Page 34 of The Prize

“He’s here for the da Vinci collection I imagine.”

“Eli’s not following us?”

“No. He must have heard about the collection. His father goes after anything by the artist. This is why the collection is private, so that bidders don’t bully the collector.”

My head struck the brick and I breathed out a sigh of panic. “Did we really need to see it today?”

“Yes, we’re against the clock.” He pressed his chest against mine protectively. “Still, that was fun, right?”

“No, it bloody well wasn’t.” I smacked my palms to his chest. “You like living dangerously.”

“What can I tell you? Danger finds me.” Tobias’s irises glinted under the fluorescent light.

I dug in a fingertip below his collarbone. “You seek it out.”

“Zara, keeping you safe is my priority—” His lips neared mine. “That’s why I wanted you in the car. You defied me.”

“I saved you.” If his lips edged one more centimeter we’d be kissing and I glared my annoyance, trembling with arousal that had my breathlessness morphing into panting and my nipples hardening.

He arched an amused brow. “I’d have been fine. You, however, put yourself in harm’s way.”

“Neither of us should have gone up there.”

“Do you have any idea how hot you are when your adrenaline spikes?”

I broke his gaze as I realized this buzz surging through me felt like my body was ignited from the jeopardy.

Tobias looked intoxicated from our escape. “We have something in common, after all.”

No, this wasn’t happening; I refused to become drawn into his drama-filled life.

“You’re aroused, Leighton.”

“This is not arousal. This is something completely different.”

“I’m intrigued.” He whispered something in French and it sounded dirty.

With indignation, I bit down on his bottom lip to punish his arrogance and then plunged my tongue against his, savaging his mouth with the fiercest kiss, taking my power back and working my mouth into a frenzy over his. At the same time I was annoyed with his incorrigible unshaven brashness that cranked up his sexiness, his scruff scraping my cheeks and sending me over—

He wasn’t kissing back.

Oh, God, how embarrassing. I’d attacked him with full-on lust and my calf was still wrapped around his, holding him fixed against me. He’d revved me to the point of coming with merely his body crushed against mine. Letting my guard down was insanity with those perilous men in the same building. I hated Tobias for encouraging me to like any of this, and the loosening of my grip was accompanied by a proud expression of defiance as I nudged him away.

“That was all you.” He leaned in and brushed his lips across mine in a tease and stepped back. “Just so we’re clear.”

I flicked a phantom stray hair out of my face. “We should leave.”

“I agree. The cameras are due to come back on.” He tucked the envelope into his jacket and led me out the doorway leading to the foyer.

We remained vigilant all the way back to the car parked across the street.

Once inside, I pulled my seat belt across my chest, relieved when Tobias drove us away from the Silver Center. I glanced back to make sure we weren’t being followed. My body was still thrumming from my one-way kiss, and I tried to forget how incredible he felt when pressed against me, how firm and protective, how amazing we fit together. This self-imposed Wilder ban was the cruelest torture of all and my body was still yearning for him.

Tobias glanced over at me. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” I peeked inside the beige envelope and saw nothing.

He gave a nod. “A clue they’ll find during the authentication process of the canvas.”