Chapter 11
Jason winced as the hot coffee burned its way down his raw throat, coughing slightly into his sleeve. It was almost closing time at Kelly's and he couldn't wait to get out of there. Two days had gone by since he and Elizabeth had gone out 'looking for trouble', as the brunette had put it, at Jake's. Two long days of avoiding her and being absolutely miserable.
And the part that scared him most was that maybe – just maybe – the 'avoidance' had something to do with the 'miserable'.
There were only two couples sitting in the diner enjoying their dinner, and he didn't think any others would be coming in. If they did, he was tempted to beat them back with the broom. Because right now, he wasn't in the mood to do anything but go home and fall into bed.
Jason wiped his running nose on the handkerchief he always kept in his pocket and took another gulp of his coffee. Normally, he didn't drink coffee at night but he'd made an exception since his throat was hurting so damn much. Just twenty more minutes…
He shifted behind the counter, instantly realizing his mistake when his right arm protested bitterly. He was still slightly sore from the fight at Jake's – one round just hadn't been good enough that night. After dropping Elizabeth home, he had raced back there to check on his friends and the bar.
Jake had been sitting behind the counter popping peanuts into her mouth, utterly bored as the fight continued to rage in front of her. Jason had come back and helped his friends throw the drunks out on their asses. Unfortunately, the man that had groped Elizabeth had passed out long ago – otherwise, Jason would have given him something that hurt ten times worse than a bad hangover.
He still couldn't believe he had brought Elizabeth to that dive in the first place.
The memory of the fear in her eyes as she struggled against that brute made him cringe and curse himself again. She never should have been in that position – he should have been with her. She was under his protection that night and she still got hurt. Disrespected by some two-bit little punk that couldn't hold his liquor.
His fist met the counter with a dull thud, and the dining couples looked up in surprise and annoyance. But when they saw the dark look on Jason's face, they quickly hunkered down over their food again, perfectly willing to ignore him.
That night had been just another cruel reminder of why a girl like that didn't belong anywhere near a man like him – a man that led her into dangerous situations and brought her to rough crowds. Trouble always followed him – it had since he was a scrappy little kid getting into fights at school – and Elizabeth didn't belong anywhere near that. She was smart and talented and compassionate, and she deserved nothing short of the best. And the best was something Jason just wasn't and never would be.
He had let himself believe that an innocent friendship was possible and within his reach; he had let himself believe in that idyllic little fantasy without even thinking of it from Elizabeth's perspective. Being friends with him meant being susceptible to exactly what had happened at Jake's – even if he tried his best, he knew he wouldn't be able to stay clear of occurrences like that. That was who he was; that was the crowd he had formed connections with long ago. That was his job. That was his company. That was his life.
That was him.
And that was exactly what Elizabeth didn't need.
He glanced at the clock, wiping his forehead with the back of one sweaty hand. Ten minutes left. It was really hot in the cramped little diner, and so Jason retreated into the kitchen for some space. Despite the fact that it was less than thirty degrees outside, he cracked the window open and gulped in the frigid night air. He just couldn't wait to get out of here.
Jason was pretty willing to bet that he wouldn't be running into Elizabeth tonight. She had run off to school in the morning – he had cloistered himself safely away in the kitchen until he heard the front door of the diner slam shut – and she usually headed to her studio on school days. She'd be back later the following morning for her shift the next day, and he'd only have to deal with her then. And he was banking on the fact that she'd be as eager to avoid him as he was her. Hopefully.
This time, he'd do it right. Things were fine the way they were; the two of them would barely exchange a few meaningful sentences all day and then he was out of there. He should never have let it progress to something more. This time, he'd do it right – this time, he wouldn't let her get close. He'd let that happen and seen the results. No, Elizabeth would be much better off if he stepped back and let things go back to the way they used to be.
He closed the window and backed away from it, pulling at the neck of his sweater that suddenly felt way too thick. Just his freaking luck – he was getting sick. Aunt Bobbie would never let him hear the end of it. Jason cringed, almost able to hear her high-pitched shriek of concern. "Oh, Jason, I told you that you would get sick! Riding around on that metal death trap with nothing to shield you from the elements! That's just inviting pneumonia!" Yeah, he definitely didn't want to be caught sick near her.
