Page 200 of Sexting His Assistant

“Try harder,” I say, but my voice is too soft to make it a real warning.

His eyes drop to my mouth. I know he wants to kiss me.

I want it too.

But for once, he does not take it immediately. He waits. And that waiting undoes me more than the kiss would have.

I rise onto my toes and kiss him first.

It’s gentle at the start, because we are in a park and because his shoulder hurts and because the night has already asked too much of both of us. His mouth moves against mine slowly, one hand at my waist, the other still holding my hand like we are dancing even though we have stopped moving.

The kiss deepens only a little.

When I pull back, he rests his forehead against mine for a second.

Luka says, “I should take you home.”

I breathe out. “Yes.”

Neither of us moves.

Luka says, “Soon.”

I laugh quietly. “Your security is going to find us by helicopter.”

Luka sighs. “They don’t have one.”

On the drive back home, quiet between us is comfortable now.

Every now and then, Luka glances at me, and every time he does, I feel the same strange pull in my chest that started near the fountain when he asked me to dance. It is not dramatic from the outside. I’m only sitting in a car beside a man who has made my life impossible. But inside, something has shifted, and I don’t know how to put it back.

The security car is behind us again.

Luka ignores it.

I look at the side mirror and see the headlights following at a careful distance. “They’re not going to let you forget this.”

Luka says, “No.”

I say, “You deserve it.”

Luka says, “Probably.”

I turn my head toward him. “Did Luka Kazan just admit fault twice in one night?”

Luka says, “Don’t get used to it.”

I smile despite myself and look back out of the window.

The building appears too soon.

Luka pulls up near the entrance, and the security car stops behind us. One of his men gets out first, but Luka raises a hand slightly, and the man pauses near the curb instead of moving toward my door.

I notice that.

He’s trying.

Luka turns off the engine and looks at me. “I will walk you up.”