Anything but Minor - Kate Stewart Page 0,45

off the full sized bed as he stared at the screen, indifferent.

“I didn’t know she was your girl.”

He didn’t move his eyes from the game as he replied. “But you knew she was someone’s girl. The big fucking engagement ring she had on gave you that much of a clue.”

“It was her decision.”

“And she’s no longer my girl. Now shut the fuck up before you remind me of how pissed off I was.”

“You can fucking try,” I quipped with venom. Maybe it was thoughts of my father that triggered me to say the wrong fucking thing. Maybe it was my restlessness or guilt. Either way, with my next words, I knew what I was asking for. “Don’t worry. She meant shit to me. In fact, I don’t even remember her name.”

An hour later, two bruised knuckles (mine), two black eyes (his and mine), and a busted lip (mine again), Rodriguez and I sat in an utterly destroyed hotel room. We’d both swung with our weak fists to save our game arm and did a poor job of landing punches. It would have been funny if I wasn’t so fucking remorseful about it.

I looked over to him as he nursed his eye with ice from a dirty bucket. It was on the tip of my tongue. Simple words that could make the tension between us slightly better. I’d given him far more room to take me than I was comfortable, but I knew I deserved it. As he stretched his hand and studied the broken skin on his knuckles, he seemed satisfied. That was enough for now.

I decided to concentrate on Alice instead.

Rafe: You’re the only fucking thing good about my day, and you nearly burned me alive if that’s any indication of how bad this day was. I want you here. I want you mine, Alice. What do I have to do?

Alice: Make it worth my while.

I groaned and ducked as Rodriguez gave me an odd look.

Rafe: You’ll make a pussy out of me yet.

“All I care about in this goddamn life are me, my drums, and you,” I voiced along with Watts as I watched the movie Some Kind of Wonderful. The feeling in my chest almost matched the one I had every time my phone pinged with a new message from Rafe. He was wooing me by text, and I was letting him. I was tempted to drive down and surprise him, but I didn’t want to assume anything and seem like a stage-five clinger. I still owed him a proper apology, but it seemed he’d all but forgotten my arson outburst. I had, in my defense, soaked the shirt in water so it would smoke. But the fact that he still spoke to me after that crazy outburst still left me stunned. I meant it to be the end of us. Surely, he had a groupie in every city just waiting for a chance to pounce.

Any other guy would have run the other way, I’m sure. Then again, what did I know?

I sighed happily as I packed a bag for the beach and another text came through. It was of Rafe. Well, not Rafe exactly. It was a picture of his ball pants and his bulging and pronounced “teammate.” The one who’d helped to knock me out. It wasn’t graphic, just a flirtation, but I’d almost wished he’d sent the real deal. I was already flushed with thoughts of our night together. I’d never sexted so I went all in.

Alice: I want it everywhere, between my breasts.

Rafe: Holy fuck.

Rafe: Alice?

I glanced at my kitchen counter and went a step further.

Alice: I want you to come in my mouth.

Alice: I want to cover it in Nutella and lick it off.

Rafe: Are you fucking with me?

At work the following week, I frowned as I looked at the progress of the pilots. Half of them had failed the written spec examination about the aircraft. And it was the easiest part. I knew that reflected poorly on me as an instructor. I looked around the room at the tired, long faces and sighed.

This is so not what I’d hoped it would be.

“Gentlemen, if you learn to fly this aircraft, you are twice as likely to see a pay increase or get a better offer from a competing airline. That is the last incentive I will give you to do your job.”

I barely got a reaction and looked over to Trey, who eyed me with curiosity. I’d hastily dismissed our date to