Page 152 of Deacon

I scoffed against her ear. “See?” My mouth brushed close enough to her skin to feel her react. “You are his prey, and he thinks he’s a predator.”

Then I licked the side of her neck.

Lila jerked and twisted halfway around in my arms, laughing in disbelief. “Did you just... lick me?”

I grinned against her skin. “Yep. I licked it. So it’s mine. Playground rules.”

She stared at me like she was reconsidering every life choice that had led here. “You’re insane.”

I tightened my arms around her. “Insane for you. What’re you gonna say back?”

She looked at the phone, then at me, and that little smirk appeared. Dangerous woman. Her fingers started moving.

Lila: He is that past I was talking about. I’m perfectly safe with him, better than safe. He would burn the world down for me. No need to worry.

A low sound slipped out of me before I could stop it. Mason replied almost immediately.

Mason: Oh. I didn’t realize the past was back in the present.

Lila typed again without looking at me. Her shoulder pressed a little more firmly into my chest.

Lila: As I said, he never really left my mind. But yes, now he’s physically back. I’ve got to go. He is currently nibbling on my neck and getting impatient.

I barked out a laugh, loud enough that Jade yelled from the living room, “What are you two doing in there?”

“Bein’ wholesome!” I called back.

“Liar!” came back immediately.

Lila shook with quiet laughter against me as Mason’s next message arrived. I could feel every bit of it where I held her.

Mason: Wait. Is he reading our texts as you type?

She glanced over her shoulder, amusement bright in her eyes, then answered. Apparently neither of us had any interest in rescuing his dignity.

Lila: There are no secrets between us.

Something about those words landed deeper than the joke had. The next message appeared before I could sit with it.

Mason: Huh, okay…Hey, did you know that by the time I got to Tide Lofts there actually wasn’t any availability even though their website clearly said they had units available just this morning?

Lila’s mouth twitched before she answered. She was enjoying this almost as much as I was.

Lila: Um, well I don’t know anything about leasing, maybe they don’t keep their website updated well. Not really my wheelhouse.

I buried my face against her neck before she could see me grin. She knew anyway.

Mason: Uh... well. Goodnight I guess.

Lila: Bye.

She set the phone down, and I turned her in my arms and kissed her. She laughed against my mouth before melting into it, but I kept this one short enough that dinner remained a possibility.

When I pulled back, I kept her inside my arms. “That,” I said, still enjoying the hell out of myself, “was hot.”

She blinked up at me. “What was?”

“Telling him there’s nothin’ you keep from me. Telling him I’m back and that I’m yours.” I kissed her again, slower. “And the part where you told him I was nibblin’ on you and gettin’ impatient. That part was damn near pornographic.”