In her one-bedroom apartment’s living area, Lyric collapsed back against the sofa. Everything was spinning, and her entire body was flushed, and she couldn’t tell whether she was back on planet Earth or still on a trip to the center of the universe. Lifting her head, she opened her lids—
The absolutely magnificent man between her legs swept a hand down his mouth and sat back on his heels. Dev’s dark hair was mussed, his lips parted as he breathed hard, his eyes glowing with heat. Yet as their stares met, he didn’t come closer or keep going.
“What about you,” she asked in a husky voice.
To make her intention absolutely clear, she would have made a move on him, but her body weighed so much it had its own gravitational pull—which had evidently claimed the sofa. And whatever apartment was underneath them. Maybe the whole building and the entire city block the Commodore was on.
“Nah, I’m good…” Dev’s voice was so deep and low, it was nearly inaudible. “Seeing you like this… is all I need.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” Her eyes drifted down to the enormous bulge in his jeans. “In fact… I think that’s a lie.”
Dropping his head, he seemed to battle for control, his hands curlinginto fists, the muscles of his arms flexing against the long sleeves of his pullover.
“I want you,” she purred. “All of you—”
“You don’t know what you’re saying—”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” Lyric shook her head, and was able to speak with the kind of surety she hadn’t had the night before. “I’m not looking past this moment. And neither should you.”
“It’s not that simple.”
“So talk to me, Dev.” She pulled her shirt together, and sat up. “Help me understand why it isn’t.”
“I have to go.” He looked at the windows behind the couch like he was thinking about jumping out of them. “I just… have to go.”
A shaft of pain penetrated her sternum, but she was not going to beg him. “Okay. So leave.”
When he didn’t move, she leaned forward so that they were face to face. “I don’t know what’s got you locked up, but whatever it is, it’s on your side of things, not mine.”
“I’m not looking for… this.” Dev rubbed his hair, his palm sweeping back and forth like he was trying to polish the thoughts in his head. “This… cannot happen. Between you and me.”
In the silence that followed, she became even more resolute. “Well, I’m not asking for more than right here and now.”
“And that’s my problem,” he said harshly.
“What is.”
“I’m afraid if I have you, I’ll never be free of you.”
As his words registered, she thought…Well, hell.For all the reasons he was right about them not having any kind of future, she was suddenly flushed at the idea that he could want her that much.
“You can always walk out the door afterward.” She wanted to touch his face, but resisted. “You’re free to go now, too.”
“Just because you leave someone doesn’t mean you can forget about them,” he countered bitterly.
“Who hurt you, Dev. Tell me.”
Instead of answering her, he got to his feet, and from his great height, he stared down at her for the longest time. She could sense the retreat in him, and wondered where in his mind he had gone. It was a dark place, wherever it was, given the stark lines of his ex-pression.
“I want to go to that convention with you,” he said grimly. “Unless you want to end this right here.”
Lyric recoiled a little. Then again, he had a habit of surprising her, didn’t he.
“All right.” She cleared her throat. “Meet me at the loading dock of the convention center tomorrow night at six p.m. It’s around in the back, and I’ve been told there’s only one.”
“I’ll be there.”
Dev nodded briskly, like that was that, and as he turned away, she was reminded of being out in the middle of Market Street the night before last, picking up his helmet.
