Husband With Benefits-Chapter 857: A Collaboration of What?

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room as Rafael and Arabelle regarded each other while Cai went on his merry way. Rafe was still trying to process everything—her boldness, her connection to Cai, and the undeniable spark of intrigue she stirred in him. Now that they had been introduced, Rafe could vaguely remember what he knew of the Frost Family. She was one of the sisters in law of the Frost brother, if he was not mistaken...Gabe’s? He wasn’t sure though so he said nothing. He was simply relieved that she was no little girl.

Arabelle broke the silence first, cocking her head with a sly smile." Are you in shock about your good intentions going to waste? But don’t worry. I like you."

Rafale blinked. She liked him? He almost blurted out that he liked her too but before he could make that faux pas, he was saved since she continued," I mean I already liked you for all the work you’ve been doing to help relocate victims of human trafficking but that could always be considered political agenda. But now I know you have integrity since you wanted to punch your best friend if he was cheating."

Rafe decided to play it safe. He was pretty sure that his IQ had somehow fallen in the last few minutes because he simply seemed to be unable to understand what she was saying. All he wanted to do was smile and stare at this beauty.

So, gathering his thoughts, he asked tentatively,"What kind of collaboration?"

And then the girl grinned and shrugged," Collaboration? I have no idea. Unless that is Cai’s sly way of arranging a blind date for us? I mean he is over the moon in a relationship so maybe he wants to see his best friend and honorary sister in a happy relationship too?"

Rafael blinked, caught off guard by her suggestion of a relationship and almost shouted," Hell yeah." He was on board with the idea of dating this fine woman. A date with her would certainly be... unconventional. Before he could explore that line of thought, however, Arabelle shattered his bubble.

"Your expression looks so funny since I made the suggestion." As Arabelle leaned against the table, her hands on each side of her, she grinned and continued," Relax. I think by collaboration he really did mean that. The thing is, I’ve been pestering him to help me put together a fund raiser and some other things. I’m an activist for Global Centurion."

The name sounded vaguely familiar to Rafael, but he didn’t interrupt, curious to hear more of her voice.

Global Centurion is an organization dedicated to fighting human trafficking. We work to combat it on all fronts—awareness campaigns, survivor support, policy advocacy, and holding traffickers accountable. It’s a constant uphill battle, but it’s worth every ounce of effort. However, it is also an expensive battle and we need more funds all the time. Hence the fund raiser."

"Alright," he said casually, as if they were discussing dinner plans instead of a large scale fund raiser. "How about four months from now? I’m sure there’s a weekend around that time when my schedule clears up. Until then, feel free to coordinate with my assistant for anything you might need. You’ll have plenty of time to prepare."

Arabelle blinked, momentarily thrown off by his immediate agreement. Just like that? No pushback, no questions, no hesitation? She had been ready for a challenge—had even prepared an entire pitch in her head, complete with carefully crafted arguments and strategically flattering comments about his past initiatives. She had expected him to need convincing, maybe even cajoling, and now... nothing? He’d simply agreed?

Her mouth opened slightly, then closed again, words momentarily failing her as she processed his response.

"I—" she started, then stopped, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. "Wait a second. That’s it? You’re just... agreeing?"

Rafael tilted his head, his smile widening"What were you expecting? A long-winded debate? A detailed negotiation?" He leaned forward, closer to her now, almost in her space as he lowered his voice, "I’m not an unreasonable man, Arabelle. If you’ve come to me, I am sure you must have made a compelling case. But I happen to agree with your cause so no need to fight it."

Arabelle nodded then. Okay, so this was totally unsurprising. This guy was not a jer*. He was not going to make her grovel and beg or argue... That was a... relief.

"Alright then. Thank you for your collaboration. I’ll get in touch with your assistant regarding the details..."

He leaned forward then, closing the distance between them. His hands came to rest on the edge of the table she was leaning against, caging Arabelle in. She straightened slightly at that as his face hovered just inches from hers.

"Now," he murmured, "let’s move on to something far more important."

Arabelle blinked, her lips parting slightly in surprise as the air between them grew taut with unspoken tension. For a moment, she forgot to breathe, lost in the intensity of his gaze. Her fingers gripped the table’s edge, and despite herself, her eyes fluttered half-closed, anticipation threading through her veins.

Was he going to kiss her?

But just as the thought fully formed, Rafael straightened abruptly, a smile tugging at his lips. He reached to the side and handed her a leather-bound menu, breaking the spell with disarming ease.

"Let’s order dinner," he said.

Arabelle blinked again, the abrupt shift leaving her momentarily speechless. She took the menu automatically, her fingers brushing against his as she did. The contact sent a small jolt through her, and she was acutely aware of the smirk that lingered on his face.

"Dinner," she repeated, her voice a touch breathless. She quickly cleared her throat, willing herself to regain composure. "Right. Of course. Dinner."

As Rafael stepped back to his seat, his satisfied grin didn’t falter. He’d just needed to make sure if he was the only one feeling the magnetic pull. And he now knew, he wasn’t. She was attracted to him as well.