Page 40 of Lunar Crest University

I never thought the burly, grumpy-looking man from the alley could be like this. Soft. Gentle. It only makes everything so much harder. It makes me want to forget about how dangerous he possibly is and the consequences that can come from what we’ve already done, but he’s right. Thisiscomplicated.

I peek up at him with a sheepish smile.

“It is complicated,” I agree. “Isn’t it?”

He nods, his finger brushing over my knuckles. “I shouldn’t be here. There’s so much at stake, more than you know. But I can’t stop thinking about how you sound when you come, Finley. It haunts me. I fucking dream about it.”

My mouth dries.

He repositions himself on the couch, completely facing me now as he scoops up my hand and puts it to his chest. He holds it there as he studies my face. “I need to try something. You can tell me no. You can tell me to leave. I’ll leave, and nothing will ever come from this if that’s what you want.”

His heart hammers against my palm, and I realize it’s just as unsteady as mine. He’s stoic as he looks at me, but he’s a frenzy on the inside. I can feel it. The erratic beat against my hand gives him away, and each thump deepens the nail in our coffin. It solidifies my certainty in this complicated situation. In him.

“That’s not what I want,” I whisper.

His heart thrashes under my hand, and everything I’d thought earlier suddenly seems so miniscule. There’s no way Ican sit here and continue to wonder how he feels about our circumstances, aboutme, when he’s on the verge of cardiac arrest with every word that leaves my lips. I want to keep my hand here forever so I’ll always know how he’s feeling, even when his face gives nothing away.

“I need to kiss you.”

The teeny flutters in my stomach transform into an entire zoo as I swallow thickly. Goosebumps rise along every inch of my body, the hairs prickling and making me shiver as I picture what it would feel like to have his lips on mine. A hum tumbles from my mouth, because the chance of forming a coherent sentence is slim to none with the way he waits on my response—his eyes darkening and softening all at once.

I’ll never get over those teddy bear eyes.

“Can I?” he asks, and I nearly faint.

My head bobs up and down weakly.

Luca releases my hand as he reaches up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. “I thought we talked about using our words.”

The reminder makes my thighs squeeze together. Flickers of heavy pants in my ear and his hand between my legs flash through my mind like a movie on replay, and I feel the heat dance across my cheeks at the memory.

“Yes, sir,” I breathe.

“My good girl.”

He inches toward me as he brushes his nose against my jawline, making me shiver as my eyes struggle to stay open. I want so badly to close them and lean into his touch, but I stay still, allowing him to move at his own pace. It’shewho has more to lose than me.

Anticipation bubbles in my stomach as he rests his hand on my cheek, cupping it gently as his thumb caresses my skin. His nose follows up my jaw until his teeth suddenly capture my earlobe, making me gasp audibly at the sensation. There is astring of moans ready to leave my lips, but they’re muffled as he smashes his mouth against mine, and the butterflies swarm inside my chest, into my lungs, through my veins. He consumes me. His lips are warm, softer than I could’ve ever imagined, and his mustache scratches my skin in a way I hope leaves a permanent mark.

It takes a moment for my lungs to gain traction as they search for air, and my heart stutters pathetically as his lips move in a languid rhythm. My hands rest against his chest as I lean into him, my fingers gripping his shirt tightly, as if it’s life or death.

It may be with how it feels like my heart could stop beating as he kisses me with reserved fervor. Soft and firm, all at once. I’d be honored to die like this. He’s clearly holding back—his fingers grip the back of my neck harshly but loosen just as quickly. Then, his lips devour mine a little more, only to pull back hesitantly, like he’s afraid to go too far, afraid he won’t be able to reel himself back in. Maybe it’s for the best. I’m already near collapsing as it is.

It’s the kind of kiss that permanently alters your brain chemistry. Etches itself like a tattoo into your heart. Makes the inevitable heartbreak so,somuch worse. I urge the feeling to go away, but it won’t. The sparks flying in every one of my nerve endings tell me this is going to screw me up forever.

His hands grasp my face just before he pulls away, his chest heaving as he searches my eyes for the answers he silently seeks. “You could get expelled. I could get fired.”

“Yes.”

He swallows. “It’s a dangerous game we’re playing.”

Disappointment floods through me as he drops his hands, but I ignore it as I nod. My lips are swollen from his kiss, and I revel in the feeling before it fades away.

“I can’t get fired.” His voice comes out in a whisper.

“I know.”

“But I can’t stay away from you either,Princesa.”

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