Page 48 of Sizzling Desire

I hate him.

But the pancakes smell good, and my stomach is rebelling against my stubbornness.

I snatch the plate, sit at the counter, and stab a pancake with more force than necessary.

Kane chuckles, leaning against the counter, sipping his coffee. His stupid, perfect body completely at ease.

And, god, I want coffee.

“You’re staying here,” he says again, voice softer this time. “End of discussion.”

I sigh, shoving a bite of food into my mouth to avoid admitting I agree.

Because deep down, I know.

I need him.

And that scares me more than anything.

I need to get out of here.

Kane’s house is too big, too warm, too...his.The scent of him lingers in the air, in the sheets of the guest room, in the oversized T-shirt he loaned me last night when all I could do was crawl into bed and let the night’s chaos finally break me.

I can’t do this. I can’t stay.

I stand in the middle of the living room, arms crossed tight over my chest as Kane leans against the kitchen counter, sipping coffee like he hasn’t just dictated the rest of my life.

“You’re staying here.” His voice is firm, edged with something that dares me to argue.

And of course, I do.

“No, I’m not.” I lift my chin, refusing to back down. “I need to find a newplace.”

He takes another sip, completely unbothered. “You don’t need to do shit except stay put.”

I exhale sharply. “I’m not some lost puppy you need to take care of, Kane. I’ll figure this out.”

His dark eyes flick to mine, and for a second, the air between us hums with something unspoken. “You don’t have to do this alone, Grace.”

My stomach twists. “Iwantto do this alone.”

He sets his coffee down with a slow, deliberate movement. “Well, that’s too damn bad.”

Heat rises up my spine. “You don’t get to decide that.”

He crosses the room in two strides, stopping just short of invading my space. “The hell I don’t. Someone set fire to your damn building. You think I’m just going to let you wander off to some random motel, waiting for them to try again?”

“I can take care of myself.”

His jaw tightens. “You’re not invincible, Grace.”

My breath catches. “I never said I was.”

He scrubs a hand through his hair, frustration crackling in the air between us. “You’re staying here, at least until after Kate and Hudson’s wedding.”

I huff out a laugh. “So now I have a curfew? A timeline? What’s next? A leash?”

The look he gives me is deadly. “Don’t tempt me.”

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