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The image landed — Felicity in tight workout gear, all sharp lines and controlled power.
He swallowed. “Sparring?”
“Kickboxing.”
Fuck.
No sex. Remember? He scrubbed a hand over his face.
She laughed. The minx threw her head back and laughed — hard, deep, and unrestrained.
Shit. He was in for a world of hurt.
He picked up his coffee and took a long swallow.
Her laughter faded, replaced by a frown. “Seriously, though, Ronan. How does it work? And don’t tell me we sing kumbaya around a fire. That’s a definite no.”
He grinned. “That’s easy. Guaranteed no kumbayas. Well, friends share—”
“No feelings.”
He paused. Considered her. Then nodded once. “Okay. No feelings.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, like she didn’t trust how quickly he agreed. “And I don’t do expectations.”
“Expectations?”
“Like … drinks on Thursdays. Dinner once a month. Being someone’s plus-one to a wedding.” She grimaced. “Definitely no weddings.”
He huffed a quiet laugh. “Good to know. I’ll cancel the invitations.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Relax,” he added. “No schedules. No obligations. We keep it simple.”
“I can do simple.” She glanced away, then back. “So, what are your” — she winced — “expectations?”
He gave himself a moment, then nodded. “Friends show up,” he said. “They do stuff. Help each other out. Give each other a hard time when it’s deserved.”
She folded her arms. “That sounds suspiciously reasonable.”
“I try.” He took another sip of coffee. “For example” — he jerked his thumb toward the back stairs — “you could help me demo the upstairs bathroom. I’ve been meaning to rip out the tiles.”
Her brow lifted. “You want me to destroy something?”
He shot the fireplace a side-eye. “It’s therapeutic,” he said. “Highly recommended.”
Then, because he clearly had a death wish, he added, “I’ve done some kickboxing. Maybe we could … spar sometime.”
She stared at him. “You’re volunteering to get beat up?”
“I’ll give you a run for your money.”
That earned him a slow, dangerous smile. “Careful, Marine.” She picked up her mug, took another sip. “How about we start with the bathroom first,” she said at last. “See how that goes.”
He’d take that as a win.
“So … upstairs bathroom?”
