She’d been with the man for a mere week, but it was a week she’d never forget. There had just been something so magnetic about him. And the sex. Oh, the sex had been out of this world.
It was too bad she’d experienced something so spectacular at such a young age. She had a feeling it would be hard to find it again. But she had no interest, really, in looking for it right now. She was on a mission — a mission to prove she wasn’t a little girl anymore, to prove she was a responsible adult.
Her new boss left her in her cubicle, not even an office, with a ton of forms and documents that a monkey could take care of. It was almost ridiculous.
So here she sat at the U.S. embassy in Italy, behind a desk, wearing a respectable outfit, and she was bored out of her mind. She’d be handling a lot of paperwork in the back, not even getting to visit with people, but just stuck behind a desk.
That’s what grown-ups do, she reminded herself. Not every job was full of glamour and mystery. She needed to accept that. If she were to run home just because she was bored, she’d be proving to everyone that she hadn’t grown up, at all. That was unacceptable.
No. She would do her job, and on the weekends she would just have as much fun as possible. Explore the beaches of Italy, travel to nearby countries, and meet new people. It had been a while since she’d connected with people she knew in this part of the world, but she was sure a few phone calls would have her reuniting with longtime friends.
The only problem was that they were all upper-class friends, friends whose idea of fun was to attend lavish parties and rub shoulders with only the wealthy. At one time that had been enough for her, but she was bored with the very idea.
She had changed. She wanted to be just a regular person, live on her salary alone, and make a life for herself just as her brother did. OK, so he made billions, but who was counting?
Halfway through the day her phone rang and she picked it up with relief.
“How are you settling in, Rachel?”
Rachel smiled at the worried tone of her brother’s voice. Even if he was slightly — OK, a lot — overbearing, she adored him.
“It’s wonderful here,” she lied, putting as much enthusiasm in her voice as she could muster.
“Then why are you lying?”
She’d never been a good liar. Rafe was thousands of miles away and could still hear the boredom in her voice. She’d have to work on her acting.
“I’m not fibbing, Rafe. I am just very busy now, and don’t have time for personal calls,” she said a bit haughtily, though she didn’t really want to get off the phone.
“Have it your way. I’m making a trip that way in a couple of weeks. Make sure you pencil me in for lunch.”
“Of course I will. We can swing over and visit with Lia,” she said, excited at the thought. Her sister wasn’t too far away, but on a nearby island while working on her resort project.
“I haven’t heard from Lia in several days. I’m beginning to grow concerned,” he said at the mention of their sister’s name.
“I’m sure she’s fine, Rafe. You know that Lia and I can take care of ourselves perfectly well,” Rachel told him.
“It’s not like her. She usually returns my calls. If I don’t hear from her in the next couple of days, then I’ll have to move up my trip.”
Lia would kill him if he started treating her like a kid again. Rachel decided that she’d better change the subject. Lia would owe her big later.
“Have you gotten Ari to speak to you yet?” That would get his hackles up. Rachel loved Ari even more for her ability to resist her big brother. Rachel didn’t normally like the women Rafe dated, but she’d bonded instantly with Ari, and she’d been sad when the two of them had broken up.
But she had supported her friend, especially knowing what an ass and a tyrant Rafe could be. Ari was too good a person to deal with that. Rachel did hope the two of them could eventually work it out, but the more time that passed, the more she doubted a happy ending was in store.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but we have spoken,” he replied smugly.
“From what I hear, you are stalking her in the classroom,” she replied lightly.
“I just chose to take a history class. That isn’t stalking,” he said. “And how do you know? Are you gossiping about me?”
“Always, Rafe. That’s what girls do best. Plus, according to Ari, you came in and asked her on a date in front of the whole class and then refused to leave. She also said your homework leaves something to be desired.” Rachel loved having the upper hand with her big brother — a guy who always tried to be in control.
“That is nonsense. I don’t fail at anything. My homework has been impeccable,” he countered, making Rachel laugh out loud. Of course he’d ignored her other comments.
“OK. Sure. Fine. But I think I’ll believe Ari on this one.”
“When did you speak to her?” He was trying to sound casual, but not quite pulling it off.
“We speak at least a couple of times a week.”
“Since when?” Rafe blurted out.
Rachel knew he was surprised to be out of the loop with something that was going on in his family.
“Since forever. Just because you were a fool and broke her heart didn’t mean that I was going to end our friendship. I really like Ari,” Rachel said.
“I knew you still spoke to her, but I didn’t realize it was so much. You could have told me.”
“Ari didn’t want you to know. I respected what she wanted,” Rachel said.
“I’m your brother,” he reminded her.
As if she needed reminding. Rafe wasn’t someone you could forget, whether you were related to him or not.
“And I love you to pieces, but I don’t think I could stand dating you, Rafe. You are arrogant, pigheaded, and domineering. I would have knocked you out on the first date,” she told him pleasantly.
“I don’t know why I bother calling if you are just going to insult me,” he grumbled.
“Because you love me more than anything. Just like I love you. Don’t worry; I have faith that you will someday pull your head out. I hope to have Ari for my sister-in-law. I adore her, which is really something because I’ve despised every other woman you’ve ever been with. They were nothing more than puppets for you to play with.”