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"How’s your aze follows, his expression darkening, and every nerve ending I own tingles in reply "Fine," I comment, "but no thanks to you You should have warnedyou"

"You should have tried harder You kneas starving"

"You say that past tense Are you saying you’re not anyue is raw and "

"Me too," he says softly "Ravenous, in fact"

My throat goes dry Really dry More dry than the other ten or so tie in the air, crackling all around us, to the point I almost think sparks must be evident I can feel this man in every part of my body and he has not even touchedthis aware of a ination but I’h in ht I was past all my self-doubt, but I’m not sure I a between us is that threatens to consume me, I reach for a distraction "You should eat before your food gets cold"

"Señora" Diego appears by my side and takes my plate "Are you okay? Our fire is real fire" He casts Chris a disapproving look "I thought Señor would have warned you"

Chris holds up his hands "Hey, hey I did warn her"

"After I took a bite," I counter, enjoying ive him a hard tie from my embarrasso says so in Spanish that sounds like frustration directed at Chris, and then looks at me "He should have told you before you took a bite I am sorry, Señora"

"Don’t worry about ," I plead "Really I’ o up in flames"

A waiter appears and sets a new plate in front ofwith it

"I had theo explains "The green is ive hio I should have tested the sauce before I took a big bite but the food just looked and s in"

His face colors with the co over me a full extra minute before he rushes off I am now left under the amused scrutiny of this brilliant, too sexy, artist who hasn’t eaten a bite because of e him softly "Your food is even colder now than before"

"Try your food first andto try it while you watchelse ridiculously clu you You spark my creative side"

My stomach flip flops at the reference to the sketch "You can’t watch etting you to eat, let’s dig in together" The final word rasps with an underlying ree "Together"

His lips quirk and so doeye contact, we both reach for a taco, and only look ae each take a bite This time spicy, delicious flavors explode in reat food or I ary to know better

Chris ss his mouthful of fire without so much as a blink and stares at ry’ "I take it that’s a sound of satisfaction?"

I find ain but this ti various inappropriate parts ofour public location "What can I say?" I e "The end of starvation is quite delicious" I use the spoon by reen sauce "And so is that I like it"

He holds out his beer to offer me another s, and I aI stare at the beer, re his aze to his "No Thank you"

He considers me a moment, his expression unreadable, and then slowly lifts the bottle to his ain, I watch the powerfulhten What is this uiltily, reach forabout all the questions I yearn to ask him When does he paint? Where does he paint? What’s his inspiration? His favorite brush? Questions I know he has heard a million times and probably doesn’t want to answer so I hold back

"This is the perfect corner for watching people," he colass to the activity on the street, thinking about how black and white I’ve let life becoly co the people scurry by on the street A et a little boy to put his coat on Another wo