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)
“Congratulations,” Rafe said tonelessly.
Who was this sexy corporate woman?
She lost some of her confidence at his less-than-enthusiastic response. A sad tenderness replaced it. “You look great, Rafferty.” Her gaze came to me when he said nothing, and she reluctantly held out her hand. “I’m Camille Westmoreland. Rafe and I used to date.”
I pulled on my best acting skills and didn’t react to that or the way Rafe tensed even more at her announcement. “Star.” I shook her hand. “Rafe’s girlfriend.”
“And I always thought Rafe had a type,” she murmured, dragging her eyes down my body in obvious disbelief. Or maybe even disdain.
“Camille,” Rafe warned.
She shook her head like he was a misbehaving child who’d disappointed her. “You know where I am when you decide to get serious about your life.”
My jaw actually dropped.
Camille sauntered off, generous hips swaying almost hypnotically. Looking up at Rafe, I spluttered, “Th-these people . . . Rafe, please tell me they are not all like this?”
“They’re not all like this. But they do think life should be lived a certain way. I told you that. That’s why you’re here in the first place.”
For some reason, I did not want to be reminded of that right now. “Used to date?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He finished his beer and grabbed my hand. “Let’s find something to eat.”
An hour later, Rafe was no less brooding. We’d had a stilted conversation with Pippa and Hugo for a while. Pippa had spent the whole time bobbing up and down trying to see past people to the pool, muttering about how no one was watching the kids, until finally she stalked off to do that herself. Hugo was barely there anyway. It was obvious his mind was elsewhere, and when Pippa walked away, he used it as an excuse to disappear into the house.
Gigi returned to us and navigated introductions with other guests who were mutual friends. Thankfully, not everyone was as passive-aggressively rude as the Van Beeks and Camille Westmoreland. In fact, most of the guests were very nice and I would have been having a good time if Rafe hadn’t reformed to the guy I’d met at Charmaine’s birthday party.
“What is wrong with you?” Gigi grumbled when another couple left after Rafe grunted answers at their casual questions.
“Nothing.”
His sister looked at me, and I gestured subtly with my head. Getting my hint, she excused herself and I stepped into Rafe’s personal space. His nostrils flared at my sudden proximity.
“So . . . used to date?” I tried again.
“I told you—”
“Why are you so sore about it?”
“I’m not sore about it. I’m pissed that she approached me the way she did when she can see you’re my date. It’s typical Camille.”
“Then you are giving her too much power.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Whatever she did, if you really are over it, why are you allowing her to ruin your day?”
“She was rude to you.”
“Yet when the Van Beeks were rude, you made me laugh about it. C’mon, you can be honest with me, you know. I might be the only one other than Gigi who you can be honest with at this point.” I pressed a fingertip into his chest, the gesture teasing. Finding solid muscle teased me in a different way. I dropped my hand. “So?”
Rafe exhaled heavily, but the tension in his shoulders loosened as he held my gaze. “Camille was my last relationship. We broke up two years ago. Dated for four years and she cheated on me with a famous actor and dumped me.”
My lips parted in shock. “She what?”
“Oh, that’s not the worst part. When he dumped her, I came home to our apartment to find her there, cooking dinner like nothing had happened. She expected me to take her back.”
“She did not?” I gaped at the outrageous arrogance.
“She did. So I moved out. Now and then we show up at the same events because of mutual acquaintances and even if she has a date, she tries to convince me we’ll end up together.”
And he was still bothered about this? Did that mean he still cared about her? A burn flared in my chest, and to my horror, I realized it was jealousy. “You don’t want her back? You can’t forgive her?”
Rafe’s gaze searched mine. “I was blind to her for a long time. I couldn’t see past her intelligence, confidence, her ambition—”
“Her rockin’ bod,” I added.
“Maybe that too.” His smile slipped as he swallowed hard. “But I see past all that now. To what’s important. She was self-involved and she could be unkind. I used to ignore all the catty, judgmental comments she made about other people, writing them off as a consequence of her drive and ambition. Now I think she was never that confident. Who needs to tear down other people to be truly confident, right? But I couldn’t see that then. I just saw her intelligence and determination and I was attracted to her for it. Looking back, I’m not proud of the guy who admired her. That’s not the guy I thought I was.”