Page 46 of Forbidden Deception

I look around the room when he plunges into the pool. I find his phone charging next to his side of the bed. As soon as I pick it up, I connect it to mine and start to transfer Helia’s software.

I will show you how to conquer, Mr Rafael Gustav.

I will show you how to be a winner.

18

Hours pass with me giving Rafael glares all through his viewing of the land the next day. Lunch rolls around soon enough, and my stomach agrees. I can’t be angry at him forever, and I will need to be his friend. My plan to be his friend is going south when he clearly wants to fuck me.

He doesn’t want friendship. But I will need to force it on him.

That is all I can provide. I don’t even remotely want to explore any kind of sexual or romantic relationship with Rafael. Be it friends with benefits or an actual relationship. Only platonic friendship is allowed.

My curiosity should only be platonic, but it isn’t, and I need to keep my emotions in check. I have my brother counting on me. I have to betray the man next to me, and I cannot allow myself to fall for or even feel for a man who will not want to look me in the face once this is over.

I can’t do that to myself.

Silently walking next to Rafael has me questioning what kind of man he is outside of the office. And for the past day or so, I have been seeing this patient man take on new heights with how organised and passionate he is about his work. His working schedule is tight, yet he doesn’t dismiss me when I have aquestion regarding work, no matter what call or deadline he may have.

Not only is he putting trust in me; he is also gaining my trust too.

A weird trust at that.

“Should we grab a quick lunch?” I say. My stomach grumbles at that exact moment, making my cheeks heat. I look away in case Rafael heard it.

“Yeah, someone seems quite hungry.”

My head snaps towards him, and the knowing glint in his eyes makes me narrow mine.

“Are you trying to make fun of me, mister?”

He shakes his head, lips tilting up. He leads us into a small diner on the street. A hand touches my lower back, and I stiffen, the touch a burning sensation that sends my heart into a spiral.

Why is he touching like this? So intimately?

It may be crowded, but Rafael has never taken an approach like this before. Okay, he did last night, but that didn’t seem to be on his focus when we had been viewing the landscapes not long ago.

We breeze through the crowd and the waiter shows us to our seats. Thankfully, we get seated by the clear window facing the open ocean in front of us. I’m glad Rafael doesn’t want to dine privately, because I love people around me. I love the buzz of it, the livelihood, the atmosphere, and the vibes.

My phone buzzes.

Danyi:I want to be in your place so bad. I hope Greece is good and Mr Gustav doesn’t bother you.

I smile.

Venezia: Just a whole thunderstorm of a man. Can’t really escape his mood swings :(

Danyi:Yeah, no. Maybe not so jealous anymore. Good luck with him.

A laugh bursts out of me, catching Rafael’s attention. His eyes flicker to my phone, to my face, then back to his menu.

“I’m so excited. First up, a Greek salad because that is one thing I will not pass up,” I comment while my eyes scan the English menu. “Take your pick, Rafael. It looks pretty busy, so we should order as soon as we can.”

No one in London knows me as Remo’s sister, so I have been able to enjoy many places around the city. Being here in Greece gives me the exact same feeling. While the workload is quite high, I still want to try everything while I am here.

A waiter shows up, pulls out his pad, and smiles at us both. “Are you guys ready to order?” I’m surprised to hear him speak English but then again, with the high tourist rates in Santorini, an English speaking waiter would make sense.

“Yes, I would love a Greek salad and an octopus, and pair that with Greek fries,” I say, placing my menu down and glancing at Rafael to see him amused.

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