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“You have a good memory.”

“When it comes to you, Verity, I never forget even the smallest detail.”

“Cheesy as always.”

“Did you not see today’s pun?”

She glances back down to the lid and snorts.

“Nutting else compares to a good cup of coffee. How do you even come up with these?”

“Chloe sent me a pun website.”

“Just how many people did you enlist in your grand scheme?”

“The full brigade. If the ballet thing didn’t work, I had a whole other operation scheduled.”

“Really? Like what?”

I shrug. “Guess you’ll never know.”

“Don’t tempt me into giving you the silent treatment again.”

“You wouldn’t.”

I loop my arm around her waist, laying my hand on the outside of her hip and tugging her in close to plant a brief kiss on her temple before releasing her.

“Cullen,” she whines, eyes darting around the street.

“What? I can’t kiss my girl?”

“I never said I was yours.”

“Really? So, you just let any man make you come?”

Her jaw pops open, and she lightly whacks me on the chest with the back of her hand.

“Stop. It’s eight a.m.”

I give her a wolfish grin. “Never too early for love, angel.”

“Still.” She purses her lips, keeping her gaze straight ahead as she taps down the stairs into the subway station.

We scan through the turnstiles just as the train pulls up and slip onto the closest car. Verity takes a seat, but I stay standing before her, holding onto the railing.

The train takes off, and I lean down to whisper in her ear.

“You know you’re mine, Verity.”

“No, I’m not officially your girlfriend.”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

“No.”

“Verity.”

“You can’t just ask me that on the subway.”