“It’s mindless, I guess,” Sloan replied. Her voice had that funny lift to it again. “They literally just sit around and talk, and drink, and make out, and sometimes they do these challenges which just lead to more making out. They go on ‘dates,’ but really they just walk four feet outside of the villa and have a picnic.”
“Ah, okay. Do you have a favorite couple?” Rafe asked.
“I like—” Rafe’s hand started to move across her stomach. She swallowed the tension rising in her throat and gave the whole speaking thing another try. “I like Poppy and Jack. I think they’re going to win the prize money, but Sadie and Max are my favorite.”
“Interesting. By the way,” Rafe’s lips pressed against her shoulder and it took everything in her not to moan. “You’ve kissed two people now.”
“You’re right. I have. I didn’t forget, I just—”
“I understand. I just need to leave a stronger impression. I’ll stop talking now so you can enjoy your show.” Sloan’s eyes snapped open. She didn’t realize she’d closed them the moment his mouth touched her skin. She tried to focus on the argument Sophia and Clara were having over whether or not Sophia was flirting with Paul during the last cocktail party, but all of her senses were preoccupied with the feeling of Rafe’s fingers slipping under the hem of her tank top. His fingers ghosted high over her skin, higher, cupping the underside of her breast and over her nipple.
Sloan gave up trying to watch the sexy singles in action and let her head fall back. Rafe’s lips continued moving over her skin, hitting that certain spot where her neck and shoulder met. He sucked on that spot, nipped it lightly with his teeth and Sloan moaned. In the back of her mind, she remembered the one time Drew had accidentally found that spot and how quickly he’d moved on. He never tried to find it again. As if he knew her mind was wandering to a bad place, Rafe’s other hand slid between her legs. She was already wet, but a fresh wave of arousal made her clit ache as he moved the fabric from her underwear and her shorts around in slow circles.
Rafe scooted closer to the end of the bed, impossibly close to Sloan. She could feel every inch of him, thick and hard, pressing up against her ass. She wanted more, she wanted to touch him. She turned her head to kiss him, but their lips only met for a moment before Rafe pulled back a bit. His hands were still in place, one between her legs and the other over her breast, but for a moment they both stopped and just looked at each other.
“I want to kiss you again,” Sloan breathed. Rafe didn’t reply at first, and she watched as the corner of his mouth tipped up in the sexiest smile she’d ever seen. He slowly released her and moved on the bed so she was no longer between his legs. Disappointment flooded through her in the few seconds it took for him to move closer again. She let him guide her down to the bed, so she was laying across the foot of the mattress on her back. He loomed over her, those blue eyes catching the light from the T.V. as he slid his hand down her stomach and back between her legs.
“Then you should be kissing me,” Rafe said. All on its own, Sloan’s hand found its way into Rafe’s thick red hair and pulled him down to her. Sloan wanted him so bad. Both of their mouths parted and their tongues slid together in the most delicious way.
Rafe had to know how good of a kisser he was. He had to know how good he was making her feel. Between her legs, his magical fingers pushed the layers of her clothing aside. She was soaking, dripping wet as he parted her slit. He teased her, drawing his fingers all around her pussy, around her clit, but never pushing inside the way she wanted him to. They went on kissing, his hard-on pressed against her hip, his fingers exploring, exploring, never finding their proper destination.
Finally, when she couldn’t stand it anymore, Sloan took matters into her own hands, so to speak. She reached down, covering Rafe’s fingers with her own and guided him to her opening. He held back though, not pushing inside. Instead, he broke their kiss and looked down at her.
“Not moving fast enough, huh?” he teased.
“No, I just want you,” she said truthfully.
“And we are on a time limit. Let me give you what you want.” His lips were on hers again and then he gave her exactly what she wanted. Two long, thick fingers filling her up. She knew there wasn’t enough time and, even with floors and closed doors between them and her kids, enough privacy for him to give her everything she wanted. Still, with the way he worked his hand, deftly moving in and out, grinding the palm against her clit, she knew this was just a preview of what he could do to her. She’d have to make time for him to show her.
