Starlight Key - Scene 4 Orlando, Florida (Sofia and Rafe)

Oh lordy has it been a long time since I’ve been kissed.

It was the first thought that ran through Sofia’s mind when Rafe’s lips first pressed against hers.

Now, granted, if you have time to psycho analyze the moment, the kiss probably isn’t very good, but it wasn’t that. Honest to god, his kiss had her melting in her sandals, but her mind was having a really hard time sinking into the moment.

This was one of her best friend’s newly divorced brother.

That had to be wrong on so many levels and Angie would freak out if she knew. If it had been Summer’ brother, not that she had one, but she wouldn’t have cared. Angie would care.

Even with all those thoughts racing for attention, it took about a millisecond for her to sigh and just kiss him back.

Her breath slowed, her heart raced, and she moaned into him as she leaned closer and he wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her body away from the car door and against him.

The kiss took her completely by surprise and as much as she wanted to think of herself as the mature, level headed one, right in that second, all she wanted was for him to keep kissing her.

He pulled back only a fraction, resting his forehead to hers and gazed into her eyes.

He needed to know it was okay, but was it?

And was it really her place to make it okay?

“This is way more complicated than it looks, isn’t it?” She questioned him.

He raised one shoulder and lowered it before he kissed her again, soft and quick.

“I think it’s only as complicated as we make it.” He smiled a bit devilishly. “You know, you’re the first woman I’ve kissed since the divorce.”

He blushed slightly. She’d never admit it, but that delighted her. She ran her teeth over her lower lip and stared into his eyes boldly.

“If I’d a known, I would have kissed you better.”

There was a thrill in being there with him. Was it the nature of the relationship, the fact they were in a public parking lot, or just merely him?

She sort of hoped it wasn’t him.

“You kiss spectacularly, Ms. Parish.”

She took her finger and ran it across his lips under the guise of removing her lip gloss from them. “Why, thank you Mr. Cantor.”

He still had his one arm around her waist, and his thumb was playing with her spine. She could feel the movement as if it was on her bare skin and not through her dress.

It really had been too long since she’d been with anyone and it was more than a bit shocking how she was feeling about him now. She had to keep cool though. She just wasn’t ready for him to leave.

“You want to go to the park? I live right on Lake Eola…” She left it hanging so that if he turned her down for some reason, she’d still have some façade of dignity.

“You live in one of those fancy condos on the lake?”

He sounded utterly impressed and she rolled her eyes trying to make it seem like no big deal, but in truth, she loved her little place.

“Well, I live in probably the smallest building with the least amenities, but it is pretty wonderful.”

All of a sudden she realized that it may sound like she was inviting him over and that was not what she was planning at all!

“I’m going to get you to tell me what you do eventually, you do know that right?”

“You have GPS?” She blinked up innocently.

“I can find the lake.” He laughed.

“Fine. I’ll drive home, change into something more park friendly and I’ll meet you at the little pagoda on the one end of the lake… unless you want something more challenging.” She dared him with her gaze as well as her words.

“Like what? Meet at the tree with the green leaves?”

“Oh that would be a good one. Or no! How about I gave you the name of someone one of the trees was donated to and you find that?” Many of the trees in the park were donated to loved ones who’d passed or military men who’d been killed in the line of duty and each had a small plaque denting that fact.

He smiled warily and shook his head.

“The pagoda will be fine.”

Before she had a chance to respond, he pulled her close and kissed her again.

Every single brain cell began to short circuit. His tongue slipped between her lips and caressed hers. She sighed unwillingly, but eagerly returned the kiss. She was worried less about her friend this time and simply more invested in how good this felt.

He entwined his fingers with hers. Where she’d originally placed her hand atop his, now they were joined.

“Very good kisser.” He murmured against her lips making her giggle.

She pulled away from him, regaining some sense and smiled, biting her lip.

“I’ll see you at the pagoda in about an hour.”

She stared into his eye, he was still holding her, but she needed to leave before this all got carried away.

Of course, wasn’t it just going to get carried away again at the park?

“Pagoda. Half hour.” He smiled, released her and took a step back.

