Page 109 of Big Duke Energy

Right?

“Are you interested in him?” Max stalked back into the room, stopping just short of the coffee table between us.

I jerked my attention upwards to him. “What?”

“Fred. Are you interested in him?”

“How do you mean? He’s quite interesting, and I suppose I’d like to pick his brains on some family history purely for my own benefit, but—”

“Ellie. You know what I mean.”

I did know what he meant.

Was I interested in dating Fred?

No.

I wasn’t.

If Max hadn’t kissed me yesterday? That was another story. Perhaps I would be. Fred was handsome, single, and most certainly a very good option for a potential partner, but not right now.

Not for me.

Because my stupid little heart didn’t flip-flop at the mention of his name the way it did for Max.

“So what if I am?” I asked.

He said nothing.

“Why do you care?” I tossed my phone onto the sofa and held out my hands. “It’s none of your business if I am.”

“I don’t know.” He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily. “I just… Never mind.”

“Oh, no. You’re the one who stormed back in here. Start talking, mister.”

“I care. I don’t know why, but I do.”

I folded my arms across my chest and let a smile creep onto my face. “Why, Lord Windermere, do you like me?”

“Drop that,” Max said sternly.

“Answer the bloody question.”

“Yes. Fine, all right? Is that what you wanted?”

I swallowed. “You like me?”

He snapped his gaze to mine. “Don’t tell me you said all that and you weren’t expecting me to admit that.”

“Not really,” I answered. “You’ve never given me any indication that you might.”

“I kissed you yesterday. I didn’t do that out of unadulterated hatred, did I now?”

Anything was possible with him, to be fair. “I was teasing you. I know you don’t do relationships so I—”

“Ellie, just because I’m not interested in a relationship doesn’t mean I’m some kind of emotionless robot.” He held out his hands. “Yes, I like you. Yes, the idea of you flirting with and getting to know Fred bothers me, but no, I can’t elaborate on why that is so please don’t ask me to.”

“Why on Earth do you like me?”

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