“You might as well sit down,” I offered, trying to be polite. It felt very strange to be having tea together after that intense flirtation earlier, but everything about our relationship was strange these days. He walked over and sat down in the chair across from the one I had taken.

“No boyfriend, no family around here, no roommate. Don’t you get lonely, Adler?”

“Weren’t you the one who once tried to have me voted, ‘Most Likely to Die Alone’?”

“Oh yeah! I forgot about that.” He laughed. “So, what are you writing now?” he asked, changing the subject. He was looking off to the corner that I called my ‘writing nook’. It was a little alcove where my desk and laptop sat surrounded by bookshelves.

“I’m starting another erotic romance novel,” I replied.

“I still can’t believe you write romance novels.”

“Why does it shock you so much that I would be able to come up with a sexy story? Do you think law librarians don’t have sexual fantasies?” I snapped, exasperated. “I’m a healthy adult woman.”

“You’re also a very challenging woman,” he replied.

“Some men like a challenge.”

“As I said, perhaps I should challenge myself more.” He looked at me intently, and my heart started hammering again, but I made myself hold his gaze.

“And as I asked, why start now?”

“Why do you think we’ve always fought?” he asked, surprising me. There was something in his tone of voice that I couldn’t decipher and he had an odd expression on his face.

“Because you licked my Fruit Roll-Up, put paste on my chair and locked me in the boys’ bathroom on the first day of preschool, you bastard.”

“You started it. You put glitter in my hair, wench, but I’m not talking about that. Like since puberty, why do you think we’ve always fought?”

“Because I didn’t flirt with you like the other girls did.”

“It wasn’t just that you didn’t flirt. Why did you dislike me so much?”

“Because you were so mean to me.”

“I was mean to you because you disliked me so much. Do you think …?”

The tea kettle began whistling at that moment, interrupting him, and thus providing me with an excuse to retreat for which I was thankful. This conversation was starting to confuse me. I hopped up and escaped to the kitchen.

Chapter Four

Unfortunately, my reprieve was short-lived. He followed along and as I dug out some tea bags he walked over to stand behind me and lightly put his hand at the small of my back, making me jump. “You’re never going to stop touching my back now, are you?” I asked, trying not to squirm with pleasure.

“Only if you ask me to.” He paused for a second. “I don’t hear you asking,” he noted with barely suppressed laughter.

“What is up with you lately? Aren’t you the same guy who once put Cheese Wiz in my sneaker?” I asked, preparing some chamomile.

“That was Josh Lieberman.”

“Josh did that?” I asked, turning to face him with surprise. Bad move, he was inches away and he looked delicious. I wanted to do a taste test.

“Well, I paid him to do it,” he admitted, eyes fixed on my lips.

“You bribed Josh Lieberman to torture me?”

“Is it my problem the man could be bought for a pack of Skittles?” he asked, locking gazes with me and looking as hungry as I felt.

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Just in bed,” he said, smirking. “Well, okay, in court too.”

“How do you want it?” His startled look was my reward. “Your tea?” I finished with an innocent smile.

“Just like it is.”

“No sugar?”

“I don’t like things that are too sweet.”

“Go sit down and I’ll bring it with some tea biscuits. I might as well feed you, I suppose, since you did give me a ride.”

“I’d be happy to give you a ride whenever you wanted,” he answered and returned to the living room. I wondered if it had been a genuine offer or a double entendre. I had a feeling that my Fiesta would be coming to an end soon. Ole´. I put two cups of tea on a tray and found some scones that were probably still edible.

When I came back into the living room, rather than sitting and waiting, he was examining a bookshelf in my writing nook. I stopped in my tracks and held my breath. I hadn’t told him my pen name because I hadn’t wanted him to read my sexual fantasies in book form, especially since, lately, he was the star. I saw him tilt his head to the side and pull a book off the shelf. Oh shit. Why hadn’t I chosen a better pen name?

“An erotic romance by Lilah Alden,” he said, a smile slowly forming on his lips. “You know, I’m sure it’s purely coincidental, but Lilah Alden sounds a lot like Lily Adler.” He looked up at me triumphantly.

“Would you like me to autograph it for you?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant as I walked over and put the tea tray down on the coffee table, before it shook out of my hands.

“Will you write something dirty?” He laughed.

“I’m sure I could work in the word ‘fuck’,” I replied and he laughed even harder. I sat down and helped myself to my tea, pretending that I wasn’t freaking out.

“Touch, huh? And where can I purchase this great piece of literature?” He brought it with him as he came over and sat on the love seat across from me.

“Just take it. I know how much you’re dying to make fun of me.”

“That’s not why I want to read it,” he said very seriously.

“Then why are you so eager to read a romance novel?”

“Because it’s sexy and you wrote it,” he said. My stomach did a back flip. One thought and one thought only screamed in my brain; ‘Oh no, please God. A physical attraction is bad enough. Please don’t let me be falling for Adam’.

Not knowing how to respond, I looked away nervously, noticed that I had forgotten to close my curtains when I came in, and went over to do it. Because it was darker outside even with the streetlight, all I saw was my reflection in the glass until I got there, but I decided that I had better take a quick peek out the window to make sure nobody had stripped Adam’s car.

Cupping my hand above my eyes and peering through the glass, I saw that the Saab was still there and intact, and I was about to look away and step back when something in the building across the street caught my eye. The window directly across from me revealed a room in semi-darkness with a shadowy figure just standing there, completely still. It felt like someone watching me and it creeped me out, so I backed up and closed the curtains quickly. Adam must have noticed my reaction, because he got up and walked up behind me.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, making me jump.

