Secrets

Chapter 3

Rafael Rivera's eyes slowly opened. A groan nearly escaped his lips as he shifted in his bed. The sunlight filtered through the cracks of the heavy drapes, the slivers of light threatening to damage his retinas. He blinked rapidly, covering his eyes with a hand. A headache was already blossoming, starting from behind the eyes. It was what he deserved for overindulging in alcohol the night before. He shuffled and then paused, feeling the warmth of another behind him. Ah, yes, Lauren. The reason why he was so hung over and still tired despite a reasonable amount of sleep.

It had been a wild night with the seductive brunette. Rafael had been seeing Lauren for a little over a month now, but there was nothing more to it. They were simply dating and sleeping together. Well, that's he saw things. He suspected Lauren was getting attached. Not good. Rafael knew that Lauren, like every other woman he cavorted around with, was more interested in his money than him.

That was the price he paid for being wealthy beyond reason. Finding a genuine friend or companion was near impossible. And that was the reason for his reluctance to get too involved with any woman. His and Lauren's relationship was purely sexual. He wanted to keep it that way, which why he had to make his escape now. Thankfully, they were in a hotel room, so he could just leave. Never bringing a woman into his private domain was rule he'd stuck to most of his adult life. In all of his thirty-one years, he couldn't remember ever bringing a woman home.

When he was younger, he was much too ashamed to bring a girl home. He, his mother, and older brother had lived in a dump, in the worst part of Los Angeles. As an adult and a billionaire, he never carried a woman home because he found them to all be conniving gold-diggers. Perhaps there were a few genuine women out there, but he had yet to encounter one.

Swinging his feet of the bed, Rafael attempted to get up with as little disruption to his bedmate as possible. To his dismay, she stirred and stretched.

"Rafe, where you are you going already?" Lauren's voice dripped with drowsiness.

Rats.

"It's almost nine, Lauren." He rarely slept so late, but the past night's activities were rather strenuous.

She blinked and sat up, revealing ample breasts. Putting on a provocative expression, she purred, "Isn't there anything I can do to persuade you to get back into bed? We could have a bit more fun and then order room service."

Rafael forced out a smile. "As tempting as that sounds, I have work to do. Feel free to order breakfast for yourself though."

"Darling, you're always working." Lauren huffed and pouted prettily.

With a mirthless smile, Rafael shrugged. "How else would I be able to fund your frequent shopping sprees?" He walked off and disappeared into the opulent bathroom. Yes, he would most definitely have to get rid of the lovely Lauren soon. She was becoming too demanding; probably feeling that a month in his bed would soon be lead to a marriage proposal.

Marriage. Rafael shuddered at the thought. Marriage was something he had sworn off a long time ago. Sure, his parents had a happy marriage. So he had been told. His Father died when he was five years old. Rafael barely remembered him. His mother spoke highly of her husband, always telling her son how happy and in love they had been, despite not having much. Rafael snorted. As if love meant much when you were hungry or cold. His lips twisted as he stepped into the shower. His mother often lectured him about his cynicism.

"How did you get to be so cynical? You certainly didn't learn it from me," Manuela Rivera often said.

But growing up the way he did, how could Rafael not be? Learning that his father had passed away from a broken heart because he couldn't feed his family was depressing to hear. What was even more disheartening was that he had gone to so many people for help and had been rejected. Hearing all of that he had developed a cynical nature.