'Sure. There's no shortage of weddings and birthday parties and grand openings. And I have quite a reputation for designing unusual cakes. It's kind of a family business. We have a bakery in Brooklyn. And what do you do?'
'Nothing quite so interesting,' he said. 'I'm a businessman. I buy and sell buildings.' His fingers toyed with a strand of her hair, and for a moment, Keely couldn't think. 'You know, I'm a big fan of cake,' he murmured.
'Then I'll have to bake you one.' At first, she regretted the offer. She was acting as if they'd see each other again after tonight. But why hide her desire? She
'A banana man?' Rafe asked with a laugh.
'A man who likes banana cake,' Keely explained. 'A bit exotic but still comforting. Am I right?'
'Actually, you are,' Rafe admitted. 'Right now, I have a couple of Sara Lee banana cakes in my freezer at home. And I do find them very…comforting.'
Keely sent him a flirtatious glance. 'After you taste my banana cake, you'll never eat another frozen cake again.'
'I look forward to that,' he murmured. He dipped a strawberry into the whipped cream and offered it to her. A long silence spun out between them. His gaze fell to her mouth and Keely held her breath, afraid to move, afraid to speak. All her silly talk about cake! How could a man like Rafe find her even remotely interesting?
She took a bite of the strawberry as she tried to think of a witty, sophisticated response, anything to break the silence. But it didn't matter. Rafe slowly leaned forward to touch his mouth to hers and all thought of conversation ceased.
The kiss was incredibly sensual, his lips brushing hers, tasting the strawberry and the whipped cream before he drew away. Keely swallowed hard. What was she supposed to do now? She fought an impulse to throw her arms around his neck and drag him down on the leather sofa. That would be way too aggressive, but it would certainly keep her from babbling on about cake. Maybe she could comment on the kiss, but Keely was afraid she'd start blithering.
In the end, she just smiled. And relaxed. And stopped thinking so hard about what she was doing. The conversation resumed and Keely was surprised at how easily Rafe moved between subjects. He asked personal questions yet never pressed for more details when she'd give him vague answers. Keely didn't mention anything about her new family. That conversation would have been too complicated and Keely wasn't even sure how she felt about it all.
As Keely had suspected, Rafe was quite well travelled. He'd spent time in Europe and the Orient and when she told him about her recent trip to London and Ireland, he remembered the exact stone circle she'd seen from a trip he'd made a few years ago. They moved from travel to books to art to music, and before Keely knew it, the pianist had stopped playing and the lights had gradually come up in the bar.
'What time is it?' she said, glancing around.
Rafe looked at his watch. 'Past two,' he said.
'In the morning?'
He nodded. 'Maybe we should call it a night?' Rafe stood and held out his hand. 'Come on, I'll walk you to your room.'
Keely forced a smile. It was now or never. If seduction was in the forecast, she'd have to decide to make it happen. Somewhere between the lobby and her room, she had to find a way to kiss him again, to make sure that the idea came to him before she'd have to make the suggestion herself. And twelve years of Catholic girls' school had made that possibility nearly impossible.
As they walked to the lobby, Rafe didn't rest his hand on her back. Instead, he laced his fingers through hers. Keely expected him to say goodbye at the elevators, but he followed her inside. She pushed the button for the eleventh floor, then fixed her attention on the numbers blinking as they went up.
When the elevator doors reopened, she stepped out, then paused, wondering if this would be the place to say good-night. Rafe looked both ways and Keely took that as a hint that he'd accompany her to her room. 'I'm in 1135,' she said. 'Down this way.'
As she walked, her heart slammed in her chest and she could barely breathe. Was he going to kiss her? Should she invite him in? What did he expect? By the time she reached her room, she felt light-headed with confusion. 'This is it,' Keely said. She leaned back against the door as Rafe slipped his hands around her waist.
'When are you leaving?' he asked, staring down at her with an intense gaze.
'Tomorrow,' she said. 'I have to get back to New York.'
'Is there anything I could say to convince you to stay another night? I'd like to have dinner with you tomorrow evening. I have to fly to Detroit in the morning on business, but I'll be back by six.'
'Good,' Rafe said. 'Then I'll call you tomorrow after I get back and we'll go out.'
His grip tightened on her waist and he gently pulled her toward him. Keely knew he was about to kiss her and kiss her thoroughly, but all she could think about was throwing up on his shoes. 'Wait,' she said, pressing her hands against his chest.
'Wait?'
'I-I just have to do something,' Keely said. 'I'll be right back. Just give me a few seconds.' She turned and opened her hotel room, then closed it behind her, leaving him out in the hall. Then she raced to the bathroom and leaned over the toilet, the strawberries tumbling around in her stomach. Good grief, she was only going to kiss him!
She drew a deep breath and waited until the wave of nausea passed. Then she rinsed her mouth with water, splashed a bit of water on her face and looked into the mirror. 'Loosen up and enjoy yourself,' she murmured. 'And for God's sake, don't throw up again. He may be sexy but I don't think he's kinky enough to find that attractive twice in one night.'
RAFE STOOD in the hallway staring at the closed door of Keely's room. This wasn't exactly what he had planned. He leaned forward and peered through the peephole, but he couldn't see anything inside. Was she sick again? She'd seemed fine in the bar. Maybe a little edgy in the elevator, but, overall, he'd assumed the evening was headed in the right direction.
Rafe raked his fingers through his hair. This had really been a strange night. He'd never met a woman quite like Keely McClain. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made her so intriguing. Maybe it was because she was so…real, so unaffected. That probably had to do with the way they met. It would have been difficult for Keely to put on airs after what had happened in front of Quinn's.
He had to say, he liked that in a woman. She was honest and direct, sweet and funny. She was perfectly natural and, with her, Rafe could let down his guard. He could put aside all his responsibilities and his strategies and enjoy himself. Hell, he hadn't even thought about the Quinns since he'd met Keely on the sidewalk.
The door opened in front of him and Keely reappeared. She gave him a winsome smile. 'I'm sorry. I just had to…well…never mind.'
Rafe chuckled, then slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him. 'Would it be all right if I kissed you?'
'I think so,' Keely said. She paused. 'Yes. That would be nice.'
Rafe didn't bother to ask twice. He hooked his finger beneath her chin and tipped her face up to his. Her skin was flawless, like porcelain. And for the first time, he had a chance to really appreciate the color of her eyes-an odd mix of green and gold. 'You really are beautiful,' he murmured as he brought his mouth down on hers.
The contact was electric and intense, much more than the casual kiss they shared in the bar. Heat raced through his body, his heart pumping hard, the blood singing in his head. Usually when he kissed a woman, it was more of an obligation, something that had to be ticked off the list before he could take her to bed. But kissing Keely, deeply and completely, was the only thing he had on his mind right now. And he was going to enjoy it.
With a low groan, he cupped her face in his palms and teased at her lips with his tongue. She tasted sweet, like
