“You think I have a pretty face?” Rafe teased.
“Youknowyou have a pretty face.”
And damn if that didn’t make something unexpected flutter in Rafe’s chest.Parker thinks I’m pretty.“Why, thank you.” He winked.
Parker huffed and rolled his eyes. “Don’t let it go to your head. There are a lot of pretty boys out there.”
“Too true.”
Parker tilted his head as he studied him, the look causing another flutter of butterflies to take flight. “But I think there’s more to you than just a pretty face and a fantastic voice.”
That wasn’t what he expected. “Maybe. Who knows?”
“Probably not many people,” Parker answered the rhetorical question. “Something tells me you keep your cards pretty close to your chest.” Parker finished his tea and put down the empty mug, swivelling on the sofa so he faced Rafe directly. “Tell me something about yourself, something nobody would know.”
Rafe placed his own cup on the table. “I like drinking tea after dinner because drinking coffee too late at night stops me sleeping.”
“Try again.”
“I’m a Scorpio.”
Parker shook his head. “Again. Something I can’t find out by googling. And not something about music either.”
He laughed. “Hmm. Didn’t think I’d get away with that one—was too easy. Okay, let me think. But then you need to tell me something too.”
“I can do that.”
Rafe searched his mind for something personal to share with Parker and surprisingly found himself wanting to share. HewantedParker to know more about him, and he absolutely wanted to know more about Parker. “Okay, here goes. I like brownies. Okay, maybe that’s underselling it a bit—Ilovebrownies—freshly baked, gooey, and oozing chocolate. I hate wearing shoes.” He wiggled his bare foot, the one he had crossed over his knee, shoes and socks having been discarded the second he entered the house. “I’m scared of spiders and allergic to shellfish. I like fast cars—”
“And fast women?” Parker interrupted with amusement in his voice.
“Let’s just say I like fast. Well, in some things at least.” He chuckled. “I’m an avid reader—”
“Of?”
“Crime thrillers mostly. I don’t watch much TV—not enough time, but I enjoy going to the movies. I was born in Darwin.”
“Are you sure I can’t find most of this on Wikipedia?”
“I never finished high school.”Jesus, what did I admit to that for?He fuckinghatedthat he hadn’t finished school.Loser. Loser.He shook his head to clear the echo of his stepfather’s words. He wasn’t going to let those unwanted memories infringe on this moment with Parker.
“Apples.” Parker must have sensed his sudden change in mood.
“Huh?”
“I prefer apples to sweets and cakes. I think it’s the crunchy texture. I like that you don’t wear shoes.” Parker’s hand drifted to Rafe’s foot, causing Rafe to suck in a breath, but his eyes didn’t leave Parker’s. “I’m scared of flying. You should have seen the effort it took to get on that plane to fly over here, and I had to almost knock myself out for the last long-haul flight I took. I like crime shows on TV—mainly real-life murders. Morbid, I know. I haven’t been to the movies in forever. Perth born and bred. My last boyfriend dumped my sorry arse.”
“What?”
“I’m not an asset apparently.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
Parker shrugged, but the sadness was evident in his gaze before he looked away, eyes downcast. “It was a while ago now. It doesn’t matter.”
Like hell.But Rafe could sense the hurt and elected not to go there, at least not now. “I’ve never had a boyfriend,” he admitted.
Parker’s eyes flicked to him again. “Seriously. Like never? Not even in school?”
