Ada hadn't been trying to seduce him. Not really. But she couldn't help but take pleasure in his reaction. No man had ever looked at Ada the way Tom was looking at her before her phone rang. Not even close.

It made her feel beautiful, desirable, needed, wanted.

The only guy she'd ever dated had been Scott. He was kind and attentive to her and surprisingly great. She hadn't even wanted to date him in the first place, but their groups of friends forced them together and she didn't regret it.

Most thought they broke up because Scott had transferred, but the truth of it was they'd broken up months before that and told nobody. Scott was gay, unbeknownst to his friends and family and to her, until the point where they lost their virginity to one another.

He was a great friend; one of the best. But despite their two years together and for obvious reasons, he never looked at her the way Tom did.

Although it was not her intention to seduce him while she was trying on the 'clothes' and just wanted to find out what in the hell she bought in the five minutes she was in that store, she hoped he was seducible as soon as she opened that door.

Unfortunately, it seemed her dad had this uncanny ability to bring things between them to a screeching halt, no matter the distance.

As soon as Ada ended the call with her dad, she left it behind and left the room, going down the hall until she found Tom in the kitchen, making the hot cocoa they picked up at the store. She expected him to be making it the lazy way in the microwave, but had the milk simmering in a pot on the stove.

"Look at you," Ada said before she hopped onto the counter by his side.

A smile played at Tom's lips, but he kept his eyes on the milk, stirring it around with a metal ladle. "My mom's Italian. She used to make us hot chocolate, European style, when we were kids. She'd have a fit if she saw me making hot chocolate with powdered mix in her kitchen."

"I'm guessing she'd be too distracted with you stirring it with a giant ladle to notice," Ada quipped.

Tom let out a quiet chuckle. "Not a lot of utensil options here anymore." He paused for a moment, the ladle resting in place before he continued. "Still can't believe they're selling this place."

"Family vacations aren't easy once your kids grow up and have families of their own. They probably just figured there wasn't much of a point in having a vacation house without the family there to enjoy it with them."

"I guess," Tom mumbled in mild agreement. "Do you guys ever do the family vacation thing?"

Ada always wished they had. Britt and her parents went on them all the time and she couldn't help but be envious. "I don't think my dad knows how to take a vacation. Plus, in winter we try to cut down on spending because there isn't much for business. And when the weather is nice and we have more income coming in, it's too busy to go anywhere.

"My mom wants to take a vacation soon, though. She says she's reached that age where she deserves one. That and I think she feels like she's running out of time to enjoy it."

Tom's spoon didn't slow down completely this time, but went from a soft rhythm to an awkward, slow motion pace.

She kicked herself for bringing it up. Ada wasn't blind or stupid. Huntington's disease was something which weighed on Tom's mind, even if he didn't say it. And ever since her sister had arrived in town, ever since that afternoon in the kitchen when it all sank it, it'd been weighing on her own mind as well.

Their fates were not a certainty, but maybe that was the problem. She thought not knowing would be easier, that she could live a life with a certain freedom rather than be tied to this one thing for the rest of her years.

But maybe knowing was the knife that cut away those bindings, that gave her either a sense of ease or a sense of freedom or whatever the hell emotion came with this kind of truth.

The problem was there were so many other things that came with the truth, things she wasn't sure she was ready to face. Not only was Ada uncertain if she was ready for the label that came with the disease, but also the domino effect that would knock down her and everything important in her path, including Tom.

"You're thinking about it, aren't you?" Tom asked. He stood between her legs and pulled her closer to him, allowing his hands to remain on her.

Ada forced a lazy smile on her face, one she was certain didn't fool him at all, and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Do you think I should take the test?" It wasn't a question she planned on asking, but somehow had entered her mind and escaped her lips.

His lips formed a quivering smile, which then formed a tight-lipped line when it was obvious she wasn't fooled either. After a hard swallow, his lips parted. "That isn't a question I can answer for you," he replied.

Ada looked down, only to see Tom's forefinger move just below her chin and tip her head back up so she had to look him in the eyes.

