Page 65 of Can't Always Get What You Want

Luca isall good things.

I raise my hand to his chest, sliding it down slowly. Deliberately.

“Mavis says...”

“Yeah?”

“…If you’re going to flirt with ghosts, you better learn how to exorcise one.”

Luca blinks once.

Hesitates.

Then he laughs—a low, wicked laugh, white teeth sparkling against his tan skin. “That might be the hottest sentence I’ve ever heard.”

Poor thing.

“I have layers,” I say,barelyable to keep my voice and hands from trembling. “Ihave lore.”

His palm comes to rest on my waist, fingers slipping under the hem of my shirt, making contact with my skin.

I shiver.

“Do I get to meet Mavis properly?” he asks, leaning in, lips hovering over my jaw. “Hmm?”

What is he asking?

What is he saying?

Does he mean he wants to…what?

Touch me?

Taste me?

My thoughts spiral in seventeen directions at once, not a single one of them helpfulorappropriate.

His nose brushes the curve of my jaw, and I swear I can feel my bones melt. “I’m just saying…” he murmurs, voice molten. “You should let me kiss her to say hello.”

13

luca

Iscoop her up.

Of course I fucking do.

She’s five-foot-nothing of stubborn pride and bad decision making disguised as confidence, wobbling like a baby deer in the middle of her kitchen all in the name of pretending she’stotallyunaffected by me.

Spoiler:she is very affected.

So yeah—I scoop her up like a damn boss. Bridal style. Hero mode. Zero hesitation.

I AM MAN, HERE ME ROAR.

“Put me down!” She gasps, one arm flying automatically around my neck to tether herself. “What are you doing?”

“Carrying you.Obviously.”

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