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“You could also just give me an answer.” She sighed, and I wound my arms around her neck to bring her face to mine, my lips moving slowly against hers.

“Nothing would make me happier,” I murmured, kissing her between each word like the world might take her away from me.

“That’s what I hoped you’d say.” She smiled, letting me kiss her until I was content.

I’d never be completely content, especially since I was technically allowed to kiss her as much as I wanted.

“You know,” I said eventually, once my heart rate had climbed and settled at least three times over. “I think this was a long time coming.”

Reid scoffed and sat up, holding her hand out to me. I took it and she pulled me up, our legs still a tangled mess between us.

“How do you figure?” she asked, her fingers trailing along my upper arm as if she couldn’t go very long without touching me.

My fingers sought her out just the same. “Well.” I sighed, leaning against the back of the sofa. “When we first met almost seven years ago, I think I fell for you. You were so chic and cool, everything I wanted to be one day.”

Reid laughed but she didn’t interrupt, and I continued, “No, really. I still remember you walking into the bar I was working at in that red suit of yours. Your hair was longer, and a little darker. You ordered a lemon water.”

“How the hell do you remember what I ordered?” She laughed, a little awed by my confession.

“Because I was working at abarand the only lemon water we had was technically tequila and lemon slices,” I joked. “I totally thought you’d order a vodka soda or even bourbon, but no, you sat at the bar, on your phone, sipping your lemon water like it was the tastiest thing ever.”

“That’s because I hadn’t tasted you yet.”

“Oh my God, shut up,” I groaned, her words stroking that tender flame burning inside me. “I’m trying to be serious and all you can think about is getting in my pants.”

With a pointed glance at my very naked body, Reid cocked a single brow.

“I think I’ve already accomplished that,” she drawled, her fingers trailing up my arm to my shoulder. “But you can’t fault me for wanting to do it again.”

I couldn’t. I’d be lying if I told her I wanted anything else just then.

“Just stop talking for two minutes,” I pleaded, unable to stop the corners of my mouth from tugging up into a smile.

She made a show of zipping her lips closed and throwing away the key.

“Anyway,” I said. “I think that’s when I fell for you. Not that you made it difficult, and asking me to dinner afterward kind of played into the fantasy.”

“Oh, you fantasized about me?”

I leveled a dead stare at her. “You don’t want to know,” I muttered, my cheeks growing hotter the longer I thought about it.

“No, no,” she chuckled. “I very much want to know about these fantasies. How can you expect me to think about anything else right now?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger, wondering just how deep a grave I’d dig myself before I learned to shut up.

Reid refused to let it go, and I figured we might as well eat something while we talked.

I grabbed a bag of potato chips out of her fully stocked kitchen and padded back into the living room, my bare feet silent on the tiles.

“Dinner and entertainment,” Reid teased as I handed her the bag.

“You’re making this very difficult,” I mumbled.

“Don’t get shy on me, love.” She chuckled. “Tell me about these fantasies of yours.”

“It’s a little hard to say them out loud,” I said nervously, my heart racing at the mere thought of them. Of the fantasies I’d had for years.

“Then let me guess,” she said devilishly, popping a potato chip inside her mouth. “You must have had fantasies about us in the office.”