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)
Sometimes I loved the way he talked. Grinning to myself, I shrugged. “Fair enough. If you want me to take the bed, I’ll take the bed.”
* * *
• • •
Staring down at Rafe’s bed, I realized it was much easier to be blasé about the whole thing when I wasn’t standing in his bedroom, staring at the space where he laid his well-formed body every night, and breathing in his scent. The smell of his cologne lingered in the air and I bet it was all over his pillows too.
“Here.”
I turned at his voice to find Rafe holding out a perfectly folded T-shirt.
“For you to sleep in,” he clarified.
“Oh.” I took it, trying not to touch him. “Right, thanks.”
The easiness that existed between us as we drove to his apartment and parked his car in a neighboring garage had dissipated as soon as we stepped inside his home. Suddenly, I became very aware of the fact that it was late at night and we were alone at his place after sharing the world’s best kiss.
By the awkward tension, I’d say it was quite possible Rafe was thinking the same thing.
“I’ll let you change first.” He gestured to the bathroom. “I don’t have a spare toothbrush but there’s mouthwash.”
“Great.” I smiled at him, but the exchange felt strained.
He frowned. “Can I get you anything else?”
“No, this is great.” Stop saying “great.” “I’ll just . . .” I nodded toward the bathroom and then scooted around him to disappear inside. Locking the door behind me, I leaned against it, shaking my head. What the hell was wrong with me?
Pushing off the door with a frustrated sigh, I took care of business, gave myself a quick wash with what Rafe had available, scrubbed my face clean, and changed into Rafe’s T-shirt. I opened the bathroom door and called out, “Hey, do you mind if I use your hairbrush?”
“Go ahead,” he called back from the living room.
I unpinned the curls, making a pile of bobby pins on the corner of his countertop, reminding myself to collect those in the morning.
It hit me again that I was staying overnight in Rafe’s apartment.
As I fluffed out my hair and brushed out the tangles, I noted the flush high on my cheeks and that familiar gleam in my eyes. My nipples poked through the borrowed T-shirt that smelled of Rafe and hit me midthigh. I was turned on. By the mere thought of being alone with him in his apartment.
This was not a normal reaction to someone.
“Fuck,” I muttered.
Swallowing hard, I scooted out of the bedroom, with my dress and shoes folded in my hands, fully intending to avoid him.
But he was standing right outside the door.
“Oh.” I startled to a stop as my eyes wandered, with a mind of their own, down his body and back up again. He wore a T-shirt and plaid pajama pants. The T-shirt hung loose around his middle but strained around those impressive biceps and broad shoulders.
Oh boy.
My eyes flew to his face and my skin grew even hotter at the way he stared at my legs. I think even my legs blushed. “I’m going to go to bed now,” I announced with false cheer, backing into said bedroom. I fake-yawned. “Oh, tired. Long day. So tired. Night-night.” Abruptly, I closed the door in his face. My heart raced in my chest, the blood rushing in my ears.
Then, in an amused rumble that made me want to open the door again, I heard “Good night, Star.”
* * *
• • •
It was unclear what woke me up, but I startled awake and, for a split second, panicked at finding myself in an unfamiliar bed. The scent of Rafe on the pillows, however, caused my memory to flood back and I remembered crawling into his bed after the awkward good night. Somehow, I must have fallen asleep. It might have had something to do with the fact that the man owned a bed made of clouds. Seriously, the comfiest bed in the freaking world.
I rolled over and picked up my cell. Its battery was low but it was still alive, and the time on the screen told me it was almost dawn.
I had two choices available to me.
I could (a) try to fall back asleep and enjoy a few more hours in the comfiest cloud bed, then wake up and pretend everything was normal between us. Or (b) get up quietly, dress, and sneak out of his apartment before he woke up.
Before I could even let myself process why, I got out of Rafe’s bed.
Channeling my inner ninja, I changed into my dress and tied on my sandals. Grabbing my cell and purse, I carefully opened the bedroom door, wincing at the slight squeak of its hinge. Tiptoeing out, I came to a stop at the sight of Rafe sleeping on his couch. He’d kicked the covers off, and he slept on his stomach, the right side of his face squished into a pillow. His lashes looked longer and even thicker in sleep. His T-shirt had pulled up on one side, revealing his strong lower back.