Duke slowed to a stop beside the nearest torch and turned as Viv let go of his hand and hunched down to fiddle with her shoe.
“There,” she said. “May as well just take them off if we’re headed to a pool.” She worked at the other shoe in the flickering light, then came to a stand with the straps looped around her fingers.
“Think I can just leave these here?” she asked.
Duke nodded. “Yeah, they shouldn’t go anywhere. In fact,” he said, holding his hand out. “Let’s see if I can fasten them to the bridge in case the wind gets strong.”
Vivi handed over one of the shoes and kneeled beside him as Duke hunched down and unfastened the leather strap. After looping it through the rope casing the bridge, he brought the strap back to fasten it once more. He gave it a tug to make sure it’d stay in place.
“There we go.” He held out his hand. “Scalpel. I mean, next shoe.”
Vivi chuckled while slapping it onto his hand like some sort of surgical instrument.
Duke cleared his throat. “I’m going to go at this one from a different angle for maximum hold.”
“I appreciate that,” she said.
This time Duke lifted the shoe to strap it in at two places, then gave it a small jiggle and turned to get the nod of approval from his assistant.
“Let’s do the same with the first one,” she said.
“Good plan.” He did, feeling her eyes on him the entire time. And then, her hand was on him next, wrapping around his bicep as he finished the job. He went slowly while fastening the final strap and found himself wondering how he could drag out the moment.
“That should do it.” Duke gave the shoe another jiggle to make sure. “Think we saved a few lives today.”
Viv scooted closer, rested her cheek on his shoulder, and let out a sigh. “Saving the world, one pump at a time.” She kissed his cheek, short and quick, then moved to whisper something in his ear. “Mio eroe, my hero.”
Warmth stirred low in his belly at the sound of her voice. At the warmth of her breath on his skin. This was his moment, Viv was making it clear. Her close contact, her encouraging touch, and the soft trail of her fingers up the back of his arm.
His pulse revved as he responded in kind, slipping a hand around her slender, silky arm and trailing his fingers up the length of it.
She leaned in closer, or maybe it was him, and Duke pulled in the heavenly breath of tea rose on her skin. And in her hair too, he realized, as he ran his nose along the length of her soft, fragrant locks.
Vivi’s hand moved up to the back of his neck as his eyes met hers. He saw fire from the nearby torches reflected there, mimicking the heat burning low in his belly. He cradled her face and dropped his gaze to see the reflection of flames along her plump lips as well.
“Duke,” she said in a whisper.
Just hearing her say his name caused his pulse to spike once more. And that tone, low and seductive, urged him on as he moved in to close the gap between them.
The kiss they shared in the storm had been small, testing, and a little unsure. But this time, as his mouth met hers in a full, lingering kiss, there was new certainty on both ends. A passion that said the chemistry between them hadn’t waned. If anything, it’d grown stronger.
Heat flared low in his belly as he took in the magnetic push, and then the hypnotizing pull of her soft, silky lips.
He tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and a low groan sounded in his chest. Duke never imagined getting a second chance with Vivi Tripoli, yet here she was in his arms after all this time.
He wasn’t sure what the days ahead might bring, but one thing was certain. He’d messed up with her once before; Duke was determined to not let that happen again.
Chapter 15
Sunlight soaked into Viv’s skin as she waited for Duke to dry off and get dressed into something other than one of the three swimsuits he’d been sporting for today’s shoot.
Positioned directly across from her lay a stunning waterfall that had played as Duke’s backdrop for the last two hours.
Like yesterday, he’d risen to the occasion and performed beyond his call of duty. This time by jumping off a cliff and plunging into the water with a joyous shout.
Also like yesterday, he had a few costars in the shoot with him. Not animals this time—rather, two of Rico’s top fashion models, also sporting the designer’s swimwear.
The bikini-clad duo was all over Duke, of course, but to Viv’s satisfaction, he didn’t indulge them too much. He simply let them grope his chest and dote on him as Zee had instructed while keeping that smoldering gaze or confident grin aimed at the lens.
