Ruined by the Seal(28)

"The whole balance?"

No, just the minimum, but he didn't need to know that. "It's fine," she  repeated, swiping the mail from the counter and dumping it in the  nearest drawer.

He shook his head. "Obviously not. I'll give you some-"

Tight, angry words shot up her throat and she swallowed them back, holding up her hand instead. "No."

"Liv, this is still my house, too. If the costs are too high-"

"Then it's time we sell it. That's the only conversation we're going to have about money, okay?"

He clamped his mouth shut and leaned back against the other counter, crossing his arms. "I don't want to sell."

Even though it was her plan, deep down she didn't want to either. Hot,  sweaty memories of the night they moved in flooded her mind unexpectedly  and she turned to the sink so he wouldn't see the pink of her cheeks or  the bright tears in her eyes.

"Where would you move?"

Pine Harbour didn't have many rental options. Rafe lived in the only  apartment building. There were two units above his mother's cafe but  that was obviously out of the question, and any house would be out of  her price range.

He figured out her plan just as she opened her mouth to confess, and  from the sound of his voice at her back, he was pissed. "You're  leaving."

"It's for the best," she whispered. She couldn't hang around to see him  move on, and it didn't matter that he'd almost kissed her. Twice, both  times acting like you were an oasis in the middle of a freakin' desert.  Didn't matter, she reminded herself, because they'd scorched enough  earth in their divorce that really getting back together wasn't going to  happen. If they kissed, and oh god did she want that more than her next  breath, they'd tumble into bed. And on the other side of a torrid love  affair with her ex-husband stood her ex-mother-in-law, ready to brand  her as a hussy and drive her out of town.

She wouldn't be pushed. If she left, it would be with her head held  high. Rafe needed to not kiss her, end of story, and the only way that  was going to happen was if she put some significant geographical  distance between them. She cleared her throat and raised her voice  enough to claim bravery, however false it might be. "I moved here to be  with you. We're not together anymore. It was a mistake to stay after the  divorce."

"You have friends here," he rasped, and she wanted to turn and look at  him. Wanted to soak up the hungry, needy look she imagined was scrawled  across his face and pretend it was enough to pull them back together.