In a Broken Dream (The Broken Series Book 4) (23 page)

My
heart ground to a complete stop. “Okay. I… ah… guess we’re leaving.”

Kadyn,
Roger, and Cenia looked mildly alarmed. “Is everything okay?” Cenia inquired warily.

I
nodded. “Yes. Everything’s fine. We just need to talk. Thanks for coming, guys.
I’ll see you later.”

Rafael
didn’t speak. We exited the restaurant and walked toward the parking garage in
silence. The tension building between us was oddly provocative.

The
second we entered the stairwell, he backed me against the wall.

“What
are you doing?” I cried.

“Maxim
will not best me in this. I know your body better than anyone,” he growled. His
lips crashed against mine.

I
groaned softly when his tongue thrust inside my mouth. “Rafael,” I interjected
when he began kissing my neck. My nipples hardened against his chest. His hand tunneled
beneath my bra. “Oh, God!” I gasped. My knees nearly buckled as he rolled my
nipple between his fingers and thumb.

“Rafael,”
I tried again. “We’re in…” I groaned when he kicked my feet apart and stepped between
my legs. He hiked my knees over his hips and pressed me back against the wall
as he settled his thickened shaft against the sweet spot between my legs. My
entire body clenched.

I
nearly sobbed, I wanted him so bad. “Someone could…” My eyes slid closed as he
began sucking just behind my ear. He braced my back against the wall as he
began roughly kneading my breasts. Both of his hands were shoved under my bra. My
body wound tighter and tighter. His tongue swept through my mouth, seeking…
claiming… branding everything. I started trembling.

I
abandoned the protest. I no longer cared that we were standing inside a public garage.
I wanted him inside of me regardless. I fisted my hands in his hair as fought
to gain control over the kiss. He kissed me even harder, then held me in place
as I disintegrated in his arms. A smug look settled over his face as he slowly released
my legs.

I
slid down his body, too sated to be angry. “Shall we?” I asked, tugging my bra
back into place.

He
nudged me toward the stairs. “Just so you know, we’ll be finishing this at home.”

I
smiled unabashedly. “I was hoping you would say that.”

* * * * *

Rafael
tossed my suitcase in the back of his SUV. “Would you stop asking questions and
climb in already?”

I
assumed the most hostile posture I could muster. The guy had packed my suitcase
in the middle of the night, so there were no clues as to what he’d packed. “No.
Not until you tell me where we’re going.”

He
laughed when he walked out from behind the SUV and caught sight of me. “I don’t
feel even remotely intimidated.” He opened the passenger door for me.

I
paused just before I climbed inside. “Please?” I asked. He had seemingly conjured
this trip out of thin air. I had no clue where we were going, why, or how long
we would be staying there. “I need to let my boss know if I’m going to miss work
on Monday,” I protested in a feeble attempt to get him to reveal where we were
going.

Rafael
tugged me against his chest. “If I were planning for you to miss work on
Monday, I would have covered that.” He caressed my bottom. My eyes nearly rolled
into the back of my head when he began kissing my neck.

I
wiggled out of his arms before he could leave another hickie. I climbed into
the SUV, no closer to learning what he was up to.

I
texted Shae to let her know Rafael and I were leaving town. We’d made each
other a promise to alert the other if we were going off the grid for any
reason. That way neither of us would panic when the other was suddenly
unavailable. That was just one of many pacts we’d made after Ukraine.

Rafael
drove into DC. I glanced at him curiously when he pulled into the parking garage
for Union Station. “Union Station? What are we doing at Union Station?”

“We’re
traveling by train,” he replied evasively.

My
eyebrows furrowed. “A metro train or a train train?” Both ran under Union
Station.

He
laughed as he eased the Lincoln Navigator into a parking space. “A train train.
And don’t bother trying to figure out where our final destination is. This
train has stops all along the east coast. Ours could be any one of them.”

“You’re
impossible!” I exclaimed. I jumped out of the SUV before he could open the door
for me.

He
was still laughing when he pulled the suitcase out of the back. “Have you ever
made love on a train before?”

My
feet stalled. “No.”

He
nudged me toward the elevator. “Me either. Wouldn’t you like to?”

I
grew quiet as I pondered how that might work. “Does the train have bathrooms
like an airplane?”

He
laughed as he ushered me inside the elevator. “I reserved a bedroom.”

I
gaped at him. It was eight o’clock on a Saturday morning. “Are we spending the
night on the train?”

He
shook his head. “No, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make good use of the room
for the next few hours.”

Suddenly,
it didn’t matter where we were going. He reached for my hand as we walked out
of the elevator. Then he began whispering all of the wicked things he was going
to do to me once we got on the train.

The
car attendant greeted Rafael like an old friend when we approached the train. “Mr.
Garcia, I’m so pleased you could join us!”

I
eyed him curiously. How did he know Rafael?

The
man helped me up the stairs before leading us down a narrow passageway. This
section of the train contained no seats, only private rooms. “Looks like we’re
in for some beautiful weather today,” he noted cheerily.

“That’s
good,” Rafael replied. “Will the train be departing on time?”

The
car attendant glanced at his watch. “Yes, sir. The train will be departing in
six minutes.” He stopped in front of a room near the end of the car, unlocked
the door, and handed Rafael the key. “Don’t hesitate to call me if you need
anything further.” He began whistling as he walked away.

Rafael
opened the door and ushered me inside.

My
breath caught. Hundreds of deep red rose petals formed a perfect heart in the
middle of the white linen bedspread. A bottle of champagne, a decanter of
orange juice, and a coffee carafe sat next to an assortment of pastries, a
platter filled with meats and cheeses, a bowl of fresh fruit, and the largest
chocolate dipped strawberries I’d ever seen. I stood gaping at the room.

