The tension between us shifted, the air suddenly charged with something other than suspicion. I cleared my throat, to break the silence.
"You want something to drink? I think I have some bottled water in the fridge."
Luce's face broke into a grin, the sudden change in his demeanor catching me off guard. "I can get it."
He hopped up from his seat and strode over to the fridge, his movements fluid and graceful. He grabbed a couple of waters. "Here." He held out one of the bottles.
Our fingers brushed as I reached for it, a jolt of excitement shooting up my arm at the contact. I jerked back, the water sloshing in the bottle.
Now was not the time!
I risked a glance at Luce, but he seemed unaffected, his expression as calm and unreadable as ever. I took a sip of my water, hoping to cool the heat that had suddenly flared in my cheeks.
Get it together, Rissa. Focus.
Even as I tried to concentrate on our task, I couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between us. Something deeper than partnership or even friendship.
Something dangerous and exhilarating all at once.
I paced the small space of the RV as I ran through the details in my head. But my thoughts kept drifting back to Luce, to the way his lips had felt against mine in the bottle, the heat of his body pressed against me...
No. I couldn't think about that now. We had a job to do. It hadn’t even been twelve hours since the last time, why was I so fixated?
I turned to face him, my resolve hardening. "We need to?—"
But the words died on my lips as I caught sight of him. He was leaning against the counter, his muscular arms crossed over his chest, the bottle of water dangling loosely from his fingers. The afternoon sun streaming through the window gilded his dark hair with gold, casting his features in sharp relief.
Damn it. Why did he have to be so darn gorgeous in both his shapes?
I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry. "Luce, I?—"
He lifted his gaze to mine, his eyes dark and intense. "What is it, Rissa?"
The way he said my name…damn. I took a step forward, then another, until I was standing right in front of him. Close enough to feel the heat radiating off his body.
"I can't stop thinking about jumping you," I admitted, my voice rough.
His expression warmed, his lips curving into a smile that made my knees go weak. "Me neither."
And then I was kissing him, my fingers tangling in his hair as I pulled him closer. He responded instantly, his arms wrapping around me, his mouth hot and demanding against mine.
We stumbled backwards, my legs hitting the edge of the small bed. I fell back onto the mattress, pulling him down on top of me. His weight settled over me, solid and reassuring, as his hands roamed my body, setting my skin on fire.
This was a bad idea. We had more important things to worry about than satisfying our own selfish desires. But at that moment, I didn't care. All I wanted was him.
My fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, my urgency making me clumsy. I needed to feel his skin against mine, needed to be as close to him as possible. Luce helped, shrugging out of the garment and tossing it aside.
Just as I was reaching for his belt buckle, a distant sound intruded on my fogged mind. The crunch of tires on gravel. The low rumble of an approaching vehicle.
I froze, my body going rigid with tension. "Did you hear that?"
Luce nodded, his expression instantly alert and wary. He rolled off me and to his feet in one smooth motion, A short blade appearing in his hand.
Where did that come from?
"Someone's coming," he said.
"That's impossible," I said, even as my fingertips itched as my claws slid out. "No one knows about this place."
