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“Diego wasn’t captivated by me,” I stated in no uncertain terms. “He saw a halfway decent face, most of my cleavage spilling out of this stupid uniform, and a challenge, and he thought—”
“I saw the same face he did, you know, and I’d classify it as more than halfway decent. I’d also have to agree with poor Diego on that challenge you pose. It’s quite intoxicating.”
Um, what?
“Excuse me?” I sputtered. Had he just called me intoxicating?
I suddenly wanted to fan my hand in front of my face to cool myself down, because it was getting way too warm in this car. Thank God Diego had never called me intoxicating; I probably would’ve fallen right into his lying, thieving arms.
“You have a certain light in your eyes,” he murmured in a low tenor that made my hormones go haywire, “that tells a man he can only have you in his wildest dreams, which seems to make them only grow wilder. Then there’s the wit on your tongue and the bite in your words, which lets us know we need to prove ourselves fast thinkers and mentally capable before earning a way past your defenses. And as guarded as you are, it makes us think there’s quite a prize to be won. W
hat are you guarding so fiercely inside that soul of yours, Gabriella? Honestly, who wouldn’t give everything just to find out?”
Dear God. He made me sound freaking alluring
Except I knew I wasn’t. I was just me: a dash of bitter, a sprinkle of wicked, and a vat full of tired.
Laughing self-consciously, I tucked away a stray piece of hair and tried to avoid the entire topic. “Let’s just move on to the next subject. What else do you think we should know about each other?”
Pulling abruptly to the curb, he parked the car, making me jump and glance out the window, surprised to realize we’d already reached Miguel’s school.
“You touched me, you know.”
I swallowed at the low, rich quality of his voice. It caused shudders to quiver low in my belly. Turning slowly, I licked dry lips and whispered, “What?”
“The first time I saw you.” He ran his gaze over my face, then down to my heaving bust. “Your brother was crashing through the front entrance of your building when I was trying to leave. I stepped out of the way, only to realize you were hot on his heels, trying to keep up and not lose him. You stepped right by me as I held the door open for you, and your arm—this very elbow right here—” He reached out to barely glide his fingers over my bare flesh. “Brushed past my diaphragm. I haven’t been able to breathe right since.”
I stared at him with no idea what to say.
He leaned close. “I find it completely believable that I could become obsessed with you after you served me a single cup of coffee.”
“O—Okay, then,” I relented breathlessly. “We’ll stick with the café story.” Needing air—massive amounts of air—I reached for the door handle, only for him to say my name.
“Gabriella.”
God, his voice and that word combined together sent shivers up my spine. I glanced over, my breathing coming a little heavier. “Yes?”
“Just so you know,” he murmured, reaching out to catch a piece of my hair. “Before this association between us is over, I’m probably going to make a play for you. A real one. And I’m going to come on strong, because I tend to do that when I really want something. I don’t give up, either, not until I get it.” Releasing my hair, he turned away first, opening his own door as he added, “You should probably prepare for that.”
I waited until he’d exited the car and shut the door, leaving me inside alone, before I blew out a shaky breath and mumbled an uneasy, “Oh, Lord. What the fuck have I gotten myself into?”
The worst part was, I wasn’t sure if I was looking forward to his promise or dreading it.
Probably a little bit of both.
“Oh!” I yelped, suddenly remembering one huge detail. As soon as he opened my door for me, I hopped from the car to face him. “One more thing I should probably know about you.”
He looked at me and arched up his eyebrows, waiting expectantly. “What’s that?”
My face immediately heated, because I couldn’t believe I hadn’t asked this yet. It probably should’ve been my first question, or at least something I asked before wondering if we’d had fake sex yet in our fake relationship.
“What’s your name?”
Chapter 14
Hayden
She surprised me.
