No man haseverlooked at me like Chris is looking at me right now. And after the way he started—so closed-off and defensive—his admission to me is shocking.
“I…I’ve been thinking about you too,” I reply, my voice barely a whisper. “But there’s something I want to tell you…”
He gaze drops to my lips, hangs there for a moment, then moves back to my eyes. My whole body is scorching. The weight of his eyes is like a physical touch.
“What’s that, Avery?”
Oh God, what am I doing? How can I confess my lack of experience to a man like Chris? If I tell him now, he’ll just get back into his car and leave. What would a competent man like him want with an inexperienced girl like me?
“N-never mind,” I mutter, shaking my head. I look away. I’m screwing this up bigtime. But to my surprise, he leans in, putting himself in my field of vision.
He looks at me like he knows me. Like I’m already special to him. And right then, I’msurehe’s going to kiss me.
He doesn’t.
He takes me by the hand and walks with me, his fingers knitted between mine. Not overly tight or possessive, just firm. Non-negotiable. My pulse is pounding against the inside of his thumb, and I know he can feel it. He knows what he’s doing to me.
So, why hasn’t he made a move? I may not have been on any dates, but I know enough from Jules that most guys would have tried to put their hands on me by now—on…otherplaces.
“You’re old fashioned, huh?” I say, looking up at him. “For a man who forced me to go to lunch with him.”
“Forced? Nah, I didn’t force you. You wanted to come.”
I twist my lips, trying not to smile too wide. Yeah, he got me there.
A block from the car, he stops and turns to face me. Standing this close, my hand wrapped in his, I can see the tension in his face. Something he’s holding back.
“Avery, listen to me,” he says, his voice low. “Youalwayshave a choice with me. Understand?”
“Yes.” I nod. Where is this going?
“If you want me to take you home right now, I will. But if you don’t…”
My heart beats faster. I shake my head. “I don’t want you to take me home.”
Something almost like relief moves through his expression. No, maybe it’s hunger—or both. He gently rubs my wrist with his thumb, sending a delightful shiver through my body.
How did I end up with an Adonis like this touching me?
“Good. Because I don’t want to either.”
We stand there for a moment—a long moment—just staring at each other, his thumb on the pulse of my wrist while the city hums around us. The world feels pressurized. Charged like a bomb ready to explode.
Chris’s eyes are so blue that with the light glancing off them, they’re almost silver. His broad chest rises and falls, and I can’t stop myself from admiring his physique.
I can also see the effort he’s putting into not getting closer.
But I want him to!
I want it so badly that my lips part on their own. His gaze moves down to my mouth and remains there, his face firm as his grip on my hand tightens.
Again, he doesn’t kiss me.
It’s like he’s doing this on purpose. Making me wait so when he finally does, I’ll simply explode with relief.
“Come on,” he finally says, pulling me toward the car. We only make it a few steps when it happens.
Two men step out of a side alley. One is lean and twitchy, grinding his teeth like he’s on something. The other is wide-eyed and focused. Both of them have knives in their hands.