A
soft click sounded as Rafael closed the door. “What do you think?” he inquired
softly. He nuzzled my neck as he wrapped his arms around me.

I
turned in his arms. “I think I’m hopelessly in love with you, Rafael Tiago
Garcia.” My eyes and hands slid over his finely sculpted chest. My heart clenched
when our eyes finally met. “Would you like some breakfast?” I whispered
hoarsely.

He
shook his head. He stared at me intently while lifting my shirt over my head. I
watched the long sleeve t-shirt fall to the floor, then glanced nervously toward
the bed, which was nestled just below the window. We were standing right in
front of the window, although it appeared the train sat high enough to where no
one would see us. Still, we hadn’t even left the station. My stomach fluttered
nervously. To be stripped naked in front of a window in broad daylight was a
tad bit unnerving.

The
window fell out of focus when he began kissing my neck. “That feels nice,” I
murmured, deeply aroused. I tugged Rafael’s shirt over his head. “You have the
most amazing chest.” I planted open mouthed kisses all along his pecs before kissing
his neck.

We
both kicked our shoes off. Rafael unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down my
legs. “Not nearly as impressive as these legs,” he said. He tugged my socks off
before licking and kissing his way back up to my lips.

I
fingered the button on his jeans. “These are in my way,” I announced teasingly.
I released the button and slid the zipper down so I could dip my hand inside
his boxer briefs. He pulled me into a deep, provocative kiss as I began fondling
him. Heat pooled between my legs. His jeans were definitely in my way.

I
ran my hands along the inside of his jeans and around his backside until the
jeans and boxer briefs fell to the floor. He kicked his remaining clothes aside.

I
jumped when the train sounded its horn.

Rafael
laughed. “I think we should sit down.” The train lurched forward as he sat on
the edge of the bed. He pulled my legs over his until I was straddling his lap.
His lips sought mine in a feverish kiss.

Rafael
slid the bra strap over my shoulder as he layered open-mouthed kisses all down
my neck. My nipples hardened, beckoning his tongue. His warm, wet mouth latched
onto my breast, drawing it deep inside his mouth. My head fell back as I arched
against him.

I
moaned when his erection pressed insistently between my legs. I ran my hands
along his hardened shaft, wishing it were inside of me. He unfastened my bra and
ripped my thong off. He swallowed my objection with a kiss, lifted my hips, and
pushed just inside of me. “I want you to watch the world go by while we make
love. I’m going to take you over and over again until you know where you belong.”

I
glanced at the blurring landscape flitting across the window, then gazed deep
into his eyes. “I know where I belong.” He was already filling me inch by
glorious inch when he suddenly thrust deep inside of me. “Rafael,” I cried when
our hips collided.

He
set a slow, erotic pace as he resumed kissing my neck and breasts. Rafael fell
back against the pile of roses. The intoxicating fragrance wafted all around
us. Our hips kept time with the methodical clacking of the train until Rafael tucked
me beneath him. The cool, velvety petals caressed my arms and back. “Nothing
else matters,” he rasped. “This. This is the only thing that matters.” He
thrust inside of me in three powerful strokes.

“Yes,”
I moaned. I closed my eyes and let go, completely surrendering my body as he slammed
inside of me. He wedged his forearms beneath my back and clamped his hands
around my shoulders so he could pin me in place. He drove inside of me with
unconscionable force.

He
captured my scream in a kiss as he pulsed inside of me. The searing heat
collided with my orgasm. My body milked his until he had nothing left to give. “Again,”
I whispered as we rolled into the next station. My body quivered with
anticipation.

*
* * * *

“So,
who would you pick?” Rafael asked. We were eating cheesecake at Junior’s in Times
Square, a few blocks away from where he’d taken me to see Phantom of the Opera
in New York City.

This
was Rafael’s first time seeing the musical, my fourth. I loved the haunting
music and was thoroughly enamored with the tragic love story. I reached for my
coffee as I pondered the question. “I think I would choose the phantom.”

His
fork paused above the cheesecake. “Really? Why?”

I
laughed. “For the same reasons I’m drawn to you, although you’re much better
looking.”

He
looked thoroughly confused.

My
eyebrows furrowed as I pondered how best to explain. “The phantom’s love for
Christine Daaé was so intoxicating and raw. Who doesn’t want to be consumed
like that?”

Rafael’s
eyes heated. He pulled some money from his wallet and tossed it on the table.

I
glanced longingly at the half-eaten dessert. The New York-style cheesecake was
the richest and fluffiest cheesecake I’d ever tasted. I didn’t want it to go to
waste.

Rafael
flagged down the waiter. “I’d like a box for the cheesecake.”

The
waiter returned with a small Styrofoam container. “Enjoy your evening.”

A
feeling of déjà vu washed over me as Rafael boxed up the desert. I placed my hand
in his when he rose from the table. “Where are we going?”

“We’re
going to make a mess out of the sheets in the hotel room,” he replied frankly.

My
toes curled instinctively. I glanced toward the pastry counter at the far end
of the eclectic restaurant. “Do you think this place sells chocolate mousse?”

Rafael
offered me a tortured look before tugging me toward the door.

I
took one last, lingering look at the intriguing murals. “Maybe I should duck
inside the bathroom and remove my panties before you rip this pair,” I ribbed.

He
stopped abruptly. His eyes traveled down my body and back up again. “I suggest
you avoid the bathroom unless you want to have sex in there.”

I
grinned. “
Alrighty then
.”

He
stared at me uncertainly, then yanked me out the door.

“Are
you ready to do this?” Shae asked.

I
nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” I followed her into the classroom. My feet
slowed when I saw how many students there were. “Dr. Sandstrom said our
enrollment levels were high. He didn’t say it was going to be standing room
only.”