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Standing, I took a deep breath and headed up the steps again. My parents’ house was an old Victorian that they had restored when they first moved to Marble Falls. Now, it sat mostly empty while they both traveled around the world. Separately. In their stupid attempts to stay away from one another.

The key slipped into the lock with ease. I was about to turn it when a voice from my left scared the living daylights out of me.

“Hey.”

Screaming, I jumped and got into a move that I’d learned when I went to one of Skylar’s self-defense classes.

Mitch stood there with a stunned look on his face.

My heart was pounding damn near out of my chest. I bent over and dragged in a few deep breaths. “You scared the hell out of me, you idiot!”

“I tried to say something to you, but you looked occupied, and then I thought you would see me sitting here. When you didn’t, I made myself known.”

I lifted my eyes to look at him, and that was when I noticed a familiar box. I slowly stood. Lifting my chin, I asked, “Is that what I think it is?”

That smile I had been missing slowly appeared.

“It is exactly what you think it is.”

“Is this a peace offering?”

“I hope so.”

His dimple was now on full display, and my lower stomach dropped while my heart felt like it was floating in my chest.

Chewing on my lip, I turned back to the door and unlocked it. “Well, you know where the plates and forks are.”

My keys made a clanging noise when I tossed them into the old ceramic bowl I’d made for my mother one year in art class. Mitch walked past me and made his way into the kitchen. I couldn’t help myself; my eyes drifted down. I moaned internally as I watched that perfectly fit ass walk away from me.

What I wouldn’t do to grab on to it while he made love to me.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

Goodness, Michelle. Stow the libido away.

Walking behind him, I counted to ten and tried to keep my thoughts clean.

Mitch set the pie box down on the kitchen island. He peeked over at me as he opened it. I gasped at the sight before me.

Peanut butter pie from the Blue Bonnet Café.

My knees went weak. And it wasn’t the pie doing it. No, it was Mitch holding up a fork in front of me with that smile that had made me instantly fall for him so many years ago.

I took the fork, trying to act like he wasn’t tipping my world on its side. “Thanks.” Bringing the fork to my mouth, I paused. “You’re not expecting me to share, are you?”

Mitch winked, and another part of my wall fell.

“I know better.”

And he did.

Mitch knew everything about me. Right down to my worst flaws.

When I slipped the fork into my mouth, I let the delicious flavor slowly hit me. Closing my eyes, I savored it. “Oh God, that is heavenly,” I said with a moan.

When I opened my eyes, Mitch’s mouth was dropped open, and he was staring at my mouth. When I cleared my throat, his gaze snapped to mine.

So many things were going through my mind.

“I’m so sorry,” we both said at once.

Laughing, I set the fork down and sat on one of the stools. Mitch followed my lead.

His face grew serious as he asked, “Why on earth are you apologizing?”

Pushing a piece of loose hair behind my ear, I took in a deep breath. “For not giving you a chance, for not giving us a chance.”

He shook his head. “I treated you like shit, Michelle. I broke your trust and did something unforgivable.”

My teeth dug into my lip. Pulling it into my mouth, I chewed on it.

Mitch reached over and gently pulled it free. “You drive me crazy when you do that.”

I swallowed hard. “Crazy good or crazy bad?”

His eyes dropped to my mouth. “Crazy good, like I want to kiss you and never stop. Crazy good, like I want to pull you into my arms, bury my face in your neck, and slowly inhale your scent so that I will never forget it.”

Oh dear.

My chest rose and fell heavily. His words swirled around in my head, knocking another piece of the wall down.

I tried to act normal, but I was far from it. My entire body shuddered from the heat of his stare.

He moved his eyes and broke the contact, and I felt the loss.

Glancing down to the pie, he grinned. “That was the last peanut butter pie. I had to fight an eighty-year-old woman for that.”

Giggling, I picked up the pie slicer and cut him a piece. Grabbing a plate, I slid the slice onto it and handed it over to him along with a fork.

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