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“What…” I blinked a few times, certain I was imagining the man standing in front of me. I reached out and laid a hand on Rafe’s chest. Feeling the warmth of his hard body beneath my fingers, my pulse took off. “Oh my God. It’s really you.”

He flashed a crooked smile. “Did you think I had an evil twin?”

“No. No.” I shook my head. “I just wasn’t expecting you. What are you doing here?”

“I live here, remember?”

“Do you?”

His lip twitched. “You’re making me second-guess myself now. Are you going to invite me in?”

Still in shock, it took me a couple of heartbeats before I got control of my brain and stepped back. “Yes, of course. Come in.”

Rafe picked up a duffle bag I hadn’t noticed on the floor next to him and stepped inside. I caught a whiff of his familiar scent as he passed, and I had to hold on to the door for a few seconds before closing it.

He set his bag on the kitchen table and turned to me. His eyes moved over my face slowly, like he was trying to read what he’d just walked into.

I wrapped my arms around myself. My heart and mind were going a million miles a minute, but I was afraid to let myself get too excited that he was here. He could simply be coming back to pack the rest of his things.

“How’ve you been?” he asked quietly.

“Good,” I started, forcing a smile. But I couldn’t get the lie all the way out. I closed my eyes and shook my head. “No, that’s not true. I’ve been a mess. A big, fat mess.”

Rafe’s mouth curved. “You don’t look a mess.”

“That’s because you can’t see what’s inside right now. Trust me, it’s not pretty.”

Rafe’s head tilted. “Can’t I? I’m pretty good at reading you, Talia.”

My stomach fluttered. “Are you?”

“I knew you were going to pretend you were fine before you opened your mouth.”

“That’s not exactly a superpower. Most people say they’re fine even when they aren’t. Especially women.”

“Maybe.” He took a step closer. “But most people don’t get that little wrinkle between their eyebrows when they’re lying. Or clench their jaw so hard that the muscle in their right cheek tics.”

I reached up and touched the side of my face. “I don’t do that.” Just as I said the words, the muscle under my fingers twitched. “Oh my God. Do I?”

Rafe’s eyes dipped to my lips for half a second. At least I thought they did. I couldn’t be sure, though a ripple of warmth spread through me anyway.

“Why…why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?”

“Because I wanted to see your face when you opened the door. And I didn’t want you to have time to prepare what you’d show me.”

“I don’t understand.”

Rafe took another step closer. My heart beat fast enough to make me feel woozy.

The flirty look faded from his face, but not the tenderness. “Calder called me.”

My entire body went still. “What?”

He nodded. “I’d called him a few times, trying to apologize again. But he never picked up. Yesterday, he finally called me back, though only to talk about you.”

I stared at him, trying to process. “Why would he do that?”

“Because he cares about you.” He shook his head and laughed. “And I’m so fucking torn between being jealous that he knows you so well and being grateful that he does.”