“A knock interrupted my thoughts. “You okay?”“Yeah. Can I have some freaking privacy?”“Sorry. You’ve just been in there for a while; I wanted to make sure you weren’t sick or anything. I’m leaving now. Also, I’m naked, so if you open the door right now, you’re going to get the full show.”“Pass.”“Suit yourself.”

“So you’re saying you do want to sleepwith me?”“Given the fact that I just took my millionthcold shower since I’ve moved in here andI have to constantly recite the GettysburgAddress and The Bill of Rights in my headwhen I’m around you? Yeah, I’d say so.Why, you want me, too?”

“So what now?" he said. "What do you mean?""What do we do now? We can't just be roommates.""You said you didn't like me.""I don't like you. I don't like how your hair smells, and how I can't stop thinking about waking up and seeing your face. I hate how my bed felt empty when you left. I don't like how good you were with my family, especially Harper, and how I wanted to see you with then again, but not just as a guest. As a member. You're right. I don't like you at all.""When did you change your mind?""My mind never changed. I've wanted you since the moment you opened the door and had that stunned look on your face. It just took me a while to admit it. Why deny it now? It is what it is and it's not going to change.""Oh.""This doesn't mean I'm going to be nice. I'm still going to be an ass. I'll just be an ass who apologizes and brings you flowers to say he's been a dick.""Chocolate," I said. "What?""I'd rather have chocolate when you apologize.""Chocolate it is." He smiled. "So does that mean what I think it means?""No. It just means that you get to bring me chocolate when you've been an ass. I'm going to weigh three hundred pounds." I focused my attention back on the peppers. I couldn't think about Hunter's declaration of... whatever it was. Footsteps didn't make me look up. "Taylor, look at me. Please." Damn. If only he didn't say please. "I can't promise to not make you mad. I can't promise that I won't hurt you. All I can promise is that I want you in my life, and I'll do anything to keep you there.”

“I nearly had a cakegasm at the table. My eyes rolled back in my head, and I moaned. "Sweet Christ." I opened my eyes to find Hunter watching me with the strangest expression on his face."What? It's really good; you should try some," I said, pushing the plate at him. It was a testament of how embarrassed I was about the cakegasm that I was even sharing at all."I swear, if there weren't a table between us, I would be kissing you right now. And none too gently."I put my form down and swallowed so I wouldn't choke. "You didn't seem to mind about the recliner," I said. "True. But there wan't an audience, and that's a very ugly recliner. This is a very nice table. Also there is glass and sharp things I wouldn't want hurting you.""Good point. Please, have some.""If you're going to make that noise and that face again, I don't know if I can let you have any more.""I'll be good. I swear.""You're not good. That's the problem.""You're right. I'm not," I said, giving him my own smirk. "I do try, though.""Cruel. That's the word to describe you right now.""Just have some cake.”

“I want you. Right now. If you said yes, I would kiss you. I would kiss you until we both forgot that lips were made for anything other than kissing. I'd take you out of that outfit, as cute as it is. I want to see what you look like with nothing on. I want to make you sigh like you did with the cake. I want to be with you. Right now.”

“Subject: Not a chanceMissy,I accept your challenge, and may I remind you, that if you want me to leave you alone, there is that little bet we have going. Win it, and I'm gone.Impatiently (and nakedly) yours,Mr. Hunter Aaron Zaccadelli, esquire.P.S. Bring it on.”

“All that doesn’t matter. All that stuff I did before was just sex. I told you, I don’t want to have sex with you. I want to do more. You deserve so much more. More than me anyway.”“What if I don’t want more? What if I just want you?” All of my feelings and frustrations had finally spilled out of my mouth.“I take it back. That was the sexiest thing you’ve ever said.”