She closed her eyes and shook her head wondering just how much trouble she was getting herself into and climbed in the car. She refused to look at him again. She backed out her car and pulled into traffic. On the one hand, it was just a kiss.

“Harmless.”

She reached down and turned up the radio.

On the other hand, it was a kiss with the brother of her best friend.

“A little less harmless.”

A song she recognized as Dirty Little Secret came on the radio and she quickly changed the dial to the classical station.

Okay so maybe Angie would freak, but it was just a kiss and nothing had to happen from there. She tried to focus on the music, but nothing could pry her thoughts from Rafe Cantor and that amazing kiss.

Luckily she found parking on the street right in front of her building. She fed the meter and ran inside, grabbing for her cell along the way and punching in Angie’s number as she rode up in the elevator.

“Do you hate me?” Angie answered on the first ring.

She could hear little Gillian still crying in the background.

“No. Of course not. Why would you even think that?”

“No… no… Gillian…” She let out a frustrated sigh. “I am losing a war with a two year old here.”

“How’s she feeling?”

“The doctor didn’t think it was urgent. I’ve got her in a tub right now, keeping her cool, but swear to god Sofia, this baby doesn’t like anything I do.”

She wished she was there to hug her right then, but instead she was grabbing clothes out of her dresser trying to decide between dowdy and frumpy, or cute and playful.

“You’re doing a great job with her and Rafe wasn’t any trouble at all. I actually enjoyed myself.”

Definitely more than I should have.

“Hmmm, he annoys the hell out of me these days. Always moping about his life, or dreaming these huge grandiose dreams. I swear, it may be awful, but I’ll be so glad when he just goes home again to Connecticut.”

“Oh right, that.”

She remembered the fact he was her best friend’s brother, remembered the part where he was just divorced, but she’d completely forgotten the fact that he didn’t live here.

She grabbed for the sweats and cupcake lounge tee that she thought may have had a stain on the front.

“Anyway, I’m so sorry Sofia. I’ll make it up to you.”

She noticed the baby was settling down in the background and sent up a silent prayer of thanks.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m good. I just wanted to see how you were.” She shimmied out of her dress and into the sweats and tee while Angie told her about the doctor’s call, even laying the phone down for a moment when she went to find shoes and lace them.

“Uh-huh.” She looked at herself in the mirror, pulled her long dark hair into a pony tail and took off most of her make-up with a towelette.

“She’s asleep. I’m going to go see if I can sit down and not wake her.”

Sofia suddenly felt very guilty keeping secrets from Angie.

That kiss made her lose her head a little bit, but she was all screwed back on now good and tight and she wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

“Okay, sweetie. I love you. Kiss the baby for me… but wait until she wakes up so you don’t wake her.” Sofia cringed a little bit not wanting Gillian to start all over again.

“I will. Thanks for always being there for me, Sofia. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She listened to Angie disconnect and just stared at her phone.

“What are you doing?”

She looked at herself in the mirror, cocking her head to the side.

“Well, whatever it was, this should definitely break the spell.”

She grabbed her keys and headed for the gazebo, one rude awakening in store for one Rafe Cantor.

*Some adult language ahead

Rafe paced back and forth beneath the little pagoda. He wasn’t sure what he was doing, but was very sure that it felt amazing. He had to remember though, this was his big sister’s best friend and if he hurt Sofia, he’d hurt Angie as well. He wondered if that left him bloody well screwed, but then he remembered that kiss.

In three seconds, Sofia Parish had made him feel more alive than he had in a decade.

Was it wrong to want to feel that way again?

“Hey. Sorry, if I’m late.” Sofia stepped up, hands placed behind her back.

She’d changed from the pretty sundress and sandals, to a pair of baggy grey sweats and a tee shirt that had three cupcakes across the front and a tear in the sleeve. She’d taken off nearly all her make-up, some of it was smudged beneath her right eye and her hair was haphazardly pulled into a long pony tail at the top of her head. It was all he could do to keep from laughing out loud.

Whatever doubts he’d been having, just went out the window.

Whether she thought she was being cute, or being brass, he liked it and was all the more determined to taste her one more time.

“No. Not at all. I was just keeping the swans company.” He gestured to four that had been plucking at grass near his feet.

