Chapter 5: Family Pains

Genevieve:

“Are you alright?” Mr. Bard–no, Raphael was his name–leaned down to whisper into my ear as we sat next to each other in the SUV.

A shiver burned its way from the tip of my shoulder where his own touched mine, and reverberated through my body and down my spine, heating my stomach at his closeness. His breath swayed the few strands of hair that lay against my cheek. Why did he constantly make my body crave his contact? It had been ages since I’d felt anything remotely this intense before.

“Um, yeah. Just, it’s hard to move.” I shifted in my seat, the center one in the back row. I tried my best not to let my hips brush up against either Raphael or Vin, but it was impossible. Though Vin wasn’t as large and bulky as Raphael was, my oversized a*s made it so we were all squished together.

Raphael cleared his throat as the side of my thigh rubbed against his. The smooth material of his slacks slid against my bare skin that peeked out from below my dress. I shouldn’t have worn it. But I wasn’t expecting to be sitting in the back seat of the car while Karoline and Garrett sat up front. Raphael and Vin had front row seats to the show as the dress caught on my love handles and tugged, giving them a better view of my breasts that were just barely contained.

It was uncomfortable to say the least, but every time I caught Raphael’s gaze, there was a shadowed heat to them. It would disappear each time he blinked, but I was able to catch it nonetheless. It didn’t make sense though, for him to be reacting that way.

Vin, on the other hand, kept his eyes on either the back of Garrett’s seat or out the window.

“I’m sorry that we couldn’t get a better vehicle in time,” Raphael murmured.

The edge of contempt slid home within my chest and I refused to rub the ache that had settled there. “That’s not what I meant.” For some reason, any other argument that I might’ve had died on my tongue. I’m a writer for fuck’s sake, and yet I couldn’t even come up with the words to defend myself right now. Raphael probably thought I was some rich b*tch that needed every aspect of her life to revolve around her. Apparently, that wasn’t going to change anytime soon.

It was impossible not to be touching either one of the men, so I settled for leaning against Raphael, as he already thought lesser of me, he could handle a bit more. I didn’t want to trouble Vin who had done no wrong and had helped me into the vehicle earlier.

Within a second, a vibration rumbled through my right hip that was connected with Raphael’s. The tingle reverberated through my thigh and straight into my core, heat blooming. I all but choked down a surprised moan as I clenched myself together and tried to remain calm. Raphael’s leg jumped next to mine, but that was the only indication that he gave that expressed his reaction to the sensation.

“Sorry,” I whispered. I didn’t trust that my voice would be able to hide my arousal if I spoke any louder.

All I got in return was a grunt from him as I shifted once more and retrieved my cell phone from my satchel that had gotten stuck inbetween us.

Ah, it was from Jennifer. I wanted to shut down, put my phone back in my bag and pretend as though I never even saw the message, but that wasn’t who I was. I had to fully acknowledge what she had sent and respond to it.

I opened the text message and ignored the way the bright screen burned the back of my eyes.

Jennifer’s message read: ‘I wanted to be the one to tell you before you heard it from Mom or Dad. Devon proposed and the wedding is in three months. It’s going to be a small wedding. You don’t need to be here for it. That’s all!’

Then another message popped up as I was viewing the first: ‘Oh, but send a gift please!’

She seriously—the audacity—I couldn’t—fuck this. I typed back boldly: ‘thanks for the heads up. Couldn’t find time to go anyway. Congrats.’

I don’t even bother with acknowledging her comment about a wedding gift. If she thought that I was going to send her anything, she had another thing coming.

With every nerve in my body on fire, I locked my screen and set my phone in my lap with trembling fingers. I couldn’t handle it anymore. I shouldn’t respond to them anyway, but Jennifer was my sister, no matter how much she despised me. She knew I wouldn’t get a notification from Mom or Dad. Or even one of our cousins. She messaged me that simply for the added humiliation and to show that I wasn’t invited.

Raphael’s palm rubbed roughly against his slacks in my peripheral and he cleared his throat. It was a heady, gruff sound that found its way into the pit of my stomach and laid heavy there, like hot coals.

“Are you okay?” His voice was near, but I made sure not to look at him. My emotions were bundled up in my throat right now and I couldn’t bear to see anything remotely similar to pity. Especially from someone like him. Not someone that affected me like this; that I had hoped to make a better impression on.

I gave him a quick nod. “Just a text from my sister.”

Karoline twisted in her seat to look back at me, and she caught my gaze for a split second, concern written all over her expression. No, I wasn’t about to unload all of my family history in this tight vehicle with two sexy men on either side of me. I didn’t need another reason to feel anxious about having them so close.

“You’re not close with them?” Raphael dipped his head closer to my ear so that he could whisper and that his voice wouldn’t reach the front row.

I don’t think he knew how much that affected me, though. Karoline resituated herself and looked back out the window as I gulped down my family issues and tried to ignore the rise in my arousal. It was difficult though, especially as the strength of his woodsy aftershave filled my senses. It was all that I could smell, every breath a new lungful of his close presence.

I shook my head in lieu of a response and kept my gaze down, my fingers tangled together in my lap, over my phone. I needed to control myself. Get my head on straight. We were only minutes away from the venue now.

Except, now Raphael’s hand had slipped from its place on his thigh and fell against my own, right where ours met. The contact had my skin vibrating with heat and a shiver bit at my need that tingled within the very depths of my core. I had to shift my hips once more and press my legs together in order to hold back any dampness that might arise from our contact. My breath released in soft huffs and I made the mistake of looking up at him.

Raphael’s gaze wasn’t filled with pity. No, he was a mask of hardness. His thick jaw ticked as he ground his teeth together and his hooded eyes roamed my face. They flickered between my eyes, lips, down to my chest, and back up to my eyes. He continued this loop of perusal, a heated need building within the air. My body burned, my skin hot with every pass he gave it with his scrutinizing eyes. I wanted to know what he thought. What he wanted. Why he watched me this way.

I opened my mouth, unsure of what I wanted to even say. I should tell him not to look at me like that. To remain impartial. We had only just met.

“Raphael—”

“We’re here,” Karoline called back as Gunner turned into the parking garage.

Shit. Never mind.