Page 325 of Ruthless Court

“Fourteen confirmed. The number is growing.”

“And you want…”

He stops.

Smart man.

I finish it for him.

“I want quiet.”

His eyes stay on mine.

“Quiet.”

“Yes.”

“At my place.”

“Yes.”

“With me.”

“Kane.”

“Clarifying.”

I fold my arms.

“Do not get excited, basketball boy. This is still our first date.”

“I know.”

“I am not offering you anything besides my presence and possibly shared streaming passwords.”

His grin gets wider.

“You're ruining my opportunity to respond maturely.”

“I’m protecting us both.”

He leans back against his seat.

“All right.”

“All right?”

“You can stay.”

That simple.

No joke about his bed.

No smug assumption.

Relief slips through me.

Then he ruins it.