“What danger?” Lee guffawed. “Were you going to kill him?”

“Yes.” The look in A.J’s eyes was a little too serious for comfort. “If you’d died, I would’ve made sure he followed you into the grave.”

Lee wasn’t sure whether to be scared or touched. He cleared his throat. “Well, thankfully I was okay.”

“Hmm.” Her snort of disapproval left no doubt that she was wondering whether his being okay was something to be thankful for her. In an abrupt change of conversation, she asked, “Where do you keep your dishcloths and zip-top bags?”

“In that drawer.” He pointed.

Curious, his gaze trailed her as she lifted off her stool then circled the island to edge towards the drawer he’d pointed. Once she had the plastic bag and a dishcloth, she headed to the fridge. She took a tray of ice from the refrigerator and emptied it into the bag then wrapped the bag with the dishcloth to make an instant icepack. After closing the fridge door, she came towards him, icepack in hand.

The moment she got close to him, her feminine scent overwhelmed him. Shivers of pleasure raced up and down him, urging him to kiss her or at least bring her closer to his body. If he didn’t have a knife in hand, he probably would’ve given in to temptation.

Unaware of the havoc she was wreaking on his senses with her closeness, A.J pressed the pack to his jaw. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really,” he said then chuckled. “You hurt me then you heal me? Gives new meaning to the whole ‘love hurts’ proverb.”

“Shut up,” she ordered even as her eyes danced with mirth.

This woman really knew how to turn him inside out, didn’t she? One minute she was punching him, the next she was worrying about him, the next she was taking care of him. If he wasn’t already into her, he’d be falling for her right about now.

A soft smile creasing his face, he called out, “A.J?”

“Hmm?” She met his gaze.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Shall we start dating?”

Her eyes widened as she paused with the icepack on his face. A second later, she said, “I thought you said we were already dating.”

“But you knew I was just playing.” His tone took on a grave note. “I’m not playing now though.”

She studied him for such a long while that he thought she would say no, again. But she surprised him. “Well, I guess I can date you at least once.”

Shock ricocheted through him and he dropped the knife. The knife fell to the cutting board with a loud clutter but Lee barely noticed. All his attention was on A.J. He reached for her wrist, dragging the icepack away from his face so he could see her clearly. “Is that a yes?”

A pause again then she nodded. “Yes.”

Delight beyond anything he’d ever felt before flooded him. It swelled within him until it almost felt like he’d surely burst from being too happy. Grinning, he bent his head and kissed her.