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“Ouch”

The lopsided grin on his face showed that her sarcasm hadn’t affected hiuilty about hurting his feelings? He was a corporate liood, all choppy and tousled, jet black and damp from the shower Soft, bronzed, inked skin And he s And hell, he was still only dressed with a towel around his hips…

She sed hard and looked out theagain, crossing her arhtly over her chest, aware that her nipples had stiffened with obvious interest at thein a few hours in lieu of rent”

His fingers startedthe knotted muscles above her collarbones and a treacherous bolt of hot lust pleasured its way to the apex of her thighs “I’m sorry if what I said in the kitchen offended you,” he said quietly, and her eyelids fluttered shut as he kissed her shoulders with the lightest touch, like a butterfly’s wing “I didn’t mean it to sound like that I would just love toyou”

“It’s not your battle And I don’t give a damn about Stanley anymore if it ain, that’s all, and it’s not going to be easy We were together a long ti?”

“Seven years”

“Hell, being together that long is practicallyso them”

His fingers stilled “Do you still have feelings for hied and felt his hands fall away “Truthfully? I’ used to not having hiry at how he ended things, angry at how he treated uess that means I don’t love hiainst the end of the single bed, his hands gripping the brass work behind his back so that his torso forle “I don’t think I ever really loved hi was kind of toxic Too ap between his dark eyebrows narrowed as he studied her She wondered what he was thinking, and what had happened to hi to ask, didn’t want to start an e road that led nowhere Another dead end

“Anyway, that’s enough of ent What’s done is done” She forced a bright smile “I think she could use some breakfast”

He tickled the cat’s back “I’ve fixed so especially for you, Princess Aspen”

“We can call her Princess if you’d like,” Piper said before her rational brain could engage and stop her “Seeing as you’re paying the veterinary bill,” she added quickly, and hoped her cheeks wouldn’t betray her by going toh, maybe I should pick it up, now that I think about it”

“I said I’d pay the bill even if she is your cat,” he said with an enigmatic smile A smile that was also conciliatory, even pitifulas she’d just coht just call her Princess anyway”

“I’m sure she won’t mind one little bit”

He looked aardly from side to side “Your clothes are dry Where do you wantready”

“I’ll get thehed “It really isn’t a problem I’ll put them in the bedroom, so if you want a shower—”