His head was pounding as he reached for another cup of coffee. Thinking better of it, Jason glanced at the clock and noticing that he had a good ten minutes left, set about making himself some hot tea instead. That would probably do him better than the coffee – after all, he had guzzled down about five cups of the stuff in the last two hours and still felt like shit.
He had finished about half of his tea when he noticed that his shift was over and had been over for about ten minutes while he had been too comatose to notice. The diner was empty and since the girls had volunteered to do closing for him for a week, he was done. They'd probably be down in a couple of minutes to sweep and mop and do the dishes, and he had never been so grateful – because that meant that he could go home and rest.
But the thought of going out into the cold night on his motorcycle and zipping down those slick roads was less than appealing – and a warm, cozy little diner and a half-cup of lukewarm tea was suddenly more than appealing. With a low growl, Jason hunkered down on the red leather stool at the counter and lifted his mug to his lips to drain the last of his tea. Just five more minutes. Five more minutes and then he'd put on his jacket and his gloves and go out into the freezing night.
The five minutes soon turned into fifteen, and finally Jason had run out of things to do to procrastinate his departure. With a sigh, he dropped his cup in the sink and turned around a little too fast, as evidenced by the sudden wave of vertigo that washed over him. So determined was he not to topple to the floor that in his intense concentration, he entirely missed the merry jingle of bells as the front door opened.
Elizabeth stepped into Kelly's dressed in her white knit skullcap and long red coat that Jason secretly adored, and her dark sapphire eyes instantly fell on the stooped man by the counter.
"Oh! Jason!" Dropping her messenger bag and textbook on the nearest table, the tiny brunette immediately flew to his side as Jason tried to shake his head clear of a dense fog that was obscuring his thoughts, not to mention his balance. "Hey, hey – you okay? What's going on?"
"I'm fine," he got out, steadying himself and trying to stand to his full height. That move proved to be a mistake when the room tilted once more, and Elizabeth's surprisingly strong grip kept him from sinking to the floor.
"No, you're not," she frowned, strengthening her grip on him as she tried to ease him over to the red stools. "Here, lean on me – I'm a lot stronger than I look."
If he hadn't felt like he'd been run over by a truck, Jason would have laughed. A thin wisp of a girl was telling him that she was stronger than she looked? It really was quite amusing. "I'm fine-"
"What is it with men and always saying that?" she huffed, quickly taking off her red mittens and dropping them on the counter. The diner was nice and warm and she immediately shucked her coat and threw it over her shoulder at a chair located somewhere behind her. His skin was ablaze when she touched it, but then again, her hands were cold. Thinking better of it, she gently cupped his face and brought his forehead to press against her cheek.
The sweet and innocent gesture shocked Jason, who could actually feel himself melt at her touch, and the tall mechanic closed his eyes as her smooth skin pressed up against his face.
"Oh, Jason, you're burning up!" The concern and fear were evident in her voice, and before he knew what was happening, Elizabeth's arms were around him again, pulling him to his feet.
"Elizabeth, what-" His voice was slurred and thick and he didn't like it. Frowning, he tried again. "Where are we going-"
"I'm taking you upstairs," she declared in a tight voice that left little room for argument. "You're running a temperature, Jason, and I'm not sending you back to Jake's like this. You're going upstairs and you're going to lie down."
That didn't sound good. "Elizabeth, I don't have a room here-"
"Oh, big deal," she huffed, abandoning her futile task of pulling him up by the hands and instead stepping up to wrap her arms around his waist and tugging him up that way. "Your aunt runs the joint – don't give me that crap about not having a room. You heard Bobbie, Jason – you always have a room here." She quirked one perfectly plucked eyebrow at him humorlessly and even in his burning haze, Jason didn't miss the way her enchanting eyes sparkled. "Do I have to call her, Jason, and have her corroborate that? In fact, I'm sure that she'd be over here in a hurry if she heard that her precious nephew-"
"Don't call her," he sputtered, staggering to his feet with her help. "She'll never leave and I'll never hear the end of it."
"Smart man," she smirked, allowing herself a moment to gently stroke his rough cheek before drawing back and helping him toward the stairs. "There's an empty room upstairs next to mine and you're going to take it for the night, Morgan – no arguments."
