Chapter Forty-Three

Night, Kitten

Dan

When Rafe woke up around ten, I went and heated up the leftover pasta for him, wanting to make sure he ate something.

When I got back into the living room with the steaming bowl, he was sitting up under the blanket and draining his glass of water. I'd managed to relax somewhat while he slept on top of me, but when I saw his eye and the dried blood crusted on the stud of his medusa piercing, I started getting tense again. He was so naturally pale that the bruise was already visibly darkening, turning the corner of his eye a mottled purple. It was small—he was right, it probably wouldn't become a full shiner—but it was still there . He was still hurt.

Those fuckers had hurt him.

I took a slow breath as I sat down, trying to remain calm. "Will you tell me exactly what happened?"

He shrugged, already hungrily shovelling pasta into his mouth. "Sure. So, I had to park in front of an alley when I went to the store because it was the only free spot, and I was about to get back in my car when someone—it was Frank—rushed up behind me and held what I thought was a gun to my back."

My hands clenched into fists. "Are you fucking kidding me? He held a goddamn gun to your back?"

"Hot dog," Rafe corrected. "It was just a frozen hot dog."

But he'd thought it was a gun. They'd pretended it was a gun. I was so fucking angry that I couldn't speak, which gave Rafe time to tell me the rest of what had happened. Including the fact that Frank and Beans were apparently the notorious criminal duo he'd been learning about on the podcast he liked.

"What?" I said tightly, only half taking that in because it wasn't my main focus right now. "That can't be true."

"It is." Rafe nodded enthusiastically. "It's definitely them."

I clenched my jaw. "They're too goddamn foolish to be successful criminals."

"Well, I mean, they definitely suck at muggings." Rafe chuckled as my nostrils flared with rage. "Anyway, after they'd run off I realised it was just a damn hot dog, so I just walked back to my car." He snorted. "And then this guy I've seen before at the grocery store came up to me—"

"Who?" I asked instantly, not liking the thought of someone else being there for him when I wasn't.

Rafe snorted again. "Oh, it was this creep with a billy goat beard who lurks in the store and hits on everyone."

My spine snapped straight as my nostrils flared again. Billy goat creep? Billy goat guy with the donkey dick had been there to make sure Rafe was okay when I hadn't?

"He asked if I was okay, which was nice I guess, but then he hit on me. Asked if he could buy me a drink." Rafe rolled his eyes, then winced a little.

I could feel my muscles starting to swell as I stiffened with anger, my hands clenched so tightly into fists that my knuckles hurt. "He hit on you? After you'd just been mugged ?"

Rafe shrugged, leaning forward to set his empty bowl on the coffee table. "He's a creep."

I knew it was wrong of me to be jealous, that it was the wrong thing to focus on here. But I was. I was suddenly seething with jealousy, and cursing myself for being such a fucking idiot.

I'd been so adamant about making sure Rafe knew this was all casual when we started this thing together. No chance of a relationship. Just sex.

If that billy goat guy weren't such a creep, there would've been nothing stopping Rafe from accepting his offer and going to get a drink with him. There was nothing stopping Rafe from going on a date with anyone .

He was gorgeous and funny and so sweet underneath his grumpy bluster. If he went out more, I bet he'd get hit on all the time. Constantly. I knew we'd agreed not to sleep with anyone else while we were doing it together, but he could easily meet someone and start seeing them. Going on dates. Falling for them.

And then he'd tell me that he was done with our thing, because he'd met someone who wanted to truly be with him when all I'd offered him was casual, no-strings sex. I'd have to see them coming and going from his house. I'd know every time they spent the night. Slept in his bed with him. Touched him.

It hadn't even happened yet and I was already devastated. Panic was rushing into my chest, making it ache, because suddenly it felt inevitable. Rafe wouldn't be happy with this situation forever. He'd want a partner, not just a neighbour he had casual sex with.

I had to do something. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't lose him.

I parted my lips to blurt… something, but stopped when I noticed how worn out Rafe looked. He'd probably been riding an adrenaline high without even realising it. Now wasn't the time for a conversation like that, not after what he'd been through tonight.

"How about I run you a bath, kitten?" I asked hoarsely, resting my hand on his knee through the blanket and rubbing it.

"I can do it." He yawned and rubbed his eye, forgetting that it was injured, then hissed and cringed. My heart cracked a little.

