He swallowed at the thought.
She released a breath, and he realized they were still staring at each other—her with a wary look, and him trying to get his lust under control. Warmth surged upward, coloring his cheeks when she raised an eyebrow as if she knew exactly what he had been thinking.
“I said I’d fulfill my promise,” she said in a low voice. “One date. Tomorrow. Noon to four. I’ll meet you at the café around the corner fromThe Rocks. Don’t be late, because I won’t wait.”
And just like that, she stepped forward to close the door in his face again.
He moved before he thought, his palm stopping the door an inch from his face.
She froze, startled.
The cat let out a grumble of protest.
For a moment, Nikos did nothing but look.
“I need to eat. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Nikos clenched his jaw, forcing himself to nod. “Café. Noon.”
She nodded.
He turned away, taking two steps before instinct made him pause. He glanced back over his shoulder—and saw her still watching him, not moving. Still clutching that ridiculous cat. Still not smiling.
And still the most mesmerizing woman he’dever seen.
“Damn it,” he muttered under his breath.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he turned, closed the distance between them, and—ignoring every rule of logic—kissed her.
It was fast. A press of lips that burned hotter than anything he’d felt in years. He wasn’t even sure he’d meant to do it until it was over and she was staring at him, eyes wide, her hand trembling as she lifted it to her mouth.
His body vibrated. Pulse hammered. Blood roared. That one kiss hit him like a bomb detonating in his chest.
“Good night,” he rasped, already stepping back.
He shut the door himself and rested his forehead against it, exhaling hard.
What the hell was that?he wondered, shaken.
He turned away before he did something even more reckless—like knock again.
It was only then that he noticed the cat scratch that had made it through his dress shirt to graze his skin. He laughed in disbelief. He hadn’t even felt it.
As he descended the four flights of stairs in record time, he swore he could still feel the ghost of her lips on his—soft, warm, hesitant.
That wasn’t a kiss. Not really,he thought with growing aggravation.
But now? He felt… off balance. Unsettled.
“What the hell were you thinking, Nikos? She’s covered in warning signs,” he muttered.
And what had he done with those warnings blaring like a five-alarm fire? He had kissed her, that’s what he had done!
No warning. No suave line. Just pure, unfiltered instinct.
She had looked at him like he’d sucker-punched her. Like he’d peeled back some layer she hadn’t wanted anyone to see. And maybehe had—because he sure as hell hadn’t meant to reveal anything either.
He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to shake the strange fog clinging to him.
