Page 40 of Fatal Temptation

“Nuh-uh. I’m not telling you.”

“Oh, come on.”

Akio batted his lashes at him and gave him an innocent smile, but he wasn’t falling for that. He tugged Akio closer and rested his chin on top of Akio’s head, grinning to himself.

“Not happening.”

He’d bought the present weeks before Akio’s brush with the local police. He’d seen the old-school black leather-strapped watch and known Akio would love it. He knew Akio hadn’t planned on throwing a birthday party this year and they hadn’t exactly seen much of each other either, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. Knowing how that watch would look on Akio’s wrist had him pulling out his wallet and buying it before he could change his mind.

Hands slipped under his shirt, running up his back. He pulled back to look down at Akio, finding him smiling up at him, a wicked look in his eyes.

“Oh, you think sex will get you your present faster?”

Akio’s mock gasp of outrage had him chuckling and reaching behind him to grab Akio by the wrists and pull his hands out of his shirt.

“Absolutely not.”

He was a sucker for Akio, but he would not be giving into this. He would not.

The flirtatious smile Akio gave him had his breath catching.

Lips pressed against the side of his neck, and he tilted his head to the side with a groan, his grip on Akio’s wrists slipping.

“Absolutely,” Akio brushed a kiss to the underside of Lucas’ jaw, “Yes.”

“Cheat.”

Akio laughed, the sound low and breathy.

Hands slid back under his shirt and this time he let them wander over his skin, soaking in Akio’s exploratory touch. He sucked in a breath when those hands moved to the front of his pants.

“Get your perky little ass to the bedroom. Now,” he growled.

Akio laughed and backed away from Lucas, exuding nothing but confidence as he smirked at Lucas. He turned, glancing over his shoulder at Lucas before taking off. He followed Akio out of the living room and into the hallway, only a few steps behind him. Akio made it to the bedroom before he caught him.

He wrapped his arms around Akio from behind and lifted him off his feet. Akio’s laughter was like balm to the soul.

He put his lips against Akio’s ear and whispered, “What shall I do with you?”

Akio turned in his arms and looked up at him with desire swirling in his dark eyes.

“I have an idea or two.”

Lucas’ response was cut off when something buzzed in his back pocket. He took a step back and pulled his phone out with a curse, giving Akio an apologetic glance. The second he opened the text, his heart rate spiked with excitement.

“They’ve confirmed Kuroki’s identity and with your information on his involvement with Yokota, they’re now looking at him as the possible leader of the ring.”

“That’s good, right?”

He nodded.

“It means we have a real shot at closing down the whole ring.” He tugged Akio against his chest. “Because of you.”

Akio rolled his eyes, and he could only smile and steal a kiss because it was decidedly a much better reaction than whatever might’ve come out because of the guilt that still clung to him.

“Now, where were we?”

He was reaching for the hem of Akio’s shirt when he heard a floorboard creak and froze. He knew every sound this apartment made, and that particular floorboard was in the living room.

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