Page 165 of Can't Always Get What You Want

“Aww.” I bask under his praise. “Thanks for the compliment, babe.”

Hailey clutches her chest and whispers, “Why is this so sexy?”

“I want them to fight forever,” the drunk whispers back.

“Nova.” Luca leans in until we’re nose to nose, the bars the only thing between us. “I came here to kiss you.”

I step up to the bars, grabbing on to them. “I can’t kiss you through these.”

His brows go up. “Oh? I think you’re going to have to.”

I look at the security guard for help.

She shrugs, on Luca’s side.

“Come on,” he teases me on freedom’s side, lowering his voice. “One kiss. Then I’ll figure out how to get you out of here before someone puts this on TikTok.”

I groan, then grip the bars tighter and stretch up on my toes.

His hand comes through the bars, palm warm and steady against the back of my neck.

And then he kisses me.

Slow. Certain. A little showy.

The whole cell lets out a collectivegasplike they’re watching the end of a telenovela.

“Best. Game. Ever,” Hailey singsongs. “Seriously one of the highlights of prison.”

When we break apart, I’m slightly breathless and extremely aware that I just made out with my boyfriend through correctional infrastructure while wearing his name on my back.

“I hate how hot that was,” I whisper.

“You’re welcome,” he says, smug.

And that’s when the door behind him swings open and Gio appears; takes one long look at us—me gripping bars, Luca’s hand still cupping my jaw, an entire peanut gallery drooling behind me—and sighs, long and hard.

“Why is my sister still behind bars?”

The security guard raises her hands up. “Sir. Can I just say, I’m a huge fan? My nephew made me memorize all your stats and I?—”

“Hey!” Luca cuts in, prickly. “Get your own fan club. This one’s taken.”

I smirk, resting my cheek against the bars. “Aw. Look at you getting territorial. It’s almost romantic.”

Gio makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat, like he’s actively fighting the urge to launch himself into the sun.

“I didn’t sprint down here in full gear for this bullshit. I have a baby at home,” he mutters, flipping through the guard’s clipboard with the energy of someone who’s barely holding onto his sanity. Clicks the pen three times. “I came to sign her release, but I can see I’m too late.”

I roll my eyes. “You are so full of shit. You knew he was down here.”

The guard doesn’t move. “Sir, can you autograph my water bottle first?”

“Can you signmybra?” Hailey calls sweetly from the back, ogling my brother.

Gio doesn’t even dignify that with a response. “Open the damn door.”

Luca holds up his hand. “Ah ah—not so fast.”

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