Page 122 of Playing Dirty

Torin pushes off the wall and walks toward us, muttering, “That’s the whole point. It’s a challenge of trust, and he fails.”

“And some would argue that going those lengths for her should be the very reason hedoesn’tturn around. Because he knew what was at stake, having already lived without her once,” Miles adds ruefully.

Theo shakes his head. “But asking him not to turn around is asking him to defy human nature. I mean, we do it all the time. We take pictures to literally look back at moments that are behind us, and those are usually with the people we love and care about most. Turning around isn’t weakness of mind or lack of trust in the other person; it’s love.”

Vaughn’s eyes light up before pointing at him. “Exactly.”

My stomach does a little flip, and I feel my heart hammer a little harder against my ribs after hearing Theo’s summation, having been very much in line with my own interpretation. It causes an awareness in my body, not just of the way Theo’s hand feels in mine, but about who we’re with.

What’s around us.

Where we are.

Vaughn’s gaze drops to where Theo’s and my fingers are interlocked, it doesn’t take a three digit IQ to know his thoughts are running parallel to mine. Especially when his gaze shifts from me to the mezzanine doors behind me and back again. His brow lifts imperceptibly, a silent question in his eyes that’s as clear as if he’d spoken it aloud.

The other three are oblivious to the exchange we share, still tossing back competing arguments for their stance on what it means to turn around. But, much to Miles and Torin’s dismay, Theo remains steadfast in his views.

To love someone is to turn around.

And it has the saliva in my throat thickening to tar, becoming nearly impossible to swallow down.

“Well, now that we’re officially outnumbered, I’m getting the hell outta here.” Miles glances at Torin and Vaughn before asking, “You two coming with me?”

They nod and start toward the exit, and Theo tries to follow, but I keep him anchored in place with my grip on his palm.

“See you at home,” I call after my friends before my gaze shifts to Theo. “There’s somewhere I wanna take you.”

There’s a little grin on his face when he murmurs, “I guess you’ll be needing these, then.”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out his keys and hands them to me.

I chuckle while I pocket them. “I don’t, actually.”

If anything, I’ll use them as a bargaining chip to get him to come back home with me tonight—where he’ll hopefully stay until morning.

Tightening my hand around his, I tug him toward a set of stairs off to the left and start climbing them with him in tow.

“Okay, now I’m confused as to where the hell you’re taking me,” he says, his words laced with amusement.

I don’t respond, knowing he’ll get his answer a few moments later when we walk through the doors of the mezzanine level.

It’s small, consisting of fifteen or so rows, and the entire area is empty save for the two of us. From the looks of it, no one was up here for the show at all; not a discarded playbill or forgotten drink in sight as we slowly descend the stairs toward the front railing.

A quick glance over the balcony railing reveals the orchestra level is empty too, now that the show is over. Theo must take note of the vacancy as well, and from the filthy grin spreading over his face, the lack of peopleis giving him ideas.

“Is someone looking for a public quickie in the theatre?”

“What?” I ask with a laugh.

He turns around and shoots me a knowing look. “I mean, if watching a tragedy unfold before your eyes turns you on, I’m not gonna judge. But I should warn you, I don’t have any lu—”

All his playfulness dies just as quickly as his words when his gaze adjusts from my face to over my shoulder.

To the exact spot I was hoping he’d look.

His attention is still fixed there as I slowly reach up, resting my hands on either side of his neck. My fingertips brush soft strands of his hair, and my thumbs skate over his jaw while I do my best to push down the anxiety welling inside me like a dam about to burst.

“No lube? Is that what you were gonna say?” I ask, keeping my tone light and teasing. “I thought I taught you better than that, baby.”