He stroked her hair. His hand was big against her delicate cheekbone, different than when he cupped Trey’s face. He started to say he had no regrets but decided the moment deserved more honesty.
“I’m trying not to,” he said.
Rebecca smiled and stretched up to kiss him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Last Chance
THE rest of the week flew by faster than Rebecca thought possible. Each day felt more relaxed than the last, until she actually began to worry she’d get back into work mode. They made love, they played, they had lazy conversations over Mrs. Penworth’s straightforward but tasty food. On Saturday, they took the yacht out, where the men finally relented and let her cook for them.
Afterwards, the night was cool enough that they snuggled in one shared blanket out on the Bad Girl’s deck. The captain had anchored in the bay, beyond the reach of the city lights. Thousands of stars danced on the wavering mirror of calm water. The universe was big, and the three of them were small. That they’d come together was a miracle.#p#分页标题#e#
“This is the best,” she sighed against Zane’s chest, happily tucked naked between the men on an island of lounge cushions. “I’m going to remember this forever.”
Trey rubbed his cheek on her shoulder. He was behind her with his arm draped across her waist. His hand rested on Zane’s belly, fingers playing with his line of hair. “This doesn’t have to end.”
“I’m going back to work on Monday,” she warned them. “And so are you two tycoons.”
“Right. But we aren’t going to disappear into a puff of smoke. You can see us again.”
“We want you to see us again,” Zane put in.
They sounded truthful. Rebecca wanted to believe them, but she questioned how long the inclination to keep in touch would last. This week had been intense—like erotic summer camp or the final day of high school. Emotions ran high in those situations. People were convinced they’d made friends for life. Then they went back to their normal lives, and the feelings faded. She took comfort in the fact that she’d see Trey at the Lounge now and then—at least until he got sidetracked by his next project.
“This isn’t casual for us,” Trey said as if he could read her thoughts. “We’re not capable of loving and leaving you.”
She wriggled around to face him, chest aching with the knowledge that she’d never known a man this sweet. “Kiss me when you say that,” she teased, hoping to keep tears at bay.
Trey kissed her, and then Zane did, and then the stars had something new to shine down on.
She stole an hour Sunday morning to meet Raoul in Quincy Market. The young driver, Owens, chauffeured her downtown and dropped her at an open-air cafe. She and her head chef had a last few t’s to cross before their official start of business, a task they were sweetening with coffee and biscotti.
Zane had dug up another outfit for her from wherever he was getting them. This one paired black jeans and a wraparound shirt printed with colorful Italian tourist scenes. A couple of the scenes were restaurants, and Rebecca hadn’t been able to resist, despite the neckline baring more cleavage than she was used to. She supposed the style suited her, because Raoul’s eyebrows rose.
“Something agrees with you,” he observed slyly once they were done with their hugs. “Maybe to do with the fancy limo that dropped you off?”
She had to answer. Conceivably, her activities could affect their jobs. “Trey Hayworth and I hooked up,” she confessed, conveying as much of the truth as she thought germane.
To her surprise, Raoul wasn’t horrified. He leaned back in the small cafe chair and smiled. “I thought something like that might happen. I never saw that man look at you like he didn’t want to eat you up.”
“You’re not upset? It is sleeping with the boss. What if—”
“—the sky falls tomorrow?” her associate joked. “Life is a banquet, chica. Believe it or not, there’s more on the buffet than work.”
Speechless, Rebecca could only blink at him, which amused Raoul. “Enjoy yourself,” he said. “Whatever happens, you and I will land on our feet.”
She hadn’t known he thought of them that way. He made them sound unbeatable, like a team nothing in the world could knock down. So much faith was amazing.
“You know I love you, right?” she said impulsively. “I might not say it, but I do.”
Raoul reached across the table to pat her hand. “I know. I only wonder if you’re aware how much everyone loves you.”
~
Zane hadn’t forgotten his intention to talk to Trey’s . . . cousins he supposed they were. He’d obtained the son’s number from Elaine and called him the next day. The area code was in Connecticut, the son businesslike and stiff. Just as capable of being formal, Zane explained that he was Trey’s business partner and would be handling the matter for the time being.