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His mouth crooked. “I cooled off and then I got worried when I didn’t hear from you.”
“Well, I’m fine.”
“Must have been a long night, though,” he remarked. “Jumping at shadows.”
Donni didn’t respond and the one upturned corner of his mouth slowly widened into a smile she could barely look at. He glanced past her, towards the car. “Let me help you with those.”
They were done in just two trips and he loitered while she put things away—watching her, she suspected, not that she caught him doing it.
“I went to the O’Donnells,” she blurted. “At Red Cypress Estates.”
“Oh?” There was an odd note in his voice.
“I asked them about the box. They said it was stolen.”
“Mm. Well, that doesn’t surprise me.”
“It doesn’t?” It had surprisedher.
“No. It’s what I’d do if I didn’t want to be caught.”
Donni stared uneasily at the back of her fridge before continuing to load it up with her purchases. But his words had struck a harsh chord inside her becauseRafehad been at the funeral, too. And he was good at taking photographs—she’d seen his Instagram, all those clear and focused shots of leaves in autumn.
Could Rafe be the one doing this?
(It’s what I’d do)
The sudden pressure of hands on her arms made her shriek, and if she hadn’t already put the can she’d been holding in the pantry, it would have fallen from her nerveless fingers. His grip was just loose enough that she thought she might have been able to get away, and that was the only thing that allowed her to stay controlled when she asked, “What are you doing?”
“You’re scared of me.”
Fear cracked through her like lightening striking a tree. It was as if he’d read her mind. Like heknew. “No. You startled me, grabbing me out of nowhere like that.”
He released her immediately, which made Donni feel ridiculous—and angry—when her body remained defiantly tense. He was still looking at her levelly, almostcuriously, but now it felt like he was mocking her, too, which pissed her off and made her want to leave even more.
So she stayed right where the fuck she was, naturally. “What are you trying to prove, Rafael? That you know how to intimidate people? That you don’t understand personal space?”
“I know what you’re afraid of.”
Donni felt her face become a cold mask. Rafe stepped closer, his chest now lightly brushing hers, and the heat of him combined with the cold metal at her back was now causing her insides to twist and warp. “What are you talking about?”
“I know.” His voice lowered intimately, just barely audible over the deafening thud in her ears. He paused. “And I’m not going to do that to you. That is the one line I’ve never crossed with you. And I never will. No matter how much I want you. I hope you know that.”
Rape, she realized faintly. Rafe thoughtshethought he wanted to rape her. If it hadn’t been so horribly awful, she might have laughed. “Excuse me if I don’t fall over myself giving you an award for that.”
“Which is a bit of a problem,” he continued, ignoring her, “considering our little deal. How am I supposed to fuck you when you’re looking at me like that?” He rested a palm against the fridge, barring her path. “Or was that part of the plan?”
“I don’t have aplan.”
“You’re impulsive,” he agreed, causing her irritation to flare up again. “You always were. But things worked out for you anyway, usually. Until they didn’t. Which is why, I suppose, you thought of me. Because you looked me up and saw I had my shit together and remembered how utterly obsessed I was with you, and thought I’d be putty in your hands.”
“So I’m a gold-digger now, as well as a coward?”
“I don’t think you’re either of those things,” said Rafe. “I think you’re a very beautiful opportunist, and it bothers you that you can’t bullshit me. But I think what bothers you even more is that you thought the mere thought of fucking you would bring me to heel, when, in fact, I’m far better at managing you than you ever were at managing me.”
Her fingers clenched. “I don’t need to bemanaged,” she said harshly. “I can take care of myself, you condescending little shit.”
“So then do that.” His eyes gleamed. “Take care of yourself right here.”
