Free Rare and Precious Things by Raine Miller Page A

you didn’t seem to be in a very social mood back there.”
    “Well, you sure were.” I folded my arms and looked over at him.
    “What? I was just having a conversation with an old friend. Thank God there was somebody I could talk to, or I would have gone mad. Let’s remember that I didn’t want to go to the fucking thing in the first place, Brynne. It just turned out to be more pleasant than I imagined it would be.”
    “How do you know Carolina?” I hated that I felt insecure asking him about her. I didn’t want to know if they had ever been more than “friends,” but had to be pragmatic that it was a strong possibility.
    “We met when I was working an important job for the Italian PM years back. She’s a cultura l consultant for the government,” he said a little too quickly, as if he’d already prepared what to say when I asked.
    I sensed some hedging on his part. The way he was acting reminded me of that night at the Mallerton Gala when the strawberry-blonde “he went out with just the one time” was vying for his attention.
    My heart did a little drop and I felt insane jealousy at the thought of Ethan and Carolina being together at some point in the past. He’d fucked her. I knew it.
    “Oh…” I couldn’t think of a better response. I just wanted to go to bed and put the unpleasant thoughts out of my mind.
    I didn’t wait for Ethan to come around and open my door when we arrived back to the villa. I just got out and headed toward the steps.
    I didn’t make it very far before s trong arms wrapped around me from behind, pressing me back into the hard planes of his body. “Where do you think you’re going?” He nuzzled at my neck and rubbed thumbs over my collarbones seductively. My body responded immediately, my nipples hardening into peaks that gave me the now familiar sting of pain when it happened.
    “To bed , Ethan.” I knew that he knew I was pouting. I didn’t care. I couldn’t help how I felt—jealous, and insecure, and more than a little hurt.
    “Not yet, my beauty.” He kissed behind my ear, the rough sound of desire evident in his tone. “I went to your party and played nice, and now I get my date with you on the beach that I wished to have in the first place.”
    My stiffness melted at his words, and I spun around to face him, burying my face into his chest, breathing in his scent of spice and cologne that had captured me from day one. “It was an awful party,” I muttered, “I hated it.”
    He stroked over my hair and kissed the top of my head. “I can see that, but I can make it better now,” he promised. “Forget about that pretentious party and come with me.”
    “So , you didn’t want to stay there and talk to Carolina longer? You were obviously old friends catching up.” My spiteful words just slipped out before I could stop them.
    He gave me the blank look again and tilted his head. “Baby, what does that mean?”
    I shrugged. “I got the feeling that you and she were past…that the two of you had—”
    His eyes grew wide b efore he started laughing. “Okay, I get it now. You thought that Carolina and I had gone out together.” He shook his head slowly at me. “No, baby. We’re just friends and colleagues. Besides, she’s got at least a decade on me.”
    “Well, she’s still very beautiful. I doubt her age would bother a man much at all.”
    He laughed at me some more. “The fact that she only does women would.”
    “Oh…well, that’s good. I mean—that makes sense then. Wait, Carolina is a lesbian? That beautiful woman is not into men?”
    “Nope. She bats for your team, baby. Why do you think I sat between us tonight? I didn’t want her getting even the chance to be close to my beautiful wife.” He kissed me softly, with nibbles to my lips. “Not that I’m worried that you would ever switch teams on me, but why take the chance?”
    “Oh, God. Like that would ever happen.” I pushed at his chest and shook my head. “That’s the most