Ray of Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 3) (14 page)

"Hang on a minute--who's John?" Kane asked, perplexed.

"Oh, that's Ray's nickname that Faye gave him. It's a long story. I'll tell you about it later. But getting to the crux of this whole saga, we made Ray think that tonight was important for Faye because she meant to tell John she cared about him. We also acted excited at the thought of finally meeting this John person."
 

"But," Kane interjected, "I saw that Rita woman slide up really close to Ray and he didn't seem to mind. Are you sure he's not over Faye?"

"See, I think that was partly your fault, although of course, you weren't aware of it."

"What do you mean?"

"When you got here, you and Faye had your arms around each other. You looked very close and comfortable together. I've been observing Ray tonight. He kept on looking at the entrance. Rita was already here flirting with him whenever she could and he just ignored her. He must have been waiting for Faye to arrive and when she did —"

"She was with another guy who had an arm around her," Kane finished for Victor. "I can see why that would confuse him. And why he'd shy away from her again. He probably had his hopes up that he could fix things with her tonight then here she was, 'dating' someone else again."

"It's so like a bad soap opera that it's giving me a huge headache," Victor grumbled. "What do we do now?"

"Leave it to me," Kane responded.

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm still thinking. I'll make it up as I go. Faye made me promise not to approach Ray but this is one promise I may have to break. We'll find out once and for all if Ray is in love with my sister. If he isn't, then Faye doesn't have a choice but to move on."

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Ray shook hands with the gentleman who was about to become his new client. He was Rita's accountant and was interested in placing an ad in his magazine for his professional services business.

He breathed a sigh of relief that the impromptu business networking set up by Rita was over. Having calmed down from his initial shock at seeing Faye arrive with a new date, he was determined to find her and shake the truth out of her.

If what he'd overheard from Victor, Clarise and Jessa that morning was true, then he was a total ass for not calling Faye back. Did he really hurt her? If her friends were to be believed, then Faye had feelings for him. They didn't exactly use the word 'love' but it seemed that she cared a lot about him.

So why did she come here with someone else? That was what he couldn't understand. If she was to let him know that she cared about him, why bring another man here?

If you were in her shoes, wouldn't she be asking you why you were dating and flirting with another woman if you really loved her?

That thought gave him a big jolt.

Fuck. What if she thinks I've moved on, so she's given up on me and started dating again?

Suddenly, he
knew
that he really was a total ass, a complete jerk and a certifiable moron. He had selfishly focused on his own pain and been so scared of being hurt further that he'd stopped considering what she might have been feeling. Yes, she cut him really deeply but he'd closed the door on her when she wanted to communicate with him.

She had called him and left a ton of messages. He didn't even listen to them. She sent him pleading texts to call her back and he ignored them.

If she thought he wasn't worthy of her because he was such a fuckwit, then she'd be absolutely right.

But he would find her and beg her to forgive a stupid idiot who was so in love with her he couldn't see clearly nor think straight.

He looked around. He didn't spot her among the crowd in that room, but what he did see made his face burn with anger.

The good-looking, dark-haired guy that Faye arrived with was with Rita. And he was flirting with her outrageously.

Rita was enjoying the attention but he didn't care about that. If it was any other man, he would have been very pleased and relieved that she had set her sights on someone else.

But what was this man thinking, picking up another woman when he was here with Faye? What would Faye think if she saw them? She'd be highly embarrassed, perhaps even devastated.

Faye didn't deserve to be humiliated in front of her friends and a gallery-full of people. He'd already hurt her enough. He wouldn't let someone else make her feel worse.

He marched toward the fucker.

"Excuse me, may I have a word with you?" He meant to be civil but his tone came out low and menacing.

The idiot simply raised his eyebrows at him.

"Oh, Ray, we were just talking," Rita simpered, clearly thinking he was fighting for her.

"This is not about you, Rita," he said, not taking his eyes off the other man.

The dickhead even had the audacity to smirk at him as he introduced himself. "I don't think we've met. My name is Kane."

