Page 71 of Devious Love

I round the car, rubbing at the goosebumps on my arms. I’m distracted, not watching where I’m going, and I stumble into Dominic’s chest. Instinctively, he wraps his arms around my waist and holds me close.

“If you wanted my hands on you, all you had to do was ask,” he murmurs.

I rise onto my tiptoes, bringing my lips a hairsbreadth from his. “I prefer spontaneity. Now we know you still have good reflexes.”

He closes the distance, and his lips are on mine, kissing me so slowly, it feels like torture. My body comes to life, humming and throbbing in all the right ways, but a diner parking lot twenty minutes outside of Santa Clara is no place for a hookup. Neither is the backseat of a vehicle that belongs to Dominic’s NHL-player client.

He breaks the kiss, panting, his pupils blown out as he presses me against the car.

My nerve endings light up in response. The pure power he possesses, the dominance, turns me on and makes it hard to breathe.

“I’m so glad you decided to come with me,” he whispers.

“Me too.”

We stand like that for a long moment, and comfort wraps around me like a warm blanket. My heartbeat slows and steadies, my muscles loosening.

It’s surprising, really, this calm sensation. We’re both stubborn and dominant in our own ways, but in this moment, it’s easy to believe we might truly have a connection that runs deeper than attraction. I see right past his rough edges, throughhis asshole behavior, to the man beneath. The man with the ability to steal my heart.

“Let’s go,” he says.

Draping his arm over my shoulder, he steers me toward the entrance of the diner. I snuggle closer to him, relishing the scent of sandalwood, coffee, and tobacco.

Ninety minutes later,Dominic and Clay Rodgers stand beside the car while Dom details all the work he did. They’re the same height, though Clay is a little bulkier. His tee hugs his broad shoulders in a way that makes it look as though it’s ready to rip at the seams. He’s easy on the eyes, with auburn hair and a neatly trimmed beard. His genuinely kind demeanor only makes him more attractive. He tried to talk us into having breakfast with him as a thank-you for making the trip. I wouldn’t have minded talking hockey with him, but my stomach is still full of the strawberry pancakes I ordered at the diner. So, we politely declined.

I chose to wait near the loaner to give them some privacy, but when Dominic nods in my direction, Clay breaks into a knowing grin, as if he knows something is going on between Dom and me and finds it amusing. I guess I can’t blame him. After all, I’ve found myself wrapped up in a man who is both my stepbrother and my brother’s best friend. I can’t begin to imagine which of those truths would trigger a stronger reaction from our family…if they find out about us.

Us…

If there is an us. It seems unlikely, considering our pasts, our current situations, and our family, but it’s still way too early to even think about it.

They shake hands, and Dominic saunters my way. Behind him, Clay shoots me a wink, so I give him a small wave.

Dom stops in front of me. “Ready to go?”

“Back to Monterey?”

He brushes his knuckles over my cheek. “How about a day at an amusement park?”

I scoff, but he only arches his eyebrow. “Wait…you’re serious?”

“Yeah. I’m a sucker for an adrenaline rush.” He leans in. “How about you?”

I wince. “I’m not sure you remember, but I had a mild concussion when I was?—”

“Eight. What about it?”

He remembers. My stomach flutters, butterflies taking flight.

I smile. “I have problems with my vestibular system. I get nauseous very easily.”

He curls his arm around my waist and pulls me against his chest. “We’ll only ride the ones you think you can handle. And the Ferris wheel. That one is nonnegotiable.”

I look up and study his face—his hazel eyes surrounded by long eyelashes, his stubble, his plump lips. How could I say no to him? I pop up onto my tiptoes, put my hand on the back of his neck, and pull his face down to me.

“Only if you promise to win me a stuffed animal.”

“Anything for you.” With that, he covers my lips with his.