Page 95 of The Obedient Lie
Close enough to smell that intoxicating soft scent.
She turned slightly, confused by the silence.
Then sawus.
Her lips parted—just slightly.
I didn’t wait.
Didn’t ask.
My hand came up, fingers wrapping gently but firmly around her throat—not tight, just enough to tilt her head, to let herfeelme. My other hand gripped her hip, pulling her into me like I was done pretending she wasn’t mine.
And then I kissed her.
Not soft.
Not sweet.
Iclaimedher.
Breathless. Deep. Possessive. Like every second we’d spent apart had been a fucking mistake I was correcting now—in front of everyone.
She gasped against my mouth, but she didn’t pull away. Didn’t flinch. She melted.
Luca was already there.
Leaning against the bar beside her like this wasnothing.Like the entire room wasn’t holding its breath. His hand slidaround her waist, slow and sure, and then he pulled her back into him—his lips brushing her neck, her shoulder.
And when my mouth broke from hers, breath ragged, Luca was already there, turning her face toward him, capturing her lips with his like it was apromise.
He kissed her slow, deep, then pulled back just enough to breathe her in.
“What’s this about?” she whispered, breathless.
The fact she could still talk so quick?
Meant we hadn’t done a good enough job.
“You can’t get mad, baby,” I said, running my fingers down her spine. “You started it.”
Her lips parted again, but Luca was already touching her face, brushing his thumb over her cheek like she was something breakable.
“How’s your headache?” he asked. Voice calm. Dangerous. “Maybe we should go.”
She blinked, caught off guard.
“This is your victory party,” she reminded us, eyes darting between us like she still wasn’t sure if this was real.
Luca didn’t flinch. “Headache, baby. How is it?”
He wasn’t letting it go. At times our obsessive traits get the best of us.
I let my hand slide up her side, curling around her waist, keeping her tucked between us like we had every right. Like wedaredsomeone to say otherwise.
She hesitated. Then finally said, “It’s gone. I’m fine.”
People were still staring.
