Page 9 of Burn for You

chapter four

RAFAEL

With a bottleof wine tucked under my arm, I walk towards the park on the outskirts of Ruby Cove. It’s closer to Hotel Dolce and where the town hosts the weekly markets, and any other festivals, including the food festival today.

People from all around the area have been filtering into town for the last week or so, getting ready for today.

I walk around the corner and the usually bare park is brimming with stalls and food carts that are packed into the space like sardines. A clearing in the middle remains open for everyone to sit on picnic blankets, or, if they’re lucky, one of the few picnic tables dotted around.

“Rafael!” I hear Marina’s voice and a second later, see her waving me over to where she’s sitting by herself on a pink and orange checkered blanket.

“I see you brought the good stuff,” she greets, gesturing to the bottle.

I pull the wine out from under my arm. “Only the best for you.”

Marina is Caio’s younger cousin. Her ma, Vanessa, took Caio under her wing when he first moved to town, and she’s been stuck with the lot of us ever since.

“I’m regretting not setting up a cocktail stall. I could’ve made a little extra cash on a day like today. I didn’t know it would be so busy.” She looks around. “I’m surprised you didn’t set up today.”

I roll my eyes on instinct. Marina has this way of prying you open without you even noticing, but I’ve been friends with her long enough to know when she’s trying to get me to open up, and I don’t feel like talking about myself today. “The cocktail stand is definitely a missed opportunity.”

“Rafael—”

I nod behind her to where I can see everyone else walking up to us, with Caio and Isla leading the pack. My best friend has a warm smile on his face as he looks down at Isla. I can’t help but be grateful that she came into town. Caio's never been happier than I’ve seen him in the last few months since Isla first caught his eye.

Isla waves over at us, catching Marina’s attention, but not before Marina pins me with a look that tells me our conversation isn’t over.

Behind them, Heath, Leo, and May follow, the latter walking in the middle with her arms looped through my friend’s arms on either side of her.

Marina looks back at me as I sigh. “I heard you had a little…encounter the other night.” She clears her throat.

“Yeah, that is something we are definitelynevertalking about.” It’s been nearly two days since I caught May in the supply closet of my restaurant, and I can’t get the image of her taunting smile out of my head.

Marina smiles, but looks down at her lap as the others approach us.

“Not a word,” I warn.

“Rafael, hi!” I stand up just in time for Isla to wrap me in one of her warm hugs.

“Ciao, Isla.”

“Have you guys been waiting long?” she asks, moving to give Marina a hug as Caio pats me on the back.

“Only a few minutes,” Marina says. “I wanted to get everything set up.”

“Set up?” May asks as she finally reaches us.

She’s wearing one of those silly graphic crop tops that she loves. This one has “reading is sexy” printed right over her tits, and she’s paired it with a denim skirt that’s almost as short as that dress from the other night.

God, that dress from the other night.

I might despise May’s infuriating personality, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have eyes. She’s even more infuriatingly sexy today, just as her shirt suggests.

“Like what you see, Deo?” she teases quietly. Everyone else has wandered off with Marina, so it’s just me, her, and that shameless smirk on her face, like she knows exactly what I was just thinking about.

I frown in response.

“Oh, always so serious,” she coos, before catching up with Heath. I shake my head and reluctantly follow after her.

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