“I love the swans.” Her attention seemed to entirely divert to them. “I think I identify.”

She looked up and gave a dismissive shrug and avoided eye contact. “The whole ugly duckling thing.”

He moved to the food dispenser just to the side and put in two quarters. He placed one handful of seed in her palm.

“You were a late bloomer?”

He decided she needed a chance to get comfortable with him again. Whatever happened in the time apart, she’d clearly put up walls. That was fine. He could wait her out.

“I think I was a never bloomer.” She laughed. “No. It was more the whole family thing. Never really fit in with mine.”

Every ounce of pain in her tone, settled somewhere around his heart.

He’d been glad when Angie told him about the lunch. He admitted that he’d only gone because he wanted to see Sofia again. He wanted to know if the fuzzy recollection was real or imagined.

It was very real.

He turned to her, watched her throwing pellets of food at the swans, pain etched across her face.

He bent and picked up a swan feather from the ground and held it out to her.

“Here.”

She turned to look at him, clearly bewildered.

“You should have this, it’s something to keep, to look at and remember how beautiful you are, how special.”

She half smiled and tucked loose strands of hair behind her ear with one hand as she reached for the feather with the other.

Her smile spoke louder than anything she could have said. She was pleased, and he liked pleasing her. He realized he wanted to please her with every breath he had, until he had no more.

He shook his head.

“What?”

He stared at her, wondering what on earth he was thinking.

He wasn’t interested in a relationship again, not now, maybe not ever. That flash of whatever it was, he needed it to pass and go quickly.

“Nothing. You want to walk around the lake?” He scratched his head and pretended extreme interest in the swans clamoring for more seed.

She was quiet long enough to tell him she didn’t buy the “nothing”, but how was he going to explain it to her?

He realized the truth of the situation and maybe he’d been kidding himself before now, but the truth was, they were two people from two ends of the country who’d probably never see one another again.

“Sure.” She sounded hesitant.

He gestured in front of them and she began to walk. He couldn’t resist placing his hand in the small of her back. It was something he simply longed to do and he let himself.

They walked in silence for a little while, she watched the ground, he watched her. Whenever she looked up, he pretended to be looking out on the lake. It was a beautiful day. People were out on the lake in swan shaped boats circling the enormous fountain in the center. They walked around the far end from where they’d been, circling the amphitheater where concerts were held on the weekend. He’d forgotten how much he loved the park. He’d forgotten how much he loved Florida until he’d come to visit.

“I’m sorry about the divorce. I know they aren’t easy.” She broke the silence tentatively.

He chuckled. “Understatement of the year there.”

She tucked her hair behind her ears and glanced at him sideways. “Do you have any plans yet?”

He stopped walking, put his hands in his pants pocket and stared out across the lake.

Any plans?

He pondered her question.

He’d been getting asked that, or something close, for months and he never did have an answer for it.

“Honestly…” He stared across the lake, feeling as free as he ever had in his life and a sense of joy swept through him.

He looked over his shoulder at Sofia, standing there, nervously twisting that swan feather between her fingers, clearly wondering if she’d asked the wrong question.

“I don’t know.” He stretched his arms wide and dropped them against his body. “Am I too old to dream, to start over? Sometimes I wonder what the hell I’m going to make of life at this point. This is where you’re supposed to have it all together. My youngest graduates high school this year and she’ll be going away to college, shouldn’t Katherine and I have been making plans for our empty nest, travel, retirement?” He put air quotes around the words retirement then ran his hand through his hair.

“I think you’re still on the young side for retirement.—” She mimicked his air quotes. “—but I hear you.”

There was a cool breeze blowing across them as they stood by the water. He looked into the sun for a moment and then back to her. He had no idea why he was laying all this on her.

“Come on.” He took her hand in his. “Let’s walk a bit more.”

They fell into step with one another and continued their circle around the lake. Maybe it was because she didn’t know him. Maybe it was because eventually he’d be back in Connecticut and never see her again. All he knew was in that moment, walking around that lake with her was the best moment he’d had in years. Truth was, he needed someone, and she was there.

Suddenly she stopped moving and stepped very close, facing him. She took his hands in hers, swan feather placed deliberately between her thumb and other fingers. The look on her face spoke of empathy and understanding and he soaked it up.

