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"About what?"

"Relationships. What you want. What works for you."

I set the tongs down.

"I'm pretty clear on what I want, Anna. I don't have the time for a relationship, and I'm not going to promise someone something I can't give them."

She studies me for a moment, then nods.

"Fair enough."

No judgment. No lecture. No attempt to tell me I'm wrong.

Just fair enough.

I lean against the counter, looking at her over the row of neatly stacked containers.

"And you?"

She lifts her glass to her lips, a small smile appearing over the rim.

"What about me?"

"You going to go on a spree now that you're a free woman?" I ask.

"I've been a free woman. We agreed that we could discreetly see others."

"His idea?" I ask, a bit irritated that she had to deal with that.

"What I do in bed isn't anyone's business. That's never going to change," she says, setting down the glass.

"I'm curious now."

"About?" she asks, knowing full well what I mean.

I set the tongs down and cross the kitchen slowly, stopping close enough that I have to look down at her.

"I'd love to know what Anna Winterfield likes in bed."

She holds my gaze, unhurried, like she's deciding how much to give me.

"Specifically?" she says.

"Specifically."

She reaches past me, sets her glass on the counter, and, when she straightens, she's close enough that I can see the slight rise and fall of her chest.

"I like a man who takes his time," she says. "Not because he's unsure. Because he wants to."

"That's a start."

"I like knowing someone's paying attention."

Her eyes drop briefly to my mouth, then come back up.

"Not just going through the motions. Actually paying attention. To what makes me go still. What makes me breathe differently."

I don't move.