Page 75 of Cheap Heat

Rafe huffed out a sardonic little laugh. “I don’t have a problem. What’s yours?”

“I don’t have one either,” I said, getting a little confused.

“So why are you in my office?” he asked flatly.

“Uh…” Again, I didn’t really know what to say. I looked around in confusion, wondering why we were griping at each other when we’d finally started getting along pretty well yesterday.

I’d practically deepthroated his tongue at one point, but apparently I wasn’t even worthy of a quick chat in his fucking office?

Ignoring the ember of hurt still flaring in my chest, I let out a hard bark of laughter. “Damn, kitten,” I began, my voice a little curt, “you sure are—”

“Don’t call me that.” His jaw clenched.

I squared my shoulders and glared at him. “Didn’t seem to mind me calling you that last night, when you were—”

A knock at the door abruptly cut me off. I ground my teeth as I looked back and saw Taylor popping his head inside. He blinked in surprise at the sight of me.

“Oh, hey, Dan.” When he looked at Rafe, he blinked again. “Wow, cool hair, Rafe. Very snazzy.”

Despite my irritation, my mouth twitched into a smile. Taylor was such a dork.

Rafe was staring at him blankly, like his brain hadn’t caught up yet, before he finally gave him at tight smile. He was breathing a little fast, and his eyes flicked briefly to me. “Hi. Thanks.”

“Ready for our catch-up?” Taylor asked brightly, then gave me an uncertain look. “If you’re busy—”

“Not busy.” Rafe offered Taylor a more genuine smile and gestured at the chair in front of his desk. He didn’t even acknowledge me still standing there.

“Uh… I guess I’ll go?” It came out as a question, because I was a little bewildered by what had just happened and how off Rafe was being, even for him.

Maybe I didn’t blow his mind as well as I thought I did, I found myself thinking as I stared at him, feeling strangely and uncomfortably vulnerable for the first time in goddamn years.

“So, have you seen the line-up for this weekend?” Taylor asked me chirpily. He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, expression a little concerned but mostly intrigued as his eyes bounced between me and Rafe.

I got the distinct sense that sweet, unassuming Taylor was a little bit of a gossip hound.

“Seems like a good one,” he continued cheerfully. “I’m excited to see you go up against Kit. Don’t get that pairing often.”

“Should be fun.” I composed myself and flashed him my charming grin, then started walking slowly to the door. “Well, uh… see you later. Bye, Rafe.”

“Yep. Bye.” He still wasn’t looking at me.

A frown creased my forehead as I stepped into the corridor and shut the door behind me. I stood there for a few seconds, then looked down at myself.

Maybe I wasn’t looking so hot right now? I was pretty sweaty from training. But I thought I looked damn good all sweaty—I looked especially good naked and sweaty—and after a workout my muscles were always extra pumped and rock hard.

Nah, it wasn’t about how I looked. Rafe was being weird and extra grumpy for some other reason, despite our fun evening together.

What the absolute fuck?

Chapter Twenty

The Art of Hiding from Fuckboys

Rafe

After my meeting with Taylor, I managed to avoid seeing anyone else for the rest of the day.

It wasn’t just Ewen I was trying to avoid. I mean, I definitely hadn’t expected him to turn up in my office after the way he’d just strolled right out of my house the night before, mere moments after coming on my couch.