“I think we should leave your car here.”
I blinked. “That would leave me without a car in Jacksonville.”
“Yeah… but you stay with me - I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
My eyebrow arched with the sardonic twist of my lips. “The brothers are going to put you back to work.”
“Maybe, but you never know.”
“Who are you trying to convince, me or yourself?”
He put the plate down and crossed his arms. “Seriously, Lex. There’s no point in both of us driving back.”
This was true, but I hated being so dependent on him to get around. “Fine. But it’ll be harder to look into JU without wheels.”
A ‘don’t-give-me-any-bullshit’ grin spread on his face. “You can do that online. And really, someone will take you if you’re serious.”
“Okay, when are we leaving?” I asked.
“My bike’s already loaded into the bed of my truck. How soon can you be ready?”
My brows drew together. “You want to go tonight?”
His eyes turned molten. “I want you in my bed at my house at my mercy. The sooner, the better, baby.”
I felt myself get wet. “I thought you had an apartment.”
His lips quirked. “I said I was renting. Didn’t say what type of place.” He dipped his chin. “You wanna stand here and talk real estate, or you want to get your shit together?”
Two and a half hours later, Rafferty pulled his truck into a narrow, gleaming gray driveway. From the outside, the house seemed small, but it also looked brand-spanking new.
The house was located on the edge of Avondale, a few blocks off Highway 17, where the homes could be affordable, butthishouse looked pricey.
“How much is your rent, Raff?”
He pulled the keys from the ignition. “Half of what it should be.”
My eyes widened and I turned my head toward him. “Half? How on earth—”
He chuckled. “Dad bought it, and it was in shambles according to him. I put in the roof with the help of a few buddies I used to work with in roofing. It took five days when it should have taken two. Roofing has to be one of the hardest fuckin’ jobs I’ve ever had, but I saved Dad over ten grand doing it.”
“Really?” I asked, impressed and proud of him.
He nodded. “Did most of the re-wiring. Helped re-plumb both bathrooms. The kitchen isn’t done yet. Needs a new sink, new cabinets came in just before I went to Memphis, the appliances are dated, but they work.”
I shot him a small closed-lip smile. “And your dad gave you half rent because of that?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Got half rent because all the work I did saved Dad a minimum of thirty grand and since I did most of it, he knows I’m gonna take great fucking care of the place.”
We hopped out of the truck and Rafferty grabbed my bags. “What about your stuff?”
He fiddled with the key ring until he had a single key between his fingers. “My clothes and shit are in the saddlebags. I’ll grab them when I unload the bike. Let me give you a tour.”
The inside of the house was even more impressive than the outside.
The hardwood floors were honey-colored and gleamed like they’d been waxed. The walls were freshly painted in a soft beige, and he had a wooden sunburst hanging over the couch. I knew it came from Relax, Aunt Lisa’s furniture store, because I’d had my eye on it for over a year.
“I can see you have great taste.” I tipped my head toward the wall. “If I’d had somewhere to put it, I was going to buy that piece.”
