a grin spread across her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck, “So fucking rude.” Franklin shook his head. “I wasn’t mean, I was focused. Ambitious.” “Mean,” Jane reiterated as she narrowed her eyes at him. He chuckled. “Okay, I was a little bit of a jerk. I’ll admit that. You made it very clear that you didn’t care for me from the beginning,” he said as he moved back over to the pan. Jane’s eyebrow shot up in surprise. “How?” “You told Rebecca that I was a lazy, privileged, asshole.” Jane’s mouth fell open. “You heard that?” “Every word.” Jane buried her face into her hands. “I didn’t mean it like that. She asked if I had a thing for you, I got defensive. I’ve always had a talent for sticking my foot directly into my mouth.” Franklin laughed. “So, you had a thing for me?” Jane went red. “I-I was...that is…Shut up,” she said as he began to grin. He moved his fingers over his lips, twisted them then went back to cooking. Her leg started to tap again, making him glance over at her. Jane stopped quickly. “Stay out of my head,” she said as she glared at him. Franklin threw up his hands. “I’m just good at making observations.” Jane shook her head as he began to look through the cabinets for plates. She hopped down, grabbed two of her red plates before sitting them on the counter for him. Franklin served up the omelets with a side of bacon as Jane poured both of them a big glass of orange juice. They arranged everything on the table before sitting down. Jane sighed. “What?” Franklin asked as he cut a piece of egg with his fork. “I think you can cook better than I can.” Franklin laughed. “Finally, she admits that I can do something better than her.” “Hold on, I said I think,” she said as she popped a piece of egg into her mouth. She moaned. “That’s what I thought,” Franklin said with a smirk. When their plates were cleared, Franklin insisted on doing the dishes. He stood at the sink, suds halfway up his arms as he worked. Jane couldn’t believe it. Not only did he cook, but he cleaned too. She grabbed a towel, began to dry the dishes that he rinsed off and placed in the dish drain. “What are you going to do with the rest of your weekend,” Jane asked as she slipped a plate into the cabinet above her head, standing on the tips of her toes to do so. “Is this your way of asking if I’ll stay the weekend?” Franklin asked without missing a beat. “I never said that!” Franklin laughed before he flicked water at her. “Ask nicely and I’ll stay. I’m enjoying your company.” Jane narrowed her eyes at him. She pressed her lips together as she continued to dry off the dishes. She felt him leaning closer, but she ignored him. Franklin’s lips brushed against her ear. “Just say it,” he said sending a shiver down her spine. “Never.” “I bet I can make you say it.” “Go ahead and try.” The thought of dishes were forgotten as Franklin pulled her into his strong arms. The way his muscles moved against her body made her melt. It was an interesting experience to feel both protected and unnerved. His