Sloan came, hard, gripping onto Rafe’s wrist as a forceful tremor raised her hips off the bed. A stream of “Oh shit”s and “Oh fuck”s coming from her mouth. In the distance, Sloan could hear one of the contestants reading off a text they’d just received from the producers. A new boy was entering the villa.
6
“You can’t ask me to make such an important decision and then rush me.”
“It’s easy,” Avery said. “Just pick your favorite animal.”
“Did you pick your favorite animal?”
“No, but I picked the best animal for me to be. Now you have to pick.”
“I’m going to pick, but you should know, with all this pressure, this isn’t my best and final answer.”
Avery cocked her head and batted her eyelashes. “You never know until you try.”
Rafe was nearing the end of his fourth day flying solo with the girls and he’d already learned a lot. Like Addison was very thoughtful and introspective, except for a good two hours of the day where she turned into a pure ball of energy who really liked to run into solid objects, like Rafe and the couch. She also really liked smelling things, which made sense to him.
He always tried to remember that kids were experiencing so many things for the first time, like what the inside of his motorcycle boot smelled like. He imagined this would become a very interesting party trick when she started school in a few days. They were both pretty fucking smart, ahead of most of the six year olds he watched over in the past, with the exception of Hope, who was clearly the most intelligent member of his family.
Avery was louder, but hilarious enough to offset her volume. She was also either the most clever child he’d ever met or a bit of a sadist. Time would tell.
“A bald eagle.”
“Why?”
“They can fly. They are very smart. They take good care of their young.” He reached out and tickled the side of Avery’s neck. She dropped the mischievous look and let out a genuine giggle. “And they look really silly when they are trying to walk across ice.”
“Really?”
“I wanna see,” Addison said.
“Let me just finish my masterpiece.” The braids Sloan had put in Avery’s hair the other day were still in pretty good shape. The style Rafe had attempted on Addison’s hair looked fucking terrible though, and he owed it to her and both of their self esteems to fix it. After bringing down two different combs, four different hair products and the spray bottle they kept in the bathroom, he pulled their little blue coloring table over to the couch and got to work. He looked at the paused YouTube tutorial one more time. His parts were the issue. He had to get better at making clean parts. He looked down at Addison’s soft curls and realized Avery’s patience wouldn’t hold out that long.
Distractions seemed to be the theme of the week for everyone under the Copeland roof. Rafe couldn’t stop thinking about the way things had unfolded between him and Sloan a few nights ago. Kissing her, touching her, making her come had been fucking amazing. He’d jerked off in the shower after they kissed the first time. When she came to his room, his dick was more than ready for a second round, but the alarm he’d set had gone off before he’d sated his desire to find out how good his dick felt inside her pussy.
All he wanted was for Sloan to spend the night in his bed, even though he knew there was no chance in hell of that happening. They were just testing the waters and those baby steps didn’t involve an
overnight in each others’ arms. She’d done the right thing and slipped out his room and back upstairs, so she could get some sleep. Rafe had jerked off again.
He knew that for as long as he worked for Sloan there was a pretty good chance he’d be building up his forearm strength. What he didn’t expect was the stiff hello he’d received the next morning when Sloan was heading out. Not that he expected her to give him a four-limbed greeting in the early morning light. But he didn’t expect her to go out of her way to avoid his gaze as she got her stuff together. In the short time they’d known each other, she’d been sweet, a little awkward, and warm with him.
That morning, it was clear she’d constructed a bit of a wall between them. She wasn’t cold exactly, though something was definitely off. When she returned from the hospital, it was more of the same. She was oddly distant, even though Rafe had already put the girls to sleep. He understood that post-nut clarity, the logic your brain magically reclaimed when you got an orgasm out of the way and regained your sanity. He just wasn’t sure how it would impact Sloan.
