He’sfaster.
I’m nearly there when he grabs hold of me again. The syrup’s disappeared at some point in the shuffle; both his hands clamp onto my shoulders and he spins me around to face him, dangerously close. His eyes are brimming over with humor and so much heat, I feel my breath catch in my throat at thesight.
“You like playing games, Delilah?” he rumbles, looking downatme.
“I…” I can barely breathe, let alone form words with him standing this close, looking at me likethat. “I…”
He grins — a slow, sinful smile — and I stop breathingaltogether.
“Happy to play with you, babe, but you should know…” His voice drops to a whisper. “I’m verycompetitive.”
His head lowers toward mine and I know, down to the marrow of my bones, that he’s about to screw everything up royally. That he’s about to cross an irrevocable line of demarcation. That, after this moment, nothing between us will ever bethesame.
Because he’s going tokissme.
And,worse…
I’m not going to do a damn thing tostophim.
Everything inside me is screaming to pull away, to turn my cheek, to run for the hills and never look back. And yet, I can’t seem to move. In fact, I can’t seem to do anything at all, except watch Luca’s lips closing in on mine, until we’re a hairsbreadth away. Close enough to bumpnoses.
The pulse is roaring so loud between my ears, as I wait for him to erase that final bit of distance, it takes me a minute to register the sound of his front door swinging open, and the man’s voice that shatters the tense moment like agunshot.
“Bad time,Blaze?”
I spring away from Luca faster than a kid caught red-handed stealing cookies from the cooling rack. Cheeks flaming, I turn to see a towering, attractive man standing in the threshold, his eyes moving between me and Luca with a look of baffled intrigue. He runs a hand through his sun-streaked surfer-boy locks, smiling as he steps fullyinside.
“There’s a joke to be made here about a maid… in the kitchen… with the candlestick.” He smirks, gesturing at me as he addresses Luca. “I’m guessing there’s a story to go along with her. Unless you’ve got the rest of the suspects fromCluehiding out in the bathroom.” He makes a big show of glancing around the apartment. “Professor Plum? Colonel Mustard? You guyshere,too?”
“Colt,” Luca mutters, sounding distinctly pissed. “Ever heard of calling beforecomingby?”
“Wasn’t expecting you to have company at this hour.” The blond grins, entirely pleased with himself. Crossing toward me, he stops about a foot away and sticks out a hand for me toshake.
“Colton O’Leary. Nice to meet you, Mrs.White.”
I roll my eyes at the board game reference and slip my handintohis.
“It’s Lila. And we’ve actually met before,” I say,voicewry.
“When?” His brows lift skeptically. “I think I’d remember meeting you. Especially if you were wearing this…” His eyes scan me up and down. “…outfit.”
“Colt,” Luca growlswarningly.
“Shockingly, I don’t actually always wear this.” I pull my hand from his and cant my head to one side. “In fact, I hardly ever dress up like a cosplay character, unless I’m acting out some kind of kinky bedroomfantasywith—”
“Delilah.” This time, Luca’s growl is even moremenacing.
“Oh, relax, I’m kidding.” I wink at Colton. “Mostly.”
His grin gets huge. “I swear, I’d remember you. When did wesupposedlymeet?”
“New Year’s Eve. Luca’s last fight against Jack Forrester. You let me and my friends cut the line to get in without paying a cover. Thanks again, bytheway.”
“Ah, you must be a friend of Zoe’s. I don’t do that for just anyone,” Colton murmurs, glancing at Luca. “Speaking of the minx, have you spoken to herrecently?”
Luca shrugs. “Last I heard, she and Parker were island hopping acrossSoutheastAsia.”
“Sounds miserable,” Colton drawls sarcastically. “She coming back to this time zoneanytimesoon?”