Page 75 of Dirty Play

She just stares at me, looking completely caught off guard.

And for the first time since I met her, she has nothing to say.

“No snarky comeback?”

“Not this time.” She lets out a soft laugh, her expression still dazed, still off-balance. “Thank you.”

I press a kiss to her forehead, lingering for just a second before pulling back.

“You smell like soy sauce,” I tease her with a grin, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Oh my god, you ruin everything.” She shoves me with a laugh, but I grab her hand and pull her back against me.

“Let me ruin you,” I murmur, my lips an inch away from hers as I slide my hand up her thigh.

“You’re insatiable,” she breathes, her chest rising with a deep breath.

“And you’re brilliant,” I say with a twitch of my lips.

And it’s my turn to be caught off guard when her hands yank on the front of my hoodie, pulling me into a kiss.

Chapter nineteen

~LIVIA~

I don’t know what possesses me.

Maybe it’s the way he looks at me like I’m something worth believing in. Maybe it’s the way he just told me everything. No bravado, no arrogance, just truth. Or maybe it’s the way he made me feel tonight, like I’m not just some girl trying to prove herself. Like I already have.

Whatever it is, I move before I can talk myself out of it.

I grab his hoodie, fist it in my hands, and pull him down to me, crashing my lips against his. Rowan makes a sound, something low and pleased, before he kisses me back, slow at first, like he’s giving me a chance to change my mind.

I don’t.

His hands find my waist, dragging me closer, my chair scraping against the floor. His grip is firm and possessive, and when I shiver, he smirks against my lips.

“Couldn’t resist me, could you?”

“You’re the one following me like a shadow,” I exhale sharply.

He chuckles, pressing deeper into me, kissing me like he’s memorizing the shape of my mouth, the taste of me. Like he needs this just as much as I do.

God, how did I not see this before?

How did I not realize that underneath all that arrogance, all that cocky, infuriating attitude, there’s a hurt, grieving man who just wanted to protect his peace and what’s left of his family? And isn’t that what we’re all trying to do?

I slide my hands up his chest, feeling the heat of him, his muscles tensing under my touch.

And then he groans, a rough, wrecked sound, as he suddenly deepens the kiss, his hands tightening on me.

I gasp as he tugs me onto his lap in one smooth movement, his hands gripping my hips. I feel him beneath me, hard, thick, and warm.

“Livia.” His lips trailing down to my jaw, then my neck. “You have no idea how bad I’ve wanted you tonight.”

I suck in a breath, my entire body flushing hot as his teeth graze my skin.

“I was gonna be good,” he hums against my throat, his voice dark, teasing.

---