Page 52 of About That Pact

When she wasn’t working and he wasn’t reading, it was nothing but them needing the physical touch of each other. There was no good reason for them to have clothes on because they always took them off at some point. She’d never had a day filled with sex and she was ready to sign up for it again. But, like, next week or something because she was exhausted. It had to be from the race. Or maybe a trend of being in her thirties. No, she refused to believe it and blamed being sleepy on the race.

They both laughed at the Weekly Update skit. When a commercial break came on, Rafe extended his legs and moaned.

“The race get the better of you?” It was rewarding he was also aching from their day.

His voice was more serious. “Charlie, I think we both know it was you who got the better of me. This is more than friends with benefits, don’t you think?”

This was what she’d been worried about. Right now, he was all in, and while part of her loved the idea of being with him, but she couldn’t even fit another yoga class in her schedule. Besides, this was like history repeating itself. The only way to not get hurt—again—was to not acknowledge the feelings brewing between them.

Yes, a therapist would have a field day with her.

She steered the conversation to be meaningless. “Oh, please. You’ll be back to your normal self before the night ends. I bet when we’re in Vegas, you’ll be living it up with Jason. He told me his only goal, outside of the required family time, is to surround himself with women.”

“Is that what you think I want?” Annoyance dripped off him.

It didn’t seem like her diversion to the conversation was working, not with the attitude he was projecting on her. If there was a way to freeze time, she would. As soon as they had this talk, everything they’d built between them would come crashing down.

“How would I know what you want?” It was happening, she could feel it. They were toeing the line of ending whatever this was.

He stood up, dragging a hand down his face in frustration. “Good point. How would you know what I want? Any time the conversation comes up, you remind me how much you love friends with benefits.”

This was going in the direction she didn’t want to. Rafe was going to ask for more of her when she couldn’t give it to him. It wasn’t just her career holding her back. It was him.

He broke her heart at nineteen, and she wasn’t about to let it happen again at thirty-one. She’d played this game once before, and even though the wounds weren’t visible, they were still there.

She held her head high. “Friends with benefits is what we said we wanted. You were the one who even suggested it.”

He raked his hand through his hair. “What if I want more?”

Her back stiffened at the notion. Not because she didn’t have an answer, but because she wasn’t ready to give it to him yet.

“What if I want more?” he gritted out again.

“I hear a lot of if in your statement,” she said, still not giving him the answer he was pushing for. She wasn’t ready yet…to let go of him.

Rafe kneeled in front of her. His beautiful eyes met hers. They were filled with so much hope, her breath caught. He gently brushed her cheek. “There is no if. I want more.”

It was like her mouth was protesting from opening. Her heart and head were at war.

“Do you want more?” he pleaded gently, his voice almost a whisper.

She was backed into a corner. Her heart was racing. This was it. This was the end.

“No,” she said as solidly as she could even though she was crumbling on the inside. “I don’t want more.”

NO. SHE SAID no. She didn’t want him. The woman he loved, the woman he saw his future with, said no. None of this made sense. His world was spinning around him. This was the worst break-up he’d ever experienced, and they hadn’t even had a damn label.

This couldn’t be right. His chest ached. It was like he was suffocating.

He stood up again, unable to sit still. How could she not want more? His emotions were all over the place.

“Are you serious?” Anger coursed through him.

Rafe was all or nothing. Charlotte’s dismissal of a future together pissed him off. All the time they’d spent together, and she was throwing it away. They had it all, not that she cared.

“Are you fucking serious?” he barked out when she didn’t answer. This perfect day was rapidly turning into his worst nightmare.

“I have to be.” Her voice strained.