"You're impossible!" Chloe hurls another pillow at me, her cheeks burning red.
I catch it effortlessly, grinning at her flustered expression. "What? I'm being completely honest about my standards."
"Your standards are terrible!" She stands up from the couch, grabbing the largest cushion she can find.
"Hey now, don't blame me for appreciating the finer things in life."
She swings the cushion at my head. I dodge, still laughing.
"# Chapter 27 - Aiden Knight, you are the most shameless man I've ever met!"
"Shameless? I prefer the term 'direct.'"
She comes at me again with the pillow. This time I grab it mid-swing, using her momentum to pull her closer.
We're suddenly face to face, breathing hard from the impromptu pillow fight. Her eyes are bright with laughter and indignation. A strand of hair has fallen across her cheek.
The moment stretches between us, charged with something neither of us wants to name.
I reach up and tuck the strand behind her ear. Her breath catches.