Tom's finger moved from her chin up to her forehead, where he glided the bangs away from her eyes. She wasn't certain if he was studying her or if his gaze was just wandering around. But when it returned to her own, it was as gentle as his touch.

"What I can tell you is that I'll stand by your decision, no matter what it is. And If you take it, the outcome will not change how I feel about you."

"And how do you feel about me, Mr. Bennet?" Although her voice came out strong and curious, simple, inside she was losing her shit.

Tom let out his breath through his nose, his lips remaining shut. This time she was positive he was studying her, likely for the answer she'd give or maybe how she'd react to his words.

After an eternity of silence, a string of endless seconds that caused her to regret asking, Tom reached for her hand which rested on the countertop and placed it in his own.

"When I saw you the day after we hung out that first time, and you wore that green dress, I had to stop myself from staring at you for too long. Saying you looked nice didn't cover what I was thinking," Tom admitted, keeping his gaze just below her eyes. "Every shitty day I've had for the last few months, maybe even longer, I've made it a point to see you and have time to talk to you. I don't know if it's your superpower or what, but you don't just make my days less shitty, but make them ten times better.

"I've had to keep my cool around you for too damn long. What I feel for you is indescribable, what I'd do for you is infinite. There's nothing that matters to me more than you, and I think it's been that way for a while. More than that, I think that's why I stopped trying in my marriage, not that I realized that at the time."

Tom lowered his head, seeming unwilling to keep his eyes so close to her own stare when he spoke the next words. "For a while I was in complete denial about it, then denial turned to anger. You've turned my world upside down and changed my life in the best way possible."

His head lifted then, his eyes no longer hesitating to look at Ada. Instead, they stared right into her, holding her in blissful captivity. "If that's not love, I don't know what the hell it could be."

The answer just about knocked the air from her lungs, and Ada seemed to lose all train of thought in the blink of an eye. Now she understood why he took so long to answer. He was creating the perfect string of words that made her heart melt, while the rest of her felt like it was turning into putty in his hands.

Even if she were to speak in that moment, her response would fail compared to his. Words hadn't been created yet to describe what she felt for him, and the few words that even came close were ones he'd just spoken.

When no half-decent sentence would form in her head, Ada gave up and kissed him. She kissed him in a way she hoped would tell him everything she felt. The room went silent once he deepened the kiss, more than quiet enough for her screaming thoughts to be heard by him. And as soon as their lips parted for the briefest of seconds, she could say aloud those four brief words that had been on her mind for a week, and hiding deep in the back of it for the last four years.

"I love you too."

Maybe the words were simpler than she wanted, not as powerful or poetic as his, but that didn't matter. She needed him to hear it. Feel it. See it.

And by the look on his face, he did.

Tom wrapped his arms around her, nearly pulling her off the counter, and lowered her head to give her the perfect number three.

The kiss took over her entire body, making her powerless in that moment, yet stronger than she'd ever been in her life.

It hadn't only filled her with desire, but poured over her entire being, causing goosebumps across her skin yet making her feel as if she was on fire.

And as corny as it was, her stomach felt as if it filled with a thousand butterflies, giving her the sensation of a fast drop, both terrifying and free. Yes, this kiss had messed with her stomach in every cliche way imaginable.

Though Ada's train of thought had disappeared some time ago, she was certain it would have succeeded at ridding her of them. But more than anything, she craved more. Each kiss made her desperate for the next, even if she had to wait only a second for it.

Tom had gone beyond her 'pretty fucking high' expectations. He had her; heart, mind, body and soul. And she gave it all to him without a moment's hesitation.

He kissed her as if he needed that kiss to live. Some delicate, others demanding. Ada's fingers moved to his hair, and she tugged him closer yet, seeming to act as silent permission to lift her off the counter.

Hearing the bubbles of boiling milk pop, Ada reached out and turned the stove top off before he carried her down the hallway and back into the bedroom where he could kiss her as long as he wanted to and she could get her number three over a hundred times over, even if he wasn't yet willing on number five.