Lib Novel Page 81
Carefully, I put the jewelry back into the bag, wipe the tears from my eyes, and head to the walk-in closet. The overhead lights turn on when I slide the door aside, illuminating the rows of empty shelves on the left wall where my clothes have been. I do a three-sixty, looking around in confusion. Rafael’s suits, shirts, and everything else are still there. But other than my underwear and socks, and the fluffy white cardigan, everything else of mine is gone!
“That jackass,” I snap and reach for his dress shirt. But then, I change my mind.
He wants to play dirty?
Game on.
* * *
“What a lovely morning,” I chirp as I step inside the kitchen, heading straight to the stove where Irma is cooking scrambled eggs. “Can I have some of that goat cheese on the side, as well?”
“Yes . . . of course,” she mumbles, her eyes as wide as saucers as she takes in my outfit.
“Thanks.” I smile and sit down across from Guido at the counter-height breakfast table. His eyebrows are in his hairline while he stares at me and does a great imitation of a fish struggling to breathe.
“Are we implementing a new dress code around here?” he asks.
“Not as far as I know.” I take the coffee carafe and pour myself a cup. “Why do you ask?”
“Yesterday, I stumbled on Rafael storming through the house in his birthday suit. He traumatized all the female staff. And now . . . you.” He motions with his cup in my direction.
“Your brother confiscated my clothes. Again.” I shrug and take a long sip. “I had to work with what I had available. It’s not like I’m naked.”
“I beg to differ.” He shakes his head. “I’ll tell Irma to pull down the blinds.”
“Why?”
“Because the gardeners are gawking at you and salivating. They may end up cutting off their fingers instead of rose bush branches.”
“I prefer natural light.”
Guido sets his coffee on the table and stands up. “I’m out. Don’t want to be around when Rafael sees you and loses his shit.”
“And why would Rafael lose his shit?” A deep voice comes from somewhere behind me.
“Fuck,” Guido mumbles.
I grab a knife and start spreading butter on the bagel I picked up from the platter on the table.
“Good morning, Rafael,” I say like I don’t have a care in the world and slowly swivel around on my chair.
He stands in the kitchen doorway, absolutely motionless, for an excruciatingly drawn-out moment. The only part of him that isn’t stone-still are his eyes. They are scanning my body, pausing on the see-through lacy bra that hides basically nothing, then continuing down my exposed stomach to the small triangle of the matching white thong. I did put on my fluffy cardigan, but I chose to leave it fully unbuttoned.
“Everybody. Out,” Rafael says in a hushed tone as his eyes move back up to my breasts. “RIGHT. THE FUCK. NOW!” he roars with his next breath.
“But, I haven’t finished my breakfast, yet.” I blink at him innocently.
His face is a mask of sheer rage as he crosses the distance and stops right in front of me.
“Guido,” he growls through his teeth, but his furious stare is focused on me. “If there is a single man left in this house in the next ten seconds, I’m going to gut him on the spot. That includes you. GET THE FUCK OUT!”
I take a bite of my bagel and watch Irma and Guido dash past Rafael. They hastily close the kitchen side door following their exit, but it doesn’t suppress the frantic shouts and sounds of commotion elsewhere inside the house.
Rafael leans forward and grips the table on either side of me, caging me with his massive body and arms. He looks so pissed that I wouldn’t be surprised to see fire flaring from his nostrils at any second. “What. The fuck. Are you doing?”
“This was all that was left on my side of the closet. And I won’t wear your clothes again.”
“You will.” He gets in my face. “Even if I have to carry you upstairs and forcibly put one of my shirts on you.”