Page 34 of His Sacrifice

“I don’t know. I bet Tatum could totally talk Murphy into it.”

Creed tipped his head to the side. “Well, you may be right. Pretty sure Tatum could ask Murphy to rope the moon, and he’d steal a rocket ship just to make it happen.”

“Must be true love if he’s willing to commit a felony for her,” I laughed.

“Put that on a bumper sticker, and you’ll sell loads of them,” Creed said, a playful grin on his face.

My eyes widened. “You might be on to something, Creed.”

“I was joking,” he laughed, shaking his head.

Creed obviously didn’t understand the romance readers of the world. A man willing to risk everything for a woman was the number one way for a book to become a favorite. We finished eating, and I realized getting pho wasn’t the best idea since it involved a lot of slurping and broth running down my chin.

“I was thinking about tonight,” Creed began, dropping his trash in the garbage can.

“Okay,” I said, curious.

“As much as I would like to just stay at home, we need to get out more.”

“Doing what?” I asked.

Creed shrugged. “Not sure, but I’ll figure it out. I’ll pick you up around seven.”

I scrunched my nose. “I think this is the time I need to tell you that I’m an old lady trapped in a thirty-five-year-old’s body. I like my dinner around five-thirty and my butt in bed by nine.”

“Give me tonight, and I promise you’ll be eating by five-thirty the rest of the week.”

I sighed but agreed. “Fine, but you better make this worth my while.”

“Putting the pressure on,” Creed laughed.

The bell above the door dinged, breaking into our private moment in my office.

“Duty calls,” I laughed.

“Go. I’ll clean this up,” he offered.

I headed out to the front, where a man and woman were browsing the new arrivals table. A few minutes later, Creed came out of my office. I was behind the register like before, but he moved behind the counter with me this time.

“I’m leaving, gorgeous.” He snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me to him.

I tipped my head back, trying to calm my racing heart. Being in Creed’s arms felt incredibly nice. His touch was warm and reassuring, making me feel safe and cherished.

“Thank you again for lunch,” I whispered.

“Anytime.” He leaned in and pressed a hot, searing kiss to my lips. His lips were firm yet gentle, and the kiss deepened quickly. His hands traveled over my back, moving down to cup my butt. It was a hot and heavy kiss, and despite our clothes, I felt every bit of his passion and desire.

“Creed,” I gasped, pulling back slightly.

His eyes drifted open, dark with need. “Damn,” he growled softly.

“I, I...” I stammered, my brain fried from the intensity of his kiss.

He quickly kissed my lips and pulled his sunglasses over his eyes. “Make sure you pack an overnight bag. I’ll pick you up at seven.” He left, looking all sexy and confident while I was flustered and breathless.

I absently trailed my fingers over my lips, already missing Creed’s touch. The kiss had left me breathless and wanting more. I knew we were in the thick of acting like we were a couple, but there wasn’t anyone around other than two strangers who didn’t care whether Creed and I were together. Creed was either a really good actor, or he felt this just as much as I did.

Chapter Sixteen

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