Treachery

I refuse to give into it.

Into her.

But then her expression softens, surprising me, her shoulders withering as the tension bleeds out of her. Our close proximity obviously affecting her as much as it does me.

At least I’m not alone in this.

Licking her tongue across her bottom lip, she tilts her face up to pin my eyes with hers.

I’m fucking hard regardless of every reason I shouldn’t be.

“Do you remember the first time we found ourselves like this?”

Voice soft, she holds my gaze, unbothered by the anger rolling off me in waves. Our mouths are a teasing inch apart, the tips of our noses practically brushing as she blinks her eyes, her lips parting just enough that the motion draws my attention.

Staring at those seductive lips, I answer on a whisper.

“Yeah, I do. I remember saying that you can attract more flies with honey than vinegar. That same advice applies to our situation now. Just in case you’re wondering.”

Despite everything, I’m drifting closer to her, our mouths just barely touching, a whisper of sensation that has every muscle in my body clenching tight.

These moments are always my favorite, the anticipation of taking everything I want. Any asshole can strip off their clothes and dive in for the grand finale, but it does nothing to make the experience better.

The anticipation is what turns a woman on, loosens her up, heats her body to such a point that she’s putty to be molded, a body vibrating with so much want that just the brush of your fingertips can shatter her apart.

I enjoy this the most, the moment when I’m letting them know I have them trapped, that I know what they’re feeling, but not yet giving them what they want.

In an odd way, and probably for the first time in my life, I feel the same as her. It’s damn near impossible to keep teasing what will eventually happen without diving in because I can barely hold it back.

Yet, I manage it.

How?

I have no fucking idea.

Luca is far too tempting. A little, irritating creature that has somehow managed to turn my world on end more than once. A cute as fuck imp that enjoys playing games she has no idea she’s playing.

She grins as if she knows I’m struggling, her lips moving against mine, but not as a kiss, only the tiniest brush of flesh against flesh. A tease. A fucking taunt.

I tilt my head, ready to devour this aggravating as hell woman.

“Good,” she purrs, her breath beating against my mouth, her hands sliding up my chest until her fingers grip softly over my shoulders. Those same fingers slide into my hair a second later, massaging my scalp, pulling just enough at the strands that my body shudders, my cock hard steel against the inside of my pants.

Clayton is a fucking moron for the shit he pulled in his marriage to Luca. If it had been me, I would have held on and refused to let go. Absolutely destroyed anybody that tried to get between us.

I can’t afford to think like that, though.

Not when it comes to her.

Not now.

Not when she’s only a means to an end that has been coming for a long ass time.

“Then you’ll also remember something else,” she says, her eyes dancing with mine.

My voice is rough with need. “And what’s that?”

Hands fisting against the wall to keep from grabbing her to drag her to bed, my body is stiff as a board, every muscle locked with the need to taste her.

Luca’s hand moves suddenly, her fingers gripping my ear and tugging so hard that fire shoots down the skin of my neck.

“That I don’t like assholes who touch me without my permission,” she growls as she yanks again.

I shove away from the wall to escape her grasp, pain thrumming where she may have torn the skin. Caught off guard, I step back to keep from falling. Her hands slam against my chest, over and over, as she shoves me out of her room and down the tiny hall.

By the time we’re done fighting, she’s led me to her front door, air crashing against my face as she pulls it open and points out.

“Get the fuck out of my apartment, Ta

Rubbing at my ear, I pull my hand away to check for blood. How the fuck had I fallen for that? It’s the second time she’s gone all psycho on me and attacked.

I should have known it was coming.

“Out!”

She raises her voice so that it echoes down the hall, a couple who’d just walked past turning to stare at us and witness the moment.

I sneer in Luca’s direction, but she just grins like she’s won.

The sneer transitions into a matching grin.

“You’re going to lose everything. You’re really willing to let that happen?”

“Out,” she warns again. “This is the last time I’ll ask nicely.”

I lower my face to hers. “You haven’t asked nicely once yet.”

It doesn’t matter. She doesn’t fold. Just shakes her arm as a reminder I’m supposed to be leaving.

Before stepping out, I shake my head. “You’re making a mistake.”

“The only mistake I’ve ever made was agreeing to go to that damn party with Everly the first night I met you. And you can be damn sure I’ll never make it again. Now get out.”

The couple in the hall is staring at us now, the fuckwit male bristling like he’ll walk over here to force the issue.

I don’t have the time or the patience for this shit.

“Fine. I’ll see you Wednesday in court, Luca,” I say as I step out into the hall.

“See you then,” she answers before slamming the door in my face.

Regardless of the need I feel to break the damn door down and demand she see reason, I walk away instead.

I won’t make this easy for her.

Not with what I need.

Not after she slammed that door like it was the last time we would be seeing each other again.

Luca may have won this round.

But she certainly won’t win the war.