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“You gonna keep looking at me like that or kiss me?” I whisper, my voice unsteady and thick with want.

His breath hitches. “I’m trying to remember every second of this.”

And then his mouth is on mine.

It’s not soft. Not tentative. It’s desperate and deep like he’s been waiting forever and finally cracked. His lips claim mine, and I melt into him, my hands curling into the front of his shirt as I press my body against his. The heat between us roars to life, scorching and undeniable.

His other hand slides around to the back of my neck, tilting my head, and the kiss deepens. My lips part, and his tongue brushes against mine, hot and insistent, sending a bolt of heat straight through my core. I moan into his mouth, and he swallows the sound like it’s the only thing he wants to hear for the rest of his life.

I don’t know where the world went—maybe it fell away the moment he touched me—but right now, all that exists is this: the taste of him, the way he groans softly when my fingers slide into his hair, the way he presses me against the door like he can’t get close enough.

I gasp as his mouth drifts to my jaw, then down to my neck, the scrape of his stubble making me dizzy.

“Luca,” I whisper, my voice trembling.

He pulls back enough to look at me, his chest heaving. “Tell me to stop.”

“I won’t,” I say, breathless. “I don’t want you to.”

His lips crash into mine again, and I’m instantly lost in him.

We’re like two teenagers, making out before I have to head in for curfew. The storm rages around us, the rain cocooning us in his car.

His tongue tangles with mine, and I moan as his fingers move to cradle the back of my head.

BOOM!

A loud clap of thunder startles us, and we jump, jerking apart. We’re both breathing heavily. His cheeks are flushed, his lips swollen from mine, and all I can think about is asking him to come upstairs.

“Did you want to come in?” I ask breathlessly.

“You want me to?”

“Uh-huh,” I say huskily.

I’ve never been so turned on and needy in my life, but I don’t tell him that.

“I mean, I think it’s clear that I already won the bet,” I joke. “Might as well get my prize.”

I mean for the words to be light and teasing, but they seem to have the opposite effect on Luca. It’s like a bucket of cold water being dumped on him.

His eyes go from dark and heated to guarded in a second, and he pulls back.

“I…I can’t. I need to get home,” he says stiffly.

I blink.

What? How did I mess this up so badly in a few seconds?

“I…Are you okay?”

He nods. “I’m fine. Just tired.”

“Oh. Okay, um, I’ll see you later,” I say as I gather my things.

My cheeks heat in a fierce blush. I duck my head as I grab the door handle and bolt from his car. I don’t look back as I run up the steps to my apartment. I can hear his car idling at the curb until I get inside, and I know he’s checking I’m safely inside before he leaves.

Always a gentleman.