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‘Yes, a kiss,’ Theo confirms. ‘It said, “Thank you, but I can’t make dinner.” ’ He reels off my message from memory. ‘And then there was definitely a kiss.’ He raises his eyebrows, pouting a little. ‘Don’t take that kiss away from me, Izzy. It’ll break my heart.’
I want to smile, but that would be feeding his playfulness. And I shouldn’t do that, no matter how thrilling it is to bounce off his light banter. I’m still figuring out what to say next when Jess opens the door wide and gestures for him to come in. He dips a little to clear the frame and avoid hitting his head. What is she doing?
I point a steely glare at her that she totally ignores, the cow. Fuck, I’m hot. My hand comes up to fan my face without thought, triggering another knowing smile from Theo. He looks lovely when he smiles, and I sense he doesn’t do it often. His smiles are warm and tempting.
Tempting.
He’s that already, even when he’s straight-faced and ominous. With a cute curve of his lips, he’s plain irresistible. That dimple is adorable and definitely misplaced.
The narrow hallway becomes far too crowded when he enters, and I flatten myself against the wall to avoid making contact with him. I’m going to kill Jess. Slowly.
‘It was nice to meet you,’ she chimes, trotting off, leaving me and Theo more or less wedged in the space. I breathe in to widen the small gap between our torsos when he stops right in front of me.
‘Your friend is quite hospitable,’ he says, lingering before me. ‘Maybe you should take note.’
My eyes narrow. ‘And maybe she might be easier to bed than me. Why don’t you try your luck?’ I want to regret my spiteful retort, if only because I’ve insulted Jess, but I can’t. He’s pissed me off now, chasing away any temptation that I was fighting off.
Though it all comes steaming back when Theo takes my jaw in his big hand and brings his face close to mine, even if his handsome features are twisting in disdain. My lungs squeeze as I fight for breath. He looks truly threatening now. Yet I’m not scared.
Why am I not scared of him?
‘That was uncalled for,’ he whispers menacingly but softly, keeping me in place with his grip, but more with his eyes.
I clench my back teeth, not cowering nor backing down. ‘You want me to apologize?’
His grip loosens, going from holding to feeling, his palm encasing the entire side of my face. ‘I’ll forsake an apology in exchange for dinner.’
I shake my head no, exhausted by the strength needed to continue refusing him. Everything inside me is telling me to just go. ‘It’s still no,’ I affirm. ‘With all due respect, Mr Kane, I’m really not interested in getting involved with a man. Especially not a man who carries a gun. But thanks for the offer.’ I smile sweetly, and I can tell he’s struggling to hold back his own amusement.
‘But you’re forgetting something, Miss White,’ he says roughly, and I tilt my head, prompting him to remind me. ‘If I want something, I have it.’
‘You buy it?’ I ask, referring to my fixed phone and flowers.
‘Yes.’
‘What if it can’t be bought?’
‘Then I take it.’
‘And what if it fights?’
His lips part, his gaze dropping to my mouth as he moves in and traps me against the wall. Our bodies meld into each other. I feel his chest inflate on a deep suck of air. He looks awed, happy, his head shaking mildly as if not believing how good it feels to touch me. It feels so good. He brings his mouth close to my ear. ‘Then it makes the victory so much sweeter when I win,’ he whispers, his hand sliding to the back of my neck and gripping gently, applying a little pressure to turn my head and bring my mouth closer to his. My breath diminishes as his lips skim over mine, and I whimper, the sensation of his mouth, the feel of his tongue tracing across my flesh, and the heat of his breath reeling me in that final stretch. He tastes divine.
Clamping his teeth lightly over my bottom lip, he retreats slowly until it pops free. My palms meet the wall behind me and press into the plaster, anything to hold on to except him. ‘You don’t feel or sound like you would fight very hard, Izzy.’ He peels his body from mine and pulls the door open, watching me disintegrate against the wall. ‘Think about dinner.’ He walks out, and my fingers come to my lips, feeling gently where his mouth was a moment ago.
‘Oh . . . fucking . . . hell . . .’ Why did I let him do that? I look to the doorway of the kitchen as if searching for the answer there, but I find Jess instead, looking as bamboozled as I am. ‘See?’ I laugh, shaken to my absolute core. ‘He won’t take no for an answer.’
