SAVANNAH
I sobbed on Rafael’s shoulder for what seemed like forever. His embrace felt good that a silent comfort rushed through me. I fit against him perfectly. He stroked my back, hushing me softly. His hold was strong but careful that it was comforting, making my heart beat faster.
When a bit of the ache diminished, I broke back first.
“I’m sorry. That’s very unprofessional.”
He chuckled, and the sound was light and genuine.
I furrowed my brow, confused if he thought this was funny. He probably saw everything back there. I pouted. “Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not.” He smiled. “I just think you’re cute.”
I hid my face in embarrassment. “It’s just... I want to go home.”
“I’ll drive you.” He sprang up and pulled out his phone from his pocket.
I stood back up to my full height so I could react. “Wait.” I held his arm, but I wasn’t sure I was allowed, so I released him.
I had so many questions. I wished to know if he was Carter’s brother. There should be no other Rafael Sebastian at this party, right? Because if he was, I didn’t think it was right to go with him somewhere.
Rafael stared at me for several seconds, but I wasn’t sure how to start. I parted my mouth open, but no sound came out. When I suddenly heard Wes calling out to me, his voice echoing in the hallway.
My best friend jogged toward us, but his gaze stopped at Rafael.
“Mr. Sebastian,” he said when he stopped, panting.
“Allen,” Rafael acknowledged, answering my question about who he really was. Was this occurrence even possible?
“You met our CEO.” It wasn’t a question. Wes probably had something else in mind about what was going on but just couldn’t say it.
“Yes, but it’s a long story, Wes.”
He looked at me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“What happened back there?” he whispered, sounding concerned.
“Edward is here.”
“Shit, he’s here for PeekFlix too?” Wes shoved his fingers through his hair. “Did he see you?”
I shook my head. “Amara did. But Rafael stepped in and snatched me out of there.”
For Wes, it was probably just a simple incident where a boss saw an ex-employee join a rival company. But we were all in a tangled situation that fate played on us.
Edward was with Sofia. How dare he bring his mistress here when it was only a few weeks since he filed for divorce? And right now, I am with Rafael, whom I met before I joined Sebastian Entertainment. Everything came at once, and I still couldn’t contain my astonishment. I had a lot to tell my best friend when the pressure subsided.
“Wes, can you tell Carter I’m going?” I asked.
“Going where?” Wes questioned and glanced at Rafael.
I wasn’t sure if calling our boss by his name was appropriate.
He was the Rafael Sebastian—a respected man in the entertainment industry. He was bigger than Amara or Brett. He was a big deal!
He probably had questions for me too.
“Allen,” our boss called firmly. “I’ll call Carter.”
Wes’s face fell into confusion. “What?” He leaned into my ear. “What are you doing?”
“I’ll call you,” I whispered.
“But, Savi...”
“Come.” Rafael grabbed my wrist and pulled me to him. I mirrored his brusque steps until he got us into the elevator.
He hit a button, and we waited.
“Is this really okay?” I asked, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he let go of my hand and phoned someone. He mentioned me, so it was probably his brother, my new boss.
The elevator ride to the lobby was an exercise in enduring the sexual tension torture between us. He was on my right, but I felt the energy radiating from his presence surrounding the enclosed space.
My skin prickled from the intense pull, my body warm, and my heartbeat came fast. The tension lessened when the doors opened and freed me from the tight place.
Two men in a suit greeted Rafael. He gave them a curt nod and led me out with his hand on my bare back. The sudden contact was electrifying, sending tiny bolts of heat through me.
A Rolls-Royce was waiting at the curb. The valet gave Rafael the keys and opened the passenger’s door for me. Rafael slid onto the opposite side as I settled into the seat. I became more conscious of how good he smelled. His scent was all over the car.
We didn’t speak while he maneuvered into the traffic. A piece of classical music was played on the stereo as he drove. Was I the only one feeling the thick tension? A tension that grew heavier by the second.
“Where do you live?” He glanced at me sideways.
“At Michael’s. I mean with my brother at Clinton Hill. I moved out of my old apartment.”
“I suppose it was with Edward Reed? You’re his ex-girlfriend?”
My chest ached a little at the mention of my husband’s name. “Wife,” I whispered, closing my eyes. My heart was racing in my chest. “Ex-wife.”
I felt Rafael’s gaze glide over my profile, but he didn’t say anything else.
The atmosphere turned silent. He drove fast, but he was controlled, lacing easily over the scenic route of Roosevelt East River Drive.
“You probably have questions. But I swear I didn’t know you were Carter’s brother. Our first encounter at the airport was purely coincidental in case you think I went to your company because of—”
“Savannah,” he cut me off calmly. “Slow down. This isn’t an interrogation.”
“But I’m perceptive enough to catch what you might’ve been thinking. I’ve learned from experience.”
“What am I thinking then?”
“That I might be a spy of New Star or something.” I heard about some issues between the two companies. I just didn’t know what to believe then. Or maybe I already knew the truth but took a blind eye because the Reeds were my family.
