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Enough to make me freeze.

Her fingers tighten on my shoulders.

"Nate..."

I lift my head. "Yeah?"

She bites her lip. Her voice is soft, almost too soft.

"I want you... just not yet."

I still.

The air between us goes quiet.

And then I press a kiss to her temple.

"Okay."

She blinks. "Okay?"

I nod. "Then I’ll wait. Just don’t make me wait forever."

I roll off her gently, pulling the blanket up over both of us. She settles against my chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

We lie there, her fingers tracing light circles on my abs. My hand rests on her hip, not moving, just feeling her there.

The fire's still burning in my blood, but I breathe through it.

Because she’s not just another hookup.

She’s Mandy.

And she’s worth waiting for.

Even if she drives me insane doing it.

Even if every part of me wants more.

After a few quiet minutes, I exhale hard and push up from the couch.

"I should cool off before I melt this couch."

She gives me a sleepy smile, curling deeper under the blanket.

I head to the kitchen, grab a couple bottles of water, and then raid the pantry for the big bag of popcorn. I dump a generous heap into a bowl and carry everything back to the living room.

"Figured you could use some nourishment," I say as I set the bowl on the table and hand her a bottle of water. "Bar exam fuel, right?"

She grins, sitting straight up. "You just wanted an excuse to keep me here longer."

"Not denying it."

We sit like that for a while, sharing handfuls of popcorn and watching the flickering light from the muted TV across the room.

Then, out of nowhere, I ask, "Can I ask you something personal?"

She looks up at me. "Sure."