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“Don’t say that.”

“We can’t go back to being just friends,” I tell him and he nods, turning back to me. The two of us being friends was a terrible idea from the start with how attracted we are to each other. It was always doomed to end the way it did.

“I know.”

I scowl. “So what are you saying?”

Whiskey eyes meet mine and I suck in a breath at the heat raging in his gaze. He takes a step toward me and I love and hate how weak he makes me feel.

“I want more.”

“No, you don’t. You said yourself that you’re not a relationship guy.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he whispers, closing the space between us and reaching up to cup my cheek. My eyes flutter closed and I lean into his touch, completely at his mercy. “Shit happened and my life fell apart. I haven’t been in a relationship in six years and I had no intention of ever being in one again but you make me want to try, Tate. You make me hope for things I thought I had no business hoping for anymore.”

“Oh,” I whisper, opening my eyes and meeting his gaze.

“Yeah, oh.”

My teeth sink into my lip. “So, more then? A real relationship?”

“Nothing would make me happier.”

“I swear to God,” I murmur, tears burning my eyes as I shake my head. “If you’re playing me again, I will kill you.”

He chuckles, nodding. “I know you will, Sweetheart.”

Leaning in, his lips hover above mine and I lose my train of thought for a second before I press on his chest and he pulls back, scowling at me.

“If we’re going to do this, we need to lay all our cards on the table.”

He studies me for a moment before nodding. “Okay.”

“Come on in, then,” I whisper, my hands shaking with nerves. There are still things about me and my past that Lincoln doesn’t know and I honestly have no idea how he’ll take them. He steps into the house and I scan the street as I shut the door and lock it again.

“You want some coffee?” I ask, turning to face him and he nods.

“That sounds good… you know how I like it.”

I am reminded of the first day we met in the diner and I smirk as I brush past him. “I’m gonna dump it on your lap if you’re not careful.”

“Eh, I don’t think you will,” he calls after me and I laugh.

“And here I thought you knew me better than that already.”

Peeking over my shoulder, I catch his shudder just as the phone starts to ring and I sigh. I brace my hands on the counter and close my eyes, counting to ten in my head as I feel Lincoln step up behind me.

“You gonna get that?” he murmurs and I shake my head, snapping up and grabbing a mug off the open shelving by the sink.

“Nope.”

The machine picks up as I pour his coffee and heavy breathing fills the room.

“What the fuck is that?” he growls, marching over to the machine and reaching out to grab the phone.

“Don’t!”

He glances up at me, his face set in a glare. “What the hell is going on, Tate?”