Page 39 of Beneath the Light of the Moon

“Are you threatening me?”

He leaned against the ebony paint of her vehicle like it was his—like he was right where he needed to be. Little did she know, hewas.A soft breeze whispered across the lot, the evening wind carving through the tall buildings around them. And for a split second, hesworehe smelled her.

Beneath the perspiration, a faint fragrance transported him back to that fateful night at the club. Sultry sweetness, whiskey steeped vanilla beans melting into a light and spicy pink pepper scent. Mikko licked his lips, hunger gnawing at his gut—one he was sure food wouldn’t cure.

“Weren’t you literally just threatening me by saying you’d put me in your trunk?” he finally responded, letting the air hang heavy between them.

Scoffing, she dropped her gym bag and tossed her bottle on top of it. “It wasn’t a threat,” she stepped closer, her anger palpable, but Mikko couldn’t find it in himself to care, “more like a promise,Suit.”

The nickname struck a cord in his chest. He’d been discovered.

Of course.

Anika was too clever for her own good. Leaning back, his gloved palms flat against her car’s hood, he chuckled. “Do you call everyone Suit, or is that nickname reserved just for me?”

“Just you.” Anika stepped closer, unaware of the monster she was slowly provoking. “You might not be in your typical costume, but I recognize you.”

“How sweet.” His hands formed a heart which she promptly swatted away. “But what if I’m not the Suit you think I am?”

“Oh, you are. Your voice and height give you away.”Shit.“And my gym is awomen’s onlygym, so unless there’s something you want to tell me, you’re not welcome here.”

Double shit.

In all his excitement, he hadn’t thought to look into the details of her gym. He’d been more focused on her and trying to masturbate his way out of this infatuation.

“It’s not nice to make assumptions.”

Her eye roll nearly made him laugh, until, “Get the fuck off my car.”

He snatched her wrist, the heat of her skin seeping through his glove, when she gestured at him. It almost made the ever-present ache in his left hand fade. With a harsh yank, she fell into him, his legs bracketing either side of her hips. She barely caught herself, somehow preventing the rest of her body from pressing against him.

“Although, are you sayin’ you’ve been checking me out? That you knowmybody?Mymotorcycle?” He chuckled. “Careful now, you might inflate my ego if you keep doing that.” He couldn’t resist taunting her more.

“I think it’s big enough as is,” she mumbled.

“You could say that about my di—”

Her glare was enough to end his words, but he chuckled regardless.

Mikko continued, “Such mixed signals, Anika. First, you degrade me only to follow it up with a compliment.” Mikko’s grip tightened if only to watch her struggle—to see the fire in her eyes blaze hotter. Saying her name relinquished some of his leverage, the flash of curiosity in her eyes evident. It seemed she was figuring out that healsohad his ways of gaining information. “It’s no wonder I followed you here regardless of the consequences.”

“Let. Me. Go,” she hissed.

“Oh, now you don’t want to play games?”

“No.”

“A shame honestly,” he crooned, eyes catching on the bead of sweat rolling down her neck and settling into the hollow of her throat. The urge to lick it overwhelmed him. “I thought we were going to have fun, me and you.”

“As if.” Anika tried to knee him in the crotch, but his other hand blocked it.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, that wasn’t very nice.”

“I’m never described as nice.”

Mikko cocked his head. “Really? Because I remember you beingverynice the night we met.”

“Mikko.”It was one word, but he couldn’t help but relish in the way she said his name, her lips forming around the syllables. “I won’t ask again; let me go.”