It was something she had decided on herself not three days before; surely last night couldn't have changed her mind? She had taunted Raphael until he lost his cool, and while this did not excuse his behavior, it did put her partly to blame. When it came down to it, she either loved him or didn't, and she was certain that she did.
'Thank you, Kat,' she said, smiling. 'I think you just helped me put things back in perspective.'
'I'm relieved.' Her pal smiled. 'It's been a difficult week for you, having to put your career on hold for a while and reconnect with Raphael.'
Getting back with Raphael hadn't given her much time to reflect on her professional lapse. 'I—'
'Well, well, well,' a mocking voice said. 'What exactly are you doing back here?'
Sophia restrained Kat's arm just as she was about to retort angrily to Jane.
'Jane,' she said cheerfully. 'It's great to see you again.'
'I'm sure,' the other woman scoffed as she passed by their table on her way to her own lunch break. 'I thought you weren't entitled to free meals here anymore,' she added dismissively.
'I'm not,' Sophia said calmly. 'This is more of a celebration lunch.'
Blonde brows arched in contempt. 'I have no idea what you have to celebrate.'
'Can't you?' she asked, smiling. 'But I seem to recall it was your suggestion,' she says.
Jane frowned. 'What was it?'
'That I come across a "better prospect" than Matt.' She winked at the open-mouthed Kat before returning her attention to Jane. 'I came to the conclusion that it was a good idea.'
Jane was taken aback. 'You mean you went out and calmly got yourself a man?'
'Not just any man,' she says. Sophia was taken aback by the suggestion.
'A wealthy one, I suppose,' mocked the other woman.
'Of course,' she mumbled. 'He couldn't keep me in the manner I'm used to if he wasn't.' As the other woman recovered from her shock, she kicked Kat beneath the table, threatening to convulse with laughter. 'And I'm so glad you told me to give him another chance,' she added innocently. 'In fact, why don't you come celebrate with Kat and me?'
'But who is he—Mr Mcklerin!' Jane exclaimed in surprise. 'You're going on a date with Mr Mcklerin!'
'A little more than going out with him, Jane,' she slyly admitted. 'Would you like to join us for lunch?'
'Thank you, but no!' The other lady spit out. 'I believe—I believe you are disgusting!' She stormed out of the restaurant, her lunch forgotten.
Sophia softly joined in as Kat finally gave in to the laughter she had been trying so hard to suppress. 'You really pushed your luck there,' Kat sighed. 'What if she'd decided to come with us?'
Sophia shook her head dismissively. 'I didn't think there was much of a chance,' she scoffed.
'I suppose not,' Kat said, grimacing. 'She's feeling angrier than usual right now because Matt came right out and blatantly had an affair with one of the guests, the wealthy Mrs Grover.'
'I'm guessing the single, wealthy Mrs Grover?' Her auburn brows were arched.
'Divorced,' Kat revealed. 'She's worth a fortune.'
'Poor Jane,' they say.
'Yes,' Kat said, sighing. 'I'm not sure why she doesn't just end it with him and find herself someone more reliable.'
Sophia remained silent, both women knowing that when you loved someone, you didn't always do what was best for everyone involved. Knowing Raphael as well as she did, she knew that it was only she who brought out the savage in him, and that in the light of day, away from her, Raphael was pmarkably as taken aback by his behavior as she had been. But she also knew that if they were put in the same situation again, they would most likely act the same way, despite knowing the consequences.
She returned to the apartment in plenty of time to prepare Raphael's favorite meal, steak in rich sauce, while decanting the bottle of wine she had purchased to accompany their meal.
She was in the kitchen finishing up their dessert when she heard his key in the door shortly before seven o'clock. There was silence for a moment, then a thump, and she dashed through to the lounge to see what was wrong. Raphael stood across the room from her, his briefcase strewn about at his feet.
'What is it?' she asked, concerned by how glum he appeared. 'Raphael?' she inquired, concerned.
His gaze seemed to blaze into her, moving from the loose coil of flame-colored hair on top of her head, over the perfection of her face, and down to the black dress that clung alluringly to her knees. His gaze returned to her face. 'Where have all the things gone from in here?' he mused.
'The prints and patterned cushions, as well as that ridiculous thing you sat on?'
'I sent them back,' she said, frowning.
Arched dark brows 'How about the flowers?'
'I delivered them to a nearby hospital; I doubt the florist would have accepted them back.' She shrugged ruefully. 'And don't worry, I paid for everything myself,' she added sarcastically. 'If you want to shower and change, dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes,' she added calmly. 'Is that what I'm smelling?'
'Does it have a pleasant odor?'
'Yes.'
'Then I hope that's what you can smell,' she joked. 'I've been working on it for the last two hours, so don't waste it.'
'Sophia...?'
She returned her gaze to him, a wary expression on her face. 'Yes?'
'Nothing,' he said harshly. 'I'll just go change my clothes and freshen up.'
Sophia purposefully kept her mind blank as she finished preparing their dinner, only putting the juicy melon on the table when Raphael emerged from the bedroom. He'd dressed formally for the meal, looking dashing in a white evening jacket and black trousers, his cologne heady and spicy, his hair still slightly damp from his shower.
'Why did you return the items?' he inquired as she served the steak and vegetables.
She gave a light shrug. 'It's your house; you're the one who should be at ease in it.'
His jaw clenched. 'Today, I spoke with my lawyer.'
Sophia stiffened at the abrupt shift in subject. 'Oh yes?' she inquired, guardedly.
'He appears to believe it would be simple to draft a contract outlining exactly the terms of our agreement.'
In surprise, she dropped her fork, her face flushed as she straightened up from picking it up. 'You— you told him about our—arrangement?' she asked, surprised.
'Of course,' Raphael replied hurriedly. 'How could he say there would be no pmarklem if he didn't mean it?'
'Didn't it feel awkward to tell him about us?' She squirmed uncomfortably just thinking about it.
'Of course I felt awkward,' he said raspily. 'I didn't want to admit that I pay a woman to live with me.'
'Then why did you do it?' she demanded angrily.
'Because last night taught me that a verbal agreement isn't enough,' he said, biting his lower lip. 'We need to know where we stand in this situation.'
'Does that mean I won't be raped anymore?' she exclaimed, agitated.
His jaw clenched. 'It means we'll both know where we stand, that I won't force you in that way again, but you won't threaten to leave every time something bothers you.'
She shook her head. 'We both know that wasn't the reason you raped me—' Stop saying that!' His fist slammed into the table, his expression ferocious once more.
'But, Raphael, it's what happened—'
'I know what happened!' he exclaimed. 'I've never used force on a woman before,' he adds. His eyes glowed with rage.
'You did that last night,' she reminded me dully. 'Although I bear some responsibility for it—'
'Don't be such a moron—'
'But I do, Raphael,' she said solemnly. 'I pushed you too far, and now I'm paying the price.'
'With physical humiliation,' he remembered with bitterness.
'Yes,' she sighed as she realized the truth. 'But I was acting like a b*tch—'
'That's no excuse for what I did to you,' he said solemnly.
'Raphael, could we just forget what happened last night?' she impatiently asked. 'It's done and dusted.' 'How's your meal?' she inquired lightly.
'We haven't finished talking about the contract—'
'Because there won't be one,' she exclaimed