Moans resonated from her throat as he skimmed his hands up and under her shirt. He pressed himself against her and that must have been what brought her from a sleep induced haze to fully awake.

Cynthia 's hands came up between them and she shoved him back hard enough he stumbled.

She fixed her shirt and pushed the fallen hair out of her face. "What in the hell was that about? "

Curtis wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. When had she ever questioned his motives before?

"For the first time ever, you don 't want me? " He wondered when he 'd become a cry baby, because when he said those words aloud he sounded like one.

"Want you? I was under the impression you weren 't mine to take anymore. "

"Meaning? "

"Meaning you and Simone were together. "

He moved back toward her, but when her eyes narrowed he retreated. "Yeah, well why did I think things were going to be any different? "

"If you 're going to wake me up in the middle of the night to kiss me senseless and then tell me some sob story over you and your girlfriend you 're going to have to make me coffee. " She headed back toward her bedroom. "I 'm going to brush my teeth. Make it strong or I 'll kill you. "

Curtis huffed out a breath and went to make the stupid coffee. He 'd come looking for sex. Just raw, going through the motion, hot, heavy, sweaty, forget any other woman existed, in the moment sex. Now he was making coffee and he knew that meant they 'd be sitting at the table talking about Simone. Well he didn 't want to do that. He wanted to forget all about her and absorb himself in Cynthia. It worked best that way.

He filled the pot with water from the sink, taking a moment to look underneath the cupboard to make sure the pipe wasn 't leaking. That looked good.

He proceeded to pour the water into the maker, missing mostly and pouring it on the counter. With a grunt, he walked into the laundry room, grabbed a kitchen towel and wiped up the mess. After tossing the towel in the sink he opened the cupboard and pulled down a filter and the coffee. He shoved the filter into the basket and then readjusted it until it didn 't look as if it were going to collapse.

With a quick yank he pulled the top off the coffee can, but it was a brand new can, filled to the brim. Coffee grounds flew through the air and landed around his feet on the floor.

What the hell was he doing? He slammed down the can, which expelled more grounds into the air. Oh he could kill Simone for putting him in such a mood and Cynthia for making him make her coffee. She should have just had sex with him.

Curtis retrieved the broom from the laundry room and swept up his mess. Finally, he managed to get grounds into the adjusted filter and pushed the button to start the brew.

When he heard Cynthia burst into laughter he spun around and narrowed his stare on her. This only forced her to laugh harder.

"You 're a mess, you know that. " She pulled a chair back from the kitchen table and sat down. She 'd changed her shirt to one which wasn 't as revealing, combed her hair, and he could smell the mint of the toothpaste. That was a sign, there 'd be no sex.

Cynthia pushed another chair out with her foot. "Sit. "

He grabbed hold of the chair, spun it backward, and then sat, resting his arms atop the back of the chair.

"So her cooking was this bad that it has you running to me in the middle of the night? "

"It 's only eleven. "

"I fell asleep at seven -it 's the middle of the night for me. "

He chuckled. This was why Cynthia was one of his dearest friends. She could sass him and it only made him want more.

"First off, she didn 't cook. She enlisted my sister to cook. "

"Oh, I had thought she 'd at least burn something for your first. " She smiled.

"I didn 't even get to eat. I got called into work and ran out the door. "

That caused Cynthia to laugh again. "I told her you were married to your job. "

Curtis pushed to his feet. "You told her that? "

"She came at me the other day asking me if I was going to marry you. I laughed. "

"You wouldn 't marry me? "

"Hell no. " She stood to meet him eye to eye. "You 're married to your job. You love what you do. Next comes your family. If one of them needs you, you 're there. "

"That 's how it 's supposed to work. "

"Right. "

Now he was confused. What were they arguing about?

Cynthia moved past him and reached into the cupboard for two mugs. "My point is, Simone is looking for a fairytale. "

"Well she was living that wasn 't she? "

"Maybe, but she 's here now. And she 's set her sights on you. "

Curtis pulled his fingers through his hair and sat down again. "I swear that she was trying to ask me to marry her during dinner. "

Cynthia laughed again as she turned toward him1 with two full mugs of coffee. "I have a beer too if you 'd rather. "

"Still on call. "

"Right. "

He didn 't like that tone, but it was well deserved.

"Anyway, I cut her off. I ran out the door. " He didn 't like how it was sounding.

Cynthia took a sip from her coffee. "So go back to her and wake her up. "

He pushed the mug away and stood to pace the small kitchen. "I did go back. Stood there at the front door watching her cozy up with Sam on the couch. "

"Cozy up? As in they were naked and doing it? " Her voice hadn 't even quivered when she said it.

"No! " God she was making him crazy. "It was almost more intimate. He had his arm around her. Her head was on his chest. He covered her up with a blanket and kissed the top of her head. "

"Yep, you 're screwed. She 's sunk her claws into him. " The permanent grin on her face was pissing him off.

"You 're joking with me? You think this is funny. "

She sipped her coffee again. "I think it is hysterical. Sam isn 't moving in on your territory. "

"How do you know that? "

"Because I believe in him. It 's me that has my claws in him, and I tell you what, I don 't have any intentions on letting go. "

"You? One man? "

This time Cynthia stood to meet him eye to eye. "Listen, Keller. If you 're going to come into my home and point fingers you might as well leave. If I remember correctly you came seeking me out, not the other way around. If your little French kitten has you looking to lash out hit the gym, hit the bar, hit a damn wall for all I care, but leave me out of it. "