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’ll call you guys later.”
“You better.” Kendall gave me big eyes, silently communicating Tell us what the hell that was later.
I said goodbye, closed the laptop, and looked over at Rafe, who leaned against my counter, unhappy eyes on me.
“Everything okay?” I fluffed my hair out from where strands were caught in the back of my dress.
His gaze shifted to the laptop and back to me. “Why were you in your underwear for that video call?”
Oh.
I stiffened. “Because they’re my friends and they were helping me pick out a dress while we chatted.”
“Do you strip to your underwear in front of people a lot?”
A flush of anger crawled up my neck. “No. They’re my best friends. Not people.”
Sensing my anger, Rafe sighed heavily and pushed off the counter. “I’m sorry. I . . . just . . . I don’t like it.”
“That I was in my underwear in front of my friends?”
“Two of whom are guys who are into women.”
No. Nope. This wasn’t happening. “They’re my best friends. I won’t change that friendship with them, not even for you. And it’s no different from wearing a bikini in front of them.”
“One, that’s not what I’m saying. Two, underwear differs from a bikini. A bikini is something you wear in public, not standing alone in your apartment with just three people watching you. There are less sexual connotations with a bikini.”
I glowered. “I can’t believe you’re trying to dictate who I show my body to. This is my body, Rafe. Not yours.”
He nodded calmly as he approached me, and I braced myself, still flushed with agitation. “You’re right. But would you be okay if I showed my body to another woman? Just me alone in my apartment with her? Even if I told you she and I were just friends?”
A different burn of emotion flashed across my chest and my jaw clenched when I realized it was possessiveness. No. I clearly did not like the thought of another woman seeing Rafe’s body.
Shit.
That was new.
He had the decency not to look smug when he saw the answer on my face. “I know this makes me seem like a caveman asshole, but I’m not. I won’t stop you from video calling people in your underwear, because you’re right, it’s your body. But I didn’t like it. Because I’m not perfect, Star. People aren’t perfect.”
“Explain. Other than the sexual connotations, explain, and I’ll try to understand.”
“Do you really need me to? I know you don’t like the thought of this if it was the other way around. Isn’t that enough?”
“I’d like to think I’m a more rational being than that.” I was frustrated that apparently I wasn’t!
“So would I.” He laughed unhappily. “But unfortunately, feelings don’t always work the way you want them to.” His eyes warmed. “I like that I’m the only one who gets to see you alone in your underwear. That I’m the only one who gets to see you naked. It’s a privilege. I’m selfish. I like how I know things about you very few people know and that I’m the only one who gets that from you now.”
“So it’s emotional, not sexual?”
“Oh, it’s both.” He shrugged as if in apology.
I nodded slowly. “All right.”
“All right . . . ?”
“I’ll think about it.” No promises. Even though I could see where Rafe was coming from and I, honestly, would probably hate it if he were to undress in front of another woman in the same scenario, I just couldn’t set a precedent that meant changing the way I interacted with my friends. I had a close relationship with Roger, Jude, and Kendall. They were family, which was why I knew there was nothing sexual in it, so I wasn’t sure I wanted to make that compromise for Rafe. Moreover, I had to wonder if the whole situation was different for him because his last serious girlfriend had cheated on him. It would make sense that betrayal had planted some insecurities in Rafe, and while I was sympathetic to that, I wouldn’t allow it to dictate how I behaved in our relationship.
To my surprise, Rafe cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs sweeping my cheeks.
“You’re not pissed?”
He shook his head with a small smile. “You wouldn’t be you if that wasn’t your response.”
Rafe was right. Just like me, he wasn’t perfect. There were things about him I didn’t understand, just like I knew there were things about me he didn’t understand. But I found I liked our differences. And I liked that he could surprise me.
I just liked him. A lot. “I really like you.”
Rafe’s eyes darkened as they dropped to my mouth. “I really like you too.”
* * *
• • •
Whatever tension had built between us in my apartment had dissipated by the time we were in his Pontiac, driving to his parents’ in Harrison. I’d told Jude about Rafe’s restoration job on his car because Jude liked old cars, so Rafe had waited patiently while I snapped some pics to send before we took off.