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“That’s hot!”
She smirks. “Well, yeah, it just came off the stove.”
“No, I mean, hot as in spicy. What’s in this stuff?” I can’t help myself from taking another deep swallow. Like anything with chocolate, the first wave I taste is a heavy sweetness, but lingering underneath the rich, expected flavor is a hint of a bite that makes my tongue tingle and beg for more.
“Mmhmm.” She takes her own sip, and a smile creases her cheeks. “Cayenne. Mom adds a little bit. That’s why her mix has ruined me for all store brands.”
Hannah tops off both our mugs before we wander back into the main room.
Because I’m a gentleman and a good host, I give her the remote, so she can pick out the movie. I watch her as she scans through the options, my muscles relaxing as I slide down onto my secondhand couch. The two of us hanging out together comes easy, like we’ve been friends rather than enemies all this time.
If she disappears on me again, I’m going to have something to say about it.
“Where were you last week? I had The Spot all to myself.”
“That must’ve been such a hollow victory for you.” Her voice is laced with teasing sarcasm that has me grinning in response.
“There you go again. Assuming the worst about me. Did you consider that I might be worried about you?” I concentrate on the swirling pattern in my cocoa, trying to keep my honesty from weighing too heavy on our banter.
“You were worried? About me?”
The tone of her voice draws my eyes back to hers. An expression of complete befuddlement creases her slim brows.
Is it really so unbelievable that someone might?
“Yeah, Shorty. You disappeared on me. With no way for me to check up on you, might I add.”
“But I’d only ever been mean to you.”
I reach out and tweak the end of her braid. “Maybe I’m into that.”
Hannah snorts. After setting down the remote, she slides her cell phone out of her back pocket and fiddles with it for a second before handing it to me.
On the tiny screen is a clear picture of two women in long, flowing dresses, as if they were about to attend a movie premiere or gala event.
“My sister’s wedding. As her maid of honor, I had to be there for all pre-wedding festivities.”
Because I’m dense, it takes her explanation for me to realize one of the women has on a white dress for a reason. Hannah is wearing dark purple, which contrasts nicely with her golden skin. In the picture, her hair is curled and held up high on her head. Makeup gives her face new lines and angles. She looks hot and intimidating. I prefer the more approachable version sitting next to me.
Hannah reaches over to swipe her finger along the screen, bringing up a photo with her sister and a man with one of the happiest expressions I’ve ever seen.
“That’s Stella and my new brother-in-law, Angelo. She met him when she was studying abroad in Italy.”
“Sounds like a romance novel in the making.”
My comment was supposed to be a joke, but she nods emphatically.
“Oh, yeah. Most definitely. And my God, you should hear his voice. That accent is a panty-melter.”
My eyes leave the phone to watch her serious face. “A panty-melter?”
“Yeah. He talks, and all the panties in the vicinity just evaporate.”
I frown. “That can’t be right.”
She shrugs. “I think it’s just the next step in evolution. But I can see why you might be intimidated.”
“I’m not intimidated!” That comes out in more of a huff than I intended.
