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“Did you or did you not just kiss myarm?”

I drop my head into my hands, my cheeks erupting with heat. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It’s just that Paul came in with his new girlfriend—the girl who acted opposite him in the show that I didn’t get into—and they were acting so cute and—”

“No.”

“What?” I look up.

“I know what you’re going to say next. And the answer is no.”

I glare at him, my embarrassment shoved aside by his reaction. “You can’t say no yet. I haven’t asked you anything.”

“All right, let’s hear it, then.”

I swallow. “Okay…so…” I’m having a hard time thinking of how to explain things. “So, Paul and Lainey camein and then Paul was acting all pitying about the fact that I wasn’t dating anyone, and he had the nerve to tell me that I’d find someoneeventually.I mean, seriously? Of course I’ll find someone else. Someone better than him. I’m a freaking catch.”

Nathan raises an eyebrow, but I push on.

“And I don’t know what came over me, but I blurted out that I was already dating someone new. I just couldn’t let him get the upper hand. But then they asked who it was, and I didn’t have a name in mind, and yours was the first one I thought of and—”

“No.”

“Nathan! You’ve got to stop saying that!”

“Andyou’vegot to stop saying my name when people ask who you’re dating.” He looks up at the ceiling and then takes off his glasses and rubs his eyes. “Why did you think you could pull me into this? In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a big fan of yours.”

I gasp. “Now, wait a minute, there’s no need to be rude.”

“I’m just telling the truth. Something you might want to try sometime.”

“Yeah, yeah, easy for you to say. You weren’t standing in front of your ex making a total fool of yourself.” I stop and stare at him. “Actually, wait a minute…”

“No.”

“I’m not a dog and we’re not in an obedience training class so you can stop saying that.” I hold up a hand to keep him from bolting.“Stay.”I pause for a moment. “Good job, buddy!”

I laugh and he practically growls at me, which only encourages me to make more dog obedience jokes, but I hold my tongue.

“This could work out for both of us,” I say instead.

“I’m confident that no matter what you’re thinking right now, it’s not going to work out for me. So let’s do this stocking and I’ll try to forget any of this ever happened.”

“We’ll do the stocking in a second. First, let’s talk about Sophia.”

His eyes narrow. “Definiteno.” He turns and starts opening boxes. I swallow down my irritation and keep talking.

“Everyone knows you like Sophia. EvenSophiaknows you like Sophia, and yet nothing has happened between you two.”

“I’m ignoring you.”

“Unlikely or you wouldn’t be saying ‘I’m ignoring you.’ ” I pace behind his back. “Lucas told me that Sophia only wants what she can’t have. And the problem with you—”

“I have no problems.”

“—is that you’ve made it too clear that you want her. You need to play hard to get. You need to make her come to you.”

He keeps unboxing in silence, so I plow forward. “And ifI’m a good judge of character, which I totally am, then it’sclear that she’s also the jealous type. You should have seenher when I casually mentioned that we’d be spending alot of time together here. She went totally feral at the idea. And then she started…pressingherself against you.” I shudder.

He stills and slowly turns around. “That’s what happened? I couldn’t figure it out.”