Page 97 of Offside Devil

Zane frowns. “You bought these because of me?”

“What? No!” I answer so fast that I choke on my spit and cough. “It was a joke. I just needed some new date night outfits.”

But, I add silently, If you’re feeling any kind of deep longing or regret, that is merely an unintended (read as: completely intentional) consequence.

He snatches the last dress off the floor like he wants to shove it in the garbage disposal. Instead, he hands it to me. Our fingers brush over the satin strap, and I don’t know who I’m kidding—I want Zane to see me in these dresses. The entire time I was trying them on, all I could think about was the way he’d react when I wore them.

I didn’t go shopping today for future, hypothetical dates.

I went shopping for seduction.

His bright blue eyes hold mine, and I turn into every hopelessly devoted girl from every sappy movie.

If he asked me for forgiveness right now, I’d give it to him.

I’d also give him a whole lot more than forgiveness.

Somewhere in the back of my psyche, Taylor is screaming at me to grow a backbone, but I can’t. It’s long gone. It melted in the heat pooling inside of me.

“I used all the onions!” Aiden proudly announces from the kitchen.

Zane and I jump apart like a bomb just went off between us and we’re the shrapnel.

He drags a hand through his hair and turns towards Aiden and the kitchen. I take the opportunity to all but sprint down the hallway. I need a locked door between us and at least twelve hours to cool down before I see Zane again.

I don’t care about him in particular; I’m just horny and way too close to the pheromones that are pumping out of his pores like fog at a music festival.

I need space.

I’m almost to my door when I hear footsteps behind me.

“Mira,” Zane calls. “Wait.”

Yes. I don’t know what the question is, but I already know the answer my weak, mushy heart is going to give.

I blow out a breath and turn to face him. “Yeah?”

I’m prepared for him to apologize for bailing on me last night. Or to explain why he was drinking, at least.

Some desperate part of me is also ready for him to confess that he wants something to happen between us. I was lying earlier. Of course I want you, Mira. I’ve always wanted you.

“You can have tomorrow off, too,” he says instead.

“That’s not necessary. Today was repayment enough.”

“It’s not—” He shoves his hands in his pockets. “I just don’t need you to be here tomorrow. Aiden has a psychologist appointment before he starts preschool. The waitlist was massive, but they had a cancellation. I jumped on it.”

Ah. Right. It’s about Aiden.

It’s always going to be about Aiden.

I give him an embarrassing thumbs-up. “Sounds good.”

“We’ll be gone all day, so you have time to get out of the city if you need to see family or something.”

“I don’t have any family to see,” I say before I can stop myself.

His expression veers towards something alarmingly like sympathy. And this—this right here—is why I didn’t answer his questions when he wanted to get to know me. The look on his face right now is why I’d rather he think I poofed onto the planet fully formed rather than know a single scrap of information about my hideously grim past.

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