“Right,” she said, wishing that was enough to calm all her fears. “But Tabitha told me you were a bully. She said you were controlling.”

“You keep saying that.” He tilted his head as he studied her. “She didn’t tell you that I hit her, did she? I’ve never touched a woman that way. What the hell else did she tell you?”

“She didn’t say you hit her, but she kept calling you a bully,” she said.

“That’s what all these questions about assault have been about all along, right?” he asked, his voice filled with bitterness.

“I had to make sure you wouldn’t hurt Joel. I had to protect him. She said you were like our father,” she finally said.

He shrugged. “What does that mean? The only thing I know about your father is that he’s a snob and a successful businessman. I’m no snob, but I’ve done well with my business.”

“My father abused us,” she said, unable to keep it in any longer. “That’s why I avoid him. It’s why my mother left him. She got a huge settlement if she agreed not to reveal how many times he’d slapped her. Tabitha was much better at playing him than I was. He hit her a few times, but most of the time I was the target.”

He stared at her. “Your father did that? He beat you?” he asked.

Her heart twisted at the disbelief in his voice. “Don’t ask me to prove it. You don’t have to believe me, but it’s true. That’s why I had to make sure you wouldn’t hurt Joel. I would do anything to make sure that didn’t happen to him.”

He met her gaze. “I believe you. I’m not a violent man, but I would like to beat the crap out of him for touching a hair on your head.”

She took a deep breath and felt a sinking sense of relief. “So, now, maybe you understand why I want to make sure that you won’t harm Joel.”

“I would never,” he said, moving toward her. “And I would never harm you. I can’t promise, however, that I wouldn’t hurt someone who threatened Joel or you.”

She took another breath. “Hopefully that won’t happen.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth. “I wish I knew why your sister lied about me.”

Distracted by his touch, Nicole tried to summon a reason for Tabitha’s actions. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I wish I knew, too.”

“She was wild when I first met her. I caught her taking some pills one time when we first started seeing each other. I made her swear she would stop. I thought I would be a stabilizing influence. I asked her to marry me. I thought I could help turn her around,” he said.

Although Tabitha had kept her drug usage secret, Nicole had suspected that her sister had dabbled in drugs. After Joel had been born, she’d held her breath in hopes that he hadn’t been affected.

“I always thought she was the stronger one,” she said. “When we were growing up, she would challenge my father for anything.”

“He didn’t abuse her?” he asked.

“Very rarely, but she somehow was able to dance around his anger. I still don’t know how she did it,” Nicole said.

“But you took the brunt of it,” he concluded, his voice full of disgust.

“I don’t know why. I tried to be invisible, but it didn’t work. I was always so relieved to go back to boarding school so I could be away from him.” She glanced at him. “I don’t want you to think I’m ungrateful.”

He looked at her, perplexed. “Ungrateful?”

“I was very fortunate that my parents were wealthy enough to send me to the best schools. I received health care and education.”

“You were also abused. You didn’t deserve that.”

“I have to keep reminding myself of that fact.”

“I’ll remind you,” he said, moving closer to her, taking her into his arms.

Nicole slumped against him, inhaling his strength. She gave in to the urge to lift her hands to his hair and savored the sensation of his crisp hair in her fingers.

“This isn’t wise,” she said, but couldn’t stop herself from leaning against him.

“I disagree,” he said. “It feels right,” he said and dipped his head, taking her mouth with his.

Nicole clung to him, wishing she could inhale all of him, all of his strength so that she would never feel weak or vulnerable again.

“I want to stay with you tonight,” he muttered against her throat.

He heart quickened. “Rafe,” she said, torn in different directions.

“Tell me you don’t want me to stay,” he whispered. “Tell me you don’t want me.”

“I do,” she said, but forced herself to step away from him. She didn’t want to confuse Joel if-when Rafe lost interest in her. “But being with you is just going to make things more complicated. We can’t do this.”

Nine

Rafe picked up his brother Michael at the private airport. “Nice surprise,” he said as his brother crammed his backpack into the non-existent backseat of Rafe’s Corvette.

“Thanks for picking me up,” Michael said. “I would normally just take a morning flight, but this guy wanted to meet at 8 a.m. and I didn’t trust the airlines or the private jet service in winter.”

“It’s not winter here,” Rafe said, shifting gears and pulling away from the terminal.

Michael chuckled. “Rub it in. How’s your son? How’s Nicole?”

“Joel is great. Nicole needs some work,” Rafe said, unable to keep a growl from his voice. He decided to wait to tell Michael about Aunt Emilia’s letter when he could show him the photographs. “Tell me about the business deal that would drag you from Atlanta so you could have an o’dark-thirty meeting in Miami.”

Michael discussed the deal and twenty minutes later, Rafe pulled into the garage.

“Nice crib,” Michael said.

“Back side is better,” Rafe said with a smile. “Come inside little brother.”

Michael rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”

Leading his brother through the garage, Rafe opened the side door and heard Joel squeal.

“He’s home!”

Rafe couldn’t stop the joy that filled him. “Where’s my man?” he called, and Joel came running.

“Joel, you’re wet,” Nicole called. “Let me dry you-”

Joel skidded toward him as if the wooden floor were a Slip-n-Slide. Rafe rushed toward the boy and picked him up so he wouldn’t get hurt. “Hey, you need to dry off those feet, or you could get in trouble.”

Joel just beamed. “I been swimming. I can go from one side of the pool to the other.”

Rafe grinned at his son. “Good for you. Do you remember your Uncle Michael from Atlanta?”

“We met just before you left.”

Joel looked at Michael with a blank expression on his face.

Michael laughed. “No problem, guy. Next time I’ll bring a gift.”

Nicole appeared breathlessly. “Not necessary. He’s not at all deprived.”

Rafe looked Nicole over from head to toe. She wore a black bikini that made him want to strip it off. “Looks like the two of you have been having fun,” he said.

She nodded and turned to Michael. “Please forgive my appearance. I didn’t know we were having guests.”

“Nothing to forgive,” Michael said. “You should always dress this way for guests. It will leave all of us nearly speechless.”

Rafe tossed his brother a quelling glance. “I’ll get Carol to show you to your room.”

“But I’m enjoying this show much more,” Michael protested.

“Carol,” Rafe called, feeling protective.

His housekeeper immediately appeared. “Yes, sir.”

“Please show my brother to the blue guest room.”

“Yes, sir. Welcome home,” she said.

“Thank you,” he replied.

“Such a grouch,” Michael said, but allowed himself to be led away.

Nicole grabbed towels for Joel and herself.

“I petted a frog,” Joel announced.

“You did?” Rafe said, wrapping the towel around his son and pulling him up into his arms. “How did he feel?”

“He was slippery. Frogs are cool. I like the way they croak,” Joel said. “My teacher said we get turtles next week.”

“You like school?”

Joel nodded. “It’s fun. And I like the pool here.”