Page 109 of Firecracker

Mila’s lips quirked. “Wow.”

“It annoyed me. But he made me talk about it, and he apologized.”

“That’s worth a lot.”

“Yeah. But he does that stuff all the time. He’s a little overprotective.”

“You know why, though, right?”

“I do. I get it.”

“And it’s because he cares too.”

Arden puffed out a breath. “I know. But it’s one more reason I feel like I could lose myself. I want to make my own decisions. About where I work and how I get home and who I talk to.”

“I get it.”

Arden sucked in a breath. “Okay. I’m just going to try to live in the moment. Enjoy whatever this is and not drive myself crazy trying to analyze it and name it.”

“Sounds like a good plan for now. And for what it’s worth…you two are awfully cute together.”

Arden wrinkled her nose. “Cute?”

“Yeah.” Mila grinned.

“Really?”

“Really. I could tell from the first day you were here that he has a thing for you. Watches you all the time. Does nice things for you. Gives you multiple orgasms.”

Arden gave a strangled laugh. “Right.”

“I’m serious. And you’ve admitted you like him too. And you like his hot body.”

“I do.” She sighed. She squeezed her eyes closed briefly. “This is crazy.”

“Loveiscrazy.”

“We’re not in love!”

Mila lifted her eyebrows into skeptical arches.

Arden’s head went spinny and she slumped against the doorjamb. “We aren’t. We can’t be. I hardly know him.”

“You’ve known him for years.”

“Yeah, but not really…we were kids.” She drew in a shaky breath then bolted straight up. “Oh! I have to go get my coffee cake out of the oven.”

“Coffee cake?”

“Yes. Want to come for breakfast in the morning? Tyler works tomorrow, so no worries about walking in on us again.”

Mila laughed. “Sounds good. I’ll tell Jamie too.”

“Great.”

She ran back upstairs, her mind churning.

Mila thought they were cute together. She thought Tyler had a thing for her.

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