Page 45 of Love Him Like Water

Only to feel myself snatched around the waist by strong hands, then pulled backward until I was set in someone’s lap.

Someone who smelled deliciously of leather and smoke and tonka bean.

“How you feeling there, mouse?” his voice and breath met my ear, making a little shiver course through me.

“Like I could fly,” I declared, shooting him a smile.

“Let’s keep your ass away from the balcony then, huh?” he asked, his arm tight around me, preventing me from getting up.

But I didn’t have any intentions of doing that anyway.

He felt good and solid.

And the world was kind of starting to spin.

It felt good to be anchored.

Even if everyone seemed to ignore my presence as they continued their conversation like I wasn’t there, not even bothering to try to engage me in it.

But I didn’t want to be included anyway.

Not with Renzo’s body plastered to mine, his arm possessively around me, claiming me in front of his friends.

This had been what I’d been waiting for, hoping for.

I was just going to savor it.

“Still flying?” Renzo asked sometime later.

“No,” I said, realizing that everyone had seemed to filter out without me even realizing.

“Gonna have to tell Dav to pour a little lighter next time.”

So he’d seen Dav bringing me drinks. He hadn’t been oblivious to my presence.

A warm little tendril of hope started to form in my heart at that information.

“They were good,” I insisted.

“Bet they were,” he agreed.

“Everyone left.”

“It’s late,” he said. “Almost early,” he added. “I should get you to bed.”

“Yes, please,” I said, getting a strange sound from somewhere deep in Renzo’s throat.

“Not what I meant.”

“Why not?”

“You’re drunk.”

“A little,” I agreed.

“A lot,” he countered, a little smile pulling at his lips. “Can’t fuck if you’re drunk,” he added.

That word sent a thrill of desire through my system as I leaned in a bit, sniffing his neck, then tentatively pressing a kiss to the skin, making a rumble move through him.

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