Page 44 of About That Pact

Charlotte’s heart fluttered at the idea. She could get used to waking up in the morning with him too. It scared the living crap out of her. This was Rafe. He was the man who always found a way out, leaving when it suited him. She had first-hand experience.

Plus, she had a plan—and dating wasn’t in hers right now.

“Do you think Jason would be offended if I sent him flowers?” he asked.

“Why are you sending my brother flowers? In general, I think that’s weird.”

He stuffed another bite of breakfast into his mouth. “I want to thank him for telling me you were going all crazy girlfriend and asking him about my past relationships.”

“I did not!” she screeched. Jason was in deep shit the next time she talked to him.

Rafe couldn’t stop laughing at her reaction. “You’re right, but he did say you were asking about me.”

She put her fork down to cross her arms. “Why was my name even brought up?”

“Don’t sulk. I was asking about you, and he told me you did the same thing.”

“You were asking about me?”

His hand reached out to swipe syrup off the side of her lip. “Yes, which is why I want to send him flowers. After he told me, I came here immediately.”

“Because we had sex?”

“Sex and breakfast deserve a thank you.” Rafe blew her a kiss before taking another bite of his pancakes.

She nodded, dismissing the fleeting idea that he wanted more with her. He never had, and it didn’t look like his feelings were changing anytime soon. This wasn’t anything she hadn’t dealt with before. Except now, they were on the same page. She was almost certain she could handle being friends with benefits. When their arrangement ran its course, she would deal with the aftermath then.

Even if it meant going back to a seventy-hour work week.

Chapter 16

SHE DIDN’T BOTHER hiding her giggle. Rafe was funny. After they had sex, there was the worry of some awkwardness around each other, but none of the weirdness transpired. They continued their friendship, but with the added bonus of sex. The idea of friends with benefits had never suited her before, but with Rafe, it was different.

They had such a good read on each other. In fact, he probably knew her better than most people. It wasn’t just how she took her coffee, black with one sugar. Or how she had to make lengthy lists in order to make a decision. It was more than that. He was able to tell when she needed a good laugh or space to overanalyze. Always respecting her workaholic nature, he gave her time she needed without making her feel guilty. Once she had herself in check that the sex was only casual, their arrangement became fantastic.

Over the past week, they’d talked all the time, keeping things strictly in the friend-zone. Then, at night, Rafe ended up in her bed or she was in his. She wasn’t going to complain about mind-blowing sex. There were no nagging thoughts looming overhead of what she would do when he got bored because this wasn’t long-term. Her career was, and at the moment, so was his singleton lifestyle—and they both knew it.

“I can’t believe you’re passing me up,” Rafe puffed over the phone.

“I told you, I’m meeting my girlfriends today. I refuse to be a woman who bails on her friends because of a man.”

“Ugh.” He blew out his frustration. “You’re acting like I’m asking you to bail because of sex. Plans change, I’m sure your friends would understand.”

“I am not changing my plans,” she reiterated. “You want me to go to a golf tournament, and I would rather go to brunch.”

“I have press passes.”

“And I will have a mimosa.”

He paused. Probably because he realized golf couldn’t compete with a mimosa.

“Why don’t you ask Jason to go?” she suggested, walking into Zazie to meet her friends.

“The last time I took him to a press event, he managed to sleep with one of the tennis players during her break. In the locker room. While her family waited for her just outside to congratulate her on her performance. Her boyfriend was even there. She walked out all flushed and her hair a mess. That’s what the media caught on camera. Thank fuck your brother was smart enough to stay inside the locker room for another hour before he snuck out.”

She was surprised her brother still managed to shock her. “What the hell did Jase do in a locker room for an hour?”

“He said he played Words with Friends.”