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“You mean it ruins dishes literally everywhere.”

“My god. That is uncalled for.”

“You know what’s uncalled for,” I said, taking another bite of her outrageously delicious sandwich, “an herb that makes everything taste like I’m eating a tin can.”

Michelle laughed as I finished my bite. “You’re nuts.”

“I’m not. I can’t believe you like it. I might never be able to speak to you again.”

She laughed harder, throwing her head back.

My chest twisted. She was beautiful.

When she lowered her face, she took in my expression and bunched her eyebrows together.

“What, do I have something in my teeth?”

She ran her tongue over her teeth and the sight of it made heat jump in my crotch. For a terrifying, delicious moment, I imagined that tongue flicking elsewhere.

Like over the tip of my hardening cock.

Inwardly, I groaned. Her laughter still echoed in the room around me.

“No,” I said, my mouth suddenly dry. At that moment, all I wanted to do was kiss her. I felt my hands rising, going up as if to cup her jaw.

What the fuck Archer?

I froze, forcing myself to keep my hands gripped on the seat of the stool.

I couldn’t do what I wanted. I couldn’t because it would ruin this. This perfect whatever it was between us. Michelle wasn’t someone I could just kiss and walk away from. As badly as I wanted her, and as good as that would be, I wanted more from her, and that scared the ever-loving shit out of me.

“Michelle—” I said.

She smiled, waiting for me to answer. The heat of it felt like pain.

I loved her smile.

I loved how she called me out on the mayor thing.

I love every goddamned thing about her.

I swallowed. Then I noticed something sparkle in her hair.

“There’s something there,” I said. I needed this distraction; I clung onto it, focusing on the thing in her hair like it was the most important thing in the world. Leaning over, I reached out, my hand brushing her cheek.

Michelle’s eyes fluttered.

Kiss her.

The urge was so strong, the voice so loud in my ears, that my other hand slipped around her jaw, sliding up into her hair.

Her lips parted. “Will—”

I tipped her head sideways, leaned in, then hesitated.

Her eyes were closed.

I wasted my best years on you.