Chapter 17 #2
Something flashes behind her eyes right before they fall to the floor.
Her cheeks get impossibly pinker, and she scampers across the kitchen to put the pitcher into the fridge.
“Where’s my guitar? It’s time for my daily rendition of Stairway to Heaven.
If I don’t play it by seven, the mice won’t be able to fall asleep. ”
Random distraction Lila is quite possibly my favorite version of her.
Son of a bitch. I’m stuck in a loop. I gather my wits to focus, only for her to throw me off kilter a second later. Rinse and repeat for infinity.
I need to knock this shit off. Now. I’m not here to catalog and rank my favorite versions of her. I’m here for work. And only for work.
For. Work.
The case.
Morgan Freeman clears his throat in the back of my mind. Once again, our hero has found himself in delusional territory. Let’s see how long it takes him to find a way out this time.
I exhale and roll out my shoulders, happily ignoring the overrated actor impersonating my conscience.
Overrated my ass, he mumbles.
Shut up.
Once Lila closes the refrigerator, she spins around slowly and pins me with a playful look. “Is this how you spend your day off? You might need to get some hobbies. It’s never too late to learn how to become a mime.”
I don’t react to her jab, taking a step closer. “Who says I’m off?”
She puts her hands on her curvy hips, right where I want mine to be.
“Special Agent Hayes, are you saying the government pays your salary so you can hang out at your sister’s apartment, waiting for her friend to get home so you can try to trick her into a date again?
” She tsks her lips at me and takes a confident step forward.
“Such a waste of tax dollars. Someone should tip off the media.”
I remove the last of the space separating us, coming close enough to feel her body heat. “Who says I’m trying to get you to go on a date with me?”
She licks her gaze across my face. I do the same, eager to soak up the view of her at this distance.
Out of nowhere, she taps her index finger on the tip of my nose. “Boop.” Beaming in a cheek-splitting grin, she walks past me, grazing my arm, which gives me a little jolt.
Fighting a chuckle, I stand dumbstruck while she leaves the kitchen, returning a second later with her hands full of the gift I brought.
She glances at the bouquet, then back at me, arching one brow like an accusation. “The flowers were a dead giveaway. Especially coming from you.”
I shrug. Yeah, she’s right. Flowers aren’t my style. At all. But I’m trying to lay the groundwork here. If I can’t get her to let her guard down, she’ll never talk to me about whatever she’s wrapped up in.
Plus, Andrews told me to bring something more than my ego the next time I saw Lila. So I did.
“Fine. You caught me.”
She delicately sniffs the colorful blooms, her eyes rolling back as she savors the scent.
Then she smiles at me, shining rays of light directly into my soul.
“These are lovely. Thank you.”
Judging by that reaction, maybe bringing Lila flowers should be my thing. Her smile enchants me.
It’s everything.
If only she weren’t likely to be involved in a crime I’m investigating.
Her line of sight flickers to the cabinets, her feet following a second later.
Setting the flowers on the counter, she opens a door and reaches toward the top shelf, going on her tiptoes.
As much as I’d love to stay where I am to enjoy the view of her body lengthening as she attempts to get the vase, I do the gentlemanly thing.
Gliding close, I press my front against her back and intentionally layer some heat in my tone. “Allow me.”
Aside from a tiny gasp and withdrawing her hand from the vase, she barely reacts. On the outside.
If she feels even half of the connection that I do, she’s reacting on the inside big time.
With an aching slowness, I take the vase from the top shelf for her.
As my hand drops, I shift my body weight to the side at the same pace, so I’m essentially moving from one side of her to the other.
Her beguiling eyes track the path of the vase, but I only watch her.
I get a sick thrill of how she’s struggling to remain unbothered by my nearness.
Lila’s body still fits against mine perfectly. Her lush curves have always had a way of awakening something primal inside me. She’s soft and delicate. Warm and inviting.
But that’s not why I’m here, I remind myself for the trillionth time.
When I’ve drawn out the moment as long as I can, I rest the vase on the counter and back away.
She bunches her mouth to one corner and hits me with a faux scowl. “Stop being nice to me, Reed. It’s bad for your brand. You’ll lose sponsors.”
Without thinking, I retort, “Stop being mean to me, or I’ll fall in love with you.”
Her eyes bulge, and she freezes for a split second before busting out in a laugh. I join in, grateful she took it for a joke.
Because if I’m being honest, I’m unsure how much of that was facetious.
Our laughter fades to silence as she fills the vase with water, puts the bouquet inside, and fluffs some of the petals. She stares at the arrangement for a beat, then raises her shoulders with a deep inhale, letting them fall dramatically with her relaxed exhale.
Then she’s gone, dashing out of the kitchen in a sudden rush.
I trail after her. “Where are you going?”
“To take a shower. I have a date tonight.”
The fuck?
Irrational jealousy flares inside me. My pulse ratchets up like it was hit with jumper cables. My tone is swathed in barbed wire as I grit out, “With who?”
I want his name, age, and a description. He’s getting fully investigated immediately. If I find even the slightest smudge on his record, he’s gonna wake up in a cell tomorrow.
Lila pauses in her bedroom doorway and hits me with a playful grin. “With you, silly.”
Oh.
The flare of jealousy I felt at the idea of her dating another man quickly ignites into a fiery ball of lust. I grit my teeth and cast my hands into fists to stop myself from grabbing her.
Seeming to second-guess herself, she nervously tacks on, “That is why you’re here, right?”
