Page 99 of Yours, Finally

Vi and I turned to each other in a stare off. We both crossed our arms and squinted at each other.

"This shouldn't be the fight you talked about during our trip," I said. "Because you should agree this is top creep behavior on Andrew's part."

"He's not a creep. He's unwelcome, and is not ready to hear it."

"He should have listened the first time," I hissed. "One thing is to be a sore loser, another to ignore the answer you gave him! What will it take for him to believe you?"

She clenched her jaw, keeping her chin high. "He thinks he's groveling. Andrew and I talked about it when he learned how much romance I read. He thinks it's what I want, but it isn't— not from him."

The last three words were a balm to the heated blood running in my veins. I had known she wasn't interested in him, and still it helped to hear it again. It didn't make me worry for her any less, though, because I didn't trusthim.

"What will it take for him to stop?" I asked. I had been grinding my teeth on and off during our discussion, and I shifted my jaw from side to side to loosen up the muscles and give them a rest.

"I'll get my lawyers to send him a letter of some sort. It's the next logical step before a more official document like a legal restriction."

I shook my shoulders to release more of the strain clutching every major muscle group. Vi still watched me with serious eyes.

I gulped. "Should I grovel for this little show, then?"

That made her lips curl at the corners. "Maybe. It would be cute."

"I'm worried, that's all." I took a tentative step her way. "But I remember what you said— you don't want me fighting your battles."

I took another step, and she lost more of her fighting stance.

Her smile grew a millimeter. "You do make for a sexy bodyguard."

I frowned but gave her a flirting smile. I was almost within reach of her. "You wouldn't turn down this imposing giant, right? I know how to fight and with all the fluff covering my muscles, he wouldn't see it coming."

I took my last step. She put her hands on my shoulders, where she squeezed.

"I don't know." Her eyebrows furrowed like she was really unsure, but the slant of her mouth betrayed the humor she still tried to hide. "Your shoulders really give you away."

"Mhh." I leaned down halfway to a kiss, but didn't try. Didn't push it. "I'm sure that's a good thing?"

We locked eyes, and it broke her resistance. Her warm, melty brown eyes sparkled.

She gave me a quick kiss. "Fine. I appreciate that you care enough to be worried."

"Of course. You're precious to me, Vi."

Tension left her in an instant, like she was a doll and the strings keeping her upright had all loosened up at once.

"Fine! All right," she said. "You're forgiven. That line is a winner. You can stop."

"I don't want to stop." I tried to bring her close, but she took a step back. "If I could, I would keep you in my arms forever. I would whisper sweet things only for you to hear, until all you knew is how much I adore you."

"Gaaaah." She walked backwards toward the shower. "Don't tempt me. I'm going to be late for work."

"You're the sun and I'm a planet caught in your gravity field. For light years ahead."

"Love to hear it but, now? I'm going to be late for work. Maybe write a song about it?"

She grabbed her bag from the floor by the bench. I hadn't seen it before, and I didn't pay much attention to it at the time, either.

She pointed a finger at me. "Don't follow me into the shower room."

"One kiss."