Page 38 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

She raised an eyebrow, her lips pressed into a thin line as she stared me down. I felt like I did something wrong, but I wasn't sure what. "Really? You realized you were attracted to me after finding out my father was Ivan Rashid," each word was spoken through gritted teeth, and the look she gave me, told me I was missing something.

I repeated what she said trying to figure out where I went wrong and then it clicked. "That's not what I meant," I rushed out, trying my best to explain myself. "I don't care that Ivan's your father. I already knew I had feelings for you when you told me everything but when I found out that you could probably understand business jargon better than most women, I found it really hot."

She blinked at me slowly, her eyes widening in surprise. "Is that why you kept staring at me when we met with my father?"

I grinned widely. "Absolutely. It's the sexiest thing."

She smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

We continued eating, enjoying each other's company. I decided not to bring up Ethan and the ultimatum he'd given me. I didn't want to ruin the perfect evening Yasmin had prepared for us with more drama. There would be time for that tomorrow.

After dinner, Yasmin stood up and walked over to the stereo. She put on some music—something soft and slow. She turned to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Dance with me?" she asked.

I didn't need to be asked twice. I stood up and walked over to her, taking her in my arms. The music flowed around us as we swayed together, our bodies moving in perfect harmony.

"I've been wanting to tell you something," Yasmin said softly as we danced. "I meant to say this since we went to the gala, but I guess I was scared."

"What is it?" I asked, looking down into her eyes.

She took a deep breath as if summoning the courage to speak. "Rafe, I... I have feelings for you. Strong feelings. I don't know when it started, how, or if it’s even right for me to feel this way in such a short time but I can't help how I feel. I also want to apologize for not admitting my feelings earlier, I wanted to be sure of my feelings before I did and now, I’m sure. This is what I want. I want you, that is if you'll still have me."

Her words hung in the air, and for a moment, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Then, pure happiness washed over me. "Yasmin," I said, pulling her closer. "That's the most amazing thing I've heard all day."

A smile spread across her face, and before I knew it, I was leaning in, capturing her lips with mine. The kiss was everything I'd imagined—sweet, tender, and full of promise. When we finally pulled apart, I rested my forehead against hers, both breathing heavily.

"This feels right," she whispered.

"It does," I agreed, pulling her closer. "It really does."

-27-

Yasmin

I woke up with a start, the morning light filtering through the curtains and casting a golden hue across the room. I groggily got out of bed and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth, there was nothing more I hated than morning breath. When I finally made my way to the living room, I caught a glimpse of Rafael who was already up, buttoning his shirt in front of the mirror. I rubbed my eyes and stretched, yawning as I watched him. He looked so handsome, his dark hair slightly tousled, and I felt a pang of warmth in my chest.

"Morning," I murmured.

"Morning, sleepyhead," he replied with a smile, leaning in to kiss me on the forehead before heading towards the dresser to pick out his cufflinks.

I watched him for a moment, the warmth of his presence soothing the remnants of sleep from my mind. I was about to wrap my arms around him, to steal a moment of closeness before the day swept us away when my phone started ringing.

With a quick apologetic look to Rafael, I rushed to my room to grab my phone. I glanced at the screen, seeing my father's name displayed.

"Morning, Dad," I answered as I walked to the living room.

"Good morning, Yasmin," my father's deep voice rumbled through the phone. "I have the contract ready for you and Rafael to review. Can you meet me and your sister later today?"

I glanced at Rafael, who was now shrugging on his jacket. "Sure, Dad. I'll be there. What time?"

"Let's say around three. I'll send you the address."

"Got it. I'll see you then." I hung up and turned to Rafael, who was adjusting his tie.

"Dad's got the contract ready. He wants us to review it this afternoon," I said.

Rafael finished with his tie and turned to face me, a small, distracted smile on his lips. "I'll make sure to get home earlier, that way we can go over it together."

"Thanks," I said, reaching up to smooth a wrinkle on his shoulder. "Could we have pizza later?"

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