Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
I choked on air at his unexpected confession as my body fully reacted. Rafe Whitman definitely knew how to surprise me. Hotter than hades now, I turned to him, our faces close as we stared into each other’s eyes. Sexual tension stretched between us like a taut wire on the verge of snapping. “Are you just saying that to mess with me, or did you really think that?”
His eyes were bright with a gorgeous mix of amusement and desire. “Yes. I might have even thought about it while I was alone that night.”
There was a real threat of me ripping his clothes off right then and there, so I tried to break some of the tension with a fake frown. “You thought I was incredibly annoying?”
Laughing, Rafe straightened and shrugged. “First time we met, I was in such a shitty mood that I shouldn’t have taken out on you, so I’m sorry.”
“Apology accepted already.”
“But I thought you were being fake with the whole optimistic life-is-sunshine-and-roses attitude.” Seeing the look on my face, he reached out to smooth his thumb over my cheek. “I know it’s real now. It was just hard for me to believe that anyone could reach your age and still see the world and everyone in it the way that you do.”
“So I annoyed you at first?”
He shrugged apologetically. “Even though you tried really hard to like me, I know I annoyed you too.”
“But I did try.”
Rafe chuckled. “I annoyed you.”
“I wanted to mess up your hair, throw away your ties, and spill coffee all over you so badly,” I admitted.
His shoulders shook with laughter, and then he smoldered at me again. “Minus the coffee spillage, I am happy for you to do all those things to me when we’re alone.”
Seriously, my body was currently one hundred percent ready to discover every inch of his, and it was giving me brain fog. I had a feeling if he stayed any longer, I’d give in to temptation and walk away from this job. “Okay, if you’re just going to keep saying naughty things to me when I can’t do anything about it, you’re going to have to leave.”
He grinned, but at my grim expression, his smile dropped. “You’re not serious?”
I leaned into him. “It is hot right now and yet I am visibly turned on, in public, so you should probably go.”
His eyes dropped to my chest and I saw a faint flush across his cheeks as he swallowed hard.
Yup. Time for him to go. “I’ll call you later.”
“You’re not seriously kicking me out of line?” He stepped into me. “I’ll stop.”
“It’s too late. All I can think about with you standing here is sex.”
His eyes danced with smug pleasure.
I shook my head, laughing. “We’ll meet later.”
“When? Where?” he demanded impatiently.
Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind. Rafe and I were great in our little bubble when my commitment phobia didn’t rear its ugly head. We were even halfway to great among his family. But he’d never met my family. My real family. Roger, Jude, and Kendall. Who were in a polyamorous relationship, which was something Rafe did not understand. If we were going to work, I had to know that he could be friends with my friends even though they had stepped outside a box society deemed “normal.” And I really needed to know that before sex made me even more attached to the guy. “My friends and I are going out tonight in our neighborhood. Come with us.”
“You want our first actual date to be with your friends?”
“They’re my family here, Rafe. I’ve met yours and I want you to meet mine.”
As if he understood what I wasn’t saying, he nodded contemplatively. “Okay. What time?”
“Around eight. I’ll text you the address.”
“Sounds like a plan. But I’m not going anywhere. I still have a whole forty-five minutes to make you think about nothing but sex.”
Cruel, cruel man. “Don’t make me,” I warned him.
He frowned. “Make you what?”
“Embarrass you into leaving.”
“I can’t be embarrassed.”
Oh really. I reared back from him in mock horror and cried, “You want to do what to me?”
Rafe’s expression flattened. “Star—”
“In your grandmother’s bed?” I yelled.
He squeezed his eyes closed as people turned in line to look and the couple behind us choked on their laughter.
“You want me to wear her nightie?”
Rafe glowered at me, shaking his head. “You’re evil.”
Laughter trembled around my reply. “And what are the carrots for?”
Without a word, he marched away and I almost peed myself, I was laughing so hard. Yes, it was immature, but I loved messing with him. I also almost missed the vibration of my phone in my purse. It was a text from Rafe.
Make no mistake, you will pay for that. I’ll see you tonight.
Chuckling to myself, I texted back.
Will I at least enjoy my punishment?