Page 34 of Fall Into Me

My hands reached between us, pushing on his chest. I still kept my eyes on his mouth, red and swollen and parted like what had just happened had somehow caught him off guard even though his hand was still fisted in my hair.

“Is she gone?” I didn’t even recognize my voice. It sounded too broken for anything I’d ever let him see, and I pushed at his chest again.

“She left a while ago,” he murmured. His voice was rough and full of the sort of need that I knew led to clothes coming off. To dirty, filthy things coming out of his mouth. To me turning into someone else completely.

Wait.

“She left awhileago?” I repeated the words back like they’d make more sense that way. I squirmed in his hold, which earned another groan from Fane.

“Keep squirming, and you’ll make me come in my pants,” he warned, his grip tightening.

“Then put medown,you caveman,” I snapped, doubling my efforts and resisting the urge to knee him in the nuts. I felt the deep breath he took before setting me on my feet.

As soon as he stepped away, he shoved his hand down the front of his pants to adjust what, admittedly, looked like an incredibly uncomfortable situation.

I swiped a hand over my mouth. “Gross, Fane.” I scowled at him, and his eyebrows became one with his hairline.

“Gross?”

“Yes,” I mimicked, doing my best impression of his voice. It turns outthisversion of Fane did, in fact, lower my maturity levels to an all-time low.

“Kissing me isgross?”He was doing that thing with his mouth that made it clear he was trying not to smile. I’d ask him again if he was laughing at me, but he’d probably call me ma’am, and I would definitely punch him this time.

“Do you no longer speak English? Yes, that’s what I said. Don’t do it again.”

“Youkissedme.” He pointed one tattooed hand in my direction and I smacked it away from where it hovered too close to my face.

“The first time! And because we had an audience. You’re the one that gripped my hair like…like some hair pervert!”

“Hair pervert?” He was actually laughing now. Shoulders shaking and eyes dancing.

“Don’t kiss me again.”

“But you’re my girlfriend.”

“I’ll bite your tongue.”

“Cali, I’m trying to get rid of my raging hard-on, and that is not helping.” He was glaring at me again, but it looked more forced than anything after his laughter had died off. I could feel the way the aftermath of the sound settled around me, the way it threatened to chip at my armor.

“You need to leave.” I pointed at the door that led back into the café. “And learn how to close doors. This”—I waved between us—“will not happen again.”

“The you kissing me part? Or the boner?”

I could do nothing but gape at him. He winked at me, and my fists balled again at my sides. “Anyway, I have a bit of work I need to do in the next couple of days, and then we can start with the tours. I’m thinking I should also try and be your shadow? Get an understanding of what life here is like.”

I opened my mouth to tell him he could do his own tours and that he could go fuck himself on all the rest of what he’d said, but it was also the reminder I needed that Fane wasn’t here just to ruin my life, despite that being a clear motive for him for some ungodly reason.

He was here to ruin my town, and I could put my desperate want for his disappearance on the back burner while I saved Darling.

“See you at home!” he called over his shoulder just as he disappeared through the door that led into the kitchen.

I gave myself ten seconds to breathe. To talk myself down from the idea that going into his office after hours and TP-ing his desk was a good idea.

I’d be no good to Jerry if I was behind bars.

I lifted my chin and dropped my shoulders. Smoothing my hands down my dress, I decided that I would redirect all the energy being used toward hating Fane into my plan on how to convince him that he needed to leave Darling alone.

Yes!Yes.Perfect.

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