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“Um, I don’t know how to answer that question without being a creeper,” I paused, before I continued, “well, I seem like one anyway so I’ll say you’re a wet dream, drenched in a Jake Ryan fantasy.”

He chuckled and asked, “How do you know about Jake Ryan?”

As Graham shucked off the blanket, I fanned myself. Unable to tear my gaze away, I studied the muscles of his calves and thighs. Almost groaning aloud when he dressed, covering everything I could’ve seen the night before, but instead, I fell asleep. I cleared my throat.

“Are you serious? Jake Ryan is the hottest thing from those teen movies from the eighties and nineties and I love the butterflies I get when he’s leaning against his Porsche, waiting for her near the end of the movie.”

Graham, dressed and looking all sexy in the clothes he wore the day before, thought about my answer for a minute. “Yeah, I can see that. He had the ‘bad boy’ thing going on, but when he asked about her at the party, that was sweet.”

“There you go again. You’re not a heartless human. You’re a cuddle bug deep down and you feel comfortable enough with me to let it out. I’m honored.”

“Neko!”

With a sigh, I moved out of the room to make breakfast, but Graham’s hand on my elbow halted me. “While I love how the purple looks against your skin, put on a shirt if you’re going to cook. And I’d recommend pants.”

“Fine, I won’t tempt you with my nakedness.” I slid on my pants before wiggling into the hoodie, so I might have misheard Graham’s next words.

There was a scoff followed by, “Well, that ship has sailed.”

When my head popped out of the material, I asked, “Say what now?”

His smile made me stupid for a moment before he shook his head.

“Nothing, let’s go make breakfast before your sister throws things.”

They walked out of the TV room and toward the kitchen.

“How did you know?”

“I’ve eaten your cooking.”

“Don’t start saying adorable things, Graham. You know what it does to me?”

He huffed out a laugh as we arrived in the kitchen with my family acting… weird.

Mom and dad were sitting on the stools near the kitchen island with marionette smiles as they stared at the two of us. My sisters were going through cabinets and pulling out sheet pans, pots, and a skillet where on a normal day, they slumped at the breakfast table, faces buried in their phones, ignoring the world.

“Okay, you’re freaking me out.”

“What do you mean, sweetie?”

“First, you never call me that, so stop it. Second, my sisters don’t do manual labor, and there’s another thing, but since it’s…seven in the morning, I don’t have the brain capacity to infer what it is.”

Graham placed his hand on my lower back and without thinking, I leaned into his touch. I wondered if the video he’d witnessed and his protective instincts were keeping him close. Even if it were the case, I’d take it.

“Well, I got a call last night after Bob and Nancy watched your neighbor here dash across his yard, jump the tall hedges, and pound on your door, so we’re here showing concern.”

I rolled my eyes and said, “He watched the incident last night.”

That was all my family needed to hear.

“Oh…oh.” Mom said.

“What?” Graham asked.

At that moment, Echo wandered in from the front and moaned, “Coffee?”

“Did they call you this morning?”