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The temperature in the room spikes as I watch him invade my space. Steam rises around him like a visual effect to lure me in. His commanding presence fills my cramped studio apartment until he’s all I see.

I wrench myself free from the temptation, but I’m still at a loss for words.

“Welcome home, Wildflower. I hope you’re hungry.”

My empty belly chooses that moment to grumble. “Chance?”

There’s humor in his green eyes when he glances at me over his shoulder. “Were you expecting someone else?”

“No?”

“Sure about that?”

I snap out of the stupor and straighten. “You’re the only person who has a habit of breaking into my home.”

He turns fully to confront my accusation, leaning against the counter like he owns it. “I didn’t break in.”

“The door was locked. Did you use the fire escape and sneak in through a window?” Which reminds me to check those.

His smirk releases his dimple from the thick stubble coating his jaw. “I used my key.”

“Your key? You don’t have a key.”

“How else did I get in through the front door?”

Pressure squeezes my temples, almost hard enough to distract me from the delicious smell. “I never gave you a key.”

“Not technically, but I copied yours.” He states this as plainly as if we’re discussing colors and shapes.

At this point, I’m barely fazed. That explains how he got in to retrieve my pills. It’s somewhat of a relief to reveal that pesky secret.

“You should leave.”

“What? Why?”

“The fact that you even have to ask is concerning. I don’t care how clueless or innocent you’re pretending to be. This crosses too many lines.”

He frowns. “I just wanted to surprise you.”

“Just like you wanted to take me on a date and sabotaged my truck to make it happen.”

His wince suggests that he’s not totally immune to common sense or the law. “Okay, I’ll admit my methods are unconventional.”

“More like extreme and problematic.”

Chance rambles on as if I didn’t interject. “But we’ve never been a normal couple.”

“Or a couple to begin with.”

His smirk returns. “We’re involved in a physical arrangement.”

Oh, boy. The errors in my plan are sharpening their teeth to bite me in the ass. “This was a terrible idea. You’re clearly not going to follow my rules. I’m not sure I can uphold them against your… relentlessness. Let’s just call it off.”

“No.”

“I wasn’t asking.”

He’s quiet for a moment before dropping his gaze. “Do you need help putting those away?”