Page 15 of Running Winter

“I swear to god, if you’re checking me out, I’ll cut your balls off,” Rayna warned, dropping to the bed beside me.

“Ah, shut up, you know I think you’re beautiful,” I mumbled, wrapping my arm around her waist.

“And I’m very flattered, but that’s enough.”

“I feel like having a lazy fuck, though,” I teased as she elbowed me in the ribs.

“I’m not a lazy fuck, thank you very much. I’m energetic if anything.”

I snorted with laughter as she put the TV on, the iconic sound of James Bond filling the room.

“Seriously though, come tonight,” I mumbled, my eyes closing with exhaustion.

“Okay, deal. But you have to tell Rafe about our conspiracy theory.”

I nodded my agreement, falling to sleep as she sighed beside me.

Something about Rayna made me feel so at ease and comfortable. It made me wish she did see me that way. We would be amazing together.

I’d gone home to change, arranging to pick up Rayna shortly after.

I was buzzing with excitement for this dinner, despite Rafe’s fury. He’d called me three times this afternoon, bitching about everything in sight, but mainly about how he might pay Raven to get rid of Kendra.

I had a feeling Raven would do it for free once she’d met her.

A tap at the window made me jump, and I did a double-take.

Rayna stood there in tight jeans, a wrap-around top that accentuated her killer curves, and best of all, her hair was down.

“Wow. You look amazing.”

“Thank you. No glasses! I had to try these contact lenses, so I thought, why not tonight? I’ve got my glasses in my bag if I need them anyway,” she said airily.

“Suits you.”

We drove to Rafe’s, discussing Skyfall at length. Luckily I’d seen it before, so I didn’t need to admit I’d slept through most of it.

We arrived shortly after, still arguing about the best Bond villain of all time when my uncle answered the door.

Rayna blushed immediately, and I rolled my eyes. She was like this with my dad too, and my other uncles. But she had a soft spot for Uncle Lucas.

“Rayna, lovely to see you again. Looking very beautiful, too, may I add.”

Rayna almost melted into a puddle of piss beside me, and I shook my uncle’s hand warmly.

“Uncle.”

“Chase.”

The formal greeting was standard for me because, to be honest, Uncle Lucas terrified me.

I’m not sure why, but something about him told me he would think nothing of killing me if I said the wrong thing.

He moved aside, ushering us into his house, where I found Rafe lazing on the sofa ahead of us, a bored expression on his face as Kendra gushed about some cheerleader she knew that had won a singing competition.

“Brace yourself,” Rayna whispered, and I smirked, walking into the room with a wide smile.

Raven sat beside a miserable Rafe; her eyes narrowed at Kendra, opposite her beside Aunt Alice.

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