Page 26 of Devil's Embrace
He leaned back in his chair, studying me with those unreadable eyes."And what exactly do you think you have to offer me?"
The question hung in the air between us.I took a calculated risk, moving around the desk until I stood closer to him, close enough to catch the scent of his cologne mingled with whiskey.
"I've seen how you look at Mina.How you treat her.The care you take with her.That's not the behavior of the man they call The Devil."
His expression hardened."Don't presume to know me because of a few kind gestures toward a child."
"I don't presume."I held his gaze."I observe.You have more humanity than you want to admit, Luca.More than Mateo thinks he left you with."
He went completely still at that, his breathing barely perceptible.I'd hit a nerve.
"You protected us from him," I continued."Kept us secret.Why do that if you're truly what everyone believes you to be?"
Luca rose from his chair in one fluid motion, his height suddenly intimidating as he stood over me.But instead of backing away, he circled the desk slowly, like a predator sizing up prey.I forced myself to stand my ground as he approached, though every instinct screamed at me to retreat.
"Perhaps I just haven't decided what to do with you yet," he said, his voice dropping to a dangerous register.
"I don't believe that."I tilted my head up to maintain eye contact as he stopped directly in front of me, so close I could feel the heat radiating from his body."If that were true, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
He reached out, not touching me but bringing his hand close enough to my face that I could feel the air disturbed by his movement."You're playing a dangerous game, Emory Scott."
"So are you."I refused to be intimidated despite the hammering of my heart."Keeping us here, right under Mateo's nose.What happens when he finds out?"
"He won't."The certainty in Luca's voice was absolute.
"Unless someone tells him."I let the implication hang in the air between us.
His eyes darkened, and for a moment, I glimpsed the killer from the alley."Is that a threat?"
"An observation."I swallowed hard but didn't look away."You need me on your side, Luca.Just as much as I need you."
He moved closer still, using his height to loom over me.I could smell the whiskey on his breath, could see the faint scar near his temple that hadn't been visible from a distance.His proximity was overwhelming, but I refused to step back.This was a test of wills, and I couldn't afford to lose.
"And what side would that be, exactly?”
I squared my shoulders, looking up into his eyes with all the courage I could muster."The side that keeps Mina safe.The side that gives us both what we want."
His gaze locked with mine, searching for weakness, for deception.I let him look, kept my expression open but determined.Whatever happened next would set the course for everything that followed.I'd laid my cards on the table.Now it was his move.
Luca's hand finally made contact with my face, his fingers tracing my jawline in a gesture that could have been a caress or a threat.I should have pulled away.Should have slapped his hand aside and maintained the distance between captor and captive.Instead, I made a decision that would change everything—I leaned into his touch, just slightly, just enough to see his pupils dilate in response.
"What game are you playing, Emory?"His voice had dropped to a dangerous whisper, his thumb now brushing across my lower lip.
"The same one you are."My words vibrated against his thumb."Just with different stakes."
His eyes darkened as he studied my face, looking for deception, for weakness.I gave him neither, meeting his gaze with a steadiness I didn't entirely feel.My heart hammered against my ribs, but I refused to let him see how his proximity affected me.
"And what would those stakes be?"He slid his fingers from my face to curl loosely around my throat—not squeezing, just resting there, a reminder of his power.
I swallowed against his palm, feeling the slight pressure increase with the movement."Freedom has different definitions.Different...values."
His eyebrow raised slightly."Are you attempting to negotiate, or offering something else entirely?"
"Maybe both."The words came out huskier than I'd intended, betraying the unwelcome heat building low in my belly.This was supposed to be calculated, a means to an end.When had my body started responding to him against my will?
His other hand came up, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear with unexpected gentleness."You have no idea what you're playing with."
"Don't I?"I took a half-step closer, eliminating what little space remained between us."I think I understand exactly what I'm doing.The question is, do you?"