"I'll do it," I said stubbornly, standing and taking his hand to help him up. I hovered awkwardly behind him while he made his way upstairs, and once he was in the bath ten minutes later, I sat on the bathroom floor beside the tub to keep him company.

I wanted to keep asking him about every tiny detail of what had happened, but I could tell he was done talking about it. He asked me how my day had been, so I recounted the match line-ups for the coming weekend and told him that Vince and Crossbody had had another bickering match, this one less explosive than the one before. They seemed to be trying to hide their animosity more, because they knew Corey was watching them now.

"What's wrestlers' court?" he asked with interest when I mentioned that we'd be holding one soon to try and resolve their problem with each other.

"It's kind of how we self-govern," I told him. "Resolving issues, discussing changes that affect all of us, that kind of stuff. There aren't that many of us, and we all get along for the most part, so we don't usually have arguments or disagreements to sort out, but this time…"

Rafe nodded. "Why do you think Vince and Crossbody hate each other so much?"

I draped my forearm along the lip of the tub and rested my chin on it. "I'm not sure. Just two people who clash, I guess, and close proximity at work means the resentment has been growing. Vince grew up really poor, and obviously Crossbody grew up surrounded by opulence and immense wealth. He's a prince of the Spring Court in Otherworld, and he doesn't let anyone forget it. I think it just really pisses Vince off."

Rafe nodded. "I get that. It's too easy to start projecting feelings like that outward. When I first met Teresa, I kind of resented how outgoing and friendly she was, because I knew that if I tried to act the same, I'd come off as weird and awkward. I'm just not good at it."

I gave him a tiny smile. "You're perfect."

He blushed and let out a derisive snort, looking a little flustered. "But um, yeah, I didn't feel that way for long, because she's great. She's not overbearing with it. Just a little loud and enthusiastic."

"What about Neville the egg-thrower?" I raised a brow as Rafe snorted. "He seems pretty outgoing too."

"Yeah, but Nev is like… my brother. It's different. He's the one person in the world who could never annoy me."

I pouted. "What about me?"

Rafe shot me a teasing grin. "You definitely annoy me less now."

My heart stuttered as I smiled. "I'll take it."

When he eventually climbed out of the tub, I went downstairs to lock up and turn off all the lights while he dried off. I hadn't actually asked if I could stay over tonight, and he hadn't offered, but it just seemed to be a given. A silent agreement we'd made. There was no way in hell I was going to leave him after the night he'd had.

By the time I got back upstairs, he was pulling on his pyjamas in the bedroom. I quickly stripped off and we climbed into bed, getting comfortable with me on my back and Rafe curled up into my side. Before settling, he leaned down to press a soft kiss to my mouth.

My heart squeezed, chest aching. I kissed him back carefully, not wanting to accidentally bump his nose and hurt him. He eventually pulled away and leaned over to flick off the lamp, then rested his head on my chest with a sigh.

"Night, kitten," I whispered, threading my fingers through his hair.

"Night," he mumbled back, squeezing my side as he dropped another kiss on my chest.

I stayed awake a long time after he fell asleep, thinking hard.

I hated thinking hard. Made me nervous.

—

"What are you going to tell people if they ask about your eye?" I asked Rafe the next morning as he was packing up his lunch for work while I sat at the kitchen island with a cup of coffee, watching him.

He shrugged, pouring tortilla chips into a container. "The truth, I guess? That Frank and Beans tried to mug me."

My hand clenched tighter around my mug. I was still fucking angry, my insides teeming with the urge to go and do something about it. The bruise in the corner of Rafe's eye was still small, but now a deep purple.

"Maybe you shouldn't go in," I said worriedly. "Maybe you should just rest today. Stay at home."

He chuckled and shot me a wry grin. "I can't skip work because of a tiny bruise. I'm fine."

"But won't you strain your eyes staring at a screen all day?" I chewed anxiously on my lower lip. "It might make it hurt more."

"I have my glasses," he said easily, stacking up his containers and sliding them into his backpack. "Do you want me to wait for you to get changed so we can go in together?"

I hesitated, taking a slow sip of coffee so I had time to think about my answer. I'd come up with an idea last night, but I was pretty sure if I told Rafe my plan to track down Frank and Beans, he'd try and convince me not to.

