I let the question hang with just enough edge to make it clear I was asking if he needed to be considered a threat.
"We met at a conference last year. Nothing like what you’re suggesting," Woody said stiffly.
"Oh good." My smile widened. "Because Henny's very monogamous. Aren't you?"
I shifted my hand from his collar to his face, and this time there was nothing playful about the touch. No teasing, or hesitancy. Just my palm cupping his jaw, thumb tracing the sharp line of his cheekbone with a clear meaning in mind.
My fingers slid back to tuck a strand of golden hair behind his ear, the gesture intimate and possessive. This wasn't me in chaos mode. This was me showing everyone in this room exactly what I wanted.
ExactlywhoI wanted.
Henny's breath hitched. His eyes locked on my mouth. I watched his throat work as he swallowed. For a moment, the entire lobby faded away, and it was just us, my hand on his face and his heart hammering where my fingertips rested against his throat.
"Yeah," Henny said quietly, his voice rougher than normal. "He’s right."
Victory had never tasted so sweet.
Woody cleared his throat awkwardly. "Right. Well, I should let you two get back to your evening. Henny, we'll catch up another time about those reports."
"Sure, another time," Henny managed, though his gaze never strayed from me.
I didn't watch Woody leave. He wasn’t worth my attention. All I cared about was the way Henny was staring like he was seeing a new side to me.
"Boyfriend?" He finally said when we were alone.
I let my hand drop but didn't step back. "You didn't correct me."
"As if you truly gave me a chance."
"You had plenty of chances." I tilted my head, studying him. "You could have laughed it off; told him I was joking. But you didn't."
Henny's jaw tightened. "What was that, Pip?"
"What was what?"
"That whole…" He gestured vaguely. "The jealous lover routine. Was that part of your game?"
The accusation stung. "I told you before, this isn't a game."
"Then what is it?" Henny demanded, and I could hear the frustration bleeding through. "Because I can't figure you out. One minute you're avoiding me, the next you're staking a claim in the lobby in front of everyone."
Was I being a bit of a hypocrite? Sure. Didn’t mean I didn’t want to know his reasoning.
"You want to know what it is?" I stepped closer. "I was supposed to take my time killing someone and all I could think about was getting back to you. I rushed through my favorite part of the job because I wanted to finish our conversation. And then I get here and see some guy touching you, looking at you, like he had a fucking right to."
"He was just being friendly.”
"I don't care." The words came out fierce. "I don't want anyone else being friendly with you. I don't want anyone else touching you or making you smile or standing that close."
I stopped myself, but Henny's eyes had gone dark.
"You make it sound like you want me all to yourself, Pip."
The lobby hummed with activity around us, people passing by without a second glance at two men standing close together. It was for the best that way. I had just casually mentionedmurder. And I was seconds away from losing my cool if the conversation kept going this way.
"Exactly," I huffed. "I want you. Not temporarily, not just while I’m here for this job. I want to be the person you come home to. The person who gets to touch you and sleep beside you every night."
Henny stared at me, and I could see him thinking through my words. Those careful walls he'd built were cracking bit by bit.
