Carpathian 15 - Dark Secret

laughter in her mind. She was forced to acknowledge him, even when she was determined not to fall into his trap. Will you stop! She narrowed her eyes at him in warning.
    Rafael looked at her in mock innocence. I am not doing anything.
    Colby turned her attention to Tanya, Joclyn's daughter, as Ginny came running over and wound her arm around Colby for support. Rafael put his hand on the child's shoulder with an encouraging smile and Ginny smiled up at him gratefully, obviously mesmerized by him.
    I'm going to throw something at you. Colby tried not to laugh at the situation, but for the first time in her life, she felt like she was sharing something with someone else. Like she belonged. Was a part of someone else. It didn't seem to matter that her brain screamed a million warnings at her, she was enjoying his attention. It was a new experience for her.
    "I'm on a tight schedule, Colby," Ben snapped, bringing her attention hack to him. "If you can spare me enough time to tell me what's going on around here." He sounded accusing.
    Rafael immediately circled Ginny's shoulders with his arm. She looked about to cry. "Go ahead, Colby, report to the official. Ginny and I can handle this, right, Ginny?" His voice was low and intimate, welding them all together as if they were one family. He sounded supremely confident in Ginny. "You know me, Tanya. Ginny and I will start the lesson and when Colby is finished with her business, she will join us. Is that acceptable to you?" He turned on a high-powered smile.
    Colby shook her head watching Rafael. He was definitely creating the impression he belonged, he was a part of their family. Ben caught her arm rather roughly, dragging her attention back to him. She glanced up at him, startled, like someone waking up, coming out of a dream.
    A low warning growl shimmered in the air, so that the horses stirred restlessly and the adults looked around carefully. They all heard it; most of them thought it might have been Ginny's dog, who was sitting regarding them all with an inquiring eye at the sudden attention. Colby knew better. She tucked her hair behind her ear and surreptitiously glanced in warning at Rafael. "Come up to the porch, Ben. Can I get you some coffee?"

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    He waited all of five steps before he exploded. "You want to tell me what the hell that was all about?"
    Her eyebrow shot up. "What are you talking about?"
    "Before you deny the little scene on the porch, Colby, you might take a look in the mirror at your neck.
    You've been all over that man."
    Colby bit at her lip to keep from laughing. If she didn't laugh, she might cry. Her behavior with Rafael was completely out of character. She knew it and so did Ben. "Why are you blaming me? It just so happens he was all over me," she corrected. So maybe she wasn't the most beautiful woman in town, did that mean that Rafael couldn't possibly be attracted to her? "Some men are attracted to me, as strange as the concept might seem, Ben. I don't always have to attack them."
    "This is so like you, choosing the wrong man. A man like Rafael De La Cruz will eat you up and spit you out! You're playing with fire. You can't do that with someone like him. Damn it, Colby, why don't you settle down with a decent man like Joe Vargas?"
    "Joe Vargas! Sheesh! What is it with everyone and poor Joe? He would hate being married to me."
    "Everyone in their right mind would hate being married to you." He dragged her onto the porch, deeper into the shadows, his fingers circling her upper arms to give her a little shake. "Is this about money? What are you up to?"
    "Ben, let go, you're hurting me " Colby pried at the fingers circling her arm. "You always forget how blasted strong you are."
    "Let her go now." The voice was very soft, very menacing. A whip of malevolence, a dark promise of retaliation. Colby had never heard anything like it before. Rafael had somehow covered the distance between them, completely across the wide expanse of yard, and was blending into the shadows so that his large frame scarcely could be seen, yet his black eyes were nearly glowing in the dark with unbelievable menace.
    A shiver of fear ran down her spine and her hand went protectively to her throat. Rafael looked merciless, ruthless, every inch the predator. In that moment he didn't look wholly human. There was an animal quality about him, feral, dangerous, untamed.
    Ben dropped his arms and would