Taste of revenge

9

Noelle

I t's not a dream.
I'm forced to acknowledge that fact over dinner, staring into that
beautiful face across me and willing myself not to break into a sweat.
When I'd woken up this morning, I'd almost managed to convince
myself it had all been just a dream—a rather intense and exciting dream but
one, nonetheless.
Now?
I try to keep a straight face as I look at the man from last night.
Rafaelo.
Cisco proceeds to do the introduction, adding a few other things as he
goes on a long soliloquy. I don't really care, though.
Not as my whole attention is channeled on him.
I hadn't imagined it. He's just as beautiful as last night. The only
difference is the lighting that makes his features stand out more, the blue of
his eyes an even more compelling shade. His hair is swept back, giving him
a harsher look. If the other night he'd looked a little boyish with his unruly
locks, now he looks all man—threatening, intense...alluring.
The urge to squirm in my seat is strong, and it takes everything in me to
meet his gaze head on. Especially as he looks at me with such animosity, I
have to wonder if I hit him too hard last night. Because that's the only
explanation why his gaze would be this chilling and unfeeling, pinning me
to the spot with a promise of sweet retribution.
"Pleased to meet you," I nod, suddenly feeling under the microscope as
he narrows his eyes at me.

He's holding a butter knife in his hand, his grip so tight the tip seems to
be bending. And it's all while he's staring at me.
I blink rapidly, a little disconcerted by the hostility I see in his
demeanor. But as my brother engages him in conversation, the man seated
next to him, Carlos, tapping him on the shoulder, he finally wrenches his
eyes from me.
I breathe out relieved, the pressure inside of me decreasing slightly.
Maybe I should apologize for hurting him.
But why should I when he was the one invading my personal space in
the first place?
Armed with a new resolve, I tip my chin up, silently observing the
conversation around the table and the way charm seems to ooze off Rafaelo
when he's not glaring at me. There's a compelling quality to his voice as
words flow from his mouth, a certain innate musicality to the way he pauses
after certain words. His sentences are characterized by an odd fluidity, one
that calls to my trained ear.
It's without realizing that I simply close my eyes, taking a deep breath
and focusing on that lilt of his, my entire body covered in goosebumps at
the raw yet gentle sound. There's a deep bass that reverberates in the room
every time he speaks, and the hairs on my arms stand up.
Lips parted, I feel almost in a trance as I focus purely on the sounds and
their nuances.
For a short while I'm transported to a different time and place, and
everything seems to fade away as I feel at peace for the first time in forever.
Like a lighthouse beckoning me to safety while the storm rages on, there is
a comfort in the way his words are spoken with such assurance, pure
confidence drips from them. There's...
"Noelle!"
My eyes snap open to see Cisco scowling at me with mild annoyance.
"Stop being rude when we have guests," he chides. "You can't just doze
off at the table," he shakes his head at me, his fingers drumming on the hard
wood of the table in that restless manner of his.
"I'm sure she didn't mean to," Yuyu intervenes, placing her palm on top
of Cisco's hand, the gesture seemingly calming him.
"I was not falling asleep," I mumble under my breath, rolling my eyes at
him.

"Don't," Yuyu repeats, and I sneak a glance at them to find Cisco on the
verge of an apoplexy.
Of course. He thinks I'm embarrassing them.
Amo, too, is regarding me with disappointment in his gaze, probably
sure I'm doing this on purpose.
Like everything I seem to do these days.
"I can't be so boring as to cause her to fall asleep now, can I?" Rafaelo
interjects, his head turning with predatory precision as he fixes me with his
gaze.
My eyelids flutter as a blush envelops my cheeks at his direct perusal,
and I suddenly feel the urge to hide. I don't know what it is about the way
he's always looking at me, but it messes with my senses.
"Of course not," I reply, mustering half a smile.
My brothers are still watching me intently, almost as if waiting for me
to mess up.
"In fact," I force my lips to spread even wider across my face, "I can't
wait to get to know Rafaelo more," I add, fake enthusiasm imbuing my
tone.
"My sister is new to the city. She's been staying with my mother upstate
before, so she's not quite used to city life." Cisco interjects, as if I'd said
something so wrong he needed to make an excuse for me.
My hands are balled into fists under the table, and I barely hold back a
biting reply, since all he's done since I've been here has been to remind me
of my supposed inability of taking care of myself.
"Is that so?" Rafaelo asks, his voice a velvet caress to my ears. It takes
everything in me not to close my eyes again, focusing solely on his deep
rumble and its effect over my entire being.
God, but someone should record the man. I'd listen to that all day.
"I'll be venturing quite often in the city in the days to come. Your sister
can accompany me if she'd like," his mouth curls up as he extends the
invitation.
I frown, taken aback by his sudden suggestion. I'm even more surprised
considering that the disdain in his eyes has not diminished one bit, yet he
wants to spend time with me and show me around?
I'm about to protest, but then I remember my brother and I almost scoff
out loud. Considering my current situation, there's no way Cisco would let