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Just stands there, a breath too close, like we’re both daring the other to move first.

She tilts her head slightly, eyes locked on mine, lips parted like she’s about to say something she’ll regret.

Or maybe do something worse.

The space between us shrinks—one step, half a breath—and suddenly the air’s too tight. The sound of crashing pins fades. The rest of the world doesn’t exist.

She looks at my mouth.

My cock kicks—heat crawls down my spine, low and slow, until it settles where it shouldn’t. She’s not touching me, but I feel her everywhere.

Her voice drops to a whisper, barely audible over the thump of my heart.

“You always this competitive?”

“Only when the stakes are high,” I rasp.

“And what exactly are the stakes right now?”

I don’t answer. Can’t.

Because if I open my mouth, I’m either gonna say something reckless—

or pull her in and fuck this whole arrangement sideways.

Her tongue darts out to wet her bottom lip. Deliberate.

Jesus.

She exhales—slow and shaky, like she felt it too.

I take a step back. I have to. One more second in that space and we’re done for.

Griffin’s threats still echoing in my head, but they’re getting quieter every time she looks at me like that.

“Ready to go?” she asks, voice too even.

“Yeah,” I say. But my body’s still wired. My brain’s still playing out every damn what-if.

We stand there for a moment, both smiling like idiots. No cameras, no pressure, no Griffin breathing down my neck. Just two people who actually enjoyed each other’s company.

For the first time in weeks, something feels real.

“Yeah,” I say quietly. “It was.”

As we walk to return our shoes, still joking around, I catch myself thinking this might be the most dangerous part of our whole arrangement.

We head out to the car, still throwing jabs and laughing, but my pulse hasn’t let up.

Her laugh’s still ringing in my ears. Her scent’s all over my shirt. And my self-control? Hanging by a thread and fraying fast.

She looked at me like she wanted me to break the rules—like she wouldn’t stop me if I pulled her back into that alley and kissed her until we forgot what the fuck we were pretending.

And now I’ve gotta sit across from her at dinner and act like I didn’t just picture her riding me in the back seat before the appetizers even hit the table.

Chapter twenty-two

Liam