Not anymore...
Rafael laughed, and the delicious, richly masculine sound hit the churning in my belly. “That’s a surprising frankness, Ms. Gibson.”
“Am I wrong?” I glanced at him. “Well, I can’t blame you if the rumors were true. But is it? Did Brett really steal a film franchise and plagiarize ideas?”
“Yes.”
I swallowed my saliva. “Okay, just so we are clear and to answer your likely suspicion, Brett or anyone from New Star didn’t send me to SEG. I don’t want anything to do with them anymore. Who in their right mind would work for their ex’s aunt?” Amara precisely reminded me she was never on my side. I thought she was different, an exception. But she was like the rest of his family. She never saw me as family.
“I’ll count on that.”
Well, wasn’t he a man of a few words? I didn’t bother him until we drove past the Brooklyn Bridge. I rested on the window and watched the clear sky and the glowing buildings ahead of us.
I used to drive here with Edward whenever we wanted to visit Michael. We always enjoyed a long drive while listening to club mixes. Those were one of the days we didn’t care about our problems, didn’t care about the future. Thinking about it now felt like it would be part of my never-ending pain without an absolute time when it would end. Why was marriage so complicated?
“It’s your husband’s loss,” Rafael said out of the blue.
“Ex-husband. We’re getting a divorce.” Edward was dead to me now. And so was Sofia. Riley would be so furious.
“Right. How about your children? Who will have their custody?”
“We don’t have kids. Edward doesn’t want kids.”
Rafael turned to the left and slowed down at a car park by The River Cafe. We were still a few miles from Michael’s house.
“Why are we here?”
“I can’t send you home just yet. I think you need to eat.”
“Here? We don’t have a reservation.”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Only then did I feel my empty stomach growl. I didn’t get to eat at the party and hadn’t had dinner.
“Are you sure? You probably have a girlfriend or a partner waiting for you.”
His jaw clenched. “I don’t do the relationship thing.”
“Are you serious?”
He only stared at me, and I stared back at his face on the obscure side of the car park, astonished by his casualness. The rawness of his speaking patterns appeared as though he were used to having conversations with women. I didn’t have many male friends other than Wesley. After I got married, talking to random men was off-limits. It was a principle I practiced in maintaining fidelity and a healthy relationship. It turned out I was the only one making an effort.
My cheeks heated, so I looked away. Rafael’s gaze was melting me.
“I rarely make new friends, so I guess dinner is fine.” Also, unlike the last time, I didn’t want the night to end with a handshake.
“Friends?” He sounded surprised.
“Yeah. What, you don’t do that too?” I chuckled. “Thank you for taking me out there, by the way. I almost embarrassed myself in front of those people. Especially you and Carter.”
“No problem.” I still felt his gaze on me. “You’re a mystery, Savannah. But at the same time, you’re responsive and honest. It’s a discovery,” he said with amusement in his tone.
Was he trying to figure me out now? He didn’t seem to be that type. If he wasn’t in a relationship, he might be the kind of man who didn’t want commitments. But his statement touched my naïve heart a little.
“I’m an open book. If you know me better, you’ll see that I don’t keep secrets from the people I care about. It’s a hassle. Keeping secrets is the enemy of trust and the cause of misunderstandings.” That’s what happened to Edward and me, despite every energy I sacrificed to make things work between us.
“You have a point,” he murmured.
“Oh, wait! That’s an exaggerated statement. I keep about fifteen percent of my secrets to myself. No, ten.” I grinned at him. “But they’re all just silly things and for privacy. I’m sorry, you’re probably thinking, what the hell I’m blabbering about.” I felt like I could talk to him about anything, and he would listen.
“It seems you have calmed down.”
“Yeah, maybe. Thank you, Rafael. Or should I call you Mr. Sebastian? You’re technically my boss now.” I joked as I unbuckled myself from the seat.
“No. Carter is. Right now, I’m just the guy you met at the airport.”
I stared at Rafael momentarily in admiration. I’d been sitting next to him for some time, but my mind was preoccupied with thoughts about Edward and Sofia’s betrayal. Only now did I notice what I’d been missing.
Rafael Sebastian was sexy. How could there be a human being so perfect? So attractive. It was like he’d escaped from a magazine cover. His five o’clock shadow made him look more manly, but he still managed to look young. He had long eyelashes, and his blue eyes were like the ocean drawing me deeper. Underneath, the suit would be just as attractive. I tried to find some imperfections, but I couldn’t see anything flawed in his physical traits. Alas, the ties were crooked.
“Wait.” My fingers smoothed his tie, then I slightly traced the top of his collar to the nape. By the time I withdrew my hand, I had looked up slowly and met his gaze. I felt the warmth of his breath on my nose.
“Are you flirting with me, Ms. Gibson?” he whispered. A ghost of a smile touched his lips.
I swiftly moved away and cleared my throat. I pushed the door open and stepped out of his car before I found myself riding his lap.