Page 113 of Rafferty's Rules
‘I guess that’s the fabric of a Phillips man.’
‘We’re not all created equal, love.’ That wasn’t meant to sound as sardonic as it does.
‘Well, life would be boring if we were all the same. We can still get along. Some of us like chocolate, for instance, while some of us like a good old gaytime.’
‘Golden Gaytime,’ I correct her with a smile.
‘For an ice-cream, it soundsso kinky.’
‘It’s not just an ice-cream. It’s an Aussie icon.’
‘So you said.’ She sighs happily, her hand raising from my shoulder to the back of my neck. ‘What did you like best about the ceremony,’ she asks next.
‘The end.’
‘That’s not very romantic,’ she scoffs, tapping her palm against my chest.
‘He’s my brother,’ I say, covering her hand with mine. ‘I love him, and I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. But at my age, if you’ve been to one wedding, you’ve been to them all.’
‘Really? That’s a little sad. Also, I really wouldn’t know. This is the first wedding I’ve been to.’
‘You’re shitting me.’ My feet come to a stop mid-dance, people gliding around us like cars avoiding a break down. She’s only been to one wedding? How can that be?
‘If you recall, I was supposed to be attending one just before this.’
‘We’re you?’ And then it dawns on me. ‘Jeez, Lis. I’m such a fuck up. It only just occurred to me.’ I’m such an insensitive prick. I pull her to me, my arms wrapped tight across her back. To those looking on, I’m sure it looks like we’ve just stopped dancing for a passionate embrace, not an embarrassed hug.
‘It’s okay,’ she says, her voice uneven with laughter as she slips her arms around me, rubbing my back.Who’s comforting who here?
‘I shouldn’t have invited you,’ I whisper into her neck, inhaling a lungful of her floral scent. If I wasn’t so self-absorbed, I might’ve realised—’
‘Shush.’ She pulls back, her hands sliding to my chest, her right palm over my heart now. ‘You’re anything but self-absorbed, Rafferty. You are kind and you are good. It’s true,’ she insists, taking my face in her hands. ‘I’m here only because I want to be. I’m here because I want to bewith you.’
I drop my forehead to hers and whisper, ‘Thank you.’ Because I can appreciate her opinion, even if misguided.
‘Come on. What was your favourite part of the day?’ she says as we begin to dance again.
‘Watching you eat dessert.’
‘Really? That’s kind of strange,’ she says evenly, but even in the dark I can see the rise of colour against her skin.
‘I liked watching you savour your food,’ I whisper, bringing my mouth to her ear. ‘It reminds me of other things.’ I don’t anticipate her wanting to take this farther when she surprises the fuck out of me with her reply.
‘Do you think people would notice if we retired for the evening?’
‘This lot?’ Most of them are too drunk.’ And the rest of them would understand.
‘Too drunk to notice if we stole a bottle of champagne?’
‘Leftover champagne is an indicator of a bad party. As brother of the groom, I think it’s our responsibility to make sure there’s as little as possible left.’
‘I like your thinking.’ I heard the smile curl through her response, forcing me to fight my own.
‘What did you have in mind, exactly?’
‘I could tell you,’ she whispers, tipping onto her toes to press a kiss to my lips. ‘But it might be more fun to show you.’ For a split second, my brain seems to short. She falls to her heels once again, and her dark eyes stare at me for a long, loaded beat, before everything inside me restarts—blood, brain, and muscles. I take her hand and pull her from the dancefloor.
Chapter 35
