Page 27 of Touch Me

Way to hold your ground there, Cass.

From I’m not speaking to you, to let me throw on an apron and whip up a pot roast real quick in two minutes flat.

Stupid mesmerizing eyes.

One quick nod of his head, and he’s off to his room while I root around the fridge for binge-worthy snacks. Nachos, always nachos. I set up a mini feast on the coffee table and grab a couple of sodas out of the fridge. Jace walks in and plops down on the floor between the couch and coffee table while I retrieve a few dishes of condiments.

“Wow. You did all this while I was in the shower?”

“Uh, yeah. No biggie,” I say with a shrug.

Not like I was trying to impress him. I just really like nachos.

I’m only sharing because his stupid, handsome face gives my kitty butterflies, and maybe if I ply him with food, he’ll throw me a bone. I bet if I grab beer instead of this soda, I could get him to continue the conversation from earlier.

Grabbing his ankles, he tries to fold his legs to fit in the space between the couch and the table. He barely manages and his face reddens from the exertion.

I bite my lip to hold back a laugh. “Jace?”

“Yeah?” he says, using his arm’s reach to grab a chip instead of bending toward the table.

“Would you rather scoot the table closer and sit on the couch?” I can’t help but giggle. “You look like you're about to pop.”

Blowing out a long breath, he nods, a grin pulling the corner of his mouth. “Yes, please. I feel like my legs are about to split open. I’m not very flexible.”

“Well, I’m sure being tall has something to do with it.” We both get up and pull the table closer and sit down. “Better?”

Another nod. “Much, thank you.”

“You know, you could’ve told me you were uncomfortable. It’s not an inconvenience.”

He glances at me and back to the plate of nachos in a nanosecond. “It’s not a big deal.”

Studying his profile, I notice a small twitch in the corner of his eye. I don’t know if it’s this particular conversation, or the entire situation in general that’s making him uncomfortable, but the last thing I want to do is push him. I’ve already been dismissed once and my ego is begrudgingly fragile today.

The fact that we’re sitting so close together and sharing a meal, one in which he isn’t being completely silent, is enough of a win. Pair that with nachos, and that’s a pretty damn good day. Plus, I discovered I can moonlight as a ninja now, so at least I have that going for me.

We quickly devour the nachos before they cool and settle into the show. Time passes rapidly, and before I know it, we’re halfway through the season. I’m acutely aware of Jace next to me. He isn’t close enough to feel his heat, but every now and then, I get a faint whiff of his scent, especially if he shifts or changes position on the couch. The episode ends, and I glance over at him.

“Want to keep going?”

“Sure,” he says, stretching his arms over his head.

His long-sleeved t-shirt bunches around his biceps as he curls his arms behind his head. It also draws up in the middle, revealing a sliver of pale skin and a tuft of hair below his belly button. I immediately dart my eyes away and jump up with the blanket. I can already feel the burn in my cheeks, and I don’t want him to see me flush from such an innocent show of skin.

Every time.

“I’m going to find a snack.”

Jace chuckles. “We just had nachos.”

“Jace, that was six hours ago.”

He picks up his phone, and his eyes widen at the time. “Oh, wow. It’s one in the morning. I didn’t realize how long we’ve been watching.”

“We can stop if you need to go to bed.”

“No, it’s fine.” He sets his phone back on the coffee table and leans into the couch. “I’m good for another episode.”

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