Rafe kept her in his lap for a long minute after she came down from her orgasm, one arm wrapped loosely around her waist while his other hand stroked slow, soothing circles up and down her back. Her breathing was still shaky, face tucked into the crook of his neck like she was hiding from how intense everything had just felt.
âYou did so good, baby,â he murmured against her hair, voice low and warm. âFirst time letting someone touch you like that?â
She nodded against his skin, too embarrassed to look at him yet.
He chuckled softly, the sound rumbling through his chest. âCâmere. Let me clean you up.â
He gently lifted her off his lap and laid her back on his bed, her sleep shirt rucked up around her hips. She watched with wide eyes as he grabbed a clean washcloth from the bathroom, ran it under warm water, and came back to kneel between her legs.
âRelax,â he said, pressing a soft kiss to the inside of her thigh. âJust gonna make you feel better.â
He wiped her gently, careful around her still-sensitive folds, teasing just a little when he dragged the warm cloth over her clit. She twitched and let out a tiny whimper.
âStill so responsive,â he teased, grinning up at her. âBet I could make you come again real easy right now if I wanted.â
âRafeâŚâ she whined, covering her face with both hands, but her hips shifted toward his touch anyway.
He laughed quietly and finished cleaning her, then tossed the cloth aside. Instead of letting her pull her shirt down, he leaned over her and kissed her again â slow, deep, lazy kisses that made her melt back into the mattress. His hands wandered, sliding under her shirt to cup her breasts, then lower, grabbing two generous handfuls of her ass and squeezing.
âFuck, this ass,â he groaned into her mouth, kneading the soft flesh. âBeen thinking about it since the first day. So fucking soft and pretty.â
She moaned quietly against his lips, flustered but clearly enjoying the attention. He gave her one more firm squeeze before finally letting her sit up, tugging her shirt back down modestly.
They ended up sitting against the headboard together, her tucked into his side, his arm around her shoulders. The room felt quieter now, the tension eased into something warmer.
âSo,â Rafe said after a minute, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. âTell me more about your sewing thing. The Depop stuff. You really into it, huh?â
She perked up a little, grateful for a safer topic. âYeah⌠Iâve been doing it since I was sixteen. Started with simple alterations for people in town, then started making my own pieces. Dresses, tops, skirts, little sets like the one you picked. Girls around here donât have a lot of cute options without driving an hour, so I fill the gap. I sell on Depop and a couple other sites too. Itâs not huge, but itâs steady.â
Rafe nodded, genuinely interested. âYou ever think about branching out? Like, making it bigger? Selling in actual stores, or doing custom orders for events, maybe even your own little brand?â
Her eyes lit up, but then she shrugged shyly. âIâve thought about it. It would be nice to have a real studio instead of just the spare room. Maybe hire someone to help with shipping. But I donât know⌠it feels scary to make it too big. This place is home. I like being close to Dad and the farm.â
He hummed, thumb stroking her shoulder. âShow me your numbers sometime. Iâm good with that shit. Might be able to help you see it clearer.â
She hesitated only a second before nodding. âOkay. I can pull them up now if you want.â
She grabbed her phone from where sheâd left it on the nightstand and opened her bookkeeping app. Rafe watched as she scrolled through spreadsheets â neat columns of income, expenses, materials, shipping costs, and profit margins. Sheâd been doing this for years, consistently putting away almost every extra dollar.
Rafeâs eyebrows rose as he scanned the screen.
âDamn,â he muttered. âYouâve been stacking this whole time.â
She blushed. âI donât spend much. Living here is cheap, and Dad doesnât charge me rent. Most of it just⌠sits there. Iâve been saving for something someday, but I never really knew what.â
He took the phone from her gently, zooming in on the totals. After a moment he let out a low whistle.
âBaby⌠youâve got enough here to put a solid down payment on a nice apartment in Figure Eight. Maybe even buy one outright if you negotiate right. Hell, with this kind of consistent profit you could get approved for a mortgage easy.â
Her eyes widened. âWait, really? Figure Eight? Like⌠the Outer Banks?â
âYeah.â He smirked, but there was real respect in his voice. âThat fancy side of the island where Iâm from. Big houses, ocean views, all that bullshit. But an apartment there would be a smart first step. Close enough to the farm if you still want to help out, but your own space. Room to grow the business. Maybe even open a little studio or pop-up shop.â
She stared at the numbers like she was seeing them for the first time. âI never thought about it like that. I just liked making pretty things and saving the money. It felt⌠safe.â
Rafe handed the phone back and tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. âYouâre smarter than you give yourself credit for. Youâve built something real here. Quietly. Patiently. Thatâs rare.â
She bit her lip, flustered all over again by the praise. âYou really think I could do more with it?â
âI know you could.â He leaned in and kissed her softly, then deeper, his hand sliding back down to squeeze her ass again like he couldnât help himself. âAnd when youâre ready to branch out⌠Iâll help you. If you want.â
She smiled against his mouth, small and warm. âMaybe. But only if you promise not to make fun of my spreadsheets.â
âNo promises,â he teased, nipping at her bottom lip. âBut Iâll make it worth your while.â
They stayed like that for a while longer â kissing lazily, his hands wandering over her curves, her body slowly relaxing into his. The conversation about her business felt safe and exciting at the same time, a nice contrast to the intense heat from earlier.
Eventually she pulled back, cheeks pink. âI should probably go back downstairs before Dad wakes up early.â
Rafe nodded, though he clearly didnât want to let her go. He gave her ass one last firm squeeze as she climbed off the bed.
âTomorrow night,â he said, voice low. âCome back. Bring more questions⌠or just come because you want me to touch you again.â
She paused at the door, looking back at him with those big brown eyes, still a little dazed from everything.
âI will,â she whispered.
Then she slipped out, leaving Rafe alone in the apartment with a hard-on heâd have to take care of again and the surprising realization that the farmerâs daughter was full of hidden depths.
And he wanted to uncover every single one.