I didn't want to outright lie to him, so I just carefully said, "I've got a few things to do before I head in, so don't wait for me, kitten. But I'll come and see you when I get into work."

He flushed. "You don't have to."

"Of course I'm going to." I drained my cup and stood to put it in the sink. "Are you sure you're okay? If you start getting a headache or anything—"

"I'm fine." He rested a hand on my stomach and leaned up to kiss me when I rounded the island.

I was still a little nervous about hurting his nose, so I kept it light as I kissed him back. But then Rafe's tongue brushed my lower lip, and I was helpless to stop myself from opening up and letting him sink it into my mouth.

God, I loved kissing him so much. Loved feeling his lean body pressed up against me, his long fingers on my skin, his warmth and scent surrounding me.

He made me feel safe, in a way. Calm and relaxed and comfortable and free to not always be the life and soul, entertaining everyone. I'd fallen into a loop of feeling that way—probably a byproduct of my job—and thinking I had to always surround myself with people so I didn't get bored and lonely even when I was at home.

But I didn't really feel that need anymore. I didn't want to be surrounded by lots of people all the time. I was happy just being with Rafe. He made me feel secure.

Suddenly, I was desperate to show him how much I cared about him. I still didn't know what I wanted to say, how I would convince him to try something more than just sex with me, so instead I broke the kiss and sank to my knees, gazing up at him.

"Let me suck your dick before you go, kitten," I pleaded, reaching for his fly.

Rafe's eyes flared as he stared down at me, tongue darting out to wet his lips. He nodded, gripping the counter behind him as I hurriedly undid his pants and pushed them down his hips along with his boxer briefs.

His breath hitched when I enveloped his cock in my mouth, sucking softly as he hardened against my tongue. My hands slid up the backs of his thighs to cup his ass, and he sighed with pleasure as my head started to bob, one of his hands reaching down to thread through my hair.

I knew we didn't have much time before he had to leave for work, but I sucked him slowly, wanting to savour it, moaning when he began to leak pre-cum onto my tongue. Soon, his fingers were gripping my hair tighter as he moaned with every panting breath, his hips twitching to sink his cock deeper every time I sucked all the way down his length.

God, I loved the sounds he made. How loud he got. Groaning around him, I reached down and shoved my hand into my sweatpants, fumbling to pull out my aching cock. He moaned when I started stroking myself fast, my balls already tight and drawn up.

"Fuck. Dan," he panted, his head falling back, trembling fingers curling against my scalp. "Gonna come. I'm—"

I moaned around him hoarsely and felt my cock stiffen even further as I shuttled my fist over it at a frantic pace. His breaths sped up and his hips began to twitch, before he tightened his grip in my hair to hold my head steady as he let out a strained groan and his cock pulsed against my tongue.

I started coming just a moment after he did, moaning deliriously around his cock as it spurted into my mouth and I shot all over the cabinet between his spread legs. Rafe sagged when his orgasm ended, and I heard his throat click with a swallow as he tried to catch his breath.

Reluctantly, I slid my mouth up his length and paused to give the head a soft, tonguing kiss, lapping up the last of his cum. He moaned breathlessly, his fingers gentling in my hair as he leaned back against the counter.

I licked my lips and smiled up at him, voice hoarse when I warned, "Don't get my cum on your pants."

"Huh?" He leaned over and glanced down to see my release dripping down the cabinet between his legs, then laughed as he stretched out an arm to grab a paper towel.

I took it from him and wiped up my mess, then helped pull his pants and underwear back up as I stood. "You should get going, kitten," I told him reluctantly, because I didn't want to let him out of my sight. "Sorry if I've made you late."

"I don't care." He smiled up at me and leaned in to give me a kiss. "So you'll be in a bit later?"

"Uh-huh." I squirmed a little guiltily as I followed him to the door. "Just got a few things to do. Boring things. I'll be in soon."

"'Kay." He locked the front door behind us, tugged his backpack strap higher on his shoulder, and grinned at me. "See you later."

"See you later, kitten."

We parted ways after leaving the porch, him heading to his car and me walking slowly across the front lawn toward my own house. I paused at my front door to wave as he pulled out onto the street.

The moment his car had vanished, I headed off my porch to my car, before doubling back after glancing down at myself. I definitely couldn't show up where I was going with my dick swinging freely in my sweats. I'd be arrested.