The Man's Outrageous Demands by Elizabeth Lennox

away?”
     
    “No.”
    She rolled her eyes at his quick response, gritting her teeth in frustration. “Well, then, what’s the point in asking me if I mind? A little rhetorical, wouldn’t you say?” She immediately walked faster, wishing she could leave him behind but knowing it wasn’t going to happen, not with his long legs anyway.
    “Perhaps. But you don’t really want me to go away, do you?” he asked.
    They’d reached the kitchen by that point and Marabeth poked her head in to see if the chefs were still busy. But thankfully, it was late enough so only the cleaning crew was around washing dishes. “I’m sure that I didn’t invite you and you’re still here.”
    Sam opened the refrigerator for her and pulled out some sliced ham and cheese. Marabeth got the bread from the pantry. “Why do you do that?” he asked.
     
    “Do what?”
    “Deny what is going on between us? You felt it the moment our hands touched that first time over a month ago. What is keeping you from just accepting that we’re attracted to each other and embrace it?”
    “Why should I? Apparently, everyone is too busy telling me. Why should I bother to say it myself?” she said and put four pieces of bread onto a plate.
    He stopped unwrapping the meat and cheese to look over the counter at her. “Is that what is wrong? That everyone is telling you the same thing and you’re just digging your heels in?”
    Marabeth slapped some ham onto a piece of bread, then some cheese. Adding mustard, she closed it up and sliced it down the middle. “Not really. There’s also the very major issue that I just don’t like you,” she said and took a bite of her sandwich.
    Sam laughed. “I think you like me too much,” he said and completed making his sandwich as well. “And that scares the hell out of you.”
     
    “Sam, does your ego ever get so big it won’t fit through a door?” she asked and dropped her sandwich down onto her plate.
     
    “Never,” he laughed and picked up her plate. “Come on. We’re not having this discussion in front of others,” he said.
     
    Marabeth wanted to stomp her feet. “Why are we having this discussion at all?” she demanded.
     
    “Come on, princess,” he said and walked out of the kitchen.
    She wouldn’t follow him, she told herself. She would rather starve than eat with him. In fact, her appetite was now gone so he could just go wherever he wanted with her meal and have a wonderful time.
    A few minutes later, she realized that he wasn’t waiting for her. He’d just disappeared. Marabeth felt slightly disappointed that he hadn’t at least made sure that she was following him but ignored that feeling.
    She made her way towards her rooms, intending to hide away from him. Not that he wouldn’t just invade that area as well.
    Walking into her rooms, she stopped short as soon as she saw him sitting on her sofa, a sandwich in one hand and a magazine in another. When she walked in, he raised one eyebrow in her direction. “Feel better?”
    “No. Please leave,” she said.
     
    “We’re back to you trying to ignore your feelings. Why don’t you eat your dinner, then we’ll talk.”
     
    Marabeth took her sandwich and ate it, intending to go into her bedroom once she was done eating and ignore him completely.
    She ate in silence, not even looking at him which didn’t matter to him since he continued to read her magazine. Once she was done, she dusted off her hands and stood up. “Good night, Sam.”
    Sam laughed and grabbed her hand as she passed by the sofa he was sitting on. “Oh, no you don’t. Come back and talk to me. I’ll follow you in there. Don’t challenge me on that front.”
    Marabeth tried to pull her hand away but his grip was firm but gentle. “Sam, leave me alone. We don’t have anything to say to each other,” she said, wishing she could scream it to him.
    “No talking is fine with me,” he said and pulled her down onto his lap. “I didn’t really want to talk