Page 10 of Spotlight Hearts

Again.

And again.

Each run tightens the wire between us. On the third, Luca lingers—his tongue flicks out just enough to graze the candy and the edge of my lip. I jerk back instinctively. He laughs under his breath.

“Too much?” he murmurs.

“Too close,” I snap.

“Perfect,” Steven calls. “Keep that edge. It reads as chemistry.”

Fourth run: I hold the stem steadier, forcing myself not to clench my jaw. Luca takes his time—lips parting wider, I can see his tongue dart out as his eyes never leave mine. The moment stretches. My pulse hammers in my throat. Not from want, I tell myself. It’s the sheer effort of not recoiling and the way his proximity makes every nerve scream back off while the choreography demands stay.

Fifth: He yanks the sucker free with a playful nip at the air, teeth clicking near my bottom lip. I grab his wrist on reflex, holding it there a beat too long.

“Careful,” he whispers. “People might think you like it.”

“People might think you’re desperate,” I hiss back.

Michael, catching the exchange from the side, cackles. “You two are gonna break the internet with this. I’m calling it now—viral gold.”

Min-ho steps closer during the reset, voice low so only I hear. “You’re doing good. Just breathe. It’s fake.”

I nod once. It doesn’t feel fake.

Sixth run: Luca’s mouth closes fully around the candy this time—a slow and wanton suck that pulls the stem from between my teeth with a soft glide. Our faces are so close I can count the flecks of green in his brown-hazel eyes. His free hand brushes my hip for balance—scripted, but the heat of his palm burns through my shirt.

Steven finally kills the music. “That’s it. That’s the one. Tension’s electric. You’ve got the spark.”

Luca steps back, licking the last of the cherry off his lips with exaggerated flair. “Gonna need a dentist after this tour.”

I roll my eyes, turning away to grab my water bottle. “You’ll survive. Try not to enjoy it too much.”

He pockets the leftover suckers from the bag, smirking. “Too late. Tastes like victory.”

I don’t dignify that with a response. I just take a long drink of my water, letting the cold steady me, trying to ignore the phantom press of his mouth still lingering on mine. Our lips never actually touched, but I don’t think my brain knows that.

Steven claps us on the backs one last time. “Solid work, boys. This is gonna kill live.”

Luca shoots me one last look. “Can’t wait.”

I turn my back on him, heart still racing from the “lust” we’re selling so convincingly.

If only it didn’t feel like the lines were starting to blur, just a little.

FOUR

LUCA

Rehearsal drags on for another hour after we nail the sucker bit—fine-tuning transitions, running the full set twice more until Steven’s satisfied and Tasha calls time. My mouth tastes like artificial cherry, even after chugging water. Kai’s been shooting daggers at me the whole time, like every touch is a personal offense. Fine by me. The feeling’s mutual. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself as I grab my bag and head for the exit.

Michael catches me by the door, clapping my shoulder. “You two were on fire today. Seriously, that sucker pull? Iconic.”

“Yeah, iconic cavities,” I mutter, forcing a grin. “See you tomorrow?”

He nods. “Hotel lobby, bright and early. Don’t be late, or Kai might actually explode.”

I laugh it off, but as I push through the doors into the California sun—warm even in the late afternoon—something twists in my gut. The guys are heading back to the suite downtown: room service, video games, the usual post-rehearsal unwind. Min-ho probably organized some quiet movie night, Michael turning it into chaos. Kai… Well, Kai doing whatever he does to stay in control. Working out in the hotel gym. Planning. Pretending he’s above it all.