Page 48 of Audiophile

Livi’s delighted laugh makes Petra blush harder. I take her hand and press a kiss to her palm as Livi barrels on. “Okay, Reed, you give me the deets because Petra’s shy as a church mouse—”

I’m not messing with Petra’s limit. “Nothing happened.”

Livi puzzles over that. “I’m mad that you’re not telling me, but happy that you’re an honorable guy. It’s an annoying place to be.”

“Anyway,” Petra cuts in, her gaze fixed on our linked fingers. “Just saying hi and letting you know I’m fine. Bye!”

“Wait!” Livi yells, and Petra’s thumb hovers over the screen. “Are you bringing Reed to dinner?”

“Oh, jeez, Sunday dinner,” Petra grimaces. “Wanna go? You’ll be grilled, my mom will overstuff you, Zia Carla will be toasted, and Livi… Well, you’ve met Livi.”

“Hey!” Livi interrupts, offended.

I want to know how Petra ticks, but I’m not willing to overstep. I tap the mute button. “Only you and me here, Petra. Do you want me to go?”

“Don’t set a standard that a future date can’t live up to?”

A smirk pulls at my mouth. “That does wonders for my ego.”

Petra laughs, and she leans up to place a warm, chaste kiss on my cheek. “See? Say stuff like that and we’ll be fine.”

I want to reassure her with a real kiss. Now that I’ve heard more about Livi, what I thought was a hard rule might’ve been a simple suggestion. The more I’m around Petra, the more I like her. How did this go from attraction to craving her company? A quick fuck might’ve gotten that out of my system, but this—this building affection? That’s much harder to brush off.

“Livi?” Petra asks, unaware of my ongoing emotional crisis. “Yeah, okay, we’re coming to dinner. I’m giving you the same rules I gave Reed. No talking about sex—”

“What?” Livi exclaims. “Oh, Iknewyou two—”

“—and you and Reed can’t gang up on me.”

“That’s half the fun!” Livi protests. “All those times you and Silla used to gang up—”

Petra scoffs. “I wastwelve, and you wereannoying—”

“Well, you were bossy—”

“And we’re done. See you tonight,” I say, as I reach over and end the call. “Was that a preview of dinner?”

“You wanted to come. Wait until you see all of us together.” Her eyes glimmer, as if she’s enjoying my discomfort. I adore this side of her—the side that teases as much as I do. “Want to back out?”

I’ve got her chin in my hand before I know I’m moving. “Not a chance,” I taunt, inches from her lips. My body is screaming at me to close the distance. Screaming atherto close it for me. This is her boundary. Her permission to give. She doesn’t, though. It ripsme apart to skim the edge of her lips, and I turn my face to the side and kiss the corner of her mouth instead. “Can’t get rid of me that easy.”

It takes the strength of ten men better than myself, but I manage to pull back. Petra’s hands tremble in her lap, and doubt creeps in.

“Apparently my own stalker tendencies come out around you,” I say. A joke and atonement in one. “Sure it’s okay if I go?”

“I’m sure. But maybe show up in your pajamas to set the bar exceptionally low.”

I nudge her shoulder. “And mess up my chances in the process? No way.”

“C’mon, Reed, it’ll leave a nice-sized opening when you leave.” She’s teasing again, eyes brightening, but I hate what she’s saying—which is ridiculous. I wanted her to experience real passion, not audios alone in her bathtub. For her to consider dating again.

But now, the idea of another man taking her out makes my stomach turn. Fuck me.

“Not supposed to talk about your next date to your current date,” I tease.

Petra laughs. “You’re not supposed to ask about porn over breakfast. We’re not very conventional, you and I.”

I relish the sound of that—herweandyou and I. “In my field, you can talk about porn any time. And not always in a sexy way.”

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