Love's Legacy in St. Augustine

Chapter 4

"Yep. It's a big enough company that he probably doesn't keep track of all the requests for funding, especially so soon after the acquisition. Besides, it sounds like he runs a real estate investment company and owns God-knows-what else in Miami. I wish Someone had let on that this Wwas about to happen when I applied for the loan."

"Maybe it'll even work in our favor." I shrug, but my shoulders stay hunched somewhere around my ears. "Maybe. Anyway, I'll bet Rafael's forgotten I even exist. It's been, what, ten, twelve years since we've seen each other?" I know exactly how long it's been, because I occasionally do the calculations in my mind.

Eleven years, two months, and three days.

Not that I keep track or anything. Diana clears her throat while looking at the drunk. I wince when the pirate scratches his belly in his sleep.

"Figures," I mutter.

Precise footsteps sound on the sidewalk behind us, and my heart thrashes against my ribcage. I'm about to turn around when there's a pause in the steps anda beat of silence. My heart hammers in time with the throbbing pain in my head.

Is it possible for a thirty-four-year-old woman to have a stroke and a heart attack simultaneously?

"Ive heard the news business is going through some tough times. I didn't expect skid-row drunks, though. Wait. Is that a pirate?"

My breath hitches, and a sudden heat spreads through my body. That tone. Sardonic and sexy. I haven't heard it in so long, but it's as familiar and seductive as the humid breeze that inspires the Spanish moss to sway in trees all over the city.

I spin around fast enough that my long hair tumbles over one shoulder.

After all these years, the sound of that man's voice is capable of taking my breath away.

My posture stiffens as I stare into his face. His flashing, near-black eyes sear into mine while my breath settles near my collarbone. All the memories flood my brain in that moment, memories that leave me dizzy with lust and longing and, most of all, regret.

"Rafael."I cross my arms tight over my breasts, trying to hide the emotion in my voice.

What am I trying to hide exactly?

Surprise? Anger? Desire?

All three, truth be told. And so many more.

"Rafael." I repeat myself, louder this time, sharper. The pain in my head has vanished, replaced by a troupe of angry hummingbirds in my stomach.

He doesn't respond, just allows me to stare at him. Does he see my face getting warmer and sweatier and probably red?

I blink several times, hoping he'll shimmer into the morning humidity like somne kind of sexy man-mirage. The short, black hair. The thick, dark brows and long eyelashes framing those stunning eyes. The prominent nose with a slight bump in the middle, the bumpI used to kiss softly when he woke in the morning and before he fell asleep at night. It's the only imperfection on an otherwise model-handsome face. His full lips hold a tiny smile. No, it's a smirk. A ridiculously sexy smirk twisting into a cruel line.

He doesn't vanish. His eyebrow quirks upward. I lick my dry lips out of nervousness and desire and immediately hate myself for feeling both at once.

But how could I not?

At six-feet, three-inches, he's exactly a foot taller than me. God, he looks delicious. Better than he did when we were in college.

This isn't good.

His charcoal-colored suit jacket is tailored to highlight his broad shoulders and arms, and yet it seems to barely contain his muscles. He's got on a white shirt underneath, unbuttoned at the top. No tie, because

I suspect he wants to project a rakish, doesn't-give-a-s**t attitude. As if he happened to show up at my business by chance.

Rafael never does anything by chance.

At least, he didn't when I knew him. He thrusts his hands in his pockets and doesn't blink. Rocks back andnforth on his heels while staring at me while I gulp for air like a grouper out of water. My throat is parched. Is he laughing? And what's with him looking down at the sidewalk, then back into my eyes? Like he's bashful or flirtatious or nervous? It's an act.

I know it. His eyelashes are still long.

Dammit. He looks at me and blinks. The lashes. I stop myself from groaning out loud in agony.

He blinks again, and the corners of his mouth quirk upward.

Oh, I'm certain he's aware of the effect he's having on me.

I draw a long breath, trying to regulate my erratic heartbeat. I glance over at Diana, who's staring at us, slack-jawed. She knows what kind of chemistry we possessed together. She knows how much I'd loved him andbhow he hurt me.

And now she looks more than a little terrified of what is about to go down.

What is about to go down? It's as if time has stopped. A heavy feeling settles in my stomach. The troupe of hummingbirds has dropped dead.

His smirk spreads into a big, sexy smile. "Good morning.' I shoot him my best, well-practiced, bitchy resting face. "Well. What a surprise." My voice is the opposite of the air this morning. The opposite of what I'm feeling in my gut. Instead of hot and thick, my tone is pure ice.

"I know how much you love surprises, Justi." The dimples in his cheeks deepen, the glint in his eyes grows more feral, and I stop breathing for a few seconds.

No one ever called me Justi, except Rafael. It was the nickname he used to whisper in my ear whenever he told me he loved me.

I bite my bottom lip so hard I feel a searing pain.

"Rafael," I say in a sharp voice.

"You still like saying my name, don't you? You've said it three times now." Damn him. My nostrils twitch. "I thought my appointment was with a senior VP, what's his name, Gregory.

That's who I spoke with on the phone. Of course, when I contacted the Florida Capital a month ago, I didn't know that you'd be buying it."

He licks his lips, as if he's trying keep himself from saying something, and then grins a little. "Your appointment was with my VP. But I decided to handle the account instead."

I fold my arms. "I wouldn't think the new owner of a multibillion-dollar equity firm had the time for such a miniscule request from a struggling newspaper publisher."

"I give my clientS personal attention, Justi."

"Personal attention from you? What luck."

His eyes flicker to my mouth. "Yes. What luck."

He appraises me coolly, and I step toward him, my hand outstretched.

I'm trying to be professional, but really, all I want is to feel his skin on mine. His eyes widen for a millisecond.

"You won't even shake my hand?" I ask in a soft voice.

His grin fades. Neither of us blink as our fingers clasp one another. Even though I've spent years rehashing our relationship, cursing him, hating both of us for what we did to each other, every moment has led to this.

My delicate hand gripping his larger one. The way the palmn trees seem to stand still and the parrots overhead stop screeching. Our inescapable, explosive chemistry. My mouth waters a little when I remember how his skin tasted, and even now, I still suspect he's the only person in the World who can truly see me for who I am.

Which scares the hell out of me.

"Don't you also have a real estate empire to run in Miami?"

He drops my hand when he detects the snark in my voice. For a fraction of a second he looks wounded, like the young man I once knew. But the look vanishes when he releases that predatory grin again. His eyes bore into mine, and I inhale unsteadily as he talks in that smooth-as-caramel voice of his.

"I do still have mny real estate business. It's nice to hear you've been keeping up with my career.

But I can run my companies from anywhere. Even here. I assume a dying newspaper has Internet access, correct? Or have things gotten so bad that the utilities have been shut off?"

"No, things aren't that bad." I roll my eyes and point at Diana. We'll get to the humiliating situation with my business soon enough. "You remember Diana, right? She's now the paper's CFO,"

He turns and peers at her for the first time. "Yes. Of course. I haven't seen you since graduation." With controlled ease, he nods toward her large stomach. "A new baby is a blessing. I'm happy for you. When are you due?"

"In about a month. You look great, Rafael, I'm impressed. You must be working out."

Sighing, I put my hand on Diana's back. "Okay. The reunion's over. Let's go inside."

Rafael chuckles. I turn to lead him and Diana into the building, feeling Rafael's eyes on my every move. I glance over my shoulder at him and flick my hair behind my shoulder.