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“Suit yourself,” I say, leaning back against the couch, smirking. “Fifty bucks says you’ll be living with me in six months.”

She snorts. “You are so sure of yourself.”

I shrug. “I know what I want.”

She holds my gaze for a second too long before glancing at the clock on my wall. “I should go.”

A part of me wants to ask her to stay, to drag her back onto the couch and keep her here. But she’s right—we’re doing this the right way now.

So I nod, standing with her, grabbing her jacket from where she draped it over the back of a chair. “Let me drive you home.”

She shakes her head, slipping her arms into the sleeves. “I have my car at the facility.”

I huff. “Fine. But text me when you get home.”

She smiles. “Yes, Dad.”

I narrow my eyes. “That was unnecessary.”

She grins and steps toward the door, but before she can reach it, I catch her wrist, pulling her back toward me.

She stumbles slightly, landing just inches from me, her breath hitching as I drop my hands to her waist.

“Have dinner with me Friday night,” I murmur.

She blinks, tilting her head. “Is that an order?”

I smirk. “A request. Our first real date.”

She exhales slowly, watching me for a moment. Then, finally, she nods.

“Okay,” she says softly.

Satisfaction curls in my chest as I lean down, brushing a slow, deliberate kiss against the corner of her mouth.

“Good,” I murmur against her skin.

She steps back, her fingers lingering against mine for just a second before she pulls away completely. But before she can turn toward the door, before she can put too much distance between us, I reach for her wrist again, this time with more intent, pulling her flush against me.

Her breath stutters, her hands landing against my chest as I tilt my head down, our faces so close I can feel the warmth of her breath against my lips. Her green eyes flick up to mine, wide and searching, like she knows exactly what’s about to happen but isn’t sure if she’s ready to drown in it.

Too bad.

I am.

I don’t hesitate. I close the space between us, my mouth claiming hers in a way that’s been building since the second she walked through my door. It’s not slow, not careful—it’s heat and longing and something unspoken that’s been sitting between us for far too long.

She exhales a soft, desperate sound against my lips, and it’s all I need. My hands grip her waist, pulling her closer, anchoring her against me as she rises onto her toes, pressing deeper into the kiss like she wants to memorize this moment. Like she wants to let it consume her.

I slide a hand up, fingers threading into her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss, to take more—and she lets me. Her hands fist against my shirt, gripping me like she doesn’t want to let go.

Neither do I.

But she’s the one who pulls away first.

She’s breathless, her cheeks flushed, her lips kiss-drunk and swollen as she blinks up at me, trying to pull herself back together.

I smirk, my thumb grazing the edge of her jaw. “Too soon for that too?”

She exhales a laugh, shaking her head slightly before pressing a hand against my chest, gently pushing me back. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow, Callahan.”

I raise a brow, still catching my breath. “That’s it?”

She grins, stepping toward the door, and throwing me one last look over her shoulder. A look that tells me she’s just as affected as I am.

“That’s it.”

And then she’s gone, leaving me standing there, grinning like a damn fool and already counting down the hours until tomorrow.