Page 89 of Can you take it?

“Did you and my sister ever do anything?” she asked, and I felt her sit down next to me, her knee bumping into mine.

“What are you doing? Stop this,” I said, turning in the opposite direction. “No, Cal and I never did anything. We kissed a few times and that was it. To be honest, I should have known then that it was only friendship. A kiss really tells a lot. When I kissed you—” I trailed off, stopping my explanation.

“When you kissed me, what?” she said. I could hear the smile in her voice.

“Are you doing something or are you just going to sit here and taunt me?” I said. “Go take a bath and sleep.” She giggled, apparently loving the reaction she was getting from me. Though to her credit, she did get up.

“Ooh,” she said, “there are buckets of hot water by the fire, and a tub.”

I wanted to gouge my eyes out. “Is the tub in front of the fire as well? Next to the bed?”

“Yes,” she said.

“So in order to take a bath, you’re going to have to strip down naked and be soaking yourself ten feet from me.”

“I suppose I could not take a bath,” she said. “That’s probably for the best.” I nodded.

She let out a grunt. “You’re going to let me not take a bath just for your comfort? I’m taking a bath,” she snapped.

“Well, then why did you offer to not bathe?” I said, putting my hands up in surrender.

Suddenly, the door opened into my face, knocking into my already aching head and pushing me back.

“Ooh,” Anna said.

“Pardon me, sir,” said the familiar servant woman as she pushed a cart inside.

I stood immediately and tried to run out the door, but the servant grabbed the door on the opposite side by the hinges.

For a second, my gut clenched, thinking she would pinch her hand in the door as I closed it, but instead, she grabbed the door and flipped it, closing it in the opposite direction as she stepped out, leaving me trapped with Anna.

“What the?” I said, trying desperately to pry open the door to no avail. I turned around to check the cart, smelling the most sweetly decadent, rich cocoa scent there ever was. “Oh shit,” I said, looking at the dessert cart that she had wheeled in. There were heaping bowls of stew to the side in elegant gold- and-white dishes, cheeses, and every kind of nut imaginable, but the real star of the tray were the small plates of desserts with whipped cream, chocolate, and caramel drizzled over top. Having not eaten at the last tier with the others, I was hungry. Time for fae was already difficult to understand or explain, but time in the tiers was out of my grasp. Fae could go quite a long time without eating and, I assumed, being dead, I could probably go forever, but my stomach was growling at the heavenly scents that rose from the tray.

I grabbed a couple plates from the top, as well as a sparkling silver fork, and took my food to the bed, moaning and groaning with every bite.

“Seriously?” Anna said.

I looked up, wondering what she meant.

“I can’t get you to leave the door or open your eyes, but the second dessert comes in, you’re practically fornicating with it on the bed.”

I realized she was right and that I had been sitting on the bed I swore to stay away from. “You have to have some,” I said. “The taste of this dessert goes beyond the situation we’re in.”

“I don’t like dessert,” she said, and I about dropped my fork. “I’m more of a savory person.”

“Take it back. It’s impossible,” I said. “Savory as in, what? You’d like a plate of nachos to curb your cravings?” I said with a scowl.

Her mouth turned down in contemplation. “Actually, that sounds amazing. I don’t know what it is, but if it’s got cheese in it, count me in.”

“There’s cheese on the tray too,” I said, watching her eyes light up. I’d never wanted to make cheese in my life, but seeing the excitement in her face made me think a fromager might be a reasonable career.

I laughed at her as she threw off her boots and sat cross-legged on the opposite corner of the bed, munching on a large triangle from a wheel of cheese. She reminded me of a cute yet dangerous mouse nibbling away.

“So what do you think the tier is? To see that we can resist each other?” she said with a smirk.

I shrugged. “What’s the definition of lust?”

“I don’t know, undeniable physical attraction. A craving for physical or sexual gratification,” she said, taking a bite of her cheese.