He didn't argue – at this point, he had already figured that it would get him absolutely nowhere – and climbed up the stairs with her arm latched securely around his waist. Her body was pressed up against his as she tried to make sure he didn't trip or stumble, and the heat upon contact burned him right down to the bone. Somehow, they arrived at the top of the landing and Elizabeth led him to the vacant room next to her own.
She had grabbed the spare keys before helping him up and she now jingled through them, trying to hurry it up so he could get inside and rest, but her haste ended up hindering her action. Letting out an endearing crow of triumph when she found the right one, the tiny brunette shifted her hold on his waist, bringing their hips crashing together, and jammed the jagged silver metal into the lock. It opened easily and she flicked on the lights with her wrist before kicking the door open farther and helping him inside.
The fever was making him sweat now, and Jason couldn't remember the last time he had been so uncomfortable – or the last time a bed had looked so damn good. Elizabeth made sure the heating vents were operating and that the windows were properly closed and locked as Jason grasped the blankets and sheets and pulled them back with one good tug. Elizabeth's back was still turned when he pulled the hem of his sweater out of the waistband of his jeans, but the brunette turned around just in time to see him whisk the oppressive article of clothing over his head, revealing perfectly chiseled abs and a chest she wouldn't mind licking until the fever went down. Now that was a cold compress, all right.
He didn't seem to notice as he scrubbed one strong hand over his eyes, trying to dull the throbbing ache between his temples. Swallowing roughly and reminding herself that she couldn't let on how perfectly lickable she thought he was, Elizabeth moved forward and scooped his sweater up from the bed, folding it quickly and throwing it on a chair before turning down the sheets properly.
Jason undid the button of his jeans before the tall blonde seemed to notice that not only did he still have a companion in the room, but that companion was a woman. Seeing the hesitant look in his eyes, Elizabeth waved away his concern and turned her back, allowing him a moment to drop his pants and fall into bed.
Certain that he was covered, she turned around to find him half under the blankets, groaning softly as he pressed his meaty forearm over his eyes. Apparently, he thought that growling would ease his headache.
Shaking her head, she dropped his jeans on the same chair she had thrown his sweater onto, and promptly excused herself to get some water. Jason heard her leave the room, gently closing the door behind her so that the bright light from the hallway wouldn't shine directly in his eyes. The water was running and he assumed she was in the bathroom, grabbing a couple hand towels and filling a basin with cold water. He had to hand it to his petite coworker – whenever he needed her, she turned into a regular Florence Nightingale. And as much as she babied him, Jason had to admit rather sheepishly that he almost appreciated him – no one ever fussed about him quite the way Elizabeth did. Sure, his aunt worried and fretted along with the best of them – but then again, Bobbie certainly wasn't a five-foot-two ballerina with sparkling blue eyes and the most sinful lips he'd ever seen. Elizabeth definitely had the edge over his loving aunt when certain things were concerned.
But what bothered him most about the situation he currently found himself in was that Elizabeth had no reason to help him. He didn't deserve her help, not after how he had shut her out that night and then done his best to steer clear of her. He'd totally cut her off without a word or an apology, and Jason knew that he himself would never tolerate such rudeness from someone else. Not only did Elizabeth seem to tolerate it, but she seemed to have forgiven it. And now she was here, after a long day of classes and homework, taking care of him.
He just didn't deserve it.
Hell, he didn't deserve her, either, but that had become somewhat of an axiom in his current formal system, the one fundamental truth upon which everything else was built.
"Hey." Her voice was as soft and gentle as her caresses as Elizabeth poked her head back into the dimly lit room, a washbasin full of water in her hands and a few hand towels slung over her wrist. "How you holding up, Tiger?"
He muttered something under his breath as she set the water down and pulled a thermometer out. Even in his hazy state of consciousness, Jason still felt her light touch warm him inside as she gently swept his hands away from his face, stroking the rough skin for a moment before she uncapped the thermometer. His eyes were closed when her intoxicating scent of sensual jasmine wafted over him, and the older man inhaled deeply, hoping all the while that she didn't notice.
Elizabeth was leaning down now, pressing her cheek against his forehead once more to check his fever. He was just as hot and she cursed under her breath as she coaxed him to accept the thermometer.
"You keep that under your tongue," she ordered sternly, wagging a finger at him. "And I'll see what I can do about cooling you off."
