Page 63 of Gin and Lava

“This is a partnership, Mason,” Naomi says, not looking back. “Sure, it’s a fake relationship, but it has to work for both of us for it to be believable.”

“Wow,” I admit. “I expected this to be Naomi’s top-ten list for how to not embarrass her.”

She gives me a surprisingly sexyfuck-offlook from over her strappy shoulder.

“The goal is to impress people, Mason,” she says, reaching the tunnel that winds us to the next patch of stairs. She ducks out of the sun and into the concrete tunnel, stopping to wait for me to catch up. “Make Sam jealous. Don’t reinforce the idea that ditching me was a good decision.”

“Noted,” I say, snagging her water bottle and taking a sip.

“I told you to bring your own water,” she grumbles, and I grab her by the safe-zone of her waist and pull her toward me.

“You can drink this out of my mouth if you need to,” I tease, moving my mouth closer to hers. She face-palms me, pushing me away, causing half of the water to spray from my lips.

“That’s disgusting.”

“Yes,” I tease, not letting her go. “It’s just as disgusting as kissing me.”

“If I need your saliva,” Naomi replies, trying her best to twist out of my advance, “it won’t be to hydrate.”

“Mmmm,” I hover my lips near her neck without actually touching it. “Is that so, Princess? What exactly do you need my saliva for?”

“Public, Mason. Rule number two.”

I release her with a grin, and she rolls her eyes at me, stealing her water bottle back and moving down the dark tunnel.

“If you don’t have any rules, that’s fine,” she calls back to me. “I’m happy to make them myself.”

“If I get to make rules,” I say, following her lead, “then my first one is this: I have questions—about who people are to you and your history with them. If I have a question, you answer it, even if it’s about Trifecta.”

“His name is Sam.”

“Would you prefer me to call him that?”

Naomi shrugs. “No. Trifecta is kind of funny.”

“Are you agreeing to the questions rule?”

Naomi is quiet a second, but then she nods. “Within reason,” she permits. “If it seemsneed to know, then yes. If you’re going to ask me if Sam was into anal, I’m going to smack you in the face.”

“Violent!”

“Viking Princess, right?” She looks back with a smile.

“Hell, yes.”

“And I’m serious,” Naomi points a finger at me. “You ask bullshit questions, I’m going to give you Viking Princess answers.”

“You’re aware that I’m a black belt in Akido, right?” I ask. “Taking me down might be harder than you think.” Naomi tosses me an even sexier smile, indicating she isn’t going to fight fair if she has to get me on the floor. “We’re in public,” I call back. “Well, nobody else is in this dark, dingy tunnel, but I can tell you’re thinking about who would pin whom first if we were to start scrambling in this dirt.”

“That’s concrete.” Naomi points to the floor.

“Semantics.”

“Look at that! Another big word you actually know,” Naomi teases.

“That’s only because Connor and Ned use it all the time. Trust me, I had to look it up.”

Voices echo ahead, and Naomi moves to the side to let some tourists pass us to our left. She eyes me as they pass, silently pointing out that my dirty concrete tunnel ideas are bullshit. Wearein public.

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