Page 68 of Meet Me In The Dark

Before she can storm off, I catch her elbow and pull her back.

“What now?” she snaps.

“As much as I enjoy the view from back here, I’m getting tired of running after you.”

She throws out the arm I’m not holding. “My prayers have been answered. Does that mean you’regoing to stop?”

“Not a chance in hell.”

Christ. Did she just fuckinggrowlat me?

“I need to ask you something.” I let the bite drop out of my voice. “A favor.”

That captures her eyes and the faintest flash of worry she tries to hide. “Okay? Is everything alright?”

“I think so. I’m in a bit of trouble, and there’s only one thing that will fix it.”

She narrows her gaze. “I swear to God, Julian, if you’re about to ask me for a blowjob, I will cut off your balls.”

I hiss a laugh. “Jesus, you’re violent this morning.”

She rolls her eyes.

“Promise you’ll do this, Celeste.”

She cinches the clipboard to her chest. “Fine. I’ll try.”

“Excellent. Don’t freak out.”

She immediately freaks out. “Julian, what?”

“Give me a smile.”

Her mouth goes dead straight. “Absolutely not.”

“Micro-smile. I won’t tell a soul.”

“I don’t smile on command.”

A forklift beeps past, but I don’t move my hand from her elbow.

“Come on. Consider it a warranty check. I need to know my architect can smile for pictures when all of this is complete.”

“That’s stupid,” she mutters.

“I know. Smile anyway.”

She sucks in her cheeks like she can vacuum-seal the corners of her mouth to the rest of her face.

Stubborn woman.

“Just a millimeter,” I coax. “Show me you’re stillhuman.”

I see the slightest quiver.

“There.” I point, delighted. “Twitch.”

“No twitch.”