If simply existing in the same space as London is what I get, I'll accept that, even if it hurts a little bit, too.

"Hey," she calls from the kitchen. "Do you want to split this bagel?"

I shrug and keep my eyes glued to the screen in front of me, typing away at some code to strengthen the security at August's headquarters. It's been a while since I've reinforced things, andif he found out how much I've dropped the ball recently, he'd have my head. "You can have it," I tell her.

London doesn't respond, and I don't expect her to.

Except, once a few minutes pass, she comes over and places a plate next to me, half of a bagel with cream cheese on it. "Here."

"Thanks." I look up at her, her glowing green gaze locking onto mine and reminding me of her watery eyes as she was swallowing me down. I reach for her when she walks away, catching her hand gently. "Hey."

She stops, her back still to me. "What's up?"

"Are we good?" I ask her, but the second it's out of my mouth I realize how stupid and insecure it sounds.

What's wrong with me?

London clears her throat. "Yeah. Why wouldn't we be?"

"For starters, you'll barely look at me."

Slowly, she turns around. "I'm looking at you right now."

"Because I said something about it."

"Say what you want to say, Archer." She chews at her lip and crosses her arms, a dead giveaway that she's trying to put a barrier between us.

I stand from my computer chair and step toward her, her neck tilting up to keep her eyes on me. My hand grazes her cheek and tucks her red hair behind her ear. "Why do you keep pretending like there isn't something between us?" I whisper, still caressing her face.

She swallows harshly.

"You drive me fucking insane, London. But I don't want it any other way. The thought of you with another man…" My jaw tenses and my heart pounds harder at the image of anyone else touching her. I wanted to keep things platonic with us, but how can I do that when I want to kill anyone who breathes the same air as her? "I can't deny this anymore. Tell me you don't feelthe same and I'll let it go, but until then, I'm not going to stop pursuing you, pursuing us."

"Archer…it's not that simple."

"It doesn't have to be simple." I skim my thumb over her soft skin and linger my sights on her lips. "Nothing worthwhile ever is."

"It's too complicated. You don't even know me, not the real me."

"You're right," I tell her. "But we've lived together for five weeks. Spent every single day together. We've had meals and fights and intimate moments. That must count for something. I know how you like your coffee and I've picked up your little quirks, like how you don't wait for your food to cool down before you eat it, how you can read a book in record speed, how you insist on doing things yourself, how you pretend everything is fine when there's a tornado brewing inside here." I place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I've seen you battered and bruised, and polished and put together. I adore both versions of you, all versions of you." I take a breath and continue. "It doesn't have to be forever, I'm just asking that you give me a chance. A date, a real one. Let me take you out. Just the two of us. Let's forget about everything else and just focus on us. If you hate it, if you don't feel anything, we can go back to the way things were before, no harm no foul. One chance, what do you say?"

London takes a long breath in, her bottom lip trembling ever so slightly. "What if we can't go back to the way things were before?"

"Would that be such a bad thing?" I ask her and withstand the urge to quiet her mind with my mouth on hers.

"One date," she says and pokes my chest. "But nothing fancy. I'm serious. I want something simple, like pizza on the roof.”

“Do you want me to stand outside your window with a boombox, too?

“I'm not impressed by money, no matter how materialistic you think I am."

"I don't think you're…"

But she cuts me off. "I'm going to stop you there, big boy. One thing I don't tolerate is lying. Don't lie to me. Ever. I don't care how bad you think it will hurt my feelings. Tell me the truth."

I shake my head. "No lying."

"Now eat your bagel," she instructs me, that adorable playfulness I've been missing returning in full force.