Page 100 of A Deal with the Bossy Devil

Adrien shook his head in amused exasperation, his eyes crinkling in their corners, dimples fully popping.

And he saidIwas annoyingly attractive.

He stepped forward, chin tilting down as mine tilted up. “You’re staring again, Sanchez.”

I swallowed, and his gaze dropped, tracing the movement.

“And, as usual, you’re staring right back, Cloutier.”

“Can’t help it,” he claimed, smile waning slightly. “Believe me, I tried. Especially at the beginning.”

“The only thing you did at the beginning was glare at me,” I told him.

“There was a lot of that, too,” he admitted.

“There still is.”

“Less of it.”

“Barely.”

His head tilted. “Do you always have to argue with everything I say?”

“Yes.”

“Brat,” he said softly. Almost affectionately. Like this was just our thing; what we did.

Seriously. What the hell had gotten into him all of a sudden? And what the hell had gotten intome? Why was I enjoying this so much?

My blood was thrumming, my heart galloping. And my gaze kept gravitating down to his mouth, no matter how many times I tried to stop.

“Ria. You have to stop looking at me like that.”

“Why?”

“Because I promised I wouldn’t touch you until you asked.”

I licked my lips, my stomach flipping. “I’m never going to ask, but I give you my consent. You have it, so… you can touch me if you want.”

There. Ball was in his court.

His brows furrowed, his dark eyes bouncing between mine. “But is it whatyouwant?”

“Would I still be here if it wasn’t?”

“I’d still like to hear you say it,” he insisted.

I folded my arms across my chest. “And you have the nerve to suggest we’re compatible.”

“We are compatible.”

“I honestly can’t tell if you’re fucking with me or if you’re actually that deluded.”

“And I honestly can’t tell if you really don’t see it or if you’re in active denial because you don’t want to see it.”

“Do you remember this morning? At breakfast? With the raisins and the foot stomping?”

More amusement. “I do.”

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