"Only a hundred," I said.
His eyes widened, and I laughed.
"Just kidding. It's more like 25."
"Sounds good."
"I tried to keep it low," I said. "It's not like we need to know everything about each other."
Tolliver shot me a grin. "Afraid if you know me better you might fall in love with me?"
I gaped at him.
"It was a joke," he said.
"I know." I gave myself a mental shake. "Where were we?"
"Favorite book?"
"That's a hard one, but I'd probably say whatever book I read last that made me laugh and-or swoon."
Tolliver gave me a look.
"Okay, okay," I said, thinking. "I can't choose an all-time favorite. But if I had to choose my favorite book I've read recently, like within the last few years, I'd probably sayThe Duke Takes a Lover."
Tolliver smiled. "That's the one we read together."
I nodded.
"Interesting," he said.
"What is?"
"Just out of all the books you've read—in years—your favorite is one where I was reading over your shoulder."
I rolled my eyes. "Which had absolutely nothing to do with it."
"Sure."
"If anything," I said, "the awkwardness of a strange guy reading over my shoulder should've made me like it less not more."
"And yet," Tolliver said with a self-satisfied grin, "it didn't."
Pointing to his face, I said, "Smug Tolliver is definitely my least favorite."
He barked a laugh.
"Yep, don't like him at all."
"They're all me, Freya."
"Well, you should work on that."
"Whatever that means."
I sighed.
"You know what I think," he said, dipping his head to catch my gaze. "I think you like all of me, and that's why you're so frustrated."
