Page 58 of Bedding his Innocent Mistress

She heard him move, rather than saw him. The rustle of sheets, the pulling on of boxer shorts, and then the soft sound of feet on carpet, until he was standing in front of her, beautiful, handsome, and cold.

“To your house?”

She nodded, unable to meet his eyes.

But Rafe was staring at her, unwilling to let her avoid this, knowing he needed her to be honest with him – completely.

“Tell me what happened.”

She swallowed, biting down on her lip. “Nothing happened.”

“So, he came to your house, looked at it, and left?”

She shook her head wearily.

“Damn it, you will look at me when you tell me this, Ivy. At least have the courage for that.”

She flinched but did as he said, forcing herself to meet his eyes. “He wanted to talk, that’s all.”

“About what?” It was a sneer of derision.

“About us.” She closed her eyes again but at Rafe’s harsh intake of breath, she looked at him once more.

“He wants us to get back together.” The words tumbled out of her, furious and emotive, all at once. “He wishes we never broke up. He doesn’t know what he was thinking. He just wants to talk about it.”

Rafe didn’t react for several long seconds and her admission stretched between them, a beginning of an end that neither could deny. “And what did you say?”

She bit down on her lip and Rafe swore angrily, stalking away from her and slamming his palm in to the wall. It made a loud noise and Ivy flinched.

“What did you say?” He demanded, his emotions heightened, his anger understandable.

“I said I couldn’t talk about it because I was late to meet you,” she whispered. “But that I’d… meet him for coffee tomorrow.”

Rafe’s eyes drove into her like knives.

She couldn’t stand the directness of his gaze. Conscious that she was still naked, she grabbed for the sheet, wrapping it toga-style around herself.

“It’s just coffee,” she said, trying to placate him even when they both knew that he would never accept this.

“Yes. Coffee.” He nodded, as though agreeing with her. “But if you have coffee with him, Ivy, you should know that it’s over between us.”

She sunk down onto the edge of the bed, dropping her head into her hands. “Don’t say that,” she whispered, even now, desperate that this not be over. Desperate that their affair continued. “Please, don’t overreact.”

“Overreact?” He swore. “My God, Ivy, I have put up with playing second-fiddle to the bastard who broke your heart for many long weeks. I have been patient, waiting for you to understand that what you and he were has nothing to do with what you and I are, and still you tell me that you are having coffee with him? And it’s just coffee?”

Ivy startled, his words so full of feeling that she looked at him and saw that he was hurting. That she’d hurt him.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, standing up jerkily, casting about for her clothes. They’d discarded them in the lounge, as they’d walked in, just a trail of passion in their wake. “I truly didn’t mean for you to get hurt by this.”

“Hurt?” He shook his head. “I am way beyond hurt. I am angry and I am impatient and I am so close to telling you to get the hell out of my life. How long am I meant to wait? Do you need to go back to him, have your heart broken again, before realising that he is not right for you? And then, will you come back to me? Will that be good enough for me?” He slammed his palm into the wall once more.

“Damn you, Ivy,” he said, moving towards her and dragging her into his arms.

“I told you about this… the first night we were together,” she whispered, sweeping her eyes shut at the feeling of his body holding hers, and the strength that flowed from him to her. “I told you I was messed up. I told you about Steve. I told you I didn’t want more than a casual fling. And you were fine with that.”

“Yeah, maybe I was. But then I fell in love with you and so guess what? Nothing but your whole heart, your complete commitment, is going to be enough for me.”

She sobbed soundlessly, shaking her head, the realisation that she’d behaved in a way of which she was utterly ashamed slamming into her. “You don’t love me,” she said desperately.

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