Page 50 of A Dangerous Kind of Love

“Obviously. You’ve never even had a man spend the night with you.”

“Shh,” I tell her. “He doesn’t know that.”

She sits up. “Wait. Does he know you’re a virgin?”

I shake my head. “And I’m not telling him.”

“That is dangerous, Katie,” she says.

I ignore her.

“Come on. We’d better get back out there.”

I leave her staring. She chases after me, grabbing my arm in the hallway.

“You can’t say that and then run,” she hisses.

I shake her off and keep walking. She’s trying to drag me back toward the bedroom when we step into the living room. Michael and Luca both look up the second we appear. She’s still whisper-arguing with me when I clear my throat. She follows my gaze and freezes. Then she straightens.

“Oh—hey guys,” she says.

“I should order the pizzas,” I say, heading toward the kitchen.

“I’ll help,” Sarah says.

Michael rises from his seat.

“Why don’t you sit down,” he says, the edge in his voice impossible to miss, and his gaze lands on me. “I need to talk to Katie.”

Sarah glances between the two of us before quietly moving to the chair beside the couch. Luca leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and gives her a small smile when she sits down. Michael doesn’t say a word.

He grabs my elbow and pulls me toward the front door. I stumble after him as he pushes it open and ushers me onto the porch. A second later the door shuts behind us, and he turns me to face him.

“Katie, what the fuck are you trying to pull?”

I tilt my head up at him.

“You don’t know me well enough to speak to me that way.”

He breathes in through his nose, the muscles in his jaw tightening. I know I’m getting dangerously close to the edge of his patience.

“What is this?” He motions to Luca and Sarah inside.

“Are you incapable of just hanging out?” I ask. “Or are you only interested in fucking me?”

“Katie,” he says, the anger draining from his face.

“What?” I say, my voice sharper now. “Because that’s what it feels like.”

“Katie, that’s not what this is,” he says, stepping closer.

“You could have fooled me,” I say, swallowing.

His hands come up and cup my face.

“I want you to be my girl,” he says. “Not just because I want to fuck you. I do—that part’s not exactly a secret, but I also want to hold your hand. I want you falling asleep curled up next to me. I want to sit and listen to you talk for hours.”

His thumb brushes along my cheek.