Page 61 of The Ache That Stayed

She frowned. “I’m not cold.”

“Humour me.”

She rolled her eyes but pulled it on anyway, the leather reaching her thighs. The scent of her perfume mixed with the engine oil and cold night air. For a second we just stood there. Seeing her wearing my jacket sent a dangerous thought to my head—imagining her only in my jacket. The monster was trying to push through again.

Then—

An engine roared somewhere above the underpass. I grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward one of the concrete pillars.

“What are you—”

Before she could finish the sentence, I backed her against the pillar. Her back hit the concrete with a thud. I placed a hand beside her head and settled the other at her waist. From a distance we probably looked like every other couple hiding under the bridge.

She blinked up at me.

“Santino—what the hell—”

“Play along.”

Up close she smelled like leather and heat and something dangerously familiar—a perfect mix of her perfume and my jacket. Her mouth opened to protest. Her chest rose and fell quickly. Then she exhaled slowly, body relaxing against mine.

The SUV rolled slowly across the underpass entrance, headlights sweeping past slowly.

Roxanne suddenly grabbed my shirt tighter, pulling me closer. My grip on her waist tightened right back. For a moment, the world narrowed to the space between us. The warmth of her lingered against my jaw, fingers twisting in my shirt.

I stepped closer, my leg sliding between hers. Her throat worked once. For a second, she went completely still. Then she glanced down briefly where my leg was wedged between hers.

Then she muttered under her breath.

“Rough much?”

My jaw tightened.

Did she really have to say that right now? When I’m standing so close? That she can feel every twitch in my goddamn cock.

Her eyes dropped for a second, then snapped back to mine. She fucking felt it. A faint flush spread across her cheeks.

I leaned down slightly, lowering my voice.

“Relax.”

She scoffed. “You’re the one pinning me against a pillar.”

“Trust me, Volpi,” I murmured. “You’d know if I was actually pinning you.”

Her lips parted. Then pressed together again.

The SUV engine faded into the distance. But neither of us stepped away.

A strand of her hair had fallen across her cheek. I tucked it slowly behind her ear, fingers lingering a second longer than necessary. Her eyes flicked up to mine. Then back to the road again. Her teeth caught her lower lip.

Fuck. My. Life.

I dragged my thumb across it and pulled it free.

“Don’t do that,” I said.

My voice came out rougher than I intended it to, because the last thing I needed right now was another reason to kiss her and forget why we were hiding.