Page 61 of Kiss Me Forever

"Did he believe you?"

She made a face. "Not really."

He smiled. "Smart kid. He knows there's something going on between us—so do you."

"I can't have this conversation before coffee," she said with a shake of her head.

"Why don't you make us both some?" he suggested as she headed toward the door.

"All right. Do you need anything else?"

He sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed, unable to repress a murmur of pain as he did so.

She immediately came back to him. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Just make some coffee and see if Tyler needs anything."

"All right. I'd tell you to call out if you need my help, but I doubt you would, so I'll save myself the trouble. You're stubbornly independent, Alex."

"I have a feeling people say that about you."

"Well, we're not talking about me." She paused. "I don't think you can take a shower with that cast."

"I've got a big tub."

"Well, try not to fall in the bath. I really don't want to spend another day in the Emergency Room."

"You could join me, make sure that doesn't happen," he teased.

She made a face at him. "I'll see you downstairs."

* * *

Andrea took the stairs two at a time, jogging down to the first floor so she wouldn't do something stupid like get into that bath with Alex. He had a way of bringing out her wild side and to hell with her conscience.

When she entered the kitchen, she found Tyler eating a bowl of cereal at the kitchen counter and watching some cop show re-run on the flat screen TV hanging on the wall.

She smiled. "Morning. I see you got something to eat."

"Alex always says to help myself."

"Then I guess it's a good thing that you did." She walked around the island in the kitchen and stared at the clean, granite-topped counters. Somewhere in the mass of cabinets was a coffeemaker and probably some food, but where?

Tyler pointed to a cupboard by the refrigerator. "Cereal is in there if you want some."

"Thanks, but I was looking for a coffeemaker."

"Over there." Tyler motioned to the other side of the room, and Andrea followed his instructions to find the most complicated-looking coffeemaker she had ever seen in her life.

"It figures," she mumbled to herself, eyeing the thing with a grouchy frown. Alex Donovan would have to have the most deluxe equipment possible. She plugged it in and read the directions. Then she ground the beans, poured in water, punched a few buttons and hoped for the best. The opening drops looked promising, a dark, rich brown in color. As the pot began to fill, a pleasant aroma filled the room.

With a triumphant smile, she walked over to the refrigerator and examined the contents. Eggs, milk, butter. She could definitely handle scrambled eggs, maybe some toast. And there was always cereal.

By the time Alex came down the stairs, she had breakfast almost ready and was pleasantly awaiting his surprised expression. Not that she was trying to impress him. She had never bought into her mother's theory that any man worth having was worth cooking for. Still, it would be nice to know she could do it if she wanted to. And for some reason she did want to. Which made her a little worried that she was losing her focus. Her career had always meant everything to her. Now she was starting to want more.

"Smells good," Alex commented, sniffing the air.

She poured him a cup of coffee. "Cream? Sugar? Sweetener?"

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