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I fought back a smile at that last bit.
“I liked you before your eyes glowed, Liv.” His hand moved to the library behind us. “That exists because you love books.” Then his palm returned to my waist. “This,” he said, voice darker, “is because I am selfish, obsessed, and making a violent effort to be better than my instincts.”
I wiped a tear away. “That might be the most romantic red flag anyone has ever said to me.”
Lux’s fingers relaxed around my waist.
“Why?” I asked.
“Why what?”
“Why did you like me when I wasn’t anything special?”
“Because I watched you deny yourself small things while men with too much money and no taste got to buy useless toys and shit they didn’t need just to spend the money.”
I laughed once, shaky. “My poverty offended you.” I pressed my forehead against his chest, because standing upright was above my pay grade now.
He wrapped his arms around me. Careful, still. Like he was worried squeezing too tight would send me running. I tucked my face into his shirt and breathed him in.
“I believe you,” I said.
His chest expanded against my cheek.
“For now,” I added.
He laughed softly. “I’ll take it.”
“Also, if this library is a trap, it’s extremely unethical, because I would absolutely wander in for the limited editions.”
“Success.”
I frowned at him. “This is how villains win.”
“Oh, I’m aware.” His voice dropped, and something in my body screamed.
Heat moved through me, slow at first, then sharper. The hunger under my ribs woke and stretched. It recognized him. It didn’t lash out blindly this time. It turned toward him with purpose.
His body went still.
“You feel it,” I said.
“Yeah. Feed if you need to.”
“What are my other options?”
His mask dipped toward my mouth. “Read.”
My lips parted.
“Explore,” he said. “Yell at me about the surveillance again. Let Vale take you home.” His thumb stroked once over my side. “Or kiss me in the library I built for you and pretend you’re still mad about it.”
My laugh came out weak. “I am mad.”
His lips drifted closer. “Uh-huh.”
I grabbed the waistband of his pants.
His whole body locked. For one vicious, satisfying second, my secret nightmare in sweatpants stopped breathing because I had grabbed him unexpectedly.
