Page 35 of Twisted Beauty

Then he did laugh, and before he could get another word out, she mumbled something and stormed off. And he’d thought Liv would be the difficult one.

He glanced around the party again and saw her heading toward him.

“Problem with Katie?” Liv asked.

He wondered if he’d get slapped if he ran his fingers through the silky curls draped over her shoulder. “She hasn’t exactly forgiven me for the magic shop incident yet.”

“She will, just give her time.” Liv lifted the thick, wavy mane off her neck and held it up behind her head. “It’s like an oven in here.” She finished off a beer and he wondered how many she’d had.

When she looked up at him, her eyes were a darker green than they’d seemed in the daylight. She held his gaze long enough for his heart to pick up speed, and he forced himself to look away.

“Yeah, apparently your friend Nate hasn’t gotten around to installing air conditioning yet.” His voice sounded thick in his own ears.

She tilted her head. “My friend?”

He didn’t answer.

“I bet it’s cooler out on that balcony,” she said. “Let’s go see.”

Alone together on the deck. Was she trying to kill him? “I’m not sure it can hold the weight of a couple of adults.”

Liv giggled. “Chicken.”

She was drunk. Or at least tipsy. He needed to stay as far away from her as he could, because he was just on the edge of losing his self-control. And he wasn’t about to take advantage of anyone. He wasn’t a fucking douchebag like Nate.

But she wrapped a hand around his wrist and led him out onto the balcony. The roar of the party muffled slightly as he followed her to the edge and looked out over the city streets. It was a little cooler, and he was surprised they were the only ones outside.

“You’ll get bitten up out here,” Matt said, hoping the thought of mosquitos would send her running inside.

She turned to face him. “So you’re afraid of flimsy balconies and bugs. Anything else I should know about you?” She leaned back against the railing and it wobbled.

Without thinking, Matt reached for her and pulled her off the railing. He may have been a little too forceful with the gesture, because she wound up flush against his chest. Christ. He could feel her curves and warmth pressing into him through the thin fabric of her dress. He placed a hand on her back to steady her and felt her melt against him.

“How many beers have you had?” His voice was rough.

“Just the one.” She leaned back slightly to look up at him. “Not enough to be drunk, but enough to make me feel bold.” She reached up, slid a hand around his neck, and drew his head down to hers. She placed a sweet, tender kiss on his lips and a blaze of heat pulsed through him.

He needed to stop this, to step away. There were so many reasons why this was a bad idea. Though at the moment he couldn’t actually name a single one.

Intending to peel her gently off him, he lifted his hand to her face. But she ran the tip of her tongue over his lower lip and his mind blanked.

He stroked his hand up her face and plunged his fingers into the silky tangle of her hair, tilting her head and plundering her mouth with his. Sliding his tongue against hers, he tasted the delicious sweetness of her, and felt the softness of her lips moving against his. The sounds of the party vanished and all he could hear was the thundering of his own heart. A soft moan came from Liv’s throat, like the purring of a cat.

She placed a hand on his chest and stepped back, her lips slightly swollen and pink, and her breathing jagged. He rubbed his fingers across his forehead. They were on display out here, not only on the street but in full view of the party guests, and he’d been dangerously close to lifting up her skirt and shoving her up against the wall of the patio.

Liv cleared her throat and smiled. “No wonder Katie wanted me to meet you.”

She had a mischievous glint in her eyes, but Matt’s head wasn’t clear enough for jokes. He was having enough trouble remaining upright.

The only thing he knew for sure was that this had been a terrible idea. Now she’d expect something from him he wasn’t prepared to give. “Hell, Liv—”

“There you are.” Katie walked out onto the patio and stepped between them, facing Liv. He couldn’t decide if her timing was perfect or irritating as shit.

“I certainly hope you came out here to tell him off for being such a jerk,” she said, as if Matt wasn’t even there.

“Something like that.” Matt tried to keep his voice calm, but his heart was still pounding. Katie stepped back and turned to scowl at him.

“Why are you still so mad, Katie?” Liv sounded completely normal, like nothing unusual had happened. “You’re the one who told me about his wife.”