𝔅𝔬𝔯𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔡𝔦𝔢 - Rafe Cameron

⑤

...

The bathtub was filled with rose-scented water, bubbles floating around them as Jazmine and Rafe relaxed in the warm embrace of the bath. It was exactly what she'd wanted—a tub large enough to hold them both. Jazmine was facing him, her arms resting on the edge of the tub, while Rafe sat back, his gaze fixed on her, a glass of whiskey in hand. He couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself, letting them drift over her shoulders and down her back, his fingers tracing the marks on her skin with a quiet reverence.

"So, she was there," Rafe began, breaking the silence, his voice a warm murmur. "She suggested I invest $400,000."

Jazmine raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "You're kidding. $400,000?"

He chuckled, his fingers still tracing along her back. "Yeah. I haven't agreed yet, but if it works out, we'd be making a lot." He shook his head, laughing softly.

"I don't know," Jazmine replied, unconvinced. "What if she's trying to scam you, Rafe?"

Jazmine didn't trust Hollis. Most of the time, her instincts were spot on, and something about this woman felt off. Hollis seemed strange to her, and the whole project felt shady. She refused to name her associates and kept everything confidential, almost as if she expected Rafe to agree to a deal without knowing the details.

"Why would she do that?"

"Don't be naive. You're young—way younger than most businessmen in town. You don't have as much experience as they do."

Rafe sighed, lowering his gaze. Jazmine reached over and took his hand gently. She knew his insecurities around this topic—people often looked down on him, and he didn't need another reminder, yet the truth was hard to ignore.

Jazmine had hoped that with Ward gone, Rafe would stop trying to prove himself by making reckless decisions just to make his father proud. But it seemed that he was still driven by that same need, as if he had to prove something—to himself or perhaps to someone else.

"I'm not saying this to discourage you, okay? I just want you to be careful."

"Let's drop it. It's giving me a headache."

Jazmine smiled, feeling his touch as his hands found her waist, lingering, possessive. "You'll never guess who I ran into today—one of your exes."

His hand paused, then moved up to gently graze her shoulder, his thumb rubbing small circles. "Which one?"

"The prettiest one, in my opinion."

He raised an eyebrow, his hand slipping to her thigh. "Sofia? What did she say?"

Jazmine smirked. "Oh, so you think she's cute?"

Rafe just looked at her, a slight grin playing on his lips. "You're the one who keeps saying she's cute, not me."

"Anyway," she replied, brushing it off casually. "It wasn't that important—just when things were about to get interesting, we had to leave."

Rafe's hand tightened slightly on her thigh, his eyes narrowing playfully. "I wonder what she wanted with you?"

She shrugged, leaning in a bit closer. "No idea, but whatever she would've asked, I'd have said no."

He shook his head, pulling her a little closer with a grin. "You're unbelievable." His fingers traced light patterns along her arm, lingering just enough to make her shiver.

"What?" she whispered, his hand now moving along her back, the warmth spreading through her. "Are you jealous?"

"Do I have reason to be?" he murmured, his gaze darkening as his hand slid to her waist, drawing her gently onto his lap. Jazmine laughed softly, pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder before slipping out of his hold, leaning back with a playful smile.