One corner of Christian’s mouth twitched.
“Wind her up, and watch her go,” Angel said. “I think you make her nervous, Christian.”
“He doesn’t make menervous,” she lied. Oh, he made her so nervous. “He makes me annoyed. And horny.” She figured a dose of honesty was a good way to cover up her untruths. “Which is a seriously unfortunate mix and one of the many reasons—hundredsof reasons actually—why we’re keeping it casual. LikeI said.” Her hard stare said,Tell him, Christian.
“Mmm,” he hummed noncommittally.
She opened her mouth to demand exactly how she was supposed to take thatmmmwhen she tripped over the edge of the rug.
Christian was there to catch her, strong hands wrapping around her arms. “Careful,” he whispered. “You’ll have to remember to watch your step after one of my kisses has turned yourkneecaps to Jell-O.”
She glared at him. Partly because he was right. Partly because it embarrassed her that he was right. But mostly because she’d had about all she could take of his smug, arrogant, self-satisfied—
“I know becauseIhave to concentrate extra hard not to melt into a puddle after one ofyourkisses.”
Her pique leaked out of her faster than water through a sieve. Whenhe said things like that she…feltthings she had absolutely no business feeling. Soft, bright, sparkly things.
“Now that you two have agreed to bump uglies,” Angel grumbled in his sandpapery voice, “you are going to get on my last nerve. I can already tell.”
“Bump uglies?” Emily was grateful for the distraction from Christian’s blistering gaze and from all those soft, bright, sparkly feelings.“I’ve already had to get on Christian for trying to sound ’hood-ratty. Don’t make me do the same with you. Both of your accents make slang sound ridonkulous.”
And besides, she had the sneaking suspicion that what Christian was packing in his pants was anything but ugly. That she was poised to find out—and soon—had her knees loosening again.
“For some reason,” Christian said as he retookher hand and resumed their journey across the room, “she thinks she has the right to claim ownership of all slang and pop culture references.”
His smile and the humor twinkling in his eyes threatened to infect her with something truly dangerous. A good mood. Because like good days, good moods were usually the precursor to life rising up to bite her on the ass.
“You know what?” she said.“I think I like it better when neither of you is talking.”
Christian turned to her then, the heat in his eyes asking,Would you rather I was using my mouth for something else?
She swallowed, unable to answer back, even with her eyes.
Angel glanced back and forth between them and made a face. “Yes. My last nerve. Mark it as official.”
She frowned at him. “No, it isnotofficial.Because we’re not going to get all lovey-dovey like everyone else back at BKI.” Most of Emily’s coworkers were married, engaged, or otherwise coupled up. Love was definitely in the air in Chicago. So much so that sometimes walking around the shop and seeing so many pairs making googly eyes at each other had her fighting the urge to gag. Of course, other times she could admit how nice it was. Howterribly refreshing it was to see couples that lasted. “We’re keeping itcasual.” She stressed the word to Angel. “Nothing sickening or annoying about us. Spread the word.”