Now that sounded intriguing – especially considering the fact that up until now, she had only been adding heat to the burning fire that had consumed his body. Jason watched out of one open eye as she dipped a small towel in the cool water and wrung it out before laying it gently down on his forehead. The cool wetness seemed to soak in through his skin immediately and Jason couldn't help letting out a small sigh of relief.
The soft murmur brought a gentle smile to the brunette's lips. Her fingers stroked the damp hair at his temples as she asked quietly, "Better?"
He could only nod, eyes still closed, and her thumb gently stroked the length of his jaw. She shouldn't have to do this – she shouldn't have to sit next to him and take care of him. He should never have accepted her help; she was exceeding the boundaries of compassion and concern by taking care of him, and he felt enough like a rat as it was.
Her slim fingers pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and Elizabeth let out a little gasp when she saw his temperature. Nervously tucking her hair behind her ears, the brunette dropped it on the nightstand and reached for another towel. This one she didn't wring out as well, and then brought the dripping cloth to Jason's chest. He shuddered at first when the cool water met his scorching skin, but Elizabeth's small hand passing over his cheek quieted him down.
Jason's eyes were closed the whole while, giving Elizabeth a good opportunity to study the man she was tending to. Her dark eyes passed over his strong features, the tan skin now flushed with fever, the well-formed muscles that rippled with every movement. She passed the wet cloth over his chest, leaving fat droplets in its wake, and Jason moaned low in his throat. It was amazing to watch, utterly fascinating for her – this strong, potent, dangerously sexy man melting at her touch. It was invigorating and flattering and…a damn turn-on.
She wet the cloth again and swept it over his strong chest, the perfect muscles she ached to touch, his shoulders, the heated flesh of his neck. Jason's lashes fluttered and he slowly opened his eyes. The few minutes of rest he had snatched under her ministrations seemed to have done him a little bit of good because he shifted around a little as she fixed his makeshift cold compress. Hopefully, if she kept this up a bit longer, she'd see his temperature decrease.
Jason's strong arm twitched and as Elizabeth was about to skim the dripping towel over his chest again, his lean fingers wrapped around her wrist. She looked at him in surprise and could see the grim determination in his slightly unfocused eyes.
"Elizabeth." There it was, that gruff little growl he had used that night at Jake's when he had all but picked her up and taken her out. Her lips pursed into a thin line, Elizabeth squeezed a trickle of water onto his chest and passed the towel over his skin with his hand still on her wrist.
"What is it?"
She missed the brief flicker of pain in his magical eyes. "Y-You don't have to do this. I can take care of myself."
Her movements stilled but her hand remained on his chest, and Jason's remained on hers. Their gazes locked and held for a long moment as they both just peered into each others' eyes, and finally Elizabeth spoke.
Jason watched her avert her gaze and tuck a lock of hair behind the shell of her ear, and then her soft, wavery voice met his ears. "Look, Jason, I know you're mad at me because I started that fight at Jake's, but I also know that you're in no shape to-"
"Wait, wait." That got his attention right there and the tall mechanic managed to push himself up on his elbows, ignoring the pounding in his skull. "Elizabeth, you – you think I'm mad at you?"
"Aren't you?" she asked sadly, dropping the wadded up towel on the nightstand and wringing her fingers in her lap. "You didn't even want to do anything that night but I kept pushing you, and then I started a fight and got your friends in trouble and ruined Jake's bar, and you got hurt and all because I couldn't hold off some horny-"
His hand closed over hers, squeezing hard, and Elizabeth clamped her mouth shut at the ferocity of his sudden gesture. Her hesitant eyes met his stormy and intense ones, and it didn't take a genius to see that Jason Morgan was pissed. Royally pissed. And once again, at her.
But his next words surprised her. "Elizabeth, I was never mad at you."
The brunette stared at him in disbelief, those impossibly blue eyes wide and as starry as always. But when Jason winced in discomfort, she immediately leaned forward and helped to ease him back down onto the soft pillows. Using their proximity to his advantage, Jason latched onto her tiny hand and pulled her close.
"Listen to me, Elizabeth," he whispered in a voice as rough as sandpaper. "You need to understand something. I was never mad at you; it wasn't your fault that-" He didn't want to repeat the incidents of that night. "It wasn't your fault. So don't you dare think for a minute that it was."
