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That's when she'd come up with the brilliant plan to test her hypothesis Evil, for sure Although she wasn't dating anyone at the ti while, she did have several ood-looking Unable to stop herself, she'd picked up her cell and called Justine They had a lovely, hour-long chat about everything under the sun

Nick had shown up on Friday after her last class

Her rooone to Daytona Beach for the weekend, but Courtney hadn't been feeling up to joining the fro, her cramps werepad She was on the couch watching television in her shortie pajamas when the doorbell had pealed

She'd glanced at the door and her heart had constricted and then started beating more rapidly No way It couldn't be him

It couldn't be true

Slowly, she'd stood to her feet and walked to her door, thanking the good Lord that even though she'd been feeling bad, she'd gone to class that day, because thatmake-up

She looked through the peephole and almost had a coronary

Damn It had worked

And that had been the day her life had changed That was the exact moment she'd known She hadn't known exactly what she'd known, but she'd known for a fact that Nick was attracted to her She'd known in that instant, as she'd looked through the peephole, as he'd stood on her doorstep, irritation plastered across his face, that Nick was jealous and possessive and that he didn't think of her as a little sister

She'd opened the door, forgetting all about her fli of her heart "Hey," she'd said, trying for a look of pleasant surprise as her eyes drank hi herself at hi of him

Nick gave her no response; he made no attempt to embrace her All she saas six-feet-two inches of pissed-off male on her doorstep He stood stock-still, his hands braced above his head on the doorfraht Ithis washboard abs underneath His biceps were pronounced as he flexed his hands, gripping the wood above hi his eyes on her

Fighting butterflies and at a loss for words, stunned that Nick did have feelings for her after all, she nodded her head and pushed the door all the way opened

He walked inside and glanced around at the elint "Where are your friends?"

"They went to the beach for the weekend," she answered neutrally