Page 47 of Forbidden Deception

“I’ll have the same main dish as her and an extra Greek salad.”

“Of course. Anything else?”

We give him our drink orders, and then he is gone, leaving us to ourselves.

I look back at Rafael to find him lounging back in the wooden chairs. The tablecloths are white, and there are blue plates and cutlery. Rafael looks so handsome compared to everyone else.

My heart softens with longing.

I place my chin on my hand.

“Rafael,” I murmur.

He raises his brows, his sole attention on me.

“Truth or dare?” I bite my lip, hoping he doesn’t dismiss it.

He leans forward as if whispering a secret, his eyes set on me. Something about the way he is looking at me makes my heart beat faster. There is something else brimming in his eyes, and I’m scared to explore that.

“Truth,”

“Tell me a deep secret of yours that you haven’t told anyone ever”. I raise my brows, waiting, knowing he won’t do it. He will give me a white lie, if anything.

“Do you really want to know?”

I nod. “I mean, I know it will come in the form of a lie, because you want to get me off your back—”

“You are the only assistant so far who has impressed me.”

My face lights up like a damn Christmas tree. I lean forward, absolutely ecstatic that I have impressed Rafael,

“Really? No. You’re lying. I don’t believe it.” I shake my head, laughing it off.

Rafael grabs my hand leisurely, like we have been doing this forever, and I choke on my laughter. Him touching me with such softness when he is a ruthless, tainted businessman, is not normal.

“I’m not. I’m not a man who lies often, Venezia.”

My face might be showing my distrust because he sighs, running a hand through his luscious hair, and looks out at the ocean.

He’s still holding my hand, running a finger over the back of it.

“It’s true, I may not have voiced it, but you have not once lashed out at me, nor have you lost your patience with me when I threw so much at you. I initially hoped you would resign, but you didn’t seem like the type to give up so easily. I saw your determination from the first time we met.” His words don’t feel right.

They just don’t. But the look on his face, the clear honesty, says the thousands of words he hasn’t uttered yet. How could I counter that?

“Your turn. Truth or dare?”

I blink, my eyes falling to my hand on the table that is still in his hold, and my chest expands, warmth filling every crevice.

“Truth,” I croak, my voice failing on me.

Rafael smirks, glancing down at our joined hands, and then he starts running his thumb over the back of my hand. And my heart bursts inside of me.

“What’s one private thought you’ve had about me that you never want me to know?”

Now, it’s my turn to smirk while I lean forward, my heart still thundering from his thumb rhythmically brushing over my hand.

“Would you truly want to know? It may hurt your feelings, Rafael.” I grin, knowing he won’t care.

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