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“And again.” He shot her a narrow-eyed glance that sent her pulse skyrocketing into dangerous ter
ritory. “Nope. I can’t. If you saw you last night, you’d get it.”
Damn him. He was good. Too good. And that irritated her. He shouldn’t be so suave with her. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen a million times before.”
“Trust me when I say it is,” he said, his arms flexing with each sweep of the bowl he took. “It really fucking is.”
She flushed. Like, everywhere. “You’re not so bad yourself, you know.”
And, of course, saying that reminded her of last night…
He continued stirring, not turning her way. “You’re wrong there.”
“Steven—”
“Don’t. I’m an asshole and undeserving of someone like you.” He set the spoon down with a clank, but the fake smile never slipped from his face. “Which, quite frankly, only made me want you more last night. I’m a selfish prick like that. Again, something we’re both already aware of.”
“I…” She shook her head. This perception he had of himself was so skewed and completely backward. “I have no idea why you think you’re this horrible guy. What did you do when you were overseas that makes you think you’re a monster?”
He flexed his jaw and picked the spoon back up. He stirred again, his motions faster and harder. “More shit than you would ever want to hear about.”
“What makes you so sure?” she asked, shoving her bangs out of her eyes. “You never gave me a chance to decide that for myself, after all.”
“I don’t need to, damn it,” he said, his easy, devil-may-care attitude slipping for the first time. “And who the hell said the bad things stopped when I came home? You yourself pointed out how much of a selfish asshole I’ve been, wasting away with booze and women. Do you think those women I fucked and forgot think I’m a good guy? Do you think I am, after last night?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I initiated what happened last night. I wasn’t some victim you have to make penance for, so stop trying to make me out to be one.”
“Shit.” He gripped the spoon tighter, breathing heavily. “You have no idea how hard it is for me to remember exactly why a guy like me shouldn’t be with a girl like you.”
“Wait, what?” Her heart traitorously picked up speed. “Do you…do you want to be with me again?”
He stared at her, his jaw flexing. “Do I ever?”
“No.” She swallowed, cursing herself for even thinking he might be saying that. Way to make herself look like a fool. Plastering on a smile, she added, “But that doesn’t make you a bad guy. It just makes you one who doesn’t want a relationship. Not everyone does.”
Slowly, oh so slowly, he turned her way. His hazel gaze blazed with…need? No, that couldn’t be right. Not after what he just said. So why was he looking at her like that?
Uncomfortable with the silence, she blurted out, “You can stop stirring now. It’s done. Uh, good job.”
He set the spoon down beside the bowl. When he turned her way again, any sign of desire was gone. “What do you want me to do next?” he asked, his voice low.
Take me, right here, on the counter.
Running his hand through his hair, he leaned on the counter. He was so sexy, standing there, all hard muscles and bedroom eyes. He wore a tight-fitting blue T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans that hugged him in all the right places. The cross tattoo on his arm stretched and moved as he moved his fingers through his thick hair.
And even though he stood there, not even making a move toward her, it felt like he was seducing. She licked her lips. “Uh…”
“It’s not a trick question.” He smirked, which should have annoyed her, but didn’t. “I stirred it, so now I—?”
“Grease the pan, covering the whole bottom,” she blurted out. “That’s what you do. And make sure you do it thoroughly.”
“Okay,” he said, the smirk widening. “I’m nothing if not thorough when it comes to getting stuff nice and lubricated.”
Yeah. She learned that up close and personal last night, thank you very much. “Uh…yeah. Great.”
Picking up the pan, he wiggled it under her nose. His all too familiar cologne teased her senses, which didn’t help her much when it came to resisting the urges he brought out in her. Especially after last night. “This one?”
She nodded and checked the temperature.
