“I don’t like it.” The words are clipped.
Carrie was almost afraid to ask, “What don’t you like about it?”
“Are you wearing skirts when you’re out with him? I’ve told you before I don’t like you in skirts. I don’t like he’s
got you all too himself, making you laugh. When you laugh you’re eyes get all sparkly and you blush too easily. I don’t like it.”
Fighting a smile, Carrie snuggled into the pillows. “Rafael, don’t be cranky. Javier is on his best behavior and it’s almost annoying how often he calls me, Rafael’s woman. Javier behaves himself and I promise so do I.”
“Fine, but no more skirts. Please, Carrie.”
“Yes, Rafael, no more skirts.” She heard his phone chime and he swore.
“Rafael, it almost ten thirty in the evening. Is that work?” For a moment she went still, could Rafael be with someone else in Phoenix?
“Yes, damn it. It’s the Los Angeles office and it’s only nine thirty there, sweetheart. I have to go. Night.”
Rolling over she clutched a pillow close. Where had that idea come from? Rafael wouldn’t be with someone else, not when he spent night after night on the kind of phone sex so hot she wondered how her phone didn’t melt. He had once accused her of having a dirty mouth but when he let go his words had been so much dirtier and better than hers. Don’t be stupid, she told herself.
The call had been brief but he hadn’t paused at the idea of continuing talking even knowing he couldn’t get what he called for. It made her feel better, until her eyes caught the edge of the folder.
On her lunch break she had been to see an insurance agent. The amount of different life insurance policies available was staggering and overwhelming. While she didn’t want the twins to become dependent on a payout if something did go wrong, the idea of being able to take care of them into college appealed. As long as it was used for school and not Riley becoming a video game junkie. Was she being overly cautious? Her aunt had almost five years, then again the more she had thought about it the more imperative it seemed. The agent had added to her concerns by laying out nightmarish scenarios of car accidents, and plane crashes until Carrie had felt faint. If something happened to her today, there was no one to take care of them. She could ask Bethany, but would it be fair to Bethany? It would be for the twins, without Bethany they would go into foster care and pushed out of the system once they hit eighteen. Except Bethany had just gotten married and two teenage boys were expensive to maintain. The only thing about all of this was she wasn’t sure she wanted the insurance to pay out immediately to the twins in one fell swoop. She had little doubt it would be gone in months. Tomorrow, she would call Javier and ask him for advice on estate planning.
Just the words caused a shiver, estate planning. Just in case.
The next morning she called Javier early to ask about meeting for lunch and he’d readily agreed. They both had said at almost the same time not to mention it to Rafael and then laughed. Carrie had little doubt Rafael had called Javier and let him know he didn’t like the lunches.
“Hermana, you are looking well, but tired. Still missing Rafael, that is clear.”
“Yes, it doesn’t seem fair so much is put on his shoulders to please your grandfather.”
“I agree, but a lesson I’ve learned is not to say those words to Rafael. He will not appreciate them and for him, he thrives on business even if it leaves little room for anything else. You sounded worried this morning but not about Rafael, is it?”
“Not really no. I was wondering if you could maybe refer me to a reputable lawyer for estate planning.”
His normal animated featured went still and his jaw, so like Rafael’s went tight. Dark eyes became almost black. “What’s the matter, Carrie? Why are you asking about a lawyer for estate planning?”
Her eyes went down, she didn’t want him to see the fear. “It’s nothing to get concerned about. I’ve just been thinking this is the best thing. The whole job loss and then everything after that kind of brought it into focus, what if something happened to me, what would happen with the twins? Now that I’m in a better place financially I just want to make sure they’ll be taken care of.”
A frown made it clear he wasn’t buying it. “Are you okay? Are you feeling okay?”
“Javier, it’s nothing. No big deal and I don’t want you talking to Rafael about this. This is family business, just in case.” Her words firm.
Realizing he wasn’t going to get anything out of her, he gave in. Giving her the name and number of a firm downtown she wrote it down and they finished their lunch in a tense silence.
“Whatever is going on, talk to Rafael. Sometimes just talking about it can help.”
“I will, if there’s something to talk about. I promise.” It was a lie, no matter what, she wasn’t going to share this with Rafael.
Chapter Twelve
The plane landed with a less than gentle thud and Rafael bit back a sigh of relief. Finally, he was back in Dallas it had been three of the longest weeks of his life. After spending another late night in the office, pissed all to hell because he couldn’t get back to the hotel and call Carrie at a reasonable hour he’d promised himself this was it. He loved his grandfather but he couldn’t keep this up. When he’d texted Carrie, apologizing she had said it was fine, she understood but he knew she was just saying it. Then he’d had to have a very stiff and formal conversation where it had burned him to tell her there was no other woman in his life, she was the only woman he wanted. The fear had been clear in her voice, she hadn’t asked the question it had simply been there in her voice. It had pissed him off she could think about him with another woman. Hanging up he’d called Carl and told him to get his ass to work at seven the next morning.
Out of all his people in Los Angeles, Carl was the post competent and had the experience needed to head the office. It hadn’t been Carl’s fault Rafael had kept him on such a tight leash he hadn’t stepped up. The plus was Carl was young but not too young and he was single and biting at the bit to show what he could do. Rafael was willing to let him and he’d made it clear if Carl showed how valuable he was then he’d head the Los Angeles office and answer only to Rafael. However, he would be answering to Rafael so he had to make sure they were very good answers. Rafael had been relieved at Carl’s quiet reassurance and had taken through Rafael where he saw the office going and how he’d make it happen. Their visions weren’t far off and meshed well, a three month trial had been agreed upon.
Waiting for his luggage, he texted Carrie to let her know he was at the airport. Her response was immediate, she was glad and waiting. Instantly, his cock was painfully hard. Twenty minutes he texted back. Her response was a picture of her breasts with her nipples hard points of need. Damn it, spotting his luggage he grabbed it and practically jogged to his car.
The drive took forever and he barely acknowledged his staff, he needed Carrie and he needed her now. He knocked and she opened the door, he didn’t think. Bending down, he slung her over his shoulder and went toward the back elevators, closest to the workout room and slipped in his card and hit his number.