“Luna called today,” I say, ignoring the invitation. For now.
“Yeah? How is she?”
“Nosy. Opinionated. Convinced she knows everything about my life.” I laugh. “And, of course, I love her for it.”
“Sounds like a little sister.” He lets out a breathless snicker. “I mean, I don’t know from experience. But I’d guess it’s about right.”
“She asked if I'd kissed you yet.”
I don't know why I say it. The words just tumble out. And I am powerless to stop them.
He trips over a crack in the sidewalk and stumbles, his arms flying out to steady himself. I gasp just as he recovers his balance.
“What, uh, what did you tell her?”
“That there was nothing to tell. That this is a business arrangement. That we're keeping things professional.” I sneak a glance at him. His blue eyes latch onto mine.
“Is that what we're doing?”
I slow down then stop. We're on the bridge now, the cityspread out below us, the water dark and glittering in the early evening twilight. No cars, no people. Just us.
“It's what we should be doing,” I say. “This isn't real, Lochlan. None of it. The marriage, the living together. It's all just because of a contract.”
The look on his face makes my heart sink a bit. “Come on, we’d never be in each other’s airspace otherwise. We both know that. And we can't afford to confuse that with?—”
“With what?”
“With whatever this is.” I gesture wildly between us. “The dinners. The texting. The... the way you look at me sometimes.”
“How do I look at you?” He takes a step toward me.
“Like—” I tug on my ponytail. “Forget I said anything. It doesn't matter. The point is, we need to keep things professional. Anything else would be?—”
“A mistake?”
“Yes.” I say it but damn, it tastes like vinegar on my lips. And his pained expression wrenches my gut.
Why did I have to say anything about a kiss? In what world did I think this was going to be a smart conversation to start?
“Which is exactly why we shouldn't make them worse.” I'm talking too fast now, trying hard to construct walls with my rushed words. “I have a company to run and a crime family to manage, and my father is in a coma, and I can't afford to be distracted by?—”
“By what?” He closes the distance between us. “By me?”
His cologne swirls in the air around me. I pull in a breath, letting his spicy scent fill my lungs. Oh God, it only makes those walls harder to erect.
“By feelings I don't have time for.”
“So you admit there are feelings.”
“No,” I say. “That's not what I?—”
“Adriana.” His voice is low. Rough. “Stop talking.”
He closes the space between us and snakes an arm aroundmy waist before crushing his lips to mine like he’s done waiting for permission.
One hand grazes the back of my neck while the other strokes up my back. His tongue dips into my mouth, twisting and tangling with my own. Coiling heat and lust infuse my entire being, flooding me with all the feelings I’ve been trying to keep buried because they have no place in this arrangement.
Except now they’re exposed, and I don’t know if I have the strength, or the will, to pull them back in.
