Broken Together by K. S. Ruff Read Free Book Online Page B

contemporary for this historic building, bold but
elegant in a minimalist sort of way.”
    “You
don’t think it’s too dark?” He cut into a small yellow custard with his fork
and held it up for me.
    “I
find the absence of color very soothing.” I tried the custard. “What did you
just feed me?”
    “ Pastel
de nata, a traditional Portuguese pastry.” He took a bite. “Do you like
it?”
    “The
pastry shell melts in your mouth.” I ate another piece. “The filling is creamy
and very sweet.”
    “Try
this.” He offered me something that resembled a chocolate burrito.
    My
eyes widened. “Wow.” I grabbed my own fork and took another bite. Chocolate and
a salted caramel sauce had been rolled inside the chocolate cake-like pastry.
    “I
thought the austriacos would be more to your liking, given your affinity
for chocolate.” Rafael pulled a few more pastries out of the bag and set them
on our plates. “Lamb and veal croquettes . They’re a bit more savory.”
    I
grinned. “Did you just serve dessert first?”
    He
heated the croquettes in the microwave. “Honestly, would you have it any
other way?”
    I
shook my head. Still smiling, we dug into the warm croquettes . “Do you
mind if we just relax here today? I’m still pretty tired.”
    Rafael
set our cups and plates inside the sink. “Sure. I’m not in a hurry to go anywhere,
but I would like to take you out to dinner.”
    “That
sounds perfect.” I twined my fingers with his.
    He
led me down the hallway. I noted a bathroom and two guestrooms before we
entered the last door on the left.
    Rafael’s
bedroom was decorated in the same three hues as the rest of the house. The wall
behind the bed was covered in large black and white suede tiles, similar to a
chessboard. Three large chess pieces stood in the far corner of the room… a
white king, his queen, and an elegantly carved knight. The other wall held a
large stainless steel sculpture that appeared to be folding in on itself. All
of the furniture was black. The bedding was black except for the white throw
pillows piled against the headboard. The most striking feature by far was a
long gas fireplace that hung on the wall opposite the bed. There were three highly
polished swords hanging above the fireplace. They weren’t jeweled or
embellished in any way. They looked old, which I found odd given Rafael’s
proclivity for contemporary things.
    He
tapped a button on a remote near the bed. The embers along the bottom of the
fireplace glowed before the flames sprang to life. “What do you think?”
    “That’s
even more impressive than the fireplace on the airplane.” I felt the comforter,
the pillows, and sheets.
    “Clearly
we share an affinity for fireplaces.” He pulled his shirt off and tossed it on
the chair.
    My
eyes snagged on a book sitting on top of the nightstand. “A little light
reading?” The book was entitled Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other
Sex Offenders .
     “I
was working on a case involving an international pedophile ring before I went to
work for Michael.” He shoved the book inside the drawer. “That was not an easy
case to walk away from.”
    I
gently caressed his cheek. “Did you catch who you were looking for?”
    He
captured my hand. “It’s a long, complicated, and repulsive story… not something
I want you thinking about before you go to sleep.” He pressed his lips against
the palm of my hand.
    My
eyes remained on his lips.
    “You
know that statement you made about bica ?” His fingers dipped beneath my
waistband. He quietly unbuttoned my jeans.
    “Vaguely.”
I stepped out of the jeans.
    He
removed my sweater. “I’m giving you a bye on that… for now. I vowed to prove
that statement wrong, and I will prove it wrong once you’ve rested.”
    “We’ll
see,” I mused matter-of-factly.
    He
collapsed onto the bed. “You’re killing me.”
    “Those
black satin sheets… that fireplace… this room… your entire apartment screams
sex and you