Page 98 of All's Fair in Love and Blackmail
“And my article?”
The look of apology fades from his face as his expression turns into something more sure—a lift of his brow, the quirk of his lips. “That one Ididread all the way through. Multiple times, in fact. And I can’t help but notice, Sunshine?—”
“Here we go,” I mutter.
“That your article appears to have been written about me.” He clasps his hands behind his back and covers the distance between us in two casual steps.
“You’re imagining things,” I say flatly, looking up at him.
The twitching corner of his lips tugs into a true grin as his eyes sparkle down at me. “Am I, though?” he says.
“Yes.”
His gaze burns into mine, full of laughter but impossibly magnetic, and I think my heart has somehow risen into my throat.
“Hey,” Felix murmurs, his smile fading.
“Mmm?” It’s all I can manage.
“I like you.” The word are hoarse as they fall from his lips, his eyes uncertain now. They dart over my features as he steps closer. “I like you, India Marigold.”
I sway toward him without meaning to, and he catches me by the waist, tugging me to him. From the direction of the house I hear a faint, high-pitched sound—Juliet squealing with excitement from the upstairs bedroom, if I had to guess—but I ignore it.
“I thought you said I’m not your type,” I breathe as my hands settle on his chest.
“I was wrong.” His eyes stray to my lips; then he blinks forcefully and meets my gaze again. “I was really, really wrong. And I’m sorry.”
“I also seem to recall you saying you would never fall in love.” My fingers curl into the soft fabric of his t-shirt, beneath which I can feel the rapid beating of his heart.
“I was wrong about that too.” His gaze falls to my lips once more, his arms tightening around me, his fingers curling into my waist like he can’t hold me tight enough.
I swallow, lick my lips, and his eyes darken. Somewhere in my veins, a lightning storm is raging.
“I think we have about twenty seconds until I cave,” he says hoarsely, ducking his head. His words puff against my skin, his grip tightening. “So if you don’t want me to kiss you,” he goes on, “speak now.”
I blink at him. “Do you want to kiss me?”
A broken laugh escapes his lips. “Like you wouldn’t believe, and at really random times. When you’re being a brat?—”
“Rude.”
“Or when you’re telling me off becauseI’mbeing a brat?—”
“Better.”
“Or when you were standing in my kitchen, looking so normal in my space,” he admits. “I found myself wondering if kissing you would distract you from the stuff you’d been stressed about.”
“It would distract me. Or…I have a few more things we could argue about, actually,” I say as my hands slide up his chest, because nothing makes me smile like bickering with this man. I feel his breath hitch, feel his heart pounding faster as his gaze sparks with something electric.
“We can argue,” he breathes, his arms loosening. I frown at the loss of his touch until I feel his hands trail up my sides, slowly, torturously—I gasp, and he squeezes his eyes shut.
“Noises like that,” he mutters as a muscle jumps in his jaw. “Good grief.” He exhales slowly, his eyes flying open. “Your time is up early, Sunshine.”
And the next thing I know, he’s kissing me.
FELIX
Of all thewomen in all the towns in all the world, she’s the one I get to kiss right now.
