Page 19 of To Catch a Latte Thick as Thieves

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“Fisher?” she said asthey made their way up the back stairs to the apartments above.

“Yeah?”

“You really believe in marriage, don’t you?”

“You bet,” he said, unlocking the door. “If you love someone, you should be able to commit your life to them. Only them. When I find the right woman, there’ll be none of that wishy-washy living together stuff for me.”

“How can you be sure?” she asked. “People change. One day you could be perfectly content with someone and the next you want to strangle them because they left the seat up.”

“Then you tell them if they leave the seat up one more time you’re going to glue it down permanently,” he said.

Annie felt her breath halt in her lungs. He was serious. His dark gaze was as steadfast as a promise. It was also cocky, arrogant and completely mesmerizing. Oh dear.

“I...I guess, that’s an option,” she stammered, feeling numb from the neck up. She just couldn’t look away from his mouth. The dim light in the hallway accentuated his straight white teeth, and she saw them flash with his smile.

“There are always options, Annie,” he said.

“Not for you.” She glanced away from him. “You are the quintessential good or bad, right or wrong, no maybes kind of guy.”

“You think so?”

“I know so,” she affirmed.

“How do you know?”

“Marriage only. No living together,” she said. “And I’ve seen your apartment. A place for everything and everything in its place. No mess. No piles of stuff straightened to look neat. You’re probably one of those people who actually cares which way the toilet paper is unrolling, against the wall or out.”

“Always out, never against the wall. Hey, are you calling me uptight?” he asked, leaning toward her.

“Uptight? No, I was thinking more along the lines of anal retentive,” she teased. It was easier this way. The tension that had been building between them was defused by their banter. She inhaled, relieved. It would be a bad idea to have feelings for her tenant. Very bad.

“Anal retentive?” he repeated, his offended stance belied by the amused gleam in his eyes. “Just for that I’m going to booby-trap your door tomorrow. Then you’ll be sorry.”

“See? You don’t tell someone you’re going to booby-trap their door. You just do it. I’m telling you, you are Mr. By-the-Book.” Annie shook her head in mock despair.

“Oh, I am, am I?” he asked, leaning closer.

Annie felt the wall against her back and stilled. Fisher placed a hand on either side of her shoulders, until she was boxed between him and the wall. She felt the smile slide from her face. His dark brown gaze narrowed, and she felt him studying her with an intensity that left her shaking from the inside out.

“Would a by-the-book man make the mistake of kissing his landlord senseless?” he asked, his voice just a rasp against her ear.

Annie gasped as her insides clenched at the rub of his breath against her skin. Oh dear. His face was just inches from hers and she watched as he moved closer, until they were only a sigh apart. Then his lips met hers and she went completely still.

The feel of his mouth on hers was warm and firm and blocked out everything else around her. Her entire world narrowed to the feel of his lips. Slowly he opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. The rough, wet rub of his tongue against hers sent Annie on fire with a hot lick of desire. Wow!