Page 92 of Not Safe for Work

She snorts. “Was there something to hear? I was learning all about WMC Purcell company culture. That’s all I heard.”

I study her for a moment and then decide it’s better not to know.

“Come on,” Lan says, linking her arm through mine, still laughing to herself.

We find Rafe waiting near the door with his back to the wall and his arms crossed over his chest. Our gazes meet, and his soft smile makes my stomach do this weird little flip.

I hold up my phone and point to the screen and the photo of the dessert buffet poster.

“Look at this.” His eyes light up as he reads it, and that also does another weird thing to my heart. “I know we had other plans this weekend, but maybe we should take a break for some sustenance?”

He assesses me from head to toe with a heated look and cocks his head. Lan pats me on the shoulder and speaks into my ear. “If you’re going, count me and Gabrielle in. If not, you might want to at least wait to get to your room next time.”

She winks and then saunters off with a snicker. Is she serious or just giving us a hard time?

“You don’t mind?” Rafe asks when she’s gone, reading the details on my phone.

“Mind? This sounds like my actual idea of heaven. Throw in a halo and some cherubs lounging on white fluffy clouds, and it’ll be perfect.”

He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me in close. “Okay, but after that we’re meeting back in our bed.”

My heart squeezes again at the way he growls our bed. If this keeps up, I’m going to have a heart attack.

A chime dings from Rafe’s phone, and he pulls it out of his pocket. I glimpse the name “Hannah” on the screen, and that squeeze morphs into a wave of nausea.

Rafe blows out a long, weary sigh. “Sorry. I better get this,” he says before pressing his lips to my temple. I stiffen. He’s answering Hannah’s call. “I’ll be out there in a minute.”

It’s a reminder that I need to put the brake on my feelings. I need to stop before I fall too far into this. I have rules for a reason. I’ve already broken my WMC embargo, but I can’t let myself feel anything real. This is just a fling. A casual hook-up. That’s all I’m comfortable with.

He returns to the breakout room. The same room where he just bent me over the table and made me see stars. The door closes with a click that feels like a slap to the face. A moment later, I hear the muffled sound of his voice. I briefly consider eavesdropping but then decide that way only lies madness. He said they’re broken up, and it doesn’t matter anyway. I need to remember this is only physical, and he hasn’t promised me anything.

My legs are hollow as I head to the room where lunch is being served. I gather some food and sit down with Lan and Gabrielle. But I can’t taste anything, and I quickly give up.

The hot, itchy feeling creeping down my spine amplifies when Rafe doesn’t return for the entire break. He slips into his seat on the other side of the room just as the session is resuming.

I don’t want to look at him. I’m terrified of what I might see.

My phone buzzes.

Rafe: I can’t wait for dessert later.

Rafe: And I don’t mean the buffet.

Rafe:

I snort and cover my mouth because he’s a horny fourteen-year-old. But it’s also weirdly adorable. I look up at him, and he winks. The tension loosens in my chest.

He’s giving me another new smile.

It’s so genuine and warm and sparkly that I start to feel bad for doubting him.

Still, part of me can’t let this go.

Can I trust that smile? They’re all new to me—maybe I’m only seeing what I want. I trusted Leo, too, and look where that got me.

I look at Rafe’s phone clutched in his hand like a ticking time bomb. Maybe I’m making too much out of this. He told me it’s over between them.

But then why does she keep calling?