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“What—right now? Here?”
He glanced around the bar. The Shed was somewhere between a dive and a sports bar, and it was about half-full of beer drinkers and pool players. There were about a hundred screens showing various sports dotted on every wall. Camilla and Lucy were watching them from the corner booth without even trying to hide it. He turned back to the woman in front of him. “Yeah. Here.”
“I can’t just…turn them on. I’m not even sure Ihavebedroom eyes.” She frowned at him. “That’s why it’s in the curriculum.”
Leo dropped his lids to half mast and let Amelia see a mere fraction of all the things he wanted to do to her.
She threw her hands up like a shield. “Whoa! Jesus!”
He laughed and reached up to tug her hands down, gently circling her wrists with his fingers. Touching her was an impulse he wasn’t quite able to leash. He tugged her a bit closer and laughed again at the sight of her grumpy face.
“That’s unnatural,” she complained, not pulling her hands away from his grasp. “You’re a freak.”
“That’s not very nice.”
“Yeah, well…” She huffed, then bit her lip. “How did you do that? All of a sudden you looked…”
The flush that warmed her cheeks made Leo want to look at her like that again and see where the evening took them. He dropped her hands and took a sip of his drink to try to get himself back under control.
Marlon’s voice floated through his mind, and Leo knew he needed to keep some semblance of distance from her. Amelia wasn’t interested in him. She was never going to be interested in him. He wouldn’t do her the disservice of pursuing her, only to inevitably leave her disappointed when he couldn’t be the man she deserved.
Being with her might make him feel like he was a better man, but he still knew the truth. He was Pestilence. He was a playboy. He was good in bed, but not much else.
“All right.” Leo spoke slowly, his eyes focused on the task of centering his drink on its coaster. He cleared his throat and glanced at Amelia. “Your turn.”
Her brows were slightly darker than her hair, and they lowered at his words. “But…how? What were you thinking about when you did that?”
Ha. That was something Leo would never, ever tell her. Not when she deserved so much better. “Just think about something that turns you on.”
“Like what?”
“You’re asking me what turns you on?”
“Well—no. I mean…” She huffed, shifting her gaze to the side. “I don’t know what turns me on.”
He paused, then asked, “You’ve had sex before, right?”
Amelia pursed her lips. “Well, yeah. But my sex life hasn’t been…” She let the sentence drift off, then dragged her gaze back to meet his. She looked lost and a little overwhelmed.
Leo shifted in his seat and put his hands on his knees. She still stood between them, wearing that sheer blouse, looking entirely delicious. “Okay. Let’s try this. Just look at me.”
“Just look at you?” Her frown deepened.
“Yeah. Just look in my eyes and try not to think of anything. You don’t need to be turned on, but—wait. No, not like that. Not like you want to stab me.” He laughed. “Amelia, just, clear your mind. Just look at me normally. Now you look suspicious—no.”
She let out a rough little growl, tearing her gaze away from his.
Leo reached up and turned her chin back to face him. “Hey. Come on.” He spoke softly, stroking her cheek with his thumb, then forced himself to drop his hand.
“This was a stupid idea.”
Her eyes were pools of silver, and for the first time, Leo saw a hint of vulnerability. It made his chest ache. “Forget the bedroom eyes. They’ll happen naturally when you’re interested in someone.”
“If that’s true, how did you just turn them on like you were flicking a switch?”
Because I want you so badly I can barely think of anything else.
He rolled his shoulders and gave her his best lady-killer smile. “I’m just that good, baby.”
