“Hey, Priest,” Tony says as I stop in front of them.
“Tony. Can I borrow Cami for a moment?”
He looks quizzically between us. “Sure.” He caresses the side of her cheek. I want to grab his fucking finger and snap it. Doesn’t he know she’s not the kind of girl he can play with? “I’ll see you soon,bellissima?”
“Of course. I’ll only be a few minutes.” Lasers dart out of her eyes with enough power to fry me on the spot. My stomach buzzes. There’s so much more to this girl than I ever gave her credit for. I place a hand on her upper arm and instantly realize my mistake. Her skin is smoother and softer than anything I’ve ever felt. I snatch my hand back and gesture for her to go around the corner of the house, out of sight. She rolls her eyes but does it.
“What do you want?” she demands.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “I want to know why the hell you’re hanging out with fighters. Karson is sidelined for a year, so why are you here?”
She folds her arms under her breasts, and I can’t help but steal a peek at them. Those luscious tits look like they’d be more than a handful, and based on the way she’s built, they’re all natural. Fuck, she’s gorgeous.
“Have you ever considered that maybe I enjoy watching fights?” she asks, her tone suggesting I’m a dumbass. “Or that I’m here because I have friends in these circles? Not everything I do is because of my brother.”
“Oh.” I deflate, beginning to feel like a dick. She’s always struck me as such a gentle soul that I thought she wouldn’t like violence, but I shouldn’t have made assumptions. It also should have occurred to me that after spending years around fighters, she might have friends among our ranks. I suppose I’ve rarely seen her with anyone other than Karson, but it’s not as if she just vanished whenever he wasn’t around. She must have built relationships. “Okay, but what are you doing with Tony? Surely you know he’s not a one-woman kind of man.”
Her eyes become squinty. She’s pretty fucking cute when she’s mad—not that I dare say it. “I want a mind-blowing kiss, and I think he’s the guy for the job.”
My jaw drops. “You… what?”
She smirks. “You heard me, Mr. Judgey. I don’t care if he’s not a one-woman man. All I want is a kiss that rocks my world, and rumor has it, Tony knows what he’s doing.”
Blood rushes in my ears. I can’t believe what I’m hearing. An image flashes into my head of Tony and Camile wrapped in an embrace. My brain short circuits. For some reason I don’t want to examine too closely, I can’t stand the idea of them together. But if all she wants is a kiss, then there’s an easy solution.
I’llkiss her.
I grab her by the shoulders, groaning at the feel of her warm body against mine as I haul her close. Then, before she can do more than gasp, my mouth is on hers. She stiffens for a moment but doesn’t resist. I shut my eyes and soak up the reality of holding her in my arms. It’s so much better than I could have imagined. She’s all soft curves and silky skin. She smells edible, and after only a moment’s hesitation, her body molds to mine. A whimper sounds in the back of her throat, her lips part, and I finally get a taste of her.
Savage need tears through my body. She’s so fucking sweet. Like watermelon and sunlight. I pull her closer and plunder her mouth. What was supposed to be a brief kiss has taken a turn. The ground seems to fall out from beneath my feet, and I’m drowning in an ocean of desire. She dominates my senses. I can’t get enough of her.
My cock jumps to life, eager to join the party, and a sliver of sanity returns. I haven’t had sex in a long time, and I can’t start with her. I stumble away, gasping for breath.
I can’t do this. She’s related to one of the men responsible for my career veering sharply off course. Not to mention the fact I’ve just been telling myself she’s the kind of woman you keep—and I’m not looking for that. No matter how tempting she is.
“There.” I force the word past lips that don’t want to work. “You’ve had your kiss. If that’s all you came for, I think it’s time for you to go.”
3
Camile
Wait, what?
I shake my fuzzy head. I’d thought Leo had become so overwhelmed by passion that he’d had to kiss me, but it sounds like he’s just trying to get rid of me by giving me what he thinks I want. My lower lip wobbles and I latch my teeth onto it before he can notice. The last thing I need is to let him see he’s hurt me. But did he really not feel what I did? That kiss meant something, and now he’s trying to tell me it was a tool in his cruel arsenal?
I straighten my back and pull myself together. It doesn’t matter what Leo says or does or why he seems to dislike me so much. All that matters is keeping my dignity—something he’s made nearly impossible.
Nearly.
With more sass than I feel, I toss my curled hair over my shoulder and cock my head. “I’m not going anywhere. I still haven’t had the mind-blowing kiss I came for.”
His jaw drops.Good. I don’t wait around to see what he’ll say next. Instead, I hurry around the side of the house and back to the party, blinking away tears.
“Hey.” Tony’s brow furrows with concern as I reach him. “Are you okay?”
“Fine.” I sniff.
He tucks me under his arm and looks back the way I came, where Leo is emerging from around the corner. “Did he say something to you?”
