Page 3 of Love Unwritten
“Who also knew every lyric to ‘Wannabe.’”
He sighs like I’m the biggest inconvenience in his world. “Remind me why I put up with you?”
“Because you love your son more than you dislike me.”
A long crease appears on his forehead. “I don’t dislike you.”
“But do you like me?”
His palm brushes over his short beard. “I’m still deciding.”
“Anything I can do to speed up this lengthy decision-making process?”
“Quit?”
I chuckle to myself, and his gaze drops to my lips.
“What?” I wipe at the corner of my mouth.
He shakes his head. “Nothing.”
I pull out my cell phone and double-check my teeth just in case.
“Ellie!”
My phone slips from my grasp as Nico shouts my name from the opposite side of the house. It clatters to the floor, and I curse with a hiss as I bend over to pick it up. My blond hair falls in front of my face and hangs around me, blocking my view of everything but my lit-up phone.
The base of my neck tingles, and I peek over my shoulder to find Rafael’s gaze focused on my ass.
Oh my God. Why is he checking me out?
I shift my weight, and his eyes follow the length of my leggings, confirming the truth. If it were anyone else, I would take it as a compliment after spending too many years picking at my appearance and complaining about my small boobs, ass, and barely-there curves, but Rafael isn’t someone else.
At least not to me.
Catching him checking me out isn’t something I expected, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t excite me a little.
My stomach swoops as I stand upright. The sudden motion rips him out of his temporary lapse of judgment.
Before I have a chance to mutter a single word, his gaze shifts from heated to bored in the blink of an eye. If I weren’t so taken aback by his interest, I would be impressed by how he schooled his features in a millisecond.
In the months I’ve worked for Rafael, he hasn’t shown the slightest bit of interest in me or any other woman in town. Rumor has it that Rafael hasn’t been with anyone since he divorced his ex-wife, Hillary, over two years ago.
After working here for eight months, I can confirm that, despite Rafael being one of the most eligible bachelors in town, he is completely disinterested in any kind of connection, including a platonic one.
Nico calls my name again, and his impatience becomes my saving grace.
“Coming!” I rush toward the kitchen exit.
“Eleanor?” Rafa’s deep timbre has me turning in place.
A shiver rolls down my spine as I turn to face the grumpy giant across from me. “Why do you insist on calling me that?”
I’m surprised he can effortlessly shrug with how much his trap muscles must weigh.
I swallow back the urge to say something that could get me fired. “Everyone calls me Ellie.”
“I know,” he says after a long pause.