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)
His words filled the hollowness in my chest. But . . . “We’re too different. You’ll get sick of me.”
Rafe’s brows drew together. “I want you because you’re you, differences and all. I already told you I like you just as you are.”
My pulse raced so hard I could feel it throbbing in my neck. Yes, I was still afraid of committing myself to Rafe, but I think he’d been right at my parents’ house. I think I was more afraid of trusting him. Yet the thought of watching him walk away for good after two weeks of absolute misery without him . . .
You know, I’d always thought I was a pretty brave person. Now was the time to prove that to myself. “What about the money? I can’t take money from you, Rafe, if we’re dating for real.”
He swallowed hard, his breathing a little shallow as he stepped toward me. “I wouldn’t expect you to. Frankly, it would be highly inappropriate.”
I snort-laughed as giddiness bubbled up inside me. “Yeah. That means I’ll have to give it all back to you.”
His frown was instantaneous. “What? No.”
“Yes. I haven’t spent any of it, so I’m returning it. I couldn’t keep it now. It would be this, well, weird thing between us.”
Rafe contemplated this and sighed. “I get it. Okay.”
“You’ll take the money back?”
His big hand came to rest on my hip and the weight of his touch gave me a thrill of excitement. “You’re agreeing to a real relationship with me?”
Despite the fear that still hovered in the background, the sounds of New York no longer chafed. They were familiar and wonderful. The scent of exhaust fumes didn’t bother me, and the grate smell had disappeared in lieu of Rafe’s cologne. My dress didn’t cling; instead it felt sexy against my sweat-damp skin. I tried to suppress a shaky smile, but its trembling beam broke through. “I’ll date you for real.”
I caught a brief glimpse of his smile before I was hauled up against him, my mouth crushed beneath his. He kissed me so passionately the people behind us started hooting and whistling.
Rafe reluctantly broke the kiss and I panted for breath. If my skin had been hot in the summer heat before, it was now ablaze.
“Well fuck me,” I muttered, dazed.
“Oh, I intend to,” he murmured back, and I flushed at the same time I laughed.
“Hate to put the brakes on that.” I smoothed my free hand over his chest, looking forward to exploring him when he was naked. “But I really do still have to wait in line.”
“I have the next hour free. I’ll wait with you.”
“Really?” My eyes lit up at an hour with Rafe. “But it’s hot out here.”
“It is, but so are you, so it’s worth it.”
I tried to bite my lip to stop the goofy, dreamy smile curling my mouth, but I could tell by the way Rafe’s expression heated that I hadn’t succeeded. The line moved a little, so I turned and we moved forward with our free arms wrapped around each other’s waists.
I was standing in line with Rafe Whitman, whom I was now officially dating.
Why did I suddenly feel like a sixteen-year-old girl dating her first big crush?
Hopefully this time, Rafe didn’t squash me like Matt had.
Batting the negative thoughts away, I took a sip of my coffee. “This is nice so far.”
Rafe smiled down at me. “Yeah.” Then he gestured to the line. “What are we waiting for?”
“Free tickets to a new restaurant launch.”
He stared down at me, expressionless, for a few seconds. Then he said, “Free tickets?”
I held back my laughter. “Yup.”
“Someone is paying you to wait in line for something that is free?”
“Yes.”
“Doesn’t that defeat the purpose of it being free?”
“Depends on how much they’re paying me,” I cracked.
“Well?” He raised an eyebrow.
Chuckling, I nodded. “It definitely defeats the purpose of it being free.”
Rafe shook his head and muttered, “People are ludicrous.”
“Maybe the person paying me just has FOMO.”
He grimaced. “Is that some kind of medical problem?”
I threw my head back in laughter and let myself sink into him as my giggles petered out. Rafe’s arm tightened around me and as I looked up at him, I found him grinning down at me.
“I’m guessing not.”
“Maybe it is in some countries,” I joked.
“Whatever it is, they need to take a good long look at their life. Paying someone to wait in a goddamn line for free tickets,” he muttered in exasperation before he took a sip of his coffee.
I got a sudden flashback to the last time he’d been present when I was line sitting.
“Hey, remember that time you got peanut butter and jelly on my bedsheets?” I teased.
Rafe went with the subject change, bending his head to whisper in my ear. “I remember you shouting that lie across the plaza, yes. And I remember thinking you were incredibly annoying, but also that I’d really like to lick peanut butter off your nipples.”