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By the time we were down to the churros, I was starting to feel less murderously hungry.

Casa Julia gave you chocolate and caramel sauce with the churros, so Hunter and I took turns dipping the churros in the sauces before licking the sugar off our fingers.

“Okay, I think I’m done.” I sat back and stared at the empty plates.

“I’m a mess,” Hunter said, and I turned to look at her. She had sauce on her face and hands too, and she’d even spilled a little bit of consommé on her sweater.

“Wow, so you can spill. I didn’t think it was possible.”

She glared at me. “Shut up. I’m going to wash my hands.” She headed to the bathroom and I decided to use the kitchen sink. I’d spilled on my shirt, so I went to my bedroom to swap it out for another. I’d just pulled it over my head when I heard a little intake of breath.

I turned around, the new shirt in my hands. I hadn’t meant to leave the door open, but I had and there was Hunter, standing in the doorway and staring at me.

She blinked and looked away. “I’m sorry.”

Slowly, I pulled the shirt over my head and waited for her to go back to the living room. She didn’t. She stayed, even if she wasn’t looking directly at me. I hadn’t been wearing a bra under my shirt, so she’d seen my entire back until I turned. Then she could see everything and I’d let her.

“I did leave the door open, Hunter,” I said. She didn’t need to know that it wasn’t intentional.

“Sorry,” she said again and disappeared. I pulled the hem of my shirt down and went back into the living room to find Hunter in a cleaning frenzy.

“I should probably get going,” she said, sounding breathless.

“Hunter.” She froze with the plates in her hands, her blue eyes wide.

“What?” she said, her cheeks flushing.

Walking slowly, I approached her and took the plates from her hands, setting them on the coffee table.

She looked up at me and I wanted to kiss her so much that I dug my fingernails into my palms so I wouldn’t grab her and push her up against the wall.

“Did you like what you saw?” I asked. Her attraction was obvious, but I still wanted to hear her say it. Hear that she wanted me. That she was thinking the same kinds of thoughts that I was. That this thing that pulsed between us consumed her too.

Hunter closed her eyes like she was trying to shut me out.

“It’s not that simple,” she said.

I decided to go for it. To see how far I could push.

“I think it is,” I said, moving even closer so we were almost touching. Raising my hand, I tucked a few strands of hair behind her ears. Delicate, lovely ears. Nothing like my giant jug handles that I’d been teased for.

She inhaled sharply but didn’t move. She also didn’t open her eyes.

“Hunter? Can you look at me?” I asked.

Chapter Thirteen

Hunter

No. I couldn’t look at her. I couldn’t look at her because I wanted her. So far, I’d been able to keep a leash on myself around her, but then I’d seen the acres of naked back and all of my common sense and reason had completely shut down. All I could think about was digging my fingers into that back, tasting her skin. Watching those muscles flex as I touched her for hours. She’d feel so good. Too good.

“Come on, baby. Open your eyes.” There it was. The word that unlocked me and would make me do anything for her.

I opened my eyes. She was right there. Crowding my space. The only thing I could smell was her.

“Stace,” I said, my voice shaky.

“Tell me that you don’t want to kiss me.” One hand touched my face so gently, completely at odds with the fire in her eyes.