I can’t disagree with her. Falling for me is the dumbest thing she’s ever done. Once upon a time, her intelligence was the sole reason I thought people were crazy for thinking she had. I thought she knew better. Emotions aren’t always logical, though.
“Do you wish you hadn’t?” I ask, simply.
She watches my lips for a moment, then meets my gaze, a fond smile in her eyes. “No. Does that make me a masochist?”
I shake my head, catching her arm and running my fingertips down the sensitive underside. “No. You don’t enjoy the pain, you’re just willing to endure it for what you love.”
Smiling faintly, she asks, “Then what does that make me?”
I drift closer, until my forehead touches hers. “Perfect.”
We stay like that for a moment, our breath mingling, our bodies too close for friendship, but we toe the line. Or we tell ourselves we do, because our lips never meet.
“You can’t stay the night,” she finally whispers.
“I know,” I murmur back.
We stay like that for a minute, then Virginia pushes her fingers through my hair and leans her forehead heavily against mine. “I need you to leave.”
Leaving is the best thing I can do for her right now, so I nod my head in agreement, but my feet don’t move. I don’t want to leave, but I can’t justify staying either. I can’t take the risk that I only want her because I can’t have her. I can’t risk losing her.
After a moment, amusement lightening her tone, she says, “You’re not leaving.”
“I’m working on it,” I tell her. “Give me another minute.”
“Did you forget the way to the door?” she asks, leaning her forehead away from mine, but staying close enough that our chests touch. “Is that what you’re working on? Should I draw you a map?”
“No, I’m trying to figure out something else. Call it a philosophical pause.”
Cocking her head, she regards me curiously, some of the lust fog clearing so she can think more clearly. “Care to share? I might be able to help.”
I shake my head. “No. I have a soft guess, and I’m not sure it changes anything, so it wouldn’t be fair to lead you to the sam
e conclusion.”
Sighing like I’m killing her, she braces her hands on my chest. “Tell me.”
Now I have something she wants. Now I have something to dangle.
Taking the upper hand while I have it, I grasp her wrists and lean back, separating our bodies. “Nah, you’re right, I’ll just go.”
“Rafe Morelli,” she scolds as I drop her wrists.
I grin to myself as I turn around and exit her bedroom. “Good night, Virginia.”
Predictably, she chases after me. “Rafe, come back and tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Can’t. You need me to leave.”
“Damn you, Rafe. Don’t make me beg.”
I pause and glance back over my shoulder, cocking an eyebrow. “Are you willing to beg?”
She narrows her eyes at me. “No.”
I nod my head. “Cool. See you tomorrow, then.”
“Why do you play with me like this?” she asks, mildly complaining, but also indulgent. She can bitch all she wants, but she fucking likes it, or she wouldn’t like me. I torture her all the time. I’m almost to the door, so she finally sighs heavily and says, “Please? Please tell me what you’re thinking.”