“Nothing,” I said, feeling foolish. “I just thought maybe I saw someone watching me from the apartment across the street but it was probably a mistake.” He pulled the curtain back again and took a look himself.

“I don’t see anybody,” he said, peering out. I checked again too and the figure was gone. “You’re just getting all flighty because of that burglar we chased out in the woods. While I agree you should be careful around here, don’t let your imagination run away with you.”

“Yeah, okay. Well, stop telling me how I’m taking my life in my hands living here, then.”

“Speaking of the local crime rate, I guess I should get going before somebody really does boost my car. You going to your Girls’ Night thing tomorrow?” he said, walking over to the door and grabbing his coat off the peg.

“Gabrielle and I are just going to hang out with Jess. Beth is out of town.” I went over to let him out, and stood there, suddenly feeling amazingly awkward and almost shy. What did I want, a freaking goodnight kiss? Snap out of it, Lil!

“I’ll be at Braden’s. If you get a ride there, I’ll give you a ride home. Then maybe your car will last another ten miles.”

“Okay, thanks. It has been making some weirder noises than usual lately.”

“Give me your number so I can call you when I’m coming to pick you up.”

“Give me yours then too, in case my plans change.”

I wanted to keep everything with Adam on equal ground. I went over to my purse, grabbed my phone, and brought it over. I handed it to him so we could exchange information, and as I did, his hand brushed against mine. The fact that it made me want to knock him down and “go cowgirl” was more than just a little disturbing. When was this going to pass? He called my phone and typed in his info, while I tried not to look like I was picturing him na**d.

“Try to stay alive, Adler,” he said with a sexy smile as he turned to go.

“Hope your car’s still there, Roth,” I called after him. I closed my door and leaned against it with a stupid grin on my face.

Chapter Five

“Fuckety-fuck! Get in here, honey and tell us what happened with Captain Ego!” Jess exclaimed excitedly the minute I walked through the door.

“How did you know?” I asked with surprise. I had only texted her a quick confirmation that I was coming. I was saving that bit until I got here. I was in such a good mood that I had splurged and taken a cab so that the bus wouldn’t ruin it.

“Mark told Braden,” Gab explained. “I overheard part of the conversation and I made Braden tell me everything.”

“You made him tell you?” I asked, cocking an eyebrow inquisitively.

“She has ways,” Jess chimed in. “And don’t think he didn’t enjoy the interrogation process, honey.” She smiled knowingly.

“I’ll bet.” I laughed. “The way Braden looks at Gab is enough to make me blush.”

“I’m going to work hard on finding out what Adam had to say about it tonight,” Gabrielle said with a look of happy anticipation. “It’s the least I can do.”

“She’ll go to the mattress for you, honey.” Jess laughed, taking a sip of wine.

“So, what inside information were you able to get me, Mata Hari?”

“Well,” she began, leaning forward conspiratorially, “last night, when Mark decided to have a little fun and flirt with you, Adam got really jealous, and neither Braden nor Mark can ever remember Adam getting seriously jealous over any woman before.”

“Braden said that Adam officially invoked the ‘Guy Code’,” Jess jumped in, reaching over and grabbing my upper arms like she was going to shake me senseless.

“The ‘Guy Code’?” I asked curiously, while gently extricating myself from Jess’s death grip and retreating out of range.

“Adam called Mark this morning and told him that he was finally thinking about possibly asking you out on a date,” Gab explained. “That’s an implicit directive not to flirt with you.”

“He was thinking about possibly asking me out? What is that, like calling dibs on me?”

“It’s better than peeing on you, honey,” Jess replied, smothering a Triscuit with Port Wine cheese.

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t hold your breath. The evening that he slept in my room after we chased down the burglar, the one thing he said before he passed out was, ‘I’m not ready’.”

“That was two months ago. I don’t suppose you want to take the bull by the horns, huh?” Gab asked, pouring some more Chianti into her glass.

“My parents never liked me very much. I have rejection issues.”

“The problem is, so does he,” Gab said.

“Adam has rejection issues?” I asked incredulously. “Why in God’s name would Adam have rejection issues?”

“Same reason you do, because of his family,” she answered.

“Are you kidding? Adam’s the baby of his family and the only boy. His three older sisters adore him. His mom thinks he’s a walking miracle.”

“Exactly,” Gab replied. “Which is why it has always seemed natural for other women to adore him. But you’ve always been different. He isn’t sure of you. You might turn him down and his ego couldn’t take that.”

“Even if we did date, the minute we had sex it would stop being a challenge and he would get bored.”

“You challenge him in other ways,” Jess responded.

“And he wouldn’t get bored in bed either. Just let him read your books,” Gab added.

“He saw them in my apartment and figured it out. I let him keep a copy of Touch.”

“The one where you two are the characters?” Jess asked.

“They’re not us,” I insisted.

“The biggest obstacle is that the two of you have never really communicated with each other well,” Gab noted, “but you’re both attorneys. You can always negotiate.”

“What, like a plea bargain?” I asked.

“Think of it more like a contract,” she replied. “Braden and I started out with a negotiation. It just turned out to be a bit easier for us.”

“A bit? You were happily married within three months of your first date. Adam and I have been battling for twenty-three years.”

“I’m telling you, you got this, Lil,” Gab said, looking me straight in the eye.

“I think so too,” Jess said, waggling her eyebrows and taking a sip of wine.

“You need to be around each other more, though,” Gab said. “You have that annual law librarian party at O’Malley’s on Friday, right? All of us usually stop off there after work on Fridays. Come and hang out with us afterwards.”