“I think you’re always supposed to dream and I think, if life throws you a hard enough curve, you have to start over. Age has nothing to do with it.”

She stared into his eyes for a long moment and he realized she’d been giving the question great consideration. He wasn’t sure he’d even been looking for an answer or opinion, but that she’d done it, left him feeling all the more drawn towards her.

She brought her hands up and placed them on his face. The attraction he had for her roared to high. Never in his life had there been such a strong pull to someone. He passed it off as the stranger factor. The temporary nature of whatever may happen between them.

He placed his hands on her waist, pulling her body close to his.

“When you say it with that much passion, how can I doubt you?”

He stared into her deep brown eyes.

“I think if I could do anything from here…” He couldn’t believe he was about to tell her this and hesitated.

“Please tell me.” Her tone was understanding, warm, and kind.

He smiled, knowing he couldn’t refuse her.

“Truthfully, I’d like to move back here, open a restaurant, but nothing flashy this time. One of those local hang outs. Maybe feature local art on the walls, local musicians on a Friday night, that kind of thing. The kind of place people couldn’t wait to just come to, curl up in a booth together, enjoy good food, good wine, good music… That’s crazy, right?”

She smiled wide, friendly, passionately.

“Not in the slightest.” She bit her lower lip. “A lot of hard work, but you already know that. I believe in following one’s passions.”

He tested her unfairly, but he had to know how she’d react. The last time he shared that dream had been with Katherine in their first year of marriage, back when she still wanted him to get a reliable desk job. Seeing Sofia’s reaction caused an electric surge the entire length of his body. He wanted to kiss her again. It was the strangest thing to be with a woman, to feel an attraction, and be allowed to act on it. She could tell him no and he’d respect it, but right now, he wanted to see how dark he could make those eyes of hers. He wanted to see if he could make her shiver. Make her breath hitch.

He put his hands atop hers against his cheek, then he took one finger and traced her bottom lip.

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve experienced true passion in any area of life, but when you say that—” He brushed her hair back from her face and traced the side of her face down to her chin with his thumb. “—I remember how amazing it can be and I realize how much I want a life filled with it.”

He pulled her close enough that her breasts pressed against his chest, his cock had grown hard and he was truly remembering what it was to be alive and with a beautiful woman.

Her eyes went a shade darker and he wondered if she’d felt his cock press against her belly.

“Passion… is… important.” She spoke as if she was having trouble finding the words.

She’d taken her hands back and had them firmly clasped behind her back now. He took both his hands and caressed her face and neck.

“How long has it been for you, Sofia… since you’ve felt real passion?”

They were both so far over the line now there was no turning back. What would come of it was anyone’s guess, but there was no going back from here. He pulled her close enough that his lips brushed against hers.

She moaned softly.

He cradled her head with his palm, closed his eyes and fell into her. His one arm wrapped around her waist, he pulled her tight against him. She smelled of soft jasmine, he though it may have been her shampoo.

He pressed lightly with his tongue against the seam of her lips and she graciously, instantly opened for him, her tongue brushing against his as he breathed her in.

She tasted soft and sweet and felt like precious treasure in his arms. He’d told her she was the first woman he’d kissed since the divorce, but what he hadn’t shared was it had been nearly three years since he’d kissed anyone.

As in they stood there in the shade of an enormous tree, the warmth of the day cooled by a slight breeze, she caressed him seductively with her lips, seeming to give herself to him as much as he was giving of himself to her. Was he mad to think that was different, special?

He was reaching a point where he needed to pull away, but he so desperately didn’t want to.

“Rafe…” She whispered, pulling back, but then moaned and started to kiss him again.

He ran his hand down her back, over her ass, squeezing, pulling her closer… trying to remember they were in a public park.

“God, I’m… Rafe…” She pulled away and stared into his eyes.

She bit the corner of her lower lip clearly debating something, most likely where she would allow herself to go from here.

He never would have anticipated the day leading them to this moment, but before he could form any real thought of what to do next, she breathed and asked, “Do you want to come over to my place?” She bit her lip and pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “Because, it’s right there.”