When I exit the hallway, Aleck is standing at the sink with his back to me. His AirPods are in his ears, and holy hell, his shirt is off and he’s drenched in sweat. I stop, take a breath, then move closer quietly.

My eyes eagerly take in the way his sweat shorts sit low on his hips, showing the dimples in his lower back. He lifts a BlenderBottle, vigorously shaking it over the sink. Every muscle in his back and sides tighten, glistening under his sweat.

We have to be done.

But he’s so sexy, my libido whines.

No, we have to be done!

Amid arguing with myself, Aleck turns around just as I near him. He leans his ass against the counter with a smirk, knowing he caught me staring. I smile sheepishly, then walk past him to get a mug from the cupboard.

“Morning,” Aleck says, pulling his AirPods from his ears.

“Morning.”

He steps to the left, sliding himself in front of the coffee maker just as I step forward to fill my mug. Rolling my eyes, I place one hand on my hip and stare Aleck down.

“Move.”

“Move me,” he says with the charm of a thousand cheeky frat boys in his smirk.

“You’re such a child.”

Aleck flips the cap on his BlenderBottle and brings it to his lips slowly, pouring his pale blue eyes into mine, then takes an even slower sip as if my only purpose in life is to wait on him.

“Move,” I repeat, nudging him out of the way so I can grab the coffee pot. He doesn’t move, by the way, so my chest grazes his sweaty arm and side.

“Gross, Aleck. I just showered.”

He stares down at me like I’m a child… or a snack… or a toy he wants to play with.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asks.

I round the corner of the island with my steamy cup of coffee and sit. I typically don’t drink black coffee, but I don’t want to walk past him to get the milk.

“Nothing is wrong. You’re provoking me. Why does something have to be wrong with me just because I’m not in the mood for your childish antics?”

Aleck nods tightly. “Ohh, you’re Sister Winter today. Okay, I’ll readjust my attitude to accommodate that chip on your shoulder.” Aleck pushes off the counter and opens the refrigerator.

“Sister Winter?” I lift an eyebrow.

“Yes, Sister Winter. The woman I first met. The uptight one.” He pulls the milk out, uncaps it, and pours the absolute perfect amount into my coffee.

Okay. So he knows I take milk in my coffee. And he knows approximately how much. No big deal. He can still be super fucking adorable while I end this between us. That time Brian put sugar in my coffee, which almost made me throw up after an entire two years of dating comes to mind. But this thing with Aleck has to end. It never really started. No harm, no foul.