Ray glanced at the hand extended to him for a handshake. Being in a public place, he decided it was best not to cause a scene. He took Kane's hand and gripped it tightly. To his surprise, Kane's grasp was equally strong. "Name's Ray. May I have a word with you, Kane? Outside."

"I would be glad to."

He was momentarily taken aback by the direct, unblinking gaze thrown at him by Kane. The look didn't quite go with the cad he witnessed earlier. He shook his head imperceptibly and swept his arm to his side, indicating for Kane to lead the way.

Kane smiled politely and started heading towards the back door of the gallery.

"Ray, you really don't have to worry —" Rita called.

He stopped and faced Rita. "Rita, seriously, this is not about you and it has nothing to do with you. Please stay here and don't even think about following us."

~~~~~~~

"So, Ray," Kane drawled. "Now that you have me out here, what do you want to say to me?"

"How could you treat Faye like that?" he asked Kane accusingly.

"Whatever do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"Maybe I'm slow so spell it out for me, if you please," Kane goaded.

Ray took a deep breath, trying not to lose his temper. "You came here with Faye. Don't you know that you might be embarrassing or hurting her by flirting with another woman at her best friend's partner's event?"

"What do you care, Ray?"

"She's been hurt enough."

Kane's eyebrows shot up. "By whom?"

He stayed silent, unwilling to answer that question.

"Your silence tells me it could be you who hurt her. What did you do? Hit on Rita Maxwell, too?"

Blood rushed to Ray's face. "It's none of your business," he muttered.

"Aha! That's it, isn't? If you hitting on Rita is none of my business, why is
my
flirting with her yours?"

"Because you're with Faye tonight!" he hissed through gritted teeth.

The self-satisfied grin that appeared on Kane's face annoyed the hell out of Ray. He stepped closer and pointed his finger at the smug man's face. "Look, you may not care about Faye but I do. If you want Rita then, by all means, pursue her, but have the decency to —"

"Hey, what's going on here?"

Both he and Kane jumped at the sound of Faye's voice as she approached them from the back of the garden.

"It's nothing, Faye," Kane replied smoothly.

Ray stepped back from Kane and gazed at Faye's beautiful, concerned face. Lord, how he missed her! He prayed he hadn't completely destroyed all his chances with her.

"Doesn't look like nothing to me, Kane."

Ray felt a pinch in his heart that Faye would look to Kane for an explanation. How long had she known this man?
 

"We were just having a little man-to-man talk," Kane replied calmly.

"What about?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

The easy familiarity evident in their interaction depressed Ray. He wished it was him Faye was scowling at. And fuck, Kane's attitude was aggravating him! He fisted his hands at his side but remained motionless.

"He was the one who approached me," Kane answered a tad defensively.

Faye's intent gaze switched to him.

He wanted to tell her that her date was hitting on another woman while she wasn't looking. But he couldn't.

He eyeballed Kane. "Why don't you answer her question? You're not hiding anything, are you?"

"Okay, fine. I'll answer it," Kane concurred with a sigh. "I was chatting Rita Maxwell up and —"

"You were chatting Rita up?" Faye interrupted in disbelief.

"Well, it was just an act," Kane elaborated.

Ray glared at Kane furiously.
How dare this lowlife try to save his hide by lying to Faye? Has he no compunction whatsoever?

He returned his gaze back to Faye, intent on setting the record straight. He found her looking directly at him. The pain in her eyes drew the breath out of his lungs. He couldn't stand that look. It distressed him. What could he say to stop her hurting? Was it in his power to make her feel better?

She spoke before he could. "And you got angry at Kane for hitting on Rita," she stated with sad resignation, her eyes watering.

His heart stuttered as he realised her misapprehension.

"No, Faye. It wasn't like that," he replied hastily. "I got upset because
you
would have been upset."

She frowned.

"It's true, Faye," Kane confirmed. "He was worried about what you would think."

Ray squinted at Kane in astonishment.
What's this guy trying to do?

"I don't understand," Faye murmured, her eyes on him, pleading for clarification.

"I didn't want Kane to hurt and embarrass you," he said, trying to explain the scene she witnessed.

