Oh, that’s easy. I know that one. I dab my lips and say, “I don’t know.” Then I smile. Politely. And sweetly. And possiblyinnocently, too, but maybe recent events have robbed me of the ability. Who can say?
Damion puffs a laugh. “Menace.”
“Am I?”
“Thoroughly.” He prepares another bite for me.
I fold my hands back together in my lap. “Are we…”
“Hm?”
I touch my thumbs together. “This was my job. I behaved…poorly last night. You weren’t able to sleep. Are you not upset?”
“Livid.”
My stomach drops. I’ve misunderstood. Heismad. He’s furious. Of course he would be. I shirked my responsibilities. I inconvenienced him. I—
“With myself.”
I choke on my thoughts. “Your…self?”
“If I’d known sooner you liked being bullied into things, I’d have sat you down with marriage papers years ago.” He drops the fork and rocks back in his seat, running his hand over his face. “Really… WhatamI doing? Gathering data. Beingsure. You’re—” He swears. “—perfect. You’ve always been—” He swears again. “—perfect. You could have been mineyearsago. Would it reallykillme to beknocks on your door in the middle of the night and seduces youimpulsive every once in a while?”
Did he…not just say something aboutmarryingme?
Groaning, he shakes his head, stands. “I’m dead tired. Do we have caffeine?”
Dazed, I say, “Caffeine isn’t good for you.”
He looks at me. “Chocolate has caffeine. You eat chocolate.Alcoholisn’t good for you. You drink alcohol.”
“Coffee stains your teeth.”
“Sodas have caffeine.”
“Sodas have too much sugar.”
“There are sugar-free sodas.”
“Aspartame is bad.”
His eyes roll. “It’s only apossiblecarcinogen. And there are other replacement sugars that aren’t. Likestevia, whichis a leaf.”
“That means nothing. So is pot.”
His eyes narrow. “We do not have caffeine, do we?”
I’m smiling again; I’m not sure why. “No, we don’t. Would you like me to add some to the shopping list?”
He hefts a sigh. “I don’t know. How often do you plan to crawl into my bed?”
I cross and uncross my ankles. Then I shrug.
Settling back into his chair, he angles himself toward me, deathly serious. “Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and alternating weekends. Also, every holiday.”
My brows rise.
“Including seasonal breaks, and summers.”
