He had been going to insist but his voice died in his throat when she moved in and no matter how hard he tried, no words would come out and he tensed, expecting the worst when she leaned in and then...
She kissed him. Dahlia kissed Eli on the cheek, grinned like a Cheshire cat and then was off. It was only as the sound of the door opening filled the apartment that noise like a frightened squeak escaped Eli.
For a grown man it was a pathetic response and he managed to move finally when she was gone, darting further into his apartment and to the bathroom where he caught the smudge of colour on his cheek and the dismayed expression he wore.
This was trouble. No matter what he said about her, Dahlia represented practically everything that unnerved him and made him look like a fumbling preschooler.
"Oh God..." He groaned, turning the hot water tap on.