Page 41 of Hard to Resist

“Really?” I drawl. “Nothing illegal ever?”

“Nope.”

“Have you crossed the street when it says no walking?”

“Okay, I’ve never done anything legit illegal.”

I want to doubt her, but I can also see Verity as the kind of person who tries to live life by the book as much as possible. Sheisn’t the type of person who naturally likes to rock the boat; she prefers to just cruise and sail on by when possible.

“Fine, what are your three things?”

She reaches out and grabs my soda, taking a gulp as she thinks for a second. “One, I’ve dislocated my toe three times. Two, I once watered a cactus for a month before realizing it was fake. Three, I love black olives.”

“I would like to say the most concerning part of that is you not knowing the difference between a real and fake plant, but it’s actually your love of black olives.”

“First, the cactus thing was not my fault. Second, black olives are delicious and you’re delusional.”

“How was the cactus thing not your fault?”

She folds her arms over her chest. “Because my friend told me to look after her plants, so I assumed all her plants were alive.”

“I don’t know, Verity. Are you sure you have twenty-twenty vision?” I scoot my chair to the side so I’m closer to her and hold up two fingers. “How many fingers do you see?”

“Very funny.”

“Are you not answering because you’re unsure?”

She reaches out and grasps my fingers. “Two, you ass.”

I lean forward, closing the distance between us. “That was cheating.”

“Not cheating when I have perfect vision.”

“You sure?”

She presses in even more, leaving only a few inches between our faces. “Does it look like I’m lying?”

“I don’t know.” My voice turns low. “You might need to get a little closer.”

She’s still holding my hand, but her grip loosens as her gaze dips briefly to my lips. We hang suspended in that moment, neither of us moving forward or backward, just mingling in that space of maybe.

“Hey, we need to close up. It’s past three.”

I glare at the employee from the corner of my eye. Why does someone or something always have to interrupt us?

Verity pulls back and starts to collect her things.

“Sorry! We’ll get out of your hair.”

She tugs on my hand, and I let her drag me behind her and out of the store. The streets have started to quiet down, and the temperature has dropped another couple of degrees. She tilts her head slightly as she peers up at me through her long lashes.

“Thank you for another fun night.”

“Anytime.”

“Guess I should probably go find the subway, right?”

“Mm, very funny, sweetheart.” I use our joined hands to tug her toward me, spinning her so her back lands against my chest. I tuck her in close, shielding her from the chilly breeze as I dig out my phone and order her a car.

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