Page 47 of Wild Thing

“You’re kidding me, right?” This guy is a first-class stalker.

“It’s true. Just want to make sure you’re alright.” Now he brushes his thumb on my cheek. “It alerts me when you’re in extreme distress or your vitals fail.”

I don’t need to ask why it was beeping like mad in the last twenty minutes. I’m surprised my heart didn’t jump out of my chest and plant itself at Archer’s feet.

He nods toward the floor. “Looks like your phone is broken.”

“Yeah.” I wrinkle my nose. “It broke.”

“Itbroke?” He snorts. “Oryoubroke it?”

“I got a little upset, and it slipped out of my hand.”

“Alittleupset?”

“Yeah.” I peek at him from under my eyebrows.

“I see. It probably couldn’t handle the rude texts you were sending me and leaped to its death.”

“Maybe it felt heartbroken.”

“Oh, big words, Miss Ortiz.”

He’s teasing me, and the difference between the Kat a month ago and Kat right now is that this Kat doesn’t even care. I want more of this, him teasing, taunting, even making fun of me—that’s us.

I don’t want him to leave. I’m about to say just that but then stall, drowning in the feeling of his skin under my fingertips and the way he rakes his fingers through my hair as we lie wrapped in each other.

“Kat?” I flick my gaze up to meet his. “Spit it out.”

Of course, he can read my freaking thoughts. I bite my cheek, slightly nervous. “Will you stay here tonight?”

Archer likes pristine cleanness. My place is anything but. Jesus, we didn’t even bother undoing the bed. There’s a trail of our clothes on the floor from the door to the bed, and some of my shirts are splayed on it. I could clean up real quick, if only he stayed.

A smile grows on Archer’s lips—that familiar amusement like I said something crazy. And then he starts chuckling.

Shit.

I’m pushing it. Of course. He offered this dating thing, and I’m jumping head in.

Tsk.

I cast my gaze down, aimlessly drawing some abstract shapes on his bare chest with my fingers.

His hand reaches to push my hair behind my ear, and I freaking blush like a little girl.

“Kat, Kat, Kat…”

There it comes. As always, I got carried away.

His fingers slide under my chin and tip it up so I look at him.

God, I love his smile. Maybe I should say more stupid things just to cheer him up.

He leans down to brush his lips against mine in the softest kiss yet. My body turns into a pool of want beneath his, but I’m afraid to move and let him go earlier than he decides to.

“Wild thing, even if you choked me out, dragged my body out of here, and barricaded the windows and doors, I’d still find a way to get back in here.”

He’s grinning. So is my heart, which is doing a winning drumroll.

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