Page 71 of Raphael (Belles & Mobsters 5)

He nodded. “I got confirmation they gave the information of the cabin to Santiago.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. “I stay out of their way and still it’s not good enough.”

“Your father will be too busy nursing his hand for the foreseeable future,” he remarked dryly.

“They could have killed you,” I rasped.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

I shook my head. It was too much history to go into. “Promise me you won’t go see them again.”

A smile touched his lips. “Careful, Reina. Or I’ll think you care about me.” I buried my face against his chest, inhaling deeply, struggling for every breath. “I’m the devil, remember? They can’t beat the devil.”

“Don’t joke around about it,” I choked.

His hands came around me, his palms rubbing my back up and down, the motion soothing. I inhaled a deep breath and slowly let air fill my lungs. The relief hit me like a wave and slowly my breathing evened out and my heart rate slowed.

“What have they done to you?”

Nothing. Everything.

I inhaled, then exhaled and took a step backward, putting some distance between us.

“Don’t go around them, Raphael.” We were still close enough for his heat to seep into my bloodstream and his scent into my lungs. “They act civilized but they are bad. Hateful and evil.”

His hand came to my face and pushed a loose strand off my forehead.

“I’m worse than them, Reina,” he rasped.

I shook my head.

“You’re not,” I whispered. “They are so much-” A hiccup escaped me. “So much worse.”

Because they hurt their own child.

* * *

I watched Raphael’s fingers fly over the screen of his phone. The moment he took his shirt off, it was game over for me.

And in front of my fucking son.

I was a bad mother. I salivated over Raphael, studying every goddamn inch of his skin. His whole upper torso was covered in tattoos. When he wore his three piece suits, it was easy to forget he was a mobster. He almost looked like a clean-cut businessman.Almost.

My eyes roamed down his abs and I swore, I felt drool drip down my chin. That bronze skin and ink tempted me. If only he’d take off his shorts. My toes sunk into the soft sand, relishing in the feel of it and my body relaxing with each minute spent on the beach.

After removing my sundress, revealing the bikini I wore beneath it, I waded into the water, the cool blue water lapping at me while the sun warmed my skin. I needed to cool off. Like right the fuck now. I took a deep breath of the humid air, while a breeze swept through my hair.

The water sparkled around me, coming to my thighs and leaving my tiny two piece bathing suit out of the water.

It was when Raphael put his phone away and lifted his head that I thought I’d combust. His eyes landed on me and the temperature shot up another hundred degrees. And it wasn’t cold to start with.

Sweat glistened on my skin, tickling like drops of oil as it ran between my breasts.

I swallowed a loud gulp and my heart thundered a hundred miles per hour. In this heat, it was bound to give me a heart attack. Thankfully, Gabriel and the puppy played about ten feet away in the shallow water, enjoying the shade.

And I finally got my wish. Never shifting his eyes from me, he kicked off his shoes and then took off his shorts.Finally!

In his powerful stride, he powered through the sand and reached the crystal blue waters in a matter of seconds. He flicked a gaze to check on Gabriel and the puppy, then returned his attention to me.

---