"Yeah… I'll be back," he grumbles, and with my eyes adjusting, I see his silhouette moving through the door.
My mouth is watering too much to care about who cooked the food, so I pick up the fork and dig in. Savory and sweet flavors dance on my tastebuds with every bite, and I have half the plate devoured before I hear footsteps in the hallway. Rafe returns with a candle in hand, scowling in frustration, and I know why.
No power means no internet, and that means no progress on his dumb ledgers.
But his frustration doesn't do anything to dampen my hunger. I keep shoveling forkfuls of food into my mouth, groaning at how delicious every bite is while he grumbles and stokes the fire.
"You know, you're killing the mood," I tell him. "I was actually about to compliment you for your good cooking?—"
"Yeah, well maybe you should sleep since we'll be out of power for a little while. That way, when the lights come back on you can?—"
"Do you think I'm a robot or something?" I snap with food still in my mouth. I'm not sure he even understands me, but before he can respond I swallow what I was chewing and continue. "You'rereally fucking bossy for a man who needs someone's help. I'm literally saving your ass and all you can do is work my fingers to the bone."
"You're pushing it, Maddox," Rafe snarls, but he keeps his back to me, arranging the logs on the fire with the long grippers he keeps on the stone surround.
"Am I? Because while I appreciate the noble treatment of your waiting on me hand and foot, I’d much rather just be home with my sister right now. I missed her party and my family Thanksgiving. I don't want to see pictures of her walking down an aisle. I want to be there."
I'm standing now, food left to get cold on the desk as the computer screen goes into screensaver mode. There are things I could be doing by hand, but if he's going to act like a total ass, then why should I keep working so hard? It's not food I want. It's freedom.
"I said, you're pushing it. Sit down and eat the fucking food." Rafe straightens and turns to face me and in the light of dancing candle flame from the coffee table between us, his face takes on an utterly morbid look. Dark shadows ring his eyes, and it almost scares me.
"I think I deserve respect and maybe a little down time that isn't sleeping. I've been doing everything you ask me and?—"
Rafe moves so fast, I can't even think. His hand is on my throat, backing me across the room to pin me to the wall, and I realize my mouth has gotten me into trouble.
"You're going to learn that I have a very short fuse. When things don't go my way, I tend to snap. Now, my suggestion to let you rest was merely an offer. If you'd like, I can bring more candlesin here so you can do your figures by hand until the power comes back on."
His hand on my neck isn't too tight, but the pressure makes me swallow hard. "You're an asshole," I spit, and he squeezes my neck hard. I can't breathe for a second, and I think maybe he'll actually hurt me, but he loosens his grip as he leans closer.
"You're just finding that out?" he asks in a whisper. His breath dances over my cheek, tickling my ear, and he's so close I can smell the way his cologne clings to his skin.
I don't even know what to say to him. Fighting him is pointless. He's always going to get his way because he's bigger and he has the gun. And even if he doesn't hurt me, he can and will hurt Lila. There's no doubt in my mind.
So I stand there pinned to the wall under his grip trying to keep myself calm because all I can do is whatever he tells me to do. I expect him to stare at me for a while longer, then threaten me again and make me finish eating and get back to work, but he doesn't pull away.
Rafe remains as close to me as the air itself and I start to feel the surge of chemistry I felt last week when we stood on that deck with me defiantly challenging him.
It tingles low in my belly first, then makes me warm to a balmy internal temperature. And when I think for sure he's going to finally pull away, he leans in instead.
"You're a horrible person… you know…" My words lack all conviction now because my thoughts are hazy, blurring between wanting to fight back and wanting to surrender to whatever it is that's going through his head.
"I didn't kill Marco Lombardi…" He says it like he thinks it’s the reason I believe him to be horrible, but I don’t correct him. In fact, I say nothing again because the oxygen in this room is so hot it feels like the air is sucked from my lungs. His thumb glides along the bottom side of my jaw, stretching up to pull my lower lip down. It curls then springs back as he says, "I need your help to fix what he did before one of my enemies killed him."
His eyes dart around my face for a moment, then drop to my lips where his thumb brushes lightly. I get it. He's in a bad place because of this mess his former banker left him in, but he chose this life. He knew what would happen when he started smuggling drugs, what sort of people he'd be working with.
"No excuse…" I stutter as his body leans in closer, and now his hips are pressed to mine. I feel the hard bulge of his arousal and it makes my body pulse with desire too. I swallow hard, trying not to let my body get out of control. My palms are pressed against the wall behind me so I don't touch him.
But God, I want to touch him.
I want to more than touch him.
"What's going through your mind, Riley Maddox?" Rafe's words drip with temptation. His full, plump lips beg to be kissed. "Why are you looking at me like a puppy begging for a treat?"
"Shut up," I hiss, turning my face, but his hand is there, forcing my eyes back to his.
"No, tell me. Because we keep dancing around this moment and I'd like to actually know what you're thinking." His knee drags up, separating my legs, grinding on my pelvis, and I utter a soft gasp, but my hands stay planted on the wall.
"What I want is to go home…" I try to close my eyes and close out the image of his face, but the best I can do is look down far enough that my eyelids appear to be closed. All that does is redirect my eyes down the front of his shirt where ink shadows skin and makes me intrigued.
