hadn’t read the textbook on this one. Was he still upset that someone had walked away from him, even after so much time had passed?
Not even Rafe could be that determined to win.
“I want no other woman but you, Ari — and I’ve given you enough space. I made mistakes, and now I’m here to prove I’m a new man.”
Ari’s mouth dropped open. Rafe Palazzo was admitting to being wrong about something. Had the world stopped turning? She had to be dreaming — this was just another of her fantasies, and she was going to wake up at any moment, alone in her small room. And then she would have to fight the pressure in her chest as she took deep breaths and once again banished him from her mind.
No. She hadn’t had an anxiety attack in a long time, and she wasn’t going to start with them again. She was a college instructor, something she’d dreamed about for a very long time. A man wasn’t going to unravel her — not even a man she had fallen hopelessly in love with.
“This is ridiculous, Rafe. We had our fling. It was great, but it’s over and done with. Nothing good can come from us even attempting to come together again,” she told him as she started to gather her possessions together.
She had to get out of that large classroom. Suddenly the walls felt as if they were closing in on her. She must get away from him before she did something foolish — such as actually believe what he was saying. Or, even worse, jump from her chair and wrap her body around his just to experience one more taste of his lips.
She wanted so badly to envision a happy ending with him that her heart was thudding at the possibility that he had changed — that his interest in her was now more than just really great sex.
“Ridiculous or not, I’ve decided to woo you.”
For the second time in sixty seconds, Ari’s mouth dropped open. Did he actually just say the word woo? Who was this man and what had he done with Rafe Palazzo? It couldn’t possibly be the same person who’d forced her into an affair with him. She needed to remember what he’d done — what he’d demanded from her.
“I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not that same desperate girl who allowed you to make me go against everything I was brought up to hold important.” There, that would show him.
Rafe came around her desk, turning her chair and boxing her in. She leaned back, but he followed, his face only inches from hers.
“I did some things I will forever regret, but I’ve had a lot of time to think since then. Yes, I forced your hand, but the night you walked away from me, you told me you loved me. I’m here to prove I’m worthy of that love.”
Ari couldn’t speak. Her eyes lowered as they took in the fullness of his lips, her ears straining to hear more of the enticing words coming from them. Of course, he was saying what she wanted to hear, but that’s what Rafe did best. He got his way — by any means possible. She couldn’t be so foolish as to actually believe him.
“No witty comebacks, Ari?”
Leaning in even closer, Ari breathed in his masculine scent and felt her heart race, the sound of her blood rushing through her veins echoing in her head. Finally, snapping out of her trance, Ari lifted her hand and pushed against him, shocked when he responded to her unspoken request to stop and pulled himself away.
Hoping her knees would work, Ari grabbed her briefcase and stood. So far, so good. She’d resisted kissing his full lips, and when she’d risen from her chair, she hadn’t face-planted in front of him. Thank heavens for such small mercies.
“The girl who professed her love is long gone, Rafe. I’m following the path I want to be on, and I don’t have time to date. I appreciate that you thought of me, but it’s best if we both just move on,” she said over her shoulder as she began ascending the steps to the back door of the classroom.
She could feel him right on her heels as she reached the top of the stairs and walked into the quiet hallway. It was late, the school quickly emptying as most of the kids had finished their last class of the day. Summer terms had fewer students attending the school, anyway, and the campus was almost a dead zone when evening classes met.
Ari began walking toward the parking lot; Rafe moved silently beside her. There was no use in telling him to stop — he wouldn’t allow her to walk on her own, even though there were security guards patrolling the area. It was dark, and he was a man who insisted on escorting a woman to her destination, even if she hadn’t asked him to do so.
It should irritate her, but it was one of those old-fashioned actions that she actually liked. A gentleman should ensure the safety of a woman he cared about. Not that she was going to get ideas into her head that he actually cared for her.
Yes, she would admit that she was confused. How was she supposed to respond when he so suddenly popped back into her life? She obviously needed time to think. She certainly couldn’t keep a clear head with him right by her side.
Rafe had a way of causing her body to short-circuit. It was one of the things she both loved and hated about him. How could she trust what she was feeling when she couldn’t think straight? She was intelligent — far above average — but she felt like a ditzy schoolgirl when she was around him.
Hunger was good — she would admit to that. But with Rafe, it wasn’t just hunger, it was an all-consuming passion that took over your mind, body and soul. That wasn’t healthy. It couldn’t possibly be good for you.
When they reached her car, he put his hand on the door, preventing her from opening it. Her will was wearing thin, and she needed to remove herself from his presence, immediately.
“I’ve had a long day, Rafe. Please let me leave.” Her voice was firm, except for only the slightest shake, but she felt like a cornered animal, and instinct had her wanting to lash out by kicking his leg. That might have made him move.
“I want to talk to you. I think you owe me that much,” he said.
She looked at him incredulously. She owed him? Oh, she didn’t think so.
“That is the most ridiculous thing I think I’ve ever heard you say, Rafe. I owe you nothing,” she snapped as she thought about reaching for the scissors she knew were in her bag and poking them into the offending hand that was keeping her door closed.