"Why not?" she whispered.

He stepped closer to her, his gaze direct and sincere as he stared into her captivating blue eyes that held sorrow he wanted to dispel.

"Because you don't deserve that, Faye … Because I love you," he whispered.

Faye gaped at him, her eyes wide. "But if you love me and didn't want me hurt, why do you keep avoiding me and … and why are you with Rita?" she asked tremulously, her chin quivering.

He sighed and cupped her face with his hands, swiping the tears that escaped her eyes. "The answer to your first question is because I'm a big fool. As to the second, I'm not with Rita. I'm not interested in her at all. I'm so sorry, baby. I was hurting and I acted like an idiot through and through. But that's no excuse. Please forgive me. I swear I'll make it up to you," he beseeched.

An utterly radiant smile slowly spread over her face. "I have some apologising to do, as well. I didn't mean what I said about being free to date other people. I just want to be with you, Ray. I love you, too."

His heart burst with a symphony of happiness. He pulled her to him and kissed those luscious lips he'd been pining for since he left her apartment two weeks ago.

Faye curved her arms around his neck and, in an instant, their kiss deepened as they passionately expressed their love and longing for each other with their mouths. He tightened his arms around her, joyfully feeling her soft body against him.

"Excuse me," an exasperated voice called loudly, "are you two forgetting you're not alone?"

Faye pulled away and peered at Kane with a suppressed grin. "Since when did you become a prude, Kane?" she teased.

"I'm sorry, but I have absolutely no desire to watch my little sister tongue a man in public."

"Then don't look," Faye retorted good-naturedly.

"Sister?" Ray asked, befuddled, looking from Faye to Kane.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ray looked at Kane with embarrassment as Faye confirmed to him her relationship with the other man.

"I am so sorry, Kane," he said sheepishly. "I pulled you out of there while you were making a move on Rita —"

Kane laughed out loud. "Don't worry about that. It was just an act. I did it to get a reaction from you so I could figure out how you really feel about Faye."

Ray smiled with a hint of self-deprecation. "So you know how asinine I've been in the last couple of weeks?"
 

"I kind of understand. I probably would have reacted the same if I was in your shoes."

Ray felt Faye squeeze his hand and he turned his attention back to her.

"You know the night Elena saw me with Steve at the restaurant?" she asked him quietly.

He nodded.

"When Elena saw me touch his face, I was telling him about you. You're the one I want to be with, Ray."

He smiled at her, running his thumb on her cheek to erase the worry on her face. "You don't know how happy that makes me. When I overheard your friends talking about us - I mean, talking about you and John - this morning in the office, I became hopeful but I still wasn't sure. I didn't want to assume anything until I heard the truth from you. Then I saw you arrive with Kane and I just jumped to conclusions. The wrong ones, obviously."

Faye's jaw dropped in surprise. "My friends talked about me and John?"

"Yes. I guess it's time for them to know who John really is," he suggested.

"They already know."

"Since when?" he asked in surprise.

"Since Monday last week."

The two of them stared at each other for a long second before they both burst out laughing, appreciating what her three best friends - and his three best employees - had done for the two of them.

Faye turned to her brother and gave him a big hug. "Thank you, Kane," she said softly, "for interfering, even though you said you wouldn't."

"Hey, we never talked about not interfering," Kane responded in jest as he returned his sister's hug. "I promised not to approach Ray and I didn't. Like I said,
he
approached
me
. Anyway, now that my job with you is done, I'm going to walk around the gallery and check out Evan's paintings. Find me when you're ready to go."

"Uh, Kane," Ray said, "I'll drive Faye home."

Kane looked at the two of them and smirked. "Sure."

"But I'll still find you and say goodbye," Faye affirmed.

"Okay," Kane said with a wave of a hand as he went back inside.

*******

"What time can I take you home?" Ray whispered as they walked back into the gallery after a few more minutes of kissing in the garden.