Page 1 of Rafa's Convenient Wife

Prologue

Fireworks lit up the night with wild bursts of color that signaled the exit of the newly married Mr. and Mrs. Jaime Farias.

Sky stood in front of the noisy crowd, waving and shouting well-wishes to her older sister and new brother-in-law as they climbed into the vintage car. She clutched the bouquet of dahlias she had caught a short while ago and watched the car roll down the long private drive of the Farias family estate. A jet waited at the nearby airstrip to whisk her sister and husband away on their honeymoon.

When the car disappeared, Sky joined the crowd returning to the reception. The guests were rowdy and ready to dance as long as the band played. She had to hand it to Jaime’s family—they knew how to throw a party! Not surprising considering the family business was tequila and other fine Mexican spirits and beer.

Soila Farias, the family matriarch, held court at a table near the front of the reception. She was the kindest, warmest woman, and Sky was glad her sister had such a wonderful mother-in-law. Their own family lacked the same warmth and closeness of the Fariasfamiliaso it was something of a novelty to be surrounded by so much love.

But sometimes it was a bit overwhelming.

Sky slipped away from the reception and wandered down a lit garden path to one of the many fountains. She liked the soothing sound of water and needed a moment to unwind and relax. The lush estate with its grand manor was like something out of a telenovela. The mansion had been built hundreds of years earlier and had been expanded and renovated with each new generation. The sprawling space looked like a luxury resort, and as big as their family was, they needed all that space.

As she drew close to the fountain, she spotted a silhouette in the moonlight and hesitated under an arch covered in fragrant climbing roses. She would recognize those broad shoulders anywhere. Rafael, the eldest of the Farias siblings, and the man she had been infatuated with for the better part of a year.

She wasn’t naïve enough to think he returned her feelings. She was barely out of high school, and he was the CEO of a global powerhouse. But the giddiness and wild excitement of her crush couldn’t be ignored. She couldn’t help the way she felt, and she couldn’t stop her feet from moving either.

With deliberate steps, she closed the distance between them, her high heels tapping on the brick path. He glanced back, and she saw his expression shift in the warm glow of moonlight and garden lamps. He grimaced as if her presence was the very last thing he wanted, and she stopped abruptly. She may have been young and inexperienced, but she wasn’t stupid.

“Sorry,” she apologized. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I’ll go.”

“No.” He turned completely, and she noticed the cigar dangling from his hand.

“Oh.” It wasn’t her company he found distasteful. He was embarrassed to have been discovered smoking something that definitely did not smell like a cigar. Knowing how much his mother hated smoking and anything to do with marijuana, she took it from him and helped herself to a few very enjoyable puffs. She handed the blunt back and said, “I won’t tell if you don’t.”

He shot her a conspiratorial smile. “Deal.”

“That’s good,” she remarked, enjoying the aftertaste. “Lola’s strains are getting better and stronger.”

“She does seem to have a gift when it comes to plants,” Rafael agreed. Lola, his youngest sister, had gone to the same all-girls boarding school in San Antonio with Sky and had been growing all sorts of interesting plants the entire time Sky had known her. “Has she already run off?”

Sky nodded. “I saw her sneaking away before the send-off. Your mother was trying to set her up with some guy who is almost a doctor.”

“She’s lucky. It’s not so easy for the best man to escape.” He glanced at the bouquet she still clutched. “Or the maid of honor.”

“Your mother hasn’t tried to set me up with anyone.”

“Yet,” he warned with a look.

Behind them the cumbia music swelled to a finish, and the revelers clapped and shouted with happiness. The lead singer of theSelenacover band urged all the lovers to take to the floor and the familiar chords ofI Could Fall in Lovedrifted out to the hidden alcove where she now stood with Rafael.

For a moment, their eyes met, and she wondered if he would ask her to dance. He had done his duty earlier in the night, taking her out to the dance floor when it was expected, but now? Alone? Just the two of them?

As if reading her mind, he took the bouquet of dahlias from her hand and placed it on the marble ledge of the fountain. He stubbed out the blunt in the nearest terra-cotta pot overflowing with flowers and then took both of her hands. He led her a few feet from the fountain and pulled her in close, his body melding against hers in the most exciting way.

She gazed up at him in wonder, taking in his strong jaw and those coal-black eyes. He smiled down at her, and she wished more than anything in the world that he would see her as more than just Maddie’s little sister or Lola’s younger classmate. That he would see her as a woman, as someone worthy of his attention and love.

He was such a good dancer, and she enjoyed the way he spun her around with ease and grace. The swishy fabric of her dress was perfect for twirling to the romantic lyrics, and she let herself believe, even if only for a moment, that Rafael was more than just the best man stuck with her tonight.

“Look at you,” he said with a teasing smile. “Not even a hint of tiredness on your beautiful face.”

She blushed at his compliment. “How could I be tired? This has been such an incredible day. I intend to go right back to the reception and dance the night away.”

He laughed softly. “I forgot what it’s like to be so young and full of life.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re not old!”

“Twenty-nine feels old.”

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