his eyes shifted up and down, here and there. for one unnerving moment, i thought i saw a secret smile of approval. "cooking isn't taught," patch said. "it's inherent. either you've got it or you don't. like chemistry. you think you're ready for chemistry?"

i pressed the knife down through the tomato; it split in two, each half rocking gently on the cutting board. "you tell me. am i ready for chemistry?"

patch made a deep sound i couldn't decipher and grinned.

after dinner patch carried our plates to the sink. "i'll wash, you dry." hunting through the drawers to the side of the sink, he found a dish towel and slung it playfully at me.

"i'm ready to ask you those questions," i said. "starting with that night at the library. did you follow me ..."

i trailed off. patch leaned lazily against the counter. dark hair flipped out from under his ball cap. a smile tugged at his mouth. my thoughts dissolved and just like that, a new thought broke the surface of my mind.

i wanted to kiss him. right now.

patch arched his eyebrows. "what?"

"uh-nothing. nothing at all. you wash, i'll dry."

it didn't take long to finish the dishes, and when we had, we found ourselves cramped in the space near the sink. patch moved to take the dish towel from me, and our bodies touched. neither of us moved, holding to the fragile link that welded us together.

i stepped back first.

"scared?" he murmured.

"no."

"liar."

my pulse edged up a degree. "i'm not scared of you."

"no?"

i spoke without thinking. "maybe it's just that i'm scared of-" i cursed myself for even beginning the sentence. what was i supposed to say now? i was not about to admit to patch that everything about him frightened me. it would be giving him permission to provoke me further. "maybe it's just that i'm scared of ... of-"

"liking me?"

relieved that i didn't have to finish my own sentence, i automatically answered, "yes." i realized too late what i'd confessed. "i mean, no! definitely no. that is not what i was trying to say!"

patch laughed softly.

"the truth is, part of me is definitely not comfortable around you," i said.

"but?"

i gripped the counter behind me for support. "but at the same time i feel a scary attraction to you."

patch grinned.

"you are way too cocky," i said, using my hand to push him back a step.

he trapped my hand against his chest and yanked my sleeve down past my wrist, covering my hand with it. just as quickly, he did the same thing with the other sleeve. he held my shirt by the cuffs, my hands captured. my mouth opened in protest.

reeling me closer, he didn't stop until i was directly in front of him. suddenly he lifted me onto the counter. my face was level with his. he fixed me with a dark, inviting smile. and that's when i realized this moment had been dancing around the edge of my fantasies for several days now.

"take off your hat," i said, the words tumbling out before i could stop them.

he slid it around, the brim facing backward.

i scooted to the edge of the counter, my legs dangling one on either side of him. something inside of me was telling me to stop-but i swept that voice to the far back of my mind.

he spread his hands on the counter, just outside my hips. tilting his head to one side, he moved closer.

his scent, which was all damp dark earth, overwhelmed me.

i inhaled two sharp breaths. no. this wasn't right. not this, not with patch. he was frightening. in a good way, yes. but also in a bad way. a very bad way.

"you should go," i breathed. "you should definitely go."

"go here?" his mouth was on my shoulder. "or here?" it moved up my neck.

my brain couldn't process one logical thought. patch's mouth was roaming north, up over my jaw, gently sucking at my skin... .

"my legs are falling asleep," i blurted. it wasn't a total lie. i was experiencing tingling sensations all through my body, legs included.

"i could solve that." patch's hands closed on my hips.

suddenly my cell phone rang. i jumped at the sound of it and fumbled it out of my pocket.

"hi, sweetheart," my mom said cheerfully.

"can i call you back?"

"sure. what's going on?"

i shut the phone. "you need to leave," i told patch. "right now."

he'd slid his baseball cap back around. his mouth was the only feature i could see beneath it, and it curved in a mischievous smile. "you're not wearing makeup."

"i must have forgotten it."

"sweet dreams tonight."

"sure. no problem." what had he said?

"about that party tomorrow night ..."

"i'll think about it," i managed to say.

patch tucked a piece of paper inside my pocket, his touch sending hot sensations down my legs. "here's the address. i'll be looking for you. come alone."

a moment later i heard the front door close behind him. a fiery blush worked its way up my face. too close, i thought. there was nothing wrong with fire ... as long as you didn't stand too close. something to keep in mind.

i leaned back against the cabinets, taking short, shallow breaths.

chapter 10

i was yanked awake by the sound of my phone ringing. caught with one foot still in a dream, i tugged my pillow over my head and tried to block out the noise. but the phone rang. and rang.

the call went to voice mail. five seconds later, the ringing started up again.

i reached an arm over the side of the bed, groped around until i found my jeans, and wiggled my cell out of the pocket.

"yes?" i said with a wide yawn, leaving my eyes shut.

someone was breathing angrily on the other end. "what happened to you? what happened to bringing back cotton candy? and while you're at it, how about telling me where you are so i can come strangle you-barehanded!"

i knocked the heel of my hand against my forehead a few times.

"i thought you'd been kidnapped!" vee went on. "i thought you'd been abducted! i thought you were murdered!"

i tried to find the clock in the dark. i bumped a picture frame on the nightstand, and all the frames behind it played dominoes.

"i was sort of delayed," i said. "by the time i made it back to the arcade, you were gone."

" 'delayed'? what kind of excuse is 'delayed'?"

the red numbers on the clock swam into focus. it was just after two in the morning.

"i drove around the parking lot for an hour," vee said. "elliot walked the park flashing the only photo i had of you on my cell phone. i tried your cell a zillion times. hang on. are you at home? how did you get home?"

i rubbed the corners of my eyes. "patch."

"stalker patch? "

"well, i didn't have much of a choice, did i?" i said tersely. "you left without me."

"you sound worked up. really worked up. no, that's not it. you sound agitated ... flustered ...

aroused." i could feel her eyes widen. "he kissed you, didn't he?"

no answer.

"he did! i knew it! i've seen the way he looks at you. i knew this was coming. i saw it from a mile away."

i didn't want to think about it.

"what was it like?" vee pressed. "a peach kiss? a plum kiss? or maybe an al