Dark Secret - Feehan Christine. Страница 40

Glaring at Rafael and moving away from him didn't seem to help much. She could hear his soft mocking laughter in her mind. She was forced to acknowledge him, even when she was determined not to fall into his trap. Will you stop! She narrowed her eyes at him in warning.

Rafael looked at her in mock innocence. I am not doing anything.

Colby turned her attention to Tanya, Joclyn's daughter, as Ginny came running over and wound her arm around Colby for support. Rafael put his hand on the child's shoulder with an encouraging smile and Ginny smiled up at him gratefully, obviously mesmerized by him.

I'm going to throw something at you. Colby tried not to laugh at the situation, but for the first time in her life, she felt like she was sharing something with someone else. Like she belonged. Was a part of someone else. It didn't seem to matter that her brain screamed a million warnings at her, she was enjoying his attention. It was a new experience for her.

"I'm on a tight schedule, Colby," Ben snapped, bringing her attention hack to him. "If you can spare me enough time to tell me what's going on around here." He sounded accusing.

Rafael immediately circled Ginny's shoulders with his arm. She looked about to cry. "Go ahead, Colby, report to the official. Ginny and I can handle this, right, Ginny?" His voice was low and intimate, welding them all together as if they were one family. He sounded supremely confident in Ginny. "You know me, Tanya. Ginny and I will start the lesson and when Colby is finished with her business, she will join us. Is that acceptable to you?" He turned on a high-powered smile.

Colby shook her head watching Rafael. He was definitely creating the impression he belonged, he was a part of their family. Ben caught her arm rather roughly, dragging her attention back to him. She glanced up at him, startled, like someone waking up, coming out of a dream.

A low warning growl shimmered in the air, so that the horses stirred restlessly and the adults looked around carefully. They all heard it; most of them thought it might have been Ginny's dog, who was sitting regarding them all with an inquiring eye at the sudden attention. Colby knew better. She tucked her hair behind her ear and surreptitiously glanced in warning at Rafael. "Come up to the porch, Ben. Can I get you some coffee?"

He waited all of five steps before he exploded. "You want to tell me what the hell that was all about?"

Her eyebrow shot up. "What are you talking about?"

"Before you deny the little scene on the porch, Colby, you might take a look in the mirror at your neck. You've been all over that man."

Colby bit at her lip to keep from laughing. If she didn't laugh, she might cry. Her behavior with Rafael was completely out of character. She knew it and so did Ben. "Why are you blaming me? It just so happens he was all over me," she corrected. So maybe she wasn't the most beautiful woman in town, did that mean that Rafael couldn't possibly be attracted to her? "Some men are attracted to me, as strange as the concept might seem, Ben. I don't always have to attack them."

"This is so like you, choosing the wrong man. A man like Rafael De La Cruz will eat you up and spit you out! You're playing with fire. You can't do that with someone like him. Damn it, Colby, why don't you settle down with a decent man like Joe Vargas?"

"Joe Vargas! Sheesh! What is it with everyone and poor Joe? He would hate being married to me."

"Everyone in their right mind would hate being married to you." He dragged her onto the porch, deeper into the shadows, his fingers circling her upper arms to give her a little shake. "Is this about money? What are you up to?"

"Ben, let go, you're hurting me " Colby pried at the fingers circling her arm. "You always forget how blasted strong you are."

"Let her go now." The voice was very soft, very menacing. A whip of malevolence, a dark promise of retaliation. Colby had never heard anything like it before. Rafael had somehow covered the distance between them, completely across the wide expanse of yard, and was blending into the shadows so that his large frame scarcely could be seen, yet his black eyes were nearly glowing in the dark with unbelievable menace.

A shiver of fear ran down her spine and her hand went protectively to her throat. Rafael looked merciless, ruthless, every inch the predator. In that moment he didn't look wholly human. There was an animal quality about him, feral, dangerous, untamed.

Ben dropped his arms and would have stepped away from her, his hand sliding to his gun as his instincts took over, but Colby stayed firmly between the two men. "I've known Ben since I was about three years old, Rafael. He's like a brother to me. He would never hurt me, never. I'm sure this looked like he was getting rough, but it isn't like that at all. He was just, well… " She floundered for a moment, her heart pounding in her throat. The feeling of menace, of death was so strong she actually felt terrified for a moment. Terrified for Ben.

Rafael was the first to move, his arm snaking out, fingers circling her wrist to draw her very gently to him. "Then I must apologize as I do not understand the relationships of men and women in other countries." His arms circled her slender body, brought her right up against him protectively. Ssh, meu amor, your heart is beating far too fast. Listen to the rhythm of mine.

Ben stood there in silence watching the other man as he bent possessively over Colby. There was a protective posture to his body as he held Colby, his hands gentle, despite his tremendous strength. Rafael exuded power and menace, the arrogance of one long used to commanding others with complete authority. He looked like a man who always got his way and Ben could clearly see Rafael De La Cruz wanted Colby Jansen. De La Cruz was a man, not a boy, and Colby looked young and vulnerable beside him. She seemed a bit frightened and very confused as if she found herself in a situation she was unprepared for. And Ben knew Colby, knew she would never be prepared for a man such as Rafael De La Cruz.

"I would never hurt Colby," Ben said calmly. "We're old friends and I guess I'm used to rough-housing with her a bit."

Rafael smiled, showing gleaming white teeth. There was no humor in the smile, rather a subtle warning. "Perhaps she is becoming too old for such things." His voice was softer than ever and it sent Colby's pulse racing all over again. He sounded deadly.

Colby took a deep breath and let it out, determined to take back control of the situation. "Thank you for worrying about me, Rafael, but as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. I really have quite a bit to discuss with Ben, so if you would excuse us…"

Rafael bowed low with a courtly old-world elegance long since gone from the modern world. All the time his gaze never left Ben's face, the black depths of his eyes ice cold. Ben watched as the man bent to brush a kiss on the top of Colby's silken hair before gliding away, back across the yard to the Everetts and Ginny.

Ben stared down at Colby, his features set and sober. "You are nuts to think you can control him. He's dangerous, Colby. He would have torn my heart out with his bare hands. You should know better than to get involved with someone like that."

Colby stood there looking up at him rather helplessly. She didn't know if she was involved with Rafael. Everything in her life seemed as if it was spinning out of control when she was anywhere near Rafael. She shook her head and dropped into the porch swing, her knees suddenly rubbery. "I don't know what's happening to me, or to the ranch, the world is so upside down right now, Ben."

It was the first time he had ever heard her sound so lost. At once he hunkered down beside the swing, his hand on her knee to comfort her. "Listen to me, honey. You don't need to sell your soul here. I've got money if you need it. A little saved up, nothing big." He took a deep breath, his face manfully expressionless as he made the ultimate sacrifice. "And hell, if you need me to marry you, I guess we could do that too."