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I whimper when he suddenly breaks the kiss and pulls back, needing more, needinghim. I blame the bond for the way I’m acting like a bitch in heat, reaching up to cup his jaw, pulling his lips to mine again.
My pulse hammers at a frantic rhythm as our mouths fuse once more, plundering and seeking and taking until we’re forced to pull away to catch our breath.
Javi gazes into my eyes through the darkness, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he reaches out to thumb my lower lip. “There’s no way I could sit next to you all night without doing that,” he murmurs.
My mouth falls open, but only a helpless little squeak comes out. I’m at a complete loss for words, too consumed by him to string together a coherent sentence.
The corner of his lips lift in a smirk, like he knows exactly what he’s doing to me. He leans in again, planting a gentle peck on my lips, licking his own as he pulls back to meet my eyes once more.
My hand drifts back up to cup his jaw, thumb stroking his smooth cheek. “You shaved.”
“Yeah,” he murmurs. “Do you like it?”
“I don’t know,” I muse, pursing my lips as I study his face in the dark. I lift my other hand, running my thumbs over both of his cheeks. “I think I kinda miss the scruff.”
“I’ll grow it back then,” he chuckles, covering one of my hands with his own and moving it in front of his mouth, pressing his lips to my fingertips.
As we stare into each other’s eyes, the sexual tension between us ratchets up to a thousand. I know I said we should take things slow, but I’m suddenly finding the prospect of that impossible, ready to drop my panties and let him take me right here.
What the hell has gotten into me?
Not him. Not yet. But he’s already under my skin in a way nobody else has ever gotten, making me want to drop my guard and do stupid, reckless things with him.
Javi reaches around my body, setting his hand on the knob of the door. “You’d better get back out there before someone notices we’ve been gone too long,” he mumbles, and my heart plummets in disappointment. “I’ll wait a minute or two before following.”
I sink my teeth into my lower lip, giving him a tight nod.
He opens the door and I stumble out of the closet in a daze, my eyes searching the hallway and thankfully finding it empty. Javi slips out behind me, giving me a little nudge of encouragement to send me on my way.
How can I go back and face my friends after that?
My legs are wobbly as I start down the hall, smoothing my hair and dress and regulating my breathing. By the time I emerge into the main room of the bar, I’ve got my poker face backon, heading straight for our table and greeting everyone with a composed smile as I slide back onto my stool.
13
I can still taste Lo on my lips as I make my way back to the table, already scheming for another opportunity to get her alone. It’s been tortuous to sit beside her and act like she’s a stranger, but I respect that she wants to keep this quiet for now. I mean, it’s not like I’m ready to announce it to my own pack. This is a delicate, dangerous game we’re both playing, and one misstep could send the whole house of cards tumbling down.
Another seat has been added to the table and Avery’s currently occupying it, leaving the empty stool between Lo and herself for me. I greet everyone with an easy grin as I slide onto it, picking up my beer and seamlessly slipping right back into the conversation.
“You work out, right Javi?” Tristan asks, his gaze wandering over me as he sizes me up. “You should come lift with us sometime.”
“Sure, that’d be cool,” I reply casually. In my periphery, I see Lo has her phone in her hands, powering it on.Guess that explains why she never replied to my messages.A bunch of notifications come in at once and her cheeks flush as she holds her phone closer to conceal it from prying eyes- though her friend beside her looks more than a little curious.
“It’s gotta be hard to stick to a training regimen, being on the road like you’ve been,” Lo’s brother comments. He was a bit guarded and defensive at first, but he’s already warming up to me.
“In a traditional sense, yeah, but a ten-hour day in construction is a workout in itself.” I raise my beer to my lips, taking a swig and swallowing it down.
“Is that what you guys were doing in your last spot?” Maddox asks, his fingers stroking against Sloane’s bare midriff as she reclines comfortably in his lap. “Working construction?”
He’s a tougher nut to crack. I can tell he’s the leader of the bunch, naturally protective of what’s his. I already know his trust will be the most difficult to gain.
“Most of us were on a road crew, yeah,” I answer, shooting him a friendly grin before lifting my beer and swallowing down another gulp.
They may think they’re being subtle, but I know exactly what these guys are doing. I was obviously invited here tonight so they could try to pump me for information.
I’m not about to act as though I have anything to hide, so I don’t hesitate to answer the questions they throw at me. I’ll play along with their game while they unwittingly play along with my own-because this isn’t just an interrogation, but a chance to size them up, gain their trust, and enter their inner circle. Getting close to them will get me closer to what I want; to what my pack needs.
If I can stop thinking about the beautiful distraction on my left for a goddamn minute, that is.
