Without looking away, I grab the cereal and milk and pour them into my bowl. She takes another bite of her cereal, never taking her eyes off mine as I put the spoon in and taste it.

And then we sit and eat … and stare.

“Okay …” Winston says, and he grabs a newspaper and sits down on a stool in the kitchen and blocks us out while reading.

I don’t care. I’m not talking and neither is she. I’m not going to give her any more excuses to make a run for it, and she’s not telling me what she really thought when she saw me, so …

SMACK!

Something’s stuck to my face.

Sticky … milky … cereal.

And her face. It turns from a full-on frown to full-blown laughter.

She places her hand over her mouth, but it can’t hide her sly smile.

Grinding my teeth, I wipe my face off with a napkin and cock my head at her.

Slowly, I put the spoon back into the bowl, watching her stare as I bring it up to my face.

And then I quickly turn it around and catapult it at her.

It smashes right into her forehead.

I grin as it drips off her, and the smile is wiped off her face immediately.

“Motherfucker,” she growls, and she grabs another spoonful. “Oh, it’s on.”

Suddenly, we’re in an all-out war.

Cereal and milk flies everywhere. Spoons too.

“Hey! Watch it! I just bought new China,” Winston says, putting down his newspaper.

“Eat shit!” Alexis yells, throwing her entire bowl at my face.

I only barely manage to catch the bowl, without its contents … which are now splashed over my chest and the floor.

“Oh, now you’ve done it,” I growl, and I pick up my bowl, stand up, walk toward her … and throw it over the top of her head.

She squeals as the cold milk runs over her body, which only a thin nightgown covers. Her instantly hardening nipples catch my attention. They’re hard to miss, and I swallow back the emerging lust.

“Fuck. You’ll pay for that.”

Her fingers are on my chest before I know it, twisting my nipples.

“Ow! Fuck,” I scream, grabbing her wrists. “No, bad Lexi.”

“Woof,” she says, laughing.

I shake my head, laughing too.

I’m fucking angry she threw her food at me, but it was fucking fun too. I can’t decide which one is more important to feel right now.

But when I look into her eyes, everything ceases to matter.