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"Aye" Holden had no discernible English accent in spite of spending his entire human life there Turns out when someone spends damn near two hundred years in America, they tend to lose their accent over ti a faucet, and soht noas doing it intentionally "And all those daood for is booze, so take your pick" He jostled the bottles atsome love from Mother Russia?"

He snorted "Does it look like I have a freezer?"

I pointed to the scotch Recently I’d tried to drown ht in Jameson, and I didn’t think I’d be able to stomach the stuff for a while Better to be safe than sorry He pulled out tball glasses and plunked theers of scotch I didn’t bother asking for ice given his recent proclaht-up scotch kind of night, anyway

"Thanks"

"Don’t thank e of you"

"How do you know I’m not a weepy drunk? Wouldn’t that throrench in your seduction plans"

He ly and co hty You refuseda little bruised" I sed the scotch in two big gulps and slalass down on the counter

"I stand by that move Do I look like sloppy seconds to you?" He indicated his toned abs and the generally unbearable hotness of himself

The unbearable hotness of hilass "Did you roofie ain, I draw your attention to exhibit A" He pointed to his face "Do I look like I need date-rape drugs to get wo" I clappedwith horror

Holden looked dumbfounded for a moment before he cracked a smile "Well, I’ll be daht you are, but I thought you were exaggerating"

Refusing to ht come out next, I shook my head I was sort of pathetic when it ca like nobody’s business, but give htened metabolism took me from sober to drunk in record ti to Holden I had hoped iven htened resistance to alcohol

No such luck

Holden reached across the island and pulled my hand away from myyourself, Secret"

"Ihorrible"

"That never stopped you fro them when sober" He winked

Das to him while under no influence except my own stubborn bitchiness

"Sorry," I whispered

"No you’re not" He topped off lass back towards me "Now drink that and tell me why you really came"

Chapter Three

I calass of scotch, I leaned against the counter and fixed Holden with a serious stare "What do you think I ca but?"

He took a sip straight from the bottle and observed et laid But I also think you would have felt bad about it when you woke up later"

I rolled"Shohat you know"

"Think about it for a second and then deny it"

I did as I was told Was I here to sleep with Holden because I wanted to sleep with him, or was I here because there was an empty space torn out whereto fill it with anything if I could just ?

I finished off

"Wanna do it anyway?" I asked

"No" Holden screwed the top back on the bottle and returned it to its place in the cupboard "But you are spending the night here"

Outside, the night was starting to fade into early dawn, and the yellow of the city lights was turning the color of a fading bruise It was the purple-gold sign I needed to be far away froht I’d never make it home in time, and we both knew it