After running every second they’d spent together through his head, Rafe had to admit that they just didn’t know each other very well. Definitely not well enough for him to know how Sloan dealt with morning afters, even when he thought they were on the same page. They also weren’t in a relationship. And on top of all that, she was a fucking surgeon.
Rafe couldn’t imagine the stress, the pressure that came with a job that intense. Still, instead of moving forward he felt like things had stalled out. Rafe couldn’t say it didn’t bother him, but there was nothing he could do about it. Good thing he had two small children he was now responsible for. Keeping children alive—an excellent way to keep your mind off your bizarre personal life.
“Grab the tablet,” he told Avery, “and I’ll walk you through it.”
“Kick. Ass.” she said, throwing her foot in the air.
“Hey, take it easy with the colorful language.”
“Sorry. Kick butt, kick butt, kick butt,” she sang as she danced across the room. The house phone rang just as she reached the tablet where it was plugged in. She changed course and sprinted for the kitchen.
“It’s grandma!”
“That’s some amazing caller ID you got there.”
“Grandmas are the only ones who call the house phone,” Addison explained.
“Oh, okay. If it’s not your grandmother, give me the phone, please.”
“Hi grandma,” Avery said, nice and loud, letting Rafe know she had the situation under control. “It’s Avery. I’m good. How are you?” Avery at least knew how to respect her ultra elders. “Mommy is still at work and we have to get ready for bed soon. We have new nanny. He’s a boy.”
Rafe glanced over at Avery, who wasn’t paying him a lick of attention now. She was tracing the tile pattern with her socked feet. “Almost one week.—Okay.” Avery came back over to the couch and held out the cordless phone. “Here, talk to grandma.”
“Hello,” Rafe said in his most polite voice. He tied off the final braid and gave Addison’s shoulder a little squeeze. She looked over her shoulder, then ran toward the bathroom to check his handiwork when he gave her the thumbs up.
“So you’re Rafe.”
“I am. I’m not sure which grandmother I’m speaking to, but it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“I’m Sloan’s mom. Pauletta.” Just then, he heard the door to the garage open.
“Would you like me to call you Pauletta or Mrs. Copeland?”
“Pauletta would be just fine. Thank you for asking. Where are your people from, Rafe? I think I hear a little North on I-95 in your voice,” she asked as Sloan came walking into the kitchen. She never stopped being gorgeous. Still, she looked like she’d been put through the ringer.
“Right outside of Boston. Woburn.” Pauletta said something about having family in Barnstable, but Rafe wasn’t paying attention. He was too focused on Sloan. Their eyes met for a moment as she put her stuff down on the counter before she looked away. It had been that way all week.
“Hey, love bugs.”
“Mommy!” Avery said, jumping up and down.
“It’s your mom,” Rafe mouthed when she dared a glance at him again.
“Oh, thanks,” Sloan replied.
“Your daughter just walked in the door,” he told Pauletta.
“Let me speak to her.”
Rafe handed over the phone and watched Sloan’s expression as she greeted her mother while simultaneously hugging Avery to her side. It took him a half second to realize that there was nothing he could do or say to check in with her at the moment, especially in front of the kids. He turned back to the living room and started cleaning up the hair supplies.
“Can you put away your toys, please?” he asked Addison as she came skipping back from the bathroom.
“Yes, I can.”
“I just got in and it’s almost the girls’ bedtime. Can I call you back?—oh hold on. Addison, come talk to grandma. You can take the phone up to your room.”
“I’ll come say goodnight,” Rafe added. It usually helped moved the them along if they knew everyone was heading upstairs. Sloan turned and followed the girls up. Rafe gave them a while to get their bedtime routine going, finishing his cleaning and putting all the girls’ hair products back in the their bathroom. When he finally went to their bedroom, all three of them were piled in Addison’s bed. Sloan was trying to read them a story, but Addison was questioning why the young girl in the book was going camping in the woods if that’s where animals live.
