Page 24 of Trust

And Lucas had signed to be in Jakob’s new show. He had only met the guy once, but that story had come up.

“Oh. Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Are you forgetting something?”

“Oh, yes,” she said, her eyes lighting up. Then she slipped around him and headed back to the kitchen. He was playing second fiddle to cheesecake.

Before she could reach the counter, he took her hand and tugged her back.

“Why are you acting so weird around me? It’s just a kiss. You need to be comfortable with my hands on you.”

“There’s no need. Remember? You said we would just let people make their own conclusions about us.”

“No one will believe you’re hanging with me if you shake when I touch you.”

She was now. She shivered against him.

“I’m not scared of you.”

“Funny, it sure feels like you are.”

She looked up at him, her gaze locked on his. “It’s embarrassing to say, but just know it isn’t that I’m afraid of you.”

“Disgusted by me, then,” he said, leaning down and pressing his body closer to hers.

“No.” Her voice was a whisper, and her gaze was on his mouth.

He should think of something witty to say, but he couldn’t think of anything at all. His mind was blank. All he wanted was a taste.

She rose to her toes as he bent his head further, their lips meeting halfway.

Her mouth was soft and tasted of every temptation he had ever had. First kisses could be awkward, but this felt perfect. He wanted more…he wanted it all. But he knew he could only push so far. Scaring Lani off wasn’t his plan.

Jakob pulled back from the kiss. Her eyes fluttered, then opened.

“I don’t think we’ll have a problem.”

With considerable effort, he released her and took a giant step back.

“Yeah. Not a problem.”

She took the cheesecake and walked down the hall. He saw her to her car, wanting nothing more than to pull her back into his house and take another taste.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said.

“Yeah.” She started the SUV and said nothing else before driving away. Jakob watched until the gate to his house slid closed behind her taillights. With his hands in his pockets, hewandered back into the house, thinking that a cold shower would be his best action.

He kept watch through binoculars. Lani was still in the house with Jakob Wulf. Anger slipped through him, burning his gut. She shouldn’t be with that man.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He wanted to ignore it but knew his partner would keep calling.

“What the hell was that mess?” his partner demanded. No, hey, how ya doing? Is everything okay with you? Just a demand.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He did, though. Lani wasn’t doing what any of them wanted her to do. That was the crux of it. Worse, she seemed to be slipping away.

“Want to tell me about the brakes on her car?”

---