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Stace rested one arm on the back of the couch and tilted her head to the side, giving me one of those cocky grins that turned my knees to liquid.

“You’re scared of losing control with me. But you don’t have to be. I’d keep you safe, princess.”

I threw my hands up in the air and made a bunch of noises that weren’t words. Stace just cackled.

“It’s fun riling you up. You get all cute and red and spluttery. Gets me every time.”

I grabbed a pillow from the other end of the couch and whacked her with it before she could put up a defense. “Fuck you.” I choked out a laugh and hit her again as she put up her arms.

“Hey, hey, I’m defenseless here! I’m a guest in your home! It’s bad hospitality to beat guests with pillows!”

Her words only kept me going as I hit her again and again until we were both laughing, and I found myself straddling her lap. When had that happened?

Panting a little, I lowered the pillow and took in her reddened face and messy hair. It made me wonder what she’d look like with really messy hair. Post-sex hair.

Against my better judgment, I reached out and ran my hand through her hair.

“Your hair smells good, too,” I heard myself saying.

“Does it?” she asked, looking up at me. I became aware that our bodies were touching in some crucial places and if she put her hands on my hips and nudged me just a little closer, we could almost be fucking.

Stace’s eyes were on my face and it was like she could read my mind. As if I’d said that thought out loud.

“So, you don’t need to get me into the bedroom to be overcome with lust.”

I snorted. “Who says something like ‘overcome with lust’? Reading too many Eloise Roth books?”

As much as she was talking about it, she hadn’t put her hands on me yet. They rested on the arm of the couch and next to my legs. Like she was waiting for me to make a move. Well, more of a move than crawling into her lap since I’d already done that.

Stace seemed to read my mind again.

“Ball’s in your court, princess. What are you going to do with it?”

I closed my eyes. “Fuck.” I didn’t mean to curse, but I couldn’t let this go any further. With unsteady legs, I climbed off her lap and stood up.

Stace didn’t seem to be upset at all.

“That’s not why I called you tonight.”

She nodded. “I know. You were sad and lonely and I was your last option. I’m not offended that I wasn’t your first choice. Someday I will be.” She grinned again and I thought about beating her with the pillow again.

“See? It’s so much fun,” she said. “Come on.”

I followed her as she went down the hall and opened the door to my bedroom.

“What are you doing?”

Stace turned around and faced me, our bodies so close that I forced myself to take a step back.

“I’m going to make you a cup of tea and a little snack. You’re going to go into your bedroom and put on your coziest pajamas and get in bed. I’m going to deliver your tea and snack and tuck you in and read you a bedtime story. Then I’m going to kiss your head and wish you goodnight and make sure there are no monsters under the bed.”

I burst out laughing because this had to be a joke.

“You can’t be serious.”

Stace nodded. “Yeah, I’m serious. When was the last time someone tucked you into bed and read you a story and waited until you fell asleep?”

“I think the nanny might have,” I said.