“You suppose to be wearing glasses all the time?” he asks. “This is the second time I’ve caught you with them.”
“No,” I mumble. “Just… my contacts betrayed me.”
He steps in to crowd my space, and that makes my pulse tick faster. Then he reaches up and plucks the glasses off my face with ease.
“Hey—”
He slides them over the bridge of his nose and squints out the window. “Damn! You’re fucking blind, Sable.”
The glasses are so crooked on him, I can’t help but laugh. He’s giving smoldering librarian who moonlights as a barroom brawler. “Give those back before you hurt yourself.”
“Do you need to register these as a visual disability?” he teases, handing them back.
I slip them on, cheeks still warm and smile feeling permanent. “Don’t knock it. They give me depth perception. And yes, I can’t drive without some sort of correction.”
“Well, now that you can see, have a go at these pancakes.” He passes me a plate. “Get ready to be impressed.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I hope you don’t expect me to eat ten of these. That was a one-time thing.”
A waft of hazelnut reaches my nose, steam curling from the coffee mug he sets beside my plate. “Nah, just two. Maybe three. I like knowing I can out-eat you. It’s humbling… for you.”
I take a bite, instantly impressed by the vanilla and hint of cinnamon caressing my taste buds. “You wish.”
Hex leans in, eyes flicking down, then dragging back up with unhurried purpose. “I don’t have to wish. I know I’m good at eating.”
Oh, we’re not talking about food anymore.
“You’ve felt it firsthand. Twice.” He doesn’t break. Doesn’t smirk or wink like an amateur. He justdeliversthe line, calm and lethal, fully aware of what it does to me.
Heat pulses through me so fast I almost forget to chew.
“If we’re keeping score…” he adds, “I’m ahead by one. But I’m happy to selflessly give you your third to keep my lead.”
My mouth goes dry. My thighs press together like they’re answering a call before my brain has even realized it.
“Jesus,” I murmur, almost to myself. “You’re real slick, huh?”
He shrugs. “I’m good at what I do. And you, Legs, like it slick. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be squeezing so tight under the counter.”
I shoot him a glare, or try to, but my smile betrays me. I’m blushing. Burning. Ready to melt into this stool.
We eat the rest of breakfast in silence, but the air vibrates with tension. His eyes keep finding mine. And every time they do, my body responds, waiting for the next move.
When I finally push my plate back, Hex is up and already rinsing his, grabbing for mine too.
“I got this,” he says. “Go get dressed. Something comfortable.”
“Where are we going?” I ask.
He dries his hands, gaze drifting to the window, measuring the daylight. “Somewhere close. Somewhere you’ll like. Thought we’d take advantage of spring before the sun turns everything worth doing outside into a trip to hell.”
I eye him, curious. “That’s not an answer.”
“That’s all you’re getting.” He tosses the towel he used over his shoulder.
I start walking out of the kitchen but stop to look back at him. “If I get my third today, don’t expect me to be surprised.”
Hex grins that stupidly sexy grin, eyes stroking me with heat. “I don’t want surprised. I want you begging.”
