Yet it ultimately didn’t matter how the night turned out. She needed to tell him the truth, and more important, she needed to know whether he did have feelings for her. If not, it was better for her to know now.
He’d summoned her to his home for the employment talk. He’d had a full night and day to think about what he’d said. Was he rethinking his feelings? He surely wouldn’t bring her there just to let her go, would he? Wouldn’t it make more sense to meet at a neutral place, such as a café? She’d known from the beginning not to fall in love with him, but how could she not?
She’d gone from loathing him, to understanding him, to caring. Now, she had no doubt she loved him. She couldn’t explain when it had happened, but somewhere in the middle of their battles, a door had opened, and over their time together, that gap continued widening until she was at the point that she couldn’t stand back and hide the way she felt anymore.
Putting on her long coat, Ari stood from her vanity and cast a final look in the mirror. She wasn’t trying to be a seductress, but she needed to feel good about herself. She needed to take her destiny into her own hands.
If he denied her love, then at least she would know she wasn’t a coward, at least the door could have a chance of shutting again. Ari refused to give up on love. Never. Even if she wasn’t destined to be with the man she loved, she knew love was real, knew the emotion was strong and pure.
Ari knew she wouldn’t turn into a bitter soul, blaming every man out there for the actions of one. That was a fault that Rafe had to live with, and until he realized that the heart wasn’t something to abuse or toy with, they didn’t have a chance. She only hoped he’d managed to heal what had been broken before he’d ever met her.
Grabbing her purse, Ari slipped on her stiletto sandals and made her way to her front door. She smiled as she thought about her beautiful red lace nightgown. She felt sleek and feminine, even sexy, underneath the soft fabric, giving her that boost of confidence to say to Rafe what she needed to say.
Feeling almost like a teenager sneaking out into the night, Ari made her way to the elevators, then pushed the lobby button. Rafe’s trusted assistant, Mario, was picking her up, and she was grateful — she was too nervous to be behind the wheel of a car.
As she stepped outside, the cool wind blowing in off the bay gave her instant goose bumps. The nightie was sensual and sleek, yes, but it offered no protection as the wind climbed beneath her coat and instantly chilled her.
“Good evening, Ms. Harlow. How are you tonight?”
“I’m very well, Mario. I’m sorry to have you dragged out on such a cold evening.”
“It’s never an inconvenience to pick up such a lovely woman,” he answered with a smile as he held the door open. “It’s nice and warm inside.”
“Thank you, Mario,” Ari said after he climbed into the driver’s seat. The two of them chatted for a few moments, and then Ari turned to look out the window and collect her thoughts.
The closer they came to Rafe’s home, the more nervous she became. Could she do this — lay her heart on the line? There was a good chance he’d reject her love, not because he didn’t want it, but because he was too stubborn to accept it.
Then again, maybe all the emotions were simply in her head. Maybe he didn’t really care about her the way she thought he did. What if she were just wrong about it all?
After they’d pulled through his security gate and Mario came around the car to open her door, Ari nearly asked him to drive her back home. She wondered if he would do that — it was almost worth asking just to see his face.
But no. Ari accepted his hand as he assisted her from the car.
“Have a wonderful evening, Ms. Harlow. I’ll be waiting if you need me.”
His words engendered more nerves than relief. Mario knew more than anyone that Rafe didn’t spend the night with his mistresses. Mario had been the one to take her home in the middle of the night once when Rafe was through with her.
The ugly thought had her again wondering what she was doing. How many times did she have to be a fool before it sank in that he was incapable of love?
As she stepped through his doorway, noting the dim lights on throughout the house, she drew her shoulders up. If it was a fool she had to be to either gain love or set herself free, then a fool she’d be.
There was no sign of Rafe downstairs, so she made her way up his wide staircase, her heart racing. Why wasn’t he there to greet her? She was too agitated to feel the full force of his rudeness, but a glimmer of his neglect penetrated her brain.
Having been to Rafe’s home only twice, she was a little unsure of the way, but there was a single door open on the floor, with a soft light shining from within. She slowly made her way toward it.
Peeking in the doorway, Ari discovered Rafe sitting in a chair by the window. Unwilling to hurry, she took a moment to look around; yes, it was his bedroom. He seemed so solemn as he gazed out at the stars that she wasn’t sure whether she should say anything. But he’d been the one to call her over, so he must know she was coming.
“Rafe?”
His shoulders stiffened at the sound of her voice — not a good sign. A couple of seconds passed before he stood and turned to face her. The blank look on his face showed her nothing of what he was thinking. Her nerves jumped another level as he stepped toward her. It felt as if her knees weren’t going to hold her up any longer, so without being asked, Ari walked over to his large bed and sat on the edge.
He stilled as if uncertain what to do about her sitting there. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t spent many hours in various beds with him. Was he really so opposed to her sitting on his?
“I’m sorry, Ari. I meant to meet you downstairs. The time got away from me,” he said in an expressionless voice that sent a shiver of apprehension down her spine.
“That tends to happen to me at times, too” she tried to joke, but in the ominous atmosphere her attempt fell flat.
“Thank you for meeting me here. We need to finish our talk from the other night.”
“Yes, Rafe, we do. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking —”
Rafe interrupted her before she could say what she needed to. “I don’t want to drag this out, Ari. Our time is up. I’ll have you reinstated at your old job with no questions asked. I agree with you that it would just be too awkward to have you working right in the Palazzo building here. As for your home, it’s yours. You have no need to move. Monday morning I will have my attorney start the paperwork to transfer the title. Also, I already have a bank account set up for you with a substantial fund that should take care of you for many years to come.”