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Hayden looks at me for a beat, then asks, “But you really want to do it there?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t matter, because we can’t.” I start to doodle into my notebook. “So maybe we could try one of the local vineyards––”

“I can get us the permits for the park.” He scratches his jaw absentmindedly. “I’ll talk to the mayor.”

I gape at him. “What?”

“You said you wanted it. So, we’ll get it.” He shrugs as if it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“But how? Trust me, I tried every angle with that guy, and he wouldn’t budge.”

“I have a way,” he says, sighing deeply.

I wrinkle my nose at him. “You’re not going to do something illegal are you?”

“Robin,” he chides me, feigning outrage, but he’s clearly amused. “I’m not going to do anything illegal. My family has connections, that’s all. I just hate using them because I don’t want to be associated with them.”

“Oh,” I say, guilt pricking at my conscience. “Well, then I think we should pick anther place where you don’t––”

“No,” he says firmly. “You said you wanted the park, so we’re doing the park.”

“I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do,” I counter. After hearing more about his family, I don’t want to force him to contact them.

“It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

I lean back and cross my arms. “What if I don’t want it anymore?”

He tilts his head to the side and gives me a skeptical look before he grins broadly. “You’re cute.”

“Am not,” I mumble, fighting back a smile. “Don’t dismiss me and call me cute.”

“You’re really cute,” he teases. “And I’m not dismissing you, just calling you out on your bullshit. We’re doing the park because that’s what you want.”

I throw my pen at him, but I miss my mark, and it bounces off the wall behind him.

“Now that was an adorably cute throw,” he says smugly.

“Oh my God, you are so annoying.” I throw a pillow next, and he catches it before throwing it back at me.

“Now a cute little pillow fight? Damn, Robs, you’re really maxing out the cuteness quota. I can barely handle it.” He clutches his hand over his heart and pouts.

“Shut up.” I laugh, launching the pillow at him again.

He dodges the pillow, and I lose my balance and topple over in the process. Before I fall off the couch, he catches me around my waist and flips me over so I’m lying flat on my back. The world stops for a moment.

“You okay?”

“Yup,” I say quietly.

He hovers over me, his face close enough that I can see the tiny specks of yellow in his brown eyes. He grabs my face in his hand and lightly caresses my jaw with his thumb, and I temporarily forget how to breathe. His scent envelops me, and I’m struck by the tenderness in his gaze. I’m too paralyzed to move, nor do I want to.

“God, and your freckles are cute,” he murmurs, the humor gone from his tone, replaced by pure admiration.

I don’t answer. I don’t think I’m capable of making a single sound. My gaze locks with his as we both take each other in. I swallow and bite my lip as he tracks the movement.

He breathes in sharply, and for a moment I think he’s going to kiss me. I want him to kiss me.

You barely know him.