Anything but Minor - Kate Stewart Page 0,50

you’re serious right now, Alice.”

“Dead serious,” I said as I gathered the covers and held them to my chest in defense. Rafe swatted my hands away, and the curtain fell down.

“Then you’re a jerk.” He gripped the cotton between us and wadded the sheet up with his hands and threw it on the floor, leaving us bared to the other.

“What?”

“You’re a jerk, Alice, and a class-A nerd who never grew out of it.”

I blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked again.

My mouth moved before I had a chance to think it through.

“That really hurt.”

“And you have no idea how to play it cool.”

“That’s because I don’t pretend to be something I’m not, ever,” I snapped as I stood to search for my panties. “Not even for you. Though, I did do three hundred hours of research on the game of baseball to help with your game this season.”

“So now that we’re fucking, you get to dole out advice on my game.” He remained in bed, his eyes dull as if he were bored. He might as well have slapped me.

I blinked again as I pulled on the rest of my clothes.

“You don’t f...fuck me Rafe, and you know it.”

I walked into his living room and called an Uber. Four minutes.

“Three hundred hours?” he scoffed behind me as he leaned against the wall with a sheet gripped around him. He was livid and sexy as hell.

“Yes,” I answered as I slipped on my sandals.

“I’ve spent thousands! Oh, and I play the game for a living.”

“And you’re still in the minors, Rafe. You’ve got a slight reputation for being hot-tempered. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to listen to a nerd.” God, that word hurt.

“Touché. Do you always bite the heads off after you mate, Ms. Mantis?”

“I’m just being honest,” I declared with my hands on my hips. “I told you I was new to this!”

“Clearly, you’ve upped your game in the last few weeks.”

My phone buzzed in my hand, telling me my Uber was outside. Kristina had dropped me off at Rafe’s last night to throw him off that I was there and waiting for him. I was thankful I didn’t have to wait long to make my escape. “Good day, sir.”

“See, a total nerd. No one says that, Alice.”

“I just fucking did,” I spat as my voice shook with embarrassment and hurt. I couldn’t look at him. I was angry and tears threatened.

“Wait...did you just cuss?”

“Goodbye, Rafe.”

“Goodbye?” he parroted as he slammed his front door shut when I opened it. “No, Alice, that’s not the way this works.”

I turned to him with malice as he clutched his sheet loosely around his waist. I tugged at it hard, disrobing him, and as he bent down to retrieve it, I made my way out of the door and slipped into the sleek sedan. I rattled off my address and saw no sign of him in the drive.

Minutes later, a text from him came over. It was a picture of a praying mantis with no head. The tagline read “Was it good for you?”

When I didn’t respond, I got another.

Rafe: Too soon? It was a fight, Alice.

The next text came immediately after.

Rafe: At least let me know you got home safe.

Fifteen minutes later, I answered.

Alice: I’m home.

What the fuck just happened? Damn it, I couldn’t win with her! She’d called me out while my balls were still freshly unpacked, when I was my most vulnerable, naked and in bed with hopes of remaining that way until pre-game briefing. I was sure if she’d brought up my game any other time, my bite would have been much worse. Who in the hell did this woman think she was? And why couldn’t I stay pissed enough to push aside my want of her?

We had over a hundred games left in the season. I had to keep my game sharp, and she was in my head, under my skin, and I wanted more.

I wound up and fired the ball into Andy’s waiting glove.

“Too much, Rafe,” he barked as he punched his fist in the leather.

“Yeah, got it,” I nodded, more determined than ever to keep my shit in check.

I read the ball clock with my next pitch: ninety-seven. I winced as Andy cursed. We were just screwing around on the field as we waited for the others to arrive. I wound up again and followed his signal.

“One-oh-two, Rafe. What the fuck!”

With a groan, I hit the dugout. Andy was fast on my heels as I drained some Gatorade from the dispenser.

“What’s up