Page 51

“Would you like to borrow some clothes as well?” I offer.
She glances up at me and smiles, warm and grateful. “That would be nice. Thanks.”
“Okay,” I say, and my voice cracks unexpectedly, earning me a soft giggle from her, and the sound of it lifts the pressure off my chest just slightly.
Jogging up the stairs into my bedroom, I toss my favourite white hoodie and a pair of black joggers on the bed before scouring the wardrobe, trying to figure out which of my clothes might fit her best. Something soft. Warm.
When I don’t spot anything straight away, I decide to get changed first. I undo my top button and close my wardrobe, when my breath freezes in my throat.
Lila is standing in my doorway.
She’s taken off her boots, and that dress clings to her in a way that’s frankly just unfair. Her legs are long and bare, and she looks fucking incredible.
And she’s here. In my room.
My heart hammers in my chest.
“Hi,” she says softly, with the most beautiful smile I have ever seen in my life.
“Hi.”
Chapter 24
Lila
Amixture of not wanting to be alone, combined with the irresistible knowledge that Marcus is getting undressed, lifts me from the sofa and propels me over to the staircase, as though I’m not in control of my own movements. Leaving my boots by the door, my toes tread silently on each step, carrying me weightlessly up the stairs.
My thoughts continue to churn in chaotic disorder - from what we’ll tell the police, to the figure in front of the car and the gleam of the knife in his hand, to knowing the police could show up at any moment - all the while, being drawn to Marcus’s bedroom by an invisible force.
The landing at the top of the stairs matches the downstairs hallway’s soft grey palate, the walls calm and bare. The door directly in front of me opens to a darkened bathroom, so I peer around the next door, my heart leaping into my throat when I see him.
He’s standing by a large bed, shirt half-undone, one hand holding a button, his other hand dropping loosely by his side as he takes me in.
My eyes trace the outline of his face and wander down his neck, my heart starting to race at the sight of the perfectly golden skin of his chest, a few slight tendrils of hair visible in the very middle. Hisnecklace with a black gem hangs loosely around his neck, the pointed angle of it sending my eyes further down his body.
He’s completely frozen, staring at me, his jaw slack.
“Hi.”
I push my fears to the back of my mind. The only thing that matters now is standing in front of me.
“Hi,” he whispers.
“Don’t let me stop you,” I say, leaning my head against his bedroom door.
His mouth breaks into a playful smile that sends my heart flying as he glances down at his shirt, slowly continuing to undo the rest of it, each button revealing another inch of the incredibly chiselled body hiding underneath.God, it’s even better than my fantasies.
He doesn’t rush to take it off, but instead lets the open shirt hang loosely down at his sides.
I cross one foot in front of the other, tightening my core as my eyes follow the lines of his abs down to his belt buckle, where the tantalising V-shape you only see on underwear models hints at the treasure below.How is this man so fucking perfect?He literally looks like he’s just stepped out of a catalogue and into my heart.
I take one step towards him, then another, breathing slowly.
Standing in front of him, I place my hand on his bare chest, sliding it slowly down to his waist, where I tuck two fingers into his waistband. His chest rises and falls with deep, steady breaths that land warmly on my lips.
He slowly lifts his arm, running his fingers through my hair, then wraps his other hand around my waist, pulling me close. His eyes meet mine, piercing the depths of my soul, before moving down to my lips.
A tremble passes through me as a swell of emotions rises up – a burning desire unlike anything I’d ever felt before, a wave of relief, and a sense of comfort, of safety, of… peace. It sounds mad, but whenever I’ve thought about what love must feel like, this is pretty damn close.