Page 49 of Don't Lie To Me

I tug him in a little closer, inhaling his scent. He smells so damn good that I just can’t help myself. I rise onto my toes and press my lips to his quickly. My heart races out of my chest knowing I shouldn’t be crossing this line with him again, but I needed a quick taste. When I pull away, he deepens the kiss, drawing me closer. The taste of him lingers as our lips meet again. It’s one intoxicating combination.

Pressed against the wall under the weight of his body, I feel his urgency just as much as his tongue exploring my mouth. My fingerscurl into his shirt, and I cling to him as his hands roam up and down my body, touching me right where I want him to and igniting a fire within me.

When we eventually pull back from each other, I’m a panting mess. My hand rests on his chest, and I can feel his heart hammering out of control. This is insane. “Don't risk your neck or reputation for me again. I’m not worth losing your career.”

“I think you are.” He cups my chin, pressing his lips to mine again and making me melt into him. He’s an escape from my reality, a little ray of sunshine in my darkness, and I want more.

“Detective Wilder. I thought that was you,” comes Romeo’s voice from behind us.

Quickly the two of us pull back from each other. Sucking in a deep breath, I glance at Romeo, trying to work out how on earth I deal with this situation. Of course he followed us back here.

Reef withdraws from me and turns toward Romeo. “Mr. Moretti.” He holds his hand out in his direction. As they shake hands, I feel the tension reach a new level of fucked up. “I’ll be on my way, Sloane, leaving you to finish your lunch. Think about what I said.”

I give him a nod, my lips turning up at the sides, just because I enjoy the way he looks at me. “See you soon, Detective Hot Stuff.”

He chuckles as he shakes his head, passing by Romeo on his way out. Romeo’s eyes narrow in on me.

I fix the corners of my lipstick, making sure I don’t have any smudges. Fuck him for following us back here and watching us like a creeper. I go to pass him, but he captures my arm, stopping me.

“What the hell was that, Sloane? Last night was a bit of fun to get back at me, I get it. But you can’t be seen to be dating a cop for real.”

My hands fly to my waist. “Who the hell do you think you are telling me who I can and can’t date.”

“If you’re not careful, he has the ability to fuck us over and close down our club given half a chance.” His voice vibrates with frustration, and I know this is over more than justourclub.

I glare up at him. He doesn’t know anything about Reef. “That’s where you’re wrong. He was here to warn us. They will be raiding the club tonight; they have a warrant to search everything this time.”

His eyes go wide. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Deadly,” I snip back.

He drops his grip on my arm, running a hand through his hair. I can see the worry lines on his forehead. He actually gives a fuck about The Raven’s Nest. Good to know.

“Don’t sweat it, Romeo, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with shit like this. We have time, it’s easy. We cancel all VIP bookings for tonight, get a cleaning crew in to do a deep clean, and make sure the rest of the place is in order. I’ll put some extra security on the door. They won’t get anything on us.”

“Do you think you can trust him?”

I shrug. “I’m not sure yet. But right now, I would trust him over you. He hasn’t lied to me yet.”

His face grows more serious. “Sloane, I didn’t lie to you.”

“No, you just withheld very important information from me so you could get into my pants. To me, it’s the same thing.” I pat him on the chest, signaling we’re done. “I have a lunch with my friend to get back to. You going to handle the club or should I call Sally?”

His eyes narrow, and I know I’m pissing him off. “I’ll handle it,” he snaps, taking off in a huff.

I follow him, moving back toward our table where Harley is still sitting. She now has Ricky feeding her fries, sitting in my chair, but that’s on me for taking so long.

“Beat it, Ricky, you two are going to makeme sick.”

The sound of Harley’s laughter fills the air, a warm and comforting noise that I have missed.

Ricky stands, his grin revealing a hint of mischief as he looks at me. “Just keeping your chair warm. How are you feeling?” he asks more genuinely.

“Better than ever,” I lie. I’m better than I was when I saw him last, but I know I’m still not right.

He looks me over skeptically. “Romeo still giving you trouble?”

“Sure is.” I roll my eyes. “But it’s nothing I can’t handle,” I’m quick to add so he knows I don’t need him and his brothers getting involved.

---