Wrinkling up my nose, I shake my head. “I don’t like double dates with them. His wife doesn’t like me. I don’t think he does either.”
“I’ll lure Mateo and Mia out here one of these days, we can have a couple date with them.”
“He’s too scary,” I tell him, shaking my head. “I like Mia, but he makes me nervous.”
“Fine, we’ll leave him home and you and I can take Mia out. I like that even better.”
Biting back a smile, I tell him, “Yeah, I bet you do. You need to give up on this fantasy, it isn’t going to happen.”
“I think Mateo wanted to give me Mia if anyone ever took him out. Since you two get along so well, how do you feel about potentially having a sister wife?”
That makes me laugh, mostly because I don’t think he’s kidding. “I’ll take Mia for a sister wife, but only if I get a second husband. Every night you spend with her, I spend with him. Yep, I’ll take that deal.”
His tone is dry. “Sorry, Sin doesn’t play well enough with others for an arrangement like that.”
Mentioning Sin makes the joke far less funny, and my smile melts right off my face.
He must feel it, because he swiftly drops the joke and changes the subject. “Juanita is taking the night off because I’m taking you out. I figured we could grab dinner, then stop by the casino so I can check in. I reserved a suite for us so we can stay on the strip like tourists.”
Reluctantly delighted, I glance back at him over my shoulder. “You did? I love being a tourist.”
Rafe smiles. “I know you do.”
“This is not what I was expecting to follow our conversation in the car. Usually men get pissy when you tell them they’ve done something wrong.”
“I try to be reasonable,” he tells me. “Whether I think I’ve backed off or not, you obviously do, and that’s what matters. That was not my intention, so if it came across that way, I’m sorry.”
Sighing, I let my head fall back against his strong shoulder. “You’re such an adult sometimes. It’s pretty sexy, I’m not gonna lie.”
“You keep me on my toes, you know that?” he asks me.
“Yeah? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” He kisses my neck one more time, then lets me go. “Go upstairs and get dressed. I picked out an outfit for you, it’s on the bed.”
17
Rafe
Laurel looks lovely tonight. Her hair hangs down around her shoulders, the black dress I had sent over looks lovely on her. She doesn’t complain, but I don’t think she loves the heels. Probably should’ve gone with kitten heels. I’ll make a note for next time.
I can’t decide if I like or dislike how little I affect her right now. On one hand, I should have much more power over her than I do. I have yet to even recover as much control over her as I had at Mateo’s house over Easter, and for a relationship to work, I’ll need at least that, probably more.
On the other hand, I haven’t earned it. She’s right. Sin was right. I didn’t see myself doing it, not even when Sin said I was. It wasn’t until Laurel called me out on it that I admitted my interest had dipped. Given what she said to make me realize it, I couldn’t fully admit it to her.
I wish Laurel had a more forgiving nature. She doesn’t know the story of Mia and Mateo’s relationship, but I know if Mia had lost Mateo’s interest for a little while, she wouldn’t have resented him for it. It would have made her sad, of course, but she wouldn’t be ready to jump ship over a rough patch. Once they worked it out, she would sail right past it and go back to adoring him. In turn, he would remember what a great thing he has, and shower her with emotional and material rewards to show his love and appreciation.
Laurel does not have Mia’s emotional elasticity. When Laurel gets sick of my shit, she gets sick of me. I don’t bother pointing out that I’m not the only one who has withdrawn. Even though it’s true, confronting her with it would be pointless. Trying to draw her out of it is more effective. I already knew that, but then Mia texted me with a, “Psst, can I give you some advice?” and I knew Laurel must be really annoyed with me.
I don’t love having to be on my A-game all the time to keep her interest, but maybe once we’re settled into a relationship she’ll get easier. Sin is damn sure not on his A-game all the time, and she clearly liked him.
Regardless, tonight I can step it up. I brought her out to my restaurant, reser
ved my favorite booth with the view of the city. Laurel likes food, so feeding her is always a good idea.
Leaning in, she points to the menu. “I can’t decide what to order. Do I want pesto or alfredo?”
I grab her menu, closing it and putting it on the table. “I’ll pick for you.”