Page 81 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

‘What?’

‘Hotter than hell, Dax?’ He repeats my words, the smirk on his face doing things to my insides I’ve never experienced. ‘So, youarehot for me…?’

‘Uh…’ Words escape me as I try to remember what I just said to myselfout loud.

He laughs, his gaze moving over my body slowly before meeting mine again.

‘The rooms aren’t soundproof, Hols, remember? I heard Roger Dodger over there getting it on with what I can only hope was a consenting woman just last night. Grossed me out like nothing ever has.’

I stare, my jaw agape. The day I eavesdropped on him and River’s conversation plays in my mind. Heheardme? No, no, no, no,no. I called myself horny! I was talking about having sex with him!Out.Loud.

‘Relax,’ he says, reaching up and closing my mouth with one finger on my chin. ‘I’m not here to have sex with you.’ His grin tells me he finds this more than amusing.

‘Don’t get me wrong,’ he continues. ‘I don’t know if I’d be able to say no should you try it.’

I’m lost for words, and he probably sees that all over my face. He glances around the room, his gaze landing on Tristan’s shoes. ‘Did you really steal all his left shoes?’

‘Yeah.’ I nod as though I’m half brain dead.

‘Evil.’

‘Take that as a warning,’ I say, walking past him out of the bedroom. Staying in there feels too dangerous.

‘Note to self: don’t piss off Hollyn,’ he says, jotting the note down on an imaginary notepad.

He follows me into the kitchen, where I don’t know what I’m looking for, but I have to find something to look busy.

‘I wanted to talk to you about something.’

‘OK,’ I say, pulling the toaster from the cabinet where he keeps it, sliding four slices of bread into it.

‘About last night.’

My heart sinks. He regrets it. I knew it.

‘Don’t make that face,’ he says, making me suddenly aware of what my face is doing.

‘I’m not making a face,’ I say, popping a k-cup into his Keurig machine. I tap the button that creates the dark magic coffee I so love. ‘What about last night?’ I ask innocently, as I lean on the island countertop, facing him.

He raises a single eyebrow.

‘Oh, you mean when you kissed me?’

He grins, his eyes boring a hole into my heart. ‘You mean kissed you because youaskedme to. “Do it now. Kiss me now.”’ He mimics my words.

‘Ah,’ I groan. ‘I was trying to be romantic. Was it not?’

‘It was,’ he says, laughing. ‘Swept me off my damn feet.’

I smile. ‘I swept you off your feet?’ I can sense the same giddy feeling I had while kissing him, building in my chest like I’m about to explode.

‘Nearly.’ His eyes move to the coffee maker next to me. ‘You gonna put a cup under that?’

I glance over at the Keurig machine, coffee splattering off the tray where my cup should have gone. I grab one, sliding it underneath the stream. Not soon enough to prevent a mess, and definitely not soon enough to play this off like I meant to.

‘OK, fine.’ I lift my hands into the air, surrendering all sanity. ‘I asked you to kiss me, but in my defense, you said you loved me.’

His smile makes me weak in the knees.

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