Yep, there it was. She’d figured him out already, but he wouldn’t go down without a fight. “What do you mean?” he tried to keep his voice even.
“You look like you swallowed a seashell.”
Grace looked up. Finally, her eyes met his. Finally, she inspected him, and even though he was trying so damn hard to look normal, he was obviously failing, and whatever she saw on his face made her expression darken.
“I’m fine. Just trying to understand why you two are drunk in my kitchen talking about hooking up with guys this early in the morning.”
“We’re not hooking up with any guys,” Grace said, keeping her eyes on his.
“But you said we could do anything I want today,” Alma whined.
Grace snorted. “Within reason.”
“You’re a beautiful single woman, and I want to live vicariously through you. That seems reasonable to me.”
“Come on, Alma. Give her a break,” Rafael said. Alma narrowed her eyes, and he realized his mistake. He shouldn’t have an opinion about this.
“What do you care?” she asked.
Grace’s eyes went wide, but she didn’t move.
“I don’t,” he said. “You’re just asking a lot of your friend, and you know she would do anything for you.”
Alma scowled. “I don’t know if I like you two living together if you’re going to team up against me, preventing me from watching Grace make out with a stranger on the street.”
“God, Alma,” Grace grumbled, her face completely red.
Rafael tried to think of a delicate way to change the subject. But also, Grace was so cute when she was embarrassed. And when she was sleeping. And when she had her mouth around his?—
“I’m starving,” Alma announced. “I didn’t think I’d be able to eat anything, but I had nothing at all last night, and it’s catching up to me.”
“Especially now that you’re hammered,” Grace chimed in.
“I’m not hammered. Some of us can handle our alcohol, Gracie. I just feel a little bouncy.” She bobbed in her seat to demonstrate.
“Well, that’s an improvement,” Rafael said.
“Yes, and now I need the toilet.” Alma jumped off her stool and marched toward the bathroom. “Keep thinking about that stranger hook up, Grace. Just consider it.” She slammed the door behind her, and then, suddenly, Grace and Rafael were alone.
Even though there was still a good bit of space between them, Rafael thought he could hear her breathing. He was attuned to her—every sound she made, every blink.
“Hey,” he said.
She bit her lip. “Hi.”
“How are you this morning?”
He swore he could see her swallow, too, from across the room. “Good.”
He took a few steps in her direction, slowly. And then he took a few more, rounding the counter and getting close enough to reach out for her.
“Raf—” she huffed.
“What?” He ran his thumb along her jawline, his fingers at the back of her neck.
“Alma will be right back.”
“I don’t care,” he said. She’d lit some kind of fuse inside of him, and it was burning, burning, so ready to explode.
