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He slid his own omelet onto his plate, returned the pan to the stove, and joined her at the table Too late for the freak-out warning It had been going off since he’d drilled her into the sofa He had no control with her No cutoff switch or throttle

Darcy leaned forward "You can’t tella sleepover when you’re in a wha a bite of his food into his h his frustration He didn’t want to analyze this…thenorance "I can tell you that as long as we’re both in the sa, I really don’t give a shit"

Darcy pushed back froht Excuse ht of her half-eaten oive her five ht little ass back in her chair or he was going to drag her back in to finish eating…

She returned in a short white satin robe that revealed her bare legs and the lack of a bra Jared forgot his aggravation

As Darcy resu with obvious relish, he leaned back in his chair, watching her

"In a town of this size, with only one fire station, how does the city council justify paying for two fire inspectors?"

When she looked up at him, her eyes were lit with a to work part tiood word fro, slow exhale "Who’s the fao, but eless in Lion’s Bay"

"And the rest of your fao far They bought a place on Lake Horton"

Which wasn’t all that far from his place in Seattle "Why do you stay? What’s here for you?"

Darcy pushed back from the table and picked up her plate "Why not?"

He studied her as she came toward him to collect his plate, too "It doesn’t suit you," he said "The town This house"

"You don’t know that"

Standing, he followed her to the sink "I do"

"Maybe I’m not as easy to read as you think"

Jared backed off, noting the tension in her shoulders and the way she avoided his gaze Co up behind her, he pushed her ponytail aside and brushed his lips over her nape He’d get the story out of her eventually In the meantime, he wanted her soft and warm He wanted to explore what it was about her that made him want to kiss her all over

She turned to face hiripped the counter on either side of her, trapping her in the cage of his arms She smelled sweet and clean, and he was hyperaware of the fact that she was mostly naked beneath the thin wrap of white satin "Because theelse I’ood cook"

"Thanks"

Her hands went to his hips, her fingers twining in his belt loops "You’re seriously hot You could be a calendar "

"You’re outrageously good in bed Although al"

"I like it on this side of the law," hehis head over her "And I’o to bed with I’d starve to death"

"Well, that’s flattering"