She pressed her forehead to mine. “Me either. But I don’t think we need it.”

She sucked my bottom lip into her mouth.

Holy hell.

“Right you are,” I said, my bottom lip still between her teeth.

She threw her head back and laughed. Then our untrained lips found their way back to each other.

Amazing with a capital A.

We broke apart with huge grins on our faces. I bit my lower lip, suddenly feeling a little shy, and I struggled to find something to say.

“Thank you” came out of my mouth, and then my cheeks felt hot.

With a sly grin she returned my thank-you, and we both chuckled.

Then we looked down at the sink. She groaned out loud. I groaned inwardly.

“Soap ’em and soak?” I suggested.

She nodded, looking as if everything from today was catching up to her. “I’m pooped. I may not even make it upstairs.”

I hurried to soak the dishes, then turned my back to her and bent my knees. “Your midnight chariot awaits, m’lady,” I joked. “To your evening chambers, I presume?”

She made a delighted noise, then hopped on my back.

And then she fell right off. Because her father had just come downstairs.

Chloe

The second my father came in, I just let go. Without thinking.

Because Drew was clutching my legs tightly, I toppled backward and hit the floor with a thud.

“Fuck, are you okay?” Drew burst out. He was so concerned, he didn’t even notice he’d just sworn, which was probably breaking Rule 53 or whatever—which he likely wasn’t thinking about since he hadn’t been Andrew for the last hour.

He released my legs and dropped to the floor beside me.

Once he knew I was okay, embarrassment crossed his face. “Sorry, Shǔshú, I didn’t mean to swear. I was concerned.”

My father just continued staring blankly at us, like he had floated out of his body and neither he nor his ghost could figure out what the hell we were doing.

“I just wanted some water,” he said. Then he turned abruptly and left without getting any.

“Did that just happen?” I said after my dad was gone.

Drew gathered me in his arms gently. “Are you sure you’re okay? Do you need some frozen wontons?”

I shook my head, more dazed from my instinctive reaction to my dad than the physical impact.

“At least he didn’t walk in a little sooner,” I joked. “What would I have done then? Flung myself through the window?”

Drew laughed, then hugged me closer.

When I went upstairs, a glass of water in hand, my parents’ bedroom door was locked. I knocked, but exaggerated snores came from the other side. I considered leaving the glass on the floor but worried someone would trip over it, so I retreated to my room, drinking the water myself to calm down.