"But I…I caused a huge fight," she reminded him, doing her best to blink away the tears that surfaced at the memory of that humiliating night. "You got hurt, your friends got hurt, Jake's bar was destroyed-"
"A bruise here and there isn't a big deal," he smiled softly up at her. "And don't worry about my friends – they're used to this sort of thing. As for Jake, she's got the whole place insured down to the peanuts in the spitback bowl – she's had to, given how many fights happen in any given week."
"But-" Furious with herself, she brought the back of her hand up to swipe away a tear that had managed to tumble down her cheek. Frowning his concern, Jason reached up as well and gently swept another away with the pad of his thumb. She was suspended over his naked chest, so close that she could smell his cologne and for a moment Elizabeth wondered if she had a fever herself, given the sudden spike in temperature she experienced. "But when we came back, you were so mad-"
He sighed with guilt and frustration, raking one hand through his wild spikes. "I-I know. I'm sorry about that, Elizabeth. I-I never meant to do that, I never meant to shut you out like that." His eyes were wide and honest, imploring her to believe him. "I just hated that you got hurt because of me."
Those perfect, dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Because of you?-"
"I shouldn't have brought you there," he got out, wincing when his raw throat constricted painfully.
"I asked you to," she reminded him sadly. "I was bugging you to-"
"You weren't bugging me," Jason replied, quirking her that boyish grin she loved her so much. "You don't bug me, Elizabeth."
"Can I get that in writing?" she teased, rearranging his cold compress. "I'd like to take it down to the Patent Office and have it notarized."
He just rolled his eyes. "If you remember, I was the one that suggested going to Jake's. And I wouldn't have gone anywhere with you if I didn't want to." Her eyes sparkled slightly at his reassurance, but then reality bared itself again. "You got hurt because I turned my back for a minute. Something worse could have happened to you, Elizabeth – he could have-"
"He didn't," she cut in, brushing his now wet hair back and away from his forehead. "You were there."
Jason sighed with frustration, rubbing his eyes groggily. "I didn't bring you there to get hurt and scared, Elizabeth-"
"So why did you bring me there?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice now – she just had to know.
The older man blinked up at her. "I…I brought you there so we could have a drink or two, shoot some pool, have some fun. Just hang out, as you're always telling me we should."
She grinned down at him, her fingers lingering now on his flushed cheek. "Sounds like it would have been fun."
"It was fun, though, wasn't it?" he just couldn't help asking. "I mean, before the fight. We were…having fun, right?"
Amusement shone through her enchanting sapphire eyes. "Yes, Jason, we were having a lot of fun." She sucked her breath in quickly and paused for a moment before adding, "We should do it again sometime."
That had a sobering effect on the mechanic. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Elizabeth," he replied softly. "I don't want you to get hurt again."
She rolled her eyes, poking him roughly right in the middle of his chest. "So you're one of those guys that likes to keep his gal all locked up and sittin' pretty just because he's afraid she'll break a nail? Nice, Morgan – that's real nice."
He was eyeing her suspiciously. "You're my gal?"
It took every shred of concentration in her to keep herself composed and not melt at that question – so much so that she entirely missed the hopeful note in his voice. "You know what I mean, Jason – your gal, your pal, your friend."
He nodded quickly – too quickly. "Oh. Yeah. Sure." An awkward silence followed and Elizabeth busied herself with fixing the towel on his forehead. "Elizabeth?"
"What?"
"I'm sorry I was so…quiet afterwards."
She sighed softly, meeting his gaze directly and without flinching. "It's okay. I…I was kinda upset afterwards because I thought you were mad at me for messing everything up and cutting the evening short."
He shook his head vehemently. "No, not at all. I'm sorry you thought I was."
Elizabeth nodded seriously down at him. "Tell you what? How 'bout we make a deal?"
Jason coughed into his fist before clearing his throat and replying. "What kind of deal?"
"Well, I know you get mad a lot, Jason. You're a grouch." He frowned hard at her, but she didn't even pretend to care, instead just smirking down at her patient. "So how about when you're mad at me – rather than mad at stuff –"
"Stuff?"
"Stay with me, Morgan. When you're mad at me specifically, how about instead of ignoring me and storming around, you write me a note."
"A note?" He was looking at her like it was the stupidest thing he had ever heard. "And what the hell is this note supposed to say?"
