Page 320 of Flirting with Darkness

Nova chewed on her lip, trying to figure out if this was even going to work. “Fine, put them flat on the couch and don’t move unless I hurt you.”

The desire that flickered in his eyes nearly made her forget to breathe. But then it was gone, and Nova wondered if she was imagining things or just projecting.

He followed her instructions and she quickly straddled him just like she would anyone when sparring. The position made her taller than him and she studied his eyebrows with a critical eye, trying to decide which one would look better.

Instinctually, she twirled the knife in her hand while she thought and then flipped it before going for his left one.

“You really know how to use that thing,” he muttered, but Dex didn’t move a single muscle.

Nova honestly didn’t even think he was breathing.

“Shut up or I might slip.” Using the sharp edge as gently as she could, she did the outline first. Then Nova cleaned up the center, keeping the line thin so it didn’t look stupid. “I’m going to do two.”

He looked up at her, and Nova couldn’t help her smile. Something about the way he was watching her, trusting her – it was making her melt.

But they were supposed to be just friends.

“Don’t make it gay,” she told him, cleaning up the second line so it was just as pretty and thin as the second.

“This is honestly the farthest from gay I’ve ever been.” His voice was deeper than before and she could feel the subsonic growl in his chest against her own.

Nova closed her eyes as she tried to keep things from getting more heated. Once she had her shit under control, she opened her eyes and gently blew the hair off his face. She studied his eyebrow, smoothing the hair down with her thumb. “It’s done.”

“How does it look?” Dex asked, arching it at her like he was modeling the new look.

Nova froze when she realized what she’d done.

“Does it really look that bad?” He sounded almost worried she’d made him ugly, as if that would ever be possible.

“No, it’s not that.” Nova couldn’t help it, she rubbed her thumb over the two lines again, knowing this had been a huge mistake.

Her other hand touched the scar on her own eyebrow, where it was cut naturally.

What was wrong with her?

“Hey, we match,” Dex chuckled.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t even thinking. I shouldn’t have—”

Dex grabbed her wrists before she could start freaking out. “Look at me.”

Nova dropped her gaze from his eyebrow to his eyes and she felt her heart start pounding.

Fuck, he was so hard to resist.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” he told her. “Now, if you could please get off of me so I can see it, I would appreciate that.”

Nova couldn’t believe this kind of person even existed. “Why are you so patient with me, so understanding? I’m—fuck, I’m literally crazy.”

Dex released her wrists and settled his hands on her hips. “You are definitely weird, but I think crazy is a stretch. We all have our issues, and I spent my entire life having to learn how to control mine. I like you, so I’m willing to be patient with you.”

“I like you too, Dex.” Nova sighed and started to get off of him. She needed to get ready to go soon too.

But his hands tightened on her hips, and Nova couldn’t move.

“Do you?” he asked, studying her face like he might find a different answer there.

“I just said I did.”

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