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"Am I staying here tonight?" Alec asked.

"Do you want to?"

Yes, yes, yes,he thought. "Maybe," he answered.

Tyler grinned. "I know you're not exactly in tune with the weather. But the snow is not going to let up before tomorrow morning. I'd rather not take Brandy back out. But I will…if you ask me to."

"No," Alec said, hands up, resigned. "I'm good."

Tyler removed Alec's coat and his own, hanging them on a hall-tree to dry.

"I'm starving." He crossed to the refrigerator and pulled out a multi-layered Mexican dip with one hand, reaching for a bag of chips from an upper cabinet with the other. "Grab us a couple of beers, will you?"

Alec slipped behind him and snagged a couple of bottles, noticing what looked much like a

breakfast casserole, wrapped and ready for the oven.

"You're about as inconspicuous as the townspeople."

"I might have had a slight agenda," Tyler said with a wink.

They removed their boots and sat against the couch, on a thick rug in front of the fireplace.

Neither had eaten dinner and they wolfed the chips and dip down with sloppy abandon.

"This is delicious, " Alec said. "Did you make this?"

"No, Misty did. She knew you were coming over."

"That's pretty fast," Alec said. "We only met this afternoon."

"She brought it over yesterday."

Alec eyed Tyler. Tyler raised his hands to his temples, his eyes grew wide and he fluttered his

fingers, miming telepathy.

"I see," said Alec. "And that breakfast casserole I saw in there. Did she make that too?"

"Nope. That was me. Can't have people in all of my business."

"A little presumptuous on your part, no?"

Tyler grinned. "I hope not."

Alec reached out and wiped cheese from the corner of Tyler's mouth with his finger. Tyler

remained still without breaking eye contact. Alec wanted so bad to kiss him at that moment, but he refrained, choosing to lick the food from his finger instead. Tyler's stare intensified with the action, motionless.

"Do you listen to any male singers?"

"A few. I told you… most of what I know is Brett's. I guess females just lend more to my style."

"What about rock… as opposed to pop."

He liked rock too. Women as well. Melissa Etheridge,Florence and the Machine…"

"Welch."