Page 78
“Ha, ha,” she said, following him down. She sounded distracted, but she was back to her usual peppy self when she continued, “You remember we don’t all have night vision, right? It’s dark down here.”
“We don’t havenight vision,” he said. “We just see?—”
“Better, I know. Lights please!”
He flicked on the light switch.
Luna squinted in the dim light. “Not much better. Okay! Where’s that drill?”
Oliver headed over to the workbench and pulled open a drawer.
Luna frowned around at the basement, which was mostly bare. “Looks a little empty.”
Oliver looked up from the drawer and waited for Luna’s face to light up with apologetic realization.
“Because your house burned down with all your stuff inside it!” She winced, giving him another stupidly cute smile. “Got it.”
He waited for the anger to surge back. It was definitely there, the same way it always was whenever someone brought up the fire. But it was a distant simmer compared to the raging heat it used to be.
He snorted, grabbing the drill out of the drawer and handing it over. “Do you know when we can expect this back? I’m not borrowing Jackson’s.”
“A few days. Maybe. I don’t know how long a stall takes to put together, and I don’t think Joshua does either. He’s a flower guy, not a building guy.” She looked at him, expectant.
“No,” he said automatically.
She leaned on his shoulder, batting her eyes.
He groaned loud enough that she giggled. “Jesus. Fine.”
“Thank you!” She twirled again, and he eyed her warily as she came to a stop on the concrete. “I’mgoing to miss this place. It’s so nice doing things for the community. If I want something at home, I just go and buy it!”
“Yeah,” he said flatly. “That must suck.”
“Ha.” She shrugged, her smile dimming. “It’s just nice, is all.”
She bit her lip, tucking the drill under one arm. He thought about asking her if she’d ever held a drill in her life. He could already picture her exasperated expression, not enough to wipe away the disappointment on her face.
He sucked in a bracing breath. “Everybody’s going to miss you.”
She blinked. The disappointment drained from her face in an instant, replaced by a teasing grin. She set the drill on a desk next to her, sliding a finger over the metal tip. “Everyone?”
“Sure,” he said, trying uselessly to stop his heart from speeding up as she walked closer. “Sabine finally had someone as competitive as her in board games.”
“Right,” she agreed. She came to a stop in front of him, their shoes touching. Even in the dim light, she was beautiful. Even bundled up on a hike or panting on a run. Even when she was yelling at him that first night, when she was nothing but a stranger he’d been chained to, he hadn’t been able to tear his eyes away.
The bond fizzled in his chest. It was so close. It wanted closer. Oliver couldn’t pry it apart from his own want, burning just as bright.
“Are…” He tore his gaze from her tempting mouth. “Are you staying for the fair?”
She blinked. Her pupils were huge.
“I still need to ask Hector,” she said. “He still thinks I’m leaving as soon as the bond is broken. So…”
He frowned, indignation sneaking through the lust. “What? Why haven’t you told him about the fair?”
“Hmm?” Luna broke out into an aw-shucks smile, the fake one she used when she wanted to change the subject. “It’s nothing. I just?—”
“Did you not tell him it was important?” He scanned her face, trying to look under the cuteness crap. “Or did you tell him it was important, and he didn’t believe you?”
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