Page 3 of About That Pact

“Why do I remember it differently?” His cocky voice oozed with sexiness. That voice of his always brought women to their knees.

Not her, though.

Not anymore, anyway…

“Stop living in the past. Why are you here?”

“Your brother invited me.”

“Why?”

“We’re friends,” he said slowly, like it was news to her. He reached across the table to touch her hand, but she yanked it away from him, and he tsked at her retreat.

“You know how my family and yours go on vacation every year together?” His emerald eyes were shining.

Those eyes had a sparkle of mischief in them. They always had.

“Yes, last year’s vacation was peaceful in your absence.” Peaceful, but not anywhere near as fun. Not that she was telling him that.

“Perhaps, but you missed me either way.”

Charlotte wished she hadn’t already finished her glass of wine. Rafe was a definite reason to need another. “There you go again, inaccurately using the word ‘miss.’”

His gaze didn’t waiver. “Sure, Charlie.”

“Do not call me that. No one calls me that anymore. I prefer Charlotte.”

He gave her a lazy grin. “And I prefer Charlie.”

Charlotte crossed her arms. “I want to know why you’re here. My brother wouldn’t invite you to happy hour if his plan was to charm the panties off an eligible woman at the bar.”

“He wants us to stop fighting before the family vacation in a couple months.” Rafe picked up the drink menu, not bothering to look at her. “He swears this will be the best trip yet.”

“I’m sure us fighting in Las Vegas would cramp his style,” Charlotte conceded.

“You know how he is. If it isn’t a good time, he wants no part in it.” Rafe stretched in his chair, waiting for their waitress to come over. “I bet he knows how much you really like me. He wants you to drop the charade of hating me.”

She raised her chin in defiance. “It can’t be a charade if it’s real. You don’t mean anything to me. In fact, if our parents weren’t friends, I’d be happy to never hear your name again.”

“Never seems like a long time,” Rafe countered with a tilt of his head.

“Or not long enough.” Charlotte was over Rafe and this conversation. As usual, his antics of annoying her were working. She stomped toward the bathroom to get away from him. This was how it always was between them: one of them ended up angry.

RAFE WATCHED CHARLOTTE storm away, grinning to himself. If there was one thing that never got old, it was riling up Charlie Madison. Since their parents were best friends, they’d grown up together. When Rafe was a kid, he’d loved chasing her around and pulling her pigtails, and had always searched for ways to get her prim and proper clothes dirty with the mud he and Jason often found themselves in. And when they hadn’t been trying to annoy each other, she’d been his best video game opponent. They had always loved competing against each other. Their love hate relationship had started at an early age.

“Rafe, where is Char?” Jason rejoined him, standing at the table. “Scare her off already?”

As if that were possible. Charlotte wasn’t afraid of anyone.

“She had to go to the bathroom?” It was more of a question than an answer.

“I’m risking her chopping my balls off, but I need to go.”

Rafe glanced at Jason as he rifled through his wallet and tossed cash down on the table

“Where’s the fire?” Rafe asked, raising a brow at Jason’s hurried movements.

“Ha-ha. I’m leaving with Molly, who I—”