The tender hint of vulnerability in her tone ignites those flames of desire into a raging inferno. The mere idea of her being unsure has me ready to do whatever it takes to remove any trace of doubt she might have.
If I’m here, it’s for her. Period.
And for some baffling reason, I don’t want her to ever have the slightest doubt about that.
“Reed?” she prods, reminding me of her question.
I close the remaining space between us in two large strides. “Damn right that’s why I’m here,” I husk out as I grab her cheeks and lower my mouth to hers.
Not sure I’ve ever wanted to kiss a woman as much as I want to kiss Lila right fucking now.
Right before our lips touch, she puts both palms on my chest and gently pushes me back. “Whoa, horsey. Easy now. That wasn’t an invitation to a group shower.”
Why not?
A grunt-like chuckle nearly gets stuck on its way out of my mouth. I let my hands fall from her rosy cheeks. “Well, I was gonna kiss you. But now, all I can think about is getting in the shower with you. How can I change your mind?”
She laughs, but it’s not her real one this time. This one is tight and entwined with ropes of nervousness. “Not happening, Reed.”
The heat of her splayed hands on my chest quickly seeps through my cotton shirt. If she doesn’t stop touching me, I can’t be held responsible for my actions. Like fucking her up against this wall.
Instead of doing that—regrettably—I encircle her wrists and tug her hands off my chest.
I’m finally able to suck in a deep breath. Big mistake.
Lila’s delicate scent fills my nostrils, her usual sweetness tinged with fresh perspiration. My eyes roll to the back of my head. Fucking hell. This woman has always had a mouthwatering smell. It usually reminds me of freshly baked cookies.
But tonight, she’s on another level. Her body heat must be amplifying her pheromones.
I need more.
I want to consume her, and if all I get is her smell, I’ll take it happily.
With my next inhale, I’m transported back to the night we shared.
Our flesh slick with sweat as the minutes turned into hours.
How we pasted our bodies together all night long.
I didn’t want to shower the next morning out of fear that her scent on me would disappear.
I convinced myself that it didn’t matter since there was no way I’d let her go.
I figured it would only be a few days before she was in my arms again, and that heavenly scent would return with her.
That never happened, though.
Because it was all a lie.
The tainted memories douse my libido with a bucket of ice water.
Honestly, that’s for the best. I’m not here for a trip down tainted memory lane or to get her in the sack. This was exactly the reminder I needed to get my head on straight.
Focus on the job.
After retreating from her personal space bubble, I drag my hand down my face and slowly blink open my eyes. All remaining traces of desire are littered on the floor.
Her face falls, likely in reaction to my sudden mood shift.
I clear my throat and flatly ask, “Anyway . . . would you join me this evening for a date?”
“Reed, what just happened?”
I force my grin into place to restore some semblance of the mood. I am supposed to be wooing her, after all. “Are we back to this? Answering questions with more questions?”
“I don’t know. Are we?” she fires back, eyes dancing coyly.
“Did you just do it again?”
“Do what?” A cheeky smile joins her playful eyes, making her face light up. “Reclaim my shtick? Perhaps.”
My grin slowly becomes more genuine. “Lila, you’re the queen of deflection. And I bow down to your perfection.” I tip my chin toward her bathroom. “Go shower. I’ll wait for you in the other room.”
She gives me a demure nod, taking a step deeper into her bedroom before pausing. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
With my thoughts squarely on my goals, I remind myself that I’m supposed to be getting her to trust me. “I’m fine. I was distracted for a minute. That’s all.” When her only reaction is a sharp narrowing of her eyes, I add, “It was something about a case. Nothing for you to worry about.”
It’s mostly true.
Her expression is the physical embodiment of doubt. From the purse of her lips to the creases on her forehead. My chest aches, a heavy weight pressing down on my ribs.
Part of me hates that I caused her to doubt me, souring the mood and her thoughts of me. Unfortunately, another part of me doesn’t give a fuck if she doubts me. Because if she truly cared about me, she wouldn’t have lied to me in the first fucking place.
However, since the job comes first, I play the role I’m supposed to. Shifting my glare to a smolder, I approach her deliberately and kiss her forehead. I fight the urge to let my lips linger and refrain from inhaling deeply.
Her breath hitches, and we catch eyes as I pull away.
Rather than saying anything else that will only prolong this torturous moment, I turn on my heel. When I get to the doorway, I glance behind me to find her still frozen in place. “Take your time getting ready, Lila. No need to rush.”
She flashes a crooked smile, still distrustful of my motives.
I want to see her whole fucking smile. The real one. I want it to light up her face and banish all the dark spots of our past.
“I’d gladly wait all night for you.”
Shaking her head, she rolls her eyes and starts, “Reed, my goodness. Your mood is all like . . .” Without warning, she crouches slightly and splays her palms out to the sides at waist level. “Parkour!”
And I laugh, because how could I not?
Even when our treacherous past rears its head, Lila somehow makes me want to forget all the heartache.
With only a few words or a simple look, it’s as if she never destroyed what we could have been.
The only thing left is the memory of how it felt to hold everything in my arms for one night.
When the future didn’t seem as bleak as the past. And when I foolishly thought I’d finally gotten the girl.
The one who made me feel like I wasn’t a broken shell of a man.
No clue how she does it. She’s more powerful than any drug known to man.
Perhaps not to all men, but she is to me.
Which is precisely what makes her so dangerous.