She clicks her tongue like she thinks I’m joking and continues to caress me.
“Are you hungry?” My lips are against her temple, and I can’t help but breathe her in.
“Not really. I was going to make some cinnamon rolls or something, but you literally have no food.”
“Make a list, I’ll get whatever you want.”
“Don’t you ever eat here?” She leans back to look up at me.
“I’ve been busy lately.” More like I have a one-track mind. I haven’t even been to the gym much, and that’s something I never skip because it calms me.
“Next time, we can stay at my house and I’ll make you midnight cookies. They’re the best.”
“You going to sneak me up into your room, or should I climb through your bedroom window?” I chuckle, thinking of all the times I’ve gotten into their house without her or her mother knowing.
“Yeah,” she says casually. “Maybe you can scare the ghost away while you’re there.”
“Ghost?”
“You afraid?” she singsongs.
“No, but I’m intrigued, you think your house is haunted?”
“Sometimes, stuff goes missing then turns up later in a place I already looked. I’ve even seen someone outside, I think.” Lucy wiggles her eyebrows like she’s trying to spook me.
She’s talking about me. I’m the one that makes things go missing and the person she’s seen outside. I knew she noticed me. “Let me know if you notice anything else. I have some connections. I can have him dealt with.” I keep my voice low and serious, but she sees right through me and playfully swats my chest.
“I changed my mind. Leave him alone. He protects me.” She nuzzles her cheek against the spot she just hit and cozies up even more. I wonder what she would think if she knew it was me?
“I should be done around three.”I already have my fingers curled over the door handle to get out of the car, but I’m reluctant to leave. I have another riding lesson today in a few hours, and you’d think I would be excited, but I just want to spend more time with Rafe.
“The security team will be here by nine. They have instructions, but they will need to be let into the house.”
“You did not!”
“This will keep you safe…and your mother,” he argues pragmatically.
“You play dirty.” I scowl. He knew exactly what to say to make me okay with him having a security system installed.
“It’s the only way I know how to play. Now, they don’t know this job is for me. It’s just an order I submitted through the company.”
“Covering your tracks,” I surmise. “It’s almost like you’ve done this before. Do I need to worry you have a bevy of women tucked away all over?”
“No, you’re my only obsession. Give me a kiss, I have a doctor’s appointment.”
“Good, it better stay that way,” I tell him before leaning over and kissing him gently.
“Call me when they get done and I’ll be back,” Rafe murmurs against my lips.
“’Kay, be good.” The words slip from me without thought, and Rafe gives me a devilish smirk in response, which I ignore. “I better go in and tell Mom to expect company today.”
He waits until I unlock the door and step inside before turning around in the driveway. When I spin, I know I have a stupid grin on my face. Mom is sitting at the table with a mug of coffee covering her lips, but I know just from her eyes she’s smiling at me.
“How was your night?”
Heat rushes to my cheeks. “Okay. You sleep all right?”
She ignores my question. “Just okay?”
