He turns his head and looks at me, no hint of a smile, his face that dangerous, blank mask. I don’t think he even heard me. “What?”
“I said thanks.”
He blinks at me for a moment more, like it takes a while to come back to the present and process my words. Then his gaze drops back away. “My pleasure, Flowers,” he mutters.
I think about slipping my hand into his, but I resist. I can’t even imagine what he’s going through—fresh out of prison with someone trying to kill him. He committed murder and took the witness as his prisoner. A squeeze of his hand isn’t going to fix this.
I’m lucky my problems are fixable, and he’s willing to help me solve them. If he hadn’t bailed me out with the rent yesterday, I don’t know what I would’ve done. And getting the van fixed will be huge for my goals of getting the business profitable. Starting deliveries again.
The shuttle drops us off at the shop, and Armando unlocks the door, looking left and right down the street, secret agent style. His gaze travels over and lands on the place where the body fell.
“Are you all right?” I touch his elbow.
Armando jerks and turns, lifting his brows. A puff of air escapes his lips in a tuh. “You’re asking me?” He settles his palm at the back of my head and brings his mouth down to my temple. “Are you?” His voice is deep and quiet. There’s an intense intimacy to the question, like we share a deep secret, which I guess we do. He smells clean, his freshly-shaven skin is smooth against mine.
My heart picks up speed. I become conscious of how close his lips are to my skin. How comfortable his grasp on me is. “Yeah, I’m okay. I didn’t know the guy, and it was… sort of unreal to me. Like watching a movie, you know?”
Armando nods. Behind my head, his thumb massages my skull. “Yeah. Same for me. But my whole fucking life feels like I’m watching a movie right now. Everything except—” He stops.
I pull back to look at him. “Except what?”
His fingers slide in the back of my hair and tighten into a fist, capturing a section of hair. He uses it to tip my head back. “Except for you. You feel real to me.”
I stop breathing.
He moves slowly, like he’s giving me time to protest, and lowers his mouth. He slides his lips over mine. It’s an elegant kiss. An experienced one. Not like that mad, hot claiming when we kissed yesterday.
This is different. This is seduction.
And seduction is definitely not playing fair. Because Armando isn’t the kind of guy I can fall for. This isn’t love. I may have played dirty when I first kissed him, but he’s definitely the one playing dirty now.
I manage to get my hands between us, and I push on his chest at the same moment I pull away. He allows it, rubbing his lips together like he’s savoring the taste of me.
I stumble backward then turn and hurry into the back, turning on lights and getting things ready to open shop.
Crap. I need some distance from this guy. Because, right now, he’s so up in my world, he’s in every pore. Which makes it very hard to put up any lasting defenses.
My hands shake as I move around the shop, my mind and body still overwhelmed by his kiss. I can’t deny the heat that still lingers between us, and I know it won’t go away anytime soon.
I try to focus on work, but my thoughts drift back to Armando and the way his lips felt against mine. A deep warmth spreads through me as I remember the electricity that passed between us.
I pause and look up, only to find him standing in the doorway, watching me with a smoldering look. I hold his gaze, and for a moment, neither of us move. Then, he steps closer and reaches out, running a finger along my cheek. His touch is gentle but firm, sending a wave of pleasure through my body.
His eyes scan me up and down, and my skin heats up under his gaze. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, leaning in to whisper against my ear.
I shiver, my heart racing as I try to find my voice.
“You’re trying to distract me,” I say. “From work.”
“Is it working?”
“I open soon, and I’m not ready.” Jesus Christ the man is dangerous. The power he has over my body is undeniable.
Armando takes a step closer. “You look ready to me.”
“Armando…” I begin, but I’m cut off by his lips pressing against mine. This kiss is different from the first, more intense and passionate. And I can feel the tension between us rising with every passing moment.
Finally, he pulls away and looks at me with a heavy-lidded gaze.
