146 146- Rafael! Put Me Down! 
Marissa was still hiccupping in her sleep, and he couldn’t understand, why she was still scared of Valerie and his mom. 1 

Or was it about that nightmare? 
He needed to tell her that dreams meant nothing. We only dream what we have in our subconscious. It didn’t have to do anything with the reality. 
He looked down when she shuddered in his arms. Tightening them around her, he lowered his face to her car, “Nothing would happen, Marissa. You need to trust me this time. No one will hurt you ever” 
He didn’t want to cry but wasn’t aware of how many wars he needed to fight to make her believe that the kids weren’t the only reason he was here. 
He could fight the world and didn’t give a damn about Valerie. Even his business community. could go against him, but he could fight them all. But for all those challenges she needed to be 
with him. 
“P…please believe me…I’m… not a home wrecker…” she cried in her sleep. Rafael frowned and pulled back to have a better look on her face. 
“Marissa!” he didn’t want to wake her up, but if this was again a nightmare, he wouldn’t have any 
choice. 
Thankfully she went back to sleep but he didn’t feel like sleeping anymore. That night, her nightmare had left him mentally disturbed, and he stayed awake with his mind racing with worry and his heart aching for her. 
And now tonight she again seemed restless. 
Before slipping into deep sleep, she took the names of Valerie and Nina. As if… as if she was 
scared of them. 
He needed to find out about it. He needed her to trust him. 
The quilt was wrapped around her, and he smiled when he remembered how she threw away her clothes. 
“You are a naughty fellow, Little Greene. Aren’t you?” he kissed her forehead and lay beside her, sharing one pillow. 
He knew somewhere in the middle of the night she would climb over him and sleep on his chest. He kept brushing his fingers through her hair. 
Marisa turned in bed and then bolted up when saw broad daylight coming through the window. 
“Crap! Don’t I have office today?” though facing Delinda was almost giving her a heart attack but then she needed to go on.
If Valerie and Nina couldn’t stop her, couldn’t kill her then no one else could. If she could manage to run away from those evil ladies‘ clutches, then she could conquer the world. 
She 
tossed the quilt aside and got still. 
“Damn!” in panic she glued it back to her body. She wasn’t wearing anything underneath. 
“Wh…what did I do?” Oh, Lord! She got drunk last night. What got into her after that? And then all those memories kept returning to her slowly in small bits and pieces. 
That creepy man. How he followed her outside. How Rafael saved her. 
“Oh God!” she looked around for Rafael. He wasn’t there. 
With the quilt still wrapped around her, she managed to walk to her wardrobe and took out a decent wear. Her eyes fell on her nightshirt and panties neatly folded and placed on the small study table. 
oing to 
Ignoring the little mess, she went to the bathroom and there other glimpses started coming her. 
“Now I remember. I remember everything. I need to pee. Oh, God. I really need to…. Rafael, help.” 
He stood there with his back to her, waited for her, and then brought her back to the bed. 
“I hope, I didn’t do anything indecent last night. Oh, God!” she hid her face behind her palms and shook her head in frustration. She slightly knocked her head against the bathroom wall. 
“I am a jerk… jerk… jerk…” She slapped her cheek twice or thrice and then opened the shower. 
While showering she kept trying to remember if she and Rafael attempted to bang each other. She lazily got dressed and came out of the bathroom. 
However, when she went to the living room, she found Rafael placing plates on the dining table. 
“Good morning!” he smiled at her. A drop–dead gorgeous man who was shirtless wearing nothing but just a pair of trousers, with a kitchen cloth draped over his shoulder. 
What could be se*xier than this? 
“Now stop staring at me, little Greene, and tell me how it is, he pointed towards the omelet and… 
It wasn’t burnt! 
“Wow!” she breathed, and he raised a brow when heard her, not knowing if the wow was for the non–burnt omelet or him. 
“Now move your ass over here. I came to wake you up, but you were already in the shower,” she nodded and took a seat. He went back to the kitchen and came out with steaming hot coffee cups. 
He took another chair across her and then made a pout. 
She watched him in confusion, “What?” 
“I don’t want to sit here. I can see you but not close enough to you. However,… he pointed to 
146 146- Rafael! Put Me Down! 
“Oh,” she made a pout with fake worry, “Now that’s a problem.” 
With a chuckle, he left his chair, and rounded the table to sit next to her, “That’s better. 
She agreed without saying much. 
He transferred some omelet onto her plate and placed a fork, “Do even remember anything about last night?” 
Her heart missed a beat at this unexpected question, and she felt her face blushing. He was looking at her closely, so she avoided the eye contact. 
“Umm… No…” she cleared her throat, “I… I don’t think I remember anything,” she kept her eyes. glued to her food and started eating it. 
His deep chuckle reached her car, “Liar!” 
She couldn’t even argue. How could she when she remembered most of it except that…. 
“D…did … something happen last night?” 
“For example?” he was serious, but she didn’t miss the mischief in his voice. 
“You know what I mean. Now please tell me,” she urged him, with a hint of frustration. 
A playful smile graced his lips, “Tell you what?” 
She pushed back her plate and got to her feet. 
He wasn’t expecting this reaction, “Marissa!” 
“I’m getting ready for office,” she said heading towards her room. 
She was caught off guard when without warning, he came behind her and lifted her up air. 
She squealed in surprise, “Rafael! Put me down!”