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At around ten, Tathan takes us back to our apartments. We walk in silence, smiling every once in a while because I think at this point he knows I’m going to invite him in. How can I not? He held my hand.

Outside my door is a basket with the words: Muff’s Magic Mate, thanks to Zane.

He sucks. I refuse to acknowledge it’s even there.

Tathan laughs just as I thought he would. “Zane is something else.”

I keep my eyes on the wall. “You want to come in?”

I told myself I wouldn’t invite him in. The Force left me long ago, but I don’t want to sell out and give in on the first date. But I told him only one date, so I am most certainly giving in.

He steps forward, his eyes on the basket and then slowly, they drift my way. My gaze falls to our hands when he knots our fingers together as my back meets my door. “I’m dying tocomein.”

I kick the basket inside the door to face Tathan. Oliver jumps around between our feet.

When we get inside, we stare at each other.

“I don’t know what I have to do to show you how I feel.” He steps forward, pushing me against the wall. “I don’t think you’ve ever had a man be there for you because he wanted to be.”

I shake my head. I was breaking. . . fast, and he knew it. “I have to take Oliver outside.”

“I don’t think you’ve ever had a man want to be here just to be with you. I want to be. Iwantto be that guy.Let me be him.”

Like the amazing moments he captures that tell a story all on their own, he has a way with words that can break every emotional tie you’ve been holding onto and wrap you in this sense of serenity and warmth.

I only nod, and he closes the distance between us, pressing his lips to mine. It’s tender at first, matching his words, and then the desire roots itself in our movements. One hand secures my face to his. We continue for a moment before I decide what I want. Him. In my bed. Now.

Only Oliver has other ideas and pees on Tathan’s foot.

I know what Oliver is thinking. “Get your face off my mommy, you sadistic son of a bitch!”

Tathan senses the wetness right away and pulls back to look down at Oliver, glaring. Any other man probably would have kicked the dog for something like that. Not Tathan. He isn’t happy, but he doesn’t do anything to Oliver but glare. “He hates me.”

I don’t even look; my shoulders shake with laughter. “I told you he had to pee.”

“Okay. . . .” Tathan raises his hand to touch my face. “I’m going to go shower. And I’m leaving my apartment unlocked. I hope you come over after taking care of him.”

Just invite him to your bed. You know you want to.

“Do you want to. . .” I gesture down the hall, my lips still pressed against his. “. . .take a shower here?”

I can’t believe I suggested that. Actually, yes, I can.

“Are you going to kick me out again?” He raises a questioning eyebrow.

“No.”

I’m not one of those girls who need to wait to have sex. If I want it, I want it. . . and oh, do I want it.

He looks down at me, but there is a certain amount of honesty in that look. He’s not hiding where he wants this to go. Where he hopes this will go.

It’s very sexy, and he knows it.

With one step, he comes in line with my body, his hands on my hips, drawing me into him. I moan, and his mouth clamps down on my neck, taking a hard, sucking bite while goose bumps shiver across my skin. “I don’t have any clothes here.”

He says that as if it’s a problem.

“Well.” I shake my head, pulling back to look into his eyes. “You won’t need clothes.”