"Nothing poetic," she assured him playfully. "A simple 'I'm very mad at you' will be fine – no expletives, though, Morgan; we have to keep our G rating."
He rolled his eyes, certain that in his mind, the G rating had been lost long ago as far as he and Elizabeth were concerned.
"That way," she continued, "I'll know when I did something wrong and I can promptly begin to make it up to you."
There was a sexy, flirtatious note in her voice unless he had imagined it – which he was certain he did – and Jason just eyed her as his headache raged on. "Fine."
"Good."
A long silence lingered until Jason broke it.
"So…how exactly would you make it up to me?"
She grinned instantly, wondering in the back of her mind if he was flirting around but quickly dismissing the thought as utterly ridiculous. "Well…I'd stop singing showtunes, for one thing."
"That's always a plus."
"You're lucky you're sick, otherwise I'd pinch you," she informed him seriously. "And…let's see…I'd keep the hysterics to a minimum."
"Sounds good," he murmured softly as she fixed the towel on his forehead. "What else will you do if I'm mad at you?"
Her face was alarmingly close to his, her sapphire orbs dazzling, and a suddenly impulsive Elizabeth took the moment to tweak his nose with hers before pulling away and reaching for the water. "You'll know when the opportunity presents itself."
He just smirked as she struggled with a bag of cough drops, trying to rip it open. The girl was too adorable for her own good, and he had long ago stopped chastising himself for thinking so. Denying her beauty was like denying his next breath – as much as it sometimes bothered him, there was no mistaking how his body reacted to her. Or his mind, for that moment – the girl had elicited more X-rated dreams from him than any other single girl had ever managed. And he'd only kissed her once.
"So…are we good?"
Her bangs fell in her eyes, making her look years younger, and her full lips curved into an easy smile he had recently realized she graced only a chosen few with. "We're good, Jason."
"Okay. Good."
"Or, actually," she amended, finally opening the stubborn plastic bag and setting a few cough drops on his night stand. "We will be good if you take it easy and get some rest. And remember – you're not going anywhere, Morgan. I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to the sound of your motorcycle, okay?"
"Fine," he huffed, secretly knowing that he'd rather do anything than go out into the freezing night right now anyway.
"And you're staying here 'til you get better," she persisted. "And I mean a hundred-percent better, Jason. Promise?"
He normally held off on making promises to women – they could only get you into trouble – but for some reason this felt easier. "Promise."
"Good." She fixed his compress again out of habit and brushed his wet hair back tenderly. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, you sit tight while I get you some soup – it'll fix you right up." The wind picked up outside, whistling through the shutters and as Elizabeth looked up in surprise at the eerie noise, Jason took a moment to unabashedly stare at her. Somehow, he had found himself in her good graces again – and all thoughts about extricating her from his life instantly flew to the back of his mind. He'd just have to be a bit more careful, that was all.
She was standing now, her fingers tucked into the back pockets of her adorable, low-riding jeans, and her lips were puckered in thought. "Hey, Jason?"
For some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off those ready-to-be-kissed pink lips. "Huh?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Where – Where did you go…afterwards?"
"After I dropped you off here?"
"Yeah."
He sighed softly, running a hand through his golden spikes again. "I…went back to Jake's."
"Why?"
Those heart-stopping, silver-blue eyes met hers directly. "You want the honest answer?"
"Always."
"I wanted to find the jackass that touched you and beat the living shit out of him – make sure that another part of his body hurt worse than his head in the morning."
Elizabeth pressed a hand over her heart as a watery smile ran across her lips, and in an instant, she was bending down toward him again, her hands braced on either side of his head. Jason blinked in surprise when her hair tickled his neck, and he was sure his heart was pounding like a jackhammer when she pressed her lips hard to his forehead.
"Jason Morgan, you are such an ape," she chuckled, kissing his warm skin again. "But that's the sweetest thing I've heard in a very long time."
Flashing him a brilliant smile, the brunette practically danced out of the room on those incredible ballerina legs of hers, leaving Jason to stare after her petite form in something akin to shock. On the plus side, she had kissed him. On the down side, it had been on his forehead and was immediately followed with a comment about how "sweet" he was. Sweet was for licorice and puppy dogs – certainly nothing even remotely close to what was going on in his head when he thought about her, that was sure.
Sweet.
Yeah, he was screwed.