you’re looking for a relationship? With me?”
Shit, when she put it like that, it didn’t sound quite as exciting as ripping off her clothes on a continual basis, making love every opportunity they got, and spending time together like this, well, minus the uncomfortable conversation and her deer-in-the-headlights look.
He picked up his coffee and took a sip to stall for time and hoped to God his hand didn’t shake. He really did want to get to know her, to go to bed with her at night and wake up with her the next morning. He wanted to find out all the stuff that people found out about each other when they were more than just bed buddies. He set his coffee on the table, took her hand, and leaned in close. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. I want a relationship with you.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Elyse’s heart kicked up a conga beat. Simon wanted a relationship with her, which was almost as astounding as the way he looked—sincere and nervous as all get out. She wished she could take a picture and text it to Mel. Not that she was reveling in his discomfort or anything, but Mel had always thought her brother was incapable of being nervous. She called him Super Simon—able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, date any woman he wanted, and break hearts without ever having his touched. And until now, Elyse had believed it too.
“I’m not asking you to marry me, Fitz. I’m just asking you to give us a chance. I’m asking you to be mine.”
Sometimes, like now, he’d look at her as if he really remembered her, as if he knew their history, but then the look would disappear. Once he put all the pieces together and realized who she was, it would be either really good, or really bad. And the way her luck ran, she’d put her money on bad, really, really bad. Still, she’d come this far, why end it now? If she did, she’d have as much of a broken heart as she would later. The hand that held hers was becoming decidedly damp.
“Does it usually take this much time for you to make a decision? Not that I’m rushing you. I just want to know for future reference.”
She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “It’s a big decision.”
Simon sat back, locked his knuckles behind his neck, and grinned. “Maybe we should make a list of pros and cons. Pros first. I’m great in bed.”
She couldn’t discount that. “Well, you’re definitely self-assured, but then I don’t know if that’s true. I have no one to compare you to.”
“I clean out the refrigerator and take out the garbage.”
“You left the garbage on the fire escape.”
“Hey, that counts. And you gotta admit, I finally learned how to clean.”
“After years of watching your maid.”
“I rescued you from Dave.”
“You did not.”
“I helped Francis get rid of him. That counts too.”
“Yeah, you held his apron.” She let out a theatrical sigh and clasped her hands together close to her chest. “My hero.”
He gave her his patented sexy smirk, looking way too confident.
She leaned back in her chair mirroring him. “Okay, let’s move onto the cons.”
“Of you saying no or yes?”
“Yes. If I agree to a relationship, you won’t have any shirts left.”
“I can live with that if you can. I have no problem with you walking around my loft naked.”
She couldn’t hide the blush heating her face. Her mind went completely blank.
“Is that all you’ve got? You can’t think of any more cons, can you?”
She couldn’t think at all—not with him looking at her like he was imagining her naked. And definitely not with her body humming beneath his heated gaze. It was all she could do to swallow and not fidget in her chair. She crossed her legs and found herself leaning toward him—drawn to him like a fish that was good and hooked. Dammit.
“It looks like the pros have it.”
She sat there with her mouth hanging open while he went back to eating like it was a done deal.
He took the last bite of his breakfast and
Shit, when she put it like that, it didn’t sound quite as exciting as ripping off her clothes on a continual basis, making love every opportunity they got, and spending time together like this, well, minus the uncomfortable conversation and her deer-in-the-headlights look.
He picked up his coffee and took a sip to stall for time and hoped to God his hand didn’t shake. He really did want to get to know her, to go to bed with her at night and wake up with her the next morning. He wanted to find out all the stuff that people found out about each other when they were more than just bed buddies. He set his coffee on the table, took her hand, and leaned in close. “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m looking for. I want a relationship with you.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Elyse’s heart kicked up a conga beat. Simon wanted a relationship with her, which was almost as astounding as the way he looked—sincere and nervous as all get out. She wished she could take a picture and text it to Mel. Not that she was reveling in his discomfort or anything, but Mel had always thought her brother was incapable of being nervous. She called him Super Simon—able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, date any woman he wanted, and break hearts without ever having his touched. And until now, Elyse had believed it too.
“I’m not asking you to marry me, Fitz. I’m just asking you to give us a chance. I’m asking you to be mine.”
Sometimes, like now, he’d look at her as if he really remembered her, as if he knew their history, but then the look would disappear. Once he put all the pieces together and realized who she was, it would be either really good, or really bad. And the way her luck ran, she’d put her money on bad, really, really bad. Still, she’d come this far, why end it now? If she did, she’d have as much of a broken heart as she would later. The hand that held hers was becoming decidedly damp.
“Does it usually take this much time for you to make a decision? Not that I’m rushing you. I just want to know for future reference.”
She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “It’s a big decision.”
Simon sat back, locked his knuckles behind his neck, and grinned. “Maybe we should make a list of pros and cons. Pros first. I’m great in bed.”
She couldn’t discount that. “Well, you’re definitely self-assured, but then I don’t know if that’s true. I have no one to compare you to.”
“I clean out the refrigerator and take out the garbage.”
“You left the garbage on the fire escape.”
“Hey, that counts. And you gotta admit, I finally learned how to clean.”
“After years of watching your maid.”
“I rescued you from Dave.”
“You did not.”
“I helped Francis get rid of him. That counts too.”
“Yeah, you held his apron.” She let out a theatrical sigh and clasped her hands together close to her chest. “My hero.”
He gave her his patented sexy smirk, looking way too confident.
She leaned back in her chair mirroring him. “Okay, let’s move onto the cons.”
“Of you saying no or yes?”
“Yes. If I agree to a relationship, you won’t have any shirts left.”
“I can live with that if you can. I have no problem with you walking around my loft naked.”
She couldn’t hide the blush heating her face. Her mind went completely blank.
“Is that all you’ve got? You can’t think of any more cons, can you?”
She couldn’t think at all—not with him looking at her like he was imagining her naked. And definitely not with her body humming beneath his heated gaze. It was all she could do to swallow and not fidget in her chair. She crossed her legs and found herself leaning toward him—drawn to him like a fish that was good and hooked. Dammit.
“It looks like the pros have it.”
She sat there with her mouth hanging open while he went back to eating like it was a done deal.
He took the last bite of his breakfast and
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