"Absolutely," she teased with a brief wink. "Besides, you never stopped to ask why I didn't go get my own apple." Why would she, when she could have him just as easily? As if to emphasize her point, she took another half-bite before offering it back to him, the smug smile hardly dissipating.

An arm draped around his shoulders and she laughed with him, glancing down at his arms. "Oh no, not that. You would get room and board, for starters, and an hourly wage for spending money. ...Of course, if you decided to work after sundown, the pay might be a little different."