Page 10 of Desperate Actions

I glare at Jade, who just smirks like the evil little goblin she is.

And then he speaks.

“You lose something?” His voice is smooth, deep, too damn knowing as he dips his chin in my direction.

Oh my God. Kill me.

“Not yet,” Jade jumps in, fucking delighted. “But she sure is trying.”

I elbow her. Hard.

She yelps. “Ow!”

“Shut up, Jade,” I whisper.

Her laughter fills the elevator, while Sammy’s gaze lingers on me for one beat too long.

And just like that, the game I swore I wasn’t going to play officially begins.

The hotel is one of those exclusive resorts I’ve been visiting my entire life—marble floors that gleam under crystal chandeliers, walls lined with gold trim, the air thick with wealth and power.

The kind of place that should make me feel comfortable.

But right now?

Right now, I feel like every second in this space is etching itself into my skin.

The elevator hums beneath my feet, smooth and silent, a masterpiece of modern engineering.

And yet, I can hear it.

Or maybe that’s just the pounding of my heart, the roar of my blood rushing through my veins.

What the hell was Jade thinking, talking aboutthatin front of him?

Being a twenty-four-year-old virgin isn’t exactly something I want announced to the entire world—especially not to Sammy Ramirez.

My face still burns from the mortification of it all.

Then, as if the universe just wants to make things worse, he reaches out and plucks my weekend bag straight from my hand.

My pulse riots.

But then—he takes Jade’s too.

So, it’s not a big deal. Right?

He’s just being polite. Helpful.

It means nothing.

When the elevator doors glide open on our floor, he stops at Jade’s door first, setting her bag down.

“Thanks, Sammy!” she calls, already slipping inside.

He nods at her in that effortless, silent way of his.

Then he turns to me.

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