“We live inside and they live in the woods. If people go stay in the woods, then bears should be able to come stay in our house. It isn’t fair.”
“I suppose it isn’t fair. But I think a bear might have a hard time getting used to sleeping in your small bed. Bears are pretty big.”
“Rafe is big. Why can’t a bear sleep in Rafe’s bed?”
“Then where would I sleep?” Rafe asked as he came into the room and sat on the edge of Avery’s bed.
“With the bear!” Avery said.
“No way, girlie,” Rafe said, deadpan.
The girls burst into a fit of giggles. Rafe’s serious side was hilarious when it had nothing to do with them. Avery hopped off Sloan’s lap and climbed under her own sheets behind him. Rafe looked down as she started lightly tugging on his arm hair. Kids were so weird.
“Should we finish the story?” Sloan asked, trying to salvage bedtime.
Addison let out a sigh then burrowed further down into her sheets, making it clear that she was pretty fucking over it. “Yeah, I guess.” Sloan finished the last few pages and after they both fielded ten more questions about which wild animals could sleep inside the house—the final answer was none—Sloan seemed to relax, laughing with the girls and tickling and kissing them both before they said their goodnights. She even smiled at Rafe when he promised the girls that they could watch bald eagle videos over breakfast, but the moment they stepped back out in the hallway, she turned off again.
“Um, I have to call my mother back.”
“Okay,” was all he could say. He got it then. Whatever had happened between them was a one-off. No big deal. It happened. Maybe she’d realized it was better if they kept things strictly professional between them. Maybe he had been too much for her, in a bad way. Maybe she just didn’t want to be bothered with him. Maybe she simply wasn’t into it. It didn’t change the way Rafe felt. Not in that moment. Still, he would handle it. They gave it a try and now it was over. He’d get over whatever was drawing him to her, in time. He just had stop himself from looking at her for the rest of his life.
They both stood in the hallway, not saying a word. Rafe finally took the hint and went back downstairs. His bed and more episodes of Cartel were waiting for him. For some reason though, he went right to the couch and turned on the Dodgers game. Almost an hour later, Sloan came lumbering down the stairs. She’d changed into another set of cute-as-fuck pajamas, with ti
ny-ass pink and white polka dot shorts and a matching tiny-as-fuck tank top.
“I’m starving,” she said, setting the phone on its cradle. Rafe wasn’t actually sure if she was talking to him. He hopped up anyway.
“I made chicken enchiladas. You want me to heat some up for you?”
“Actually, yeah. That would be great.” She still wasn’t looking at him, but at least she was talking to him. That was something. And just like that, Rafe realized how desperate he was for Sloan to just pay him some attention. So completely fucked.
“Here, have a seat.” Rafe pulled out a stool from under the counter, then dug the plastic container full of leftovers out of the fridge. He put two enchiladas in the fancy toaster oven and poured Sloan a small glass of water. He got her attention then as he slid it across the island. She caught it before it went flying off the far end.
“Nice grab. What’s troubling you, stranger?”
Sloan finally smiled, a real smile, then took a deep sip. “You’re…” she started.
“I’m what?”
“Nothing.” And finally she looked him straight in the eye. “I’m being unfair.”
“Care to clue me in?”
“I just thought you’d lost interest, but I mean, you’ve been doing your job. I’ve been working. This must be—” she cut herself off, changing directions. “How are you not crawling out of your skin?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“The other night was amazing and I’ve been completely freaking out. Obsessing over whether I should text you. Ask if you enjoyed yourself, if you were annoyed that I didn’t get you off. But you’re just walking around, cool as hell. How do you do that?”
Again, there had been a massive miscommunication. He wanted to touch Sloan every time he was near her, but they were miles away from that kind of casual ease. And then he remembered what she’d said. She wanted him to make this easy for her. He moved closer and lightly brushed the side of her neck. Her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch. Fuck, she was really exhausted.
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