Page 54 of Filthy Love

Gia was sweating, her upper arms ached, but the kitchen was empty save for the appliances.

“I don’t watch you, little bit.”

“Liar. You’ve practically followed me everywhere I went.” She was electrified.

All afternoon she’d watched him watching her from the corner of his eye and then other times she’d felt his gaze penetrating her back. Neither of them had mentioned last night, this somehow felt like visual foreplay.

“Stop it.”

She feigned innocence. “Stop what?”

“Stop it. I won’t warn you again.”

She was getting to him and she loved it.

“You’re so seriously cranky. Do you need a time out? A nap? Some candy?”

“I need you to stop fucking baiting me. I’m not a toy. Not a man you can play with, you get me?”

“Sir, yes Sir!” She chuckled and winked at him.

“Smartass,” he said without heat.

Was that a mouth twitch she saw?

“You just smiled!” Gia made a show of putting a hand to her chest.

He grunted, grabbed the packing tape, turning his body away from hers. “Your eyes are lying, sure you don’t need glasses? I don’t smile.”

“Big liar. I saw it. I’m lightheaded from it. Do it again.”

“Fuck no. I don’t smile.” And he scowled to prove it but his not quite colorless eyes betrayed him when they dropped to her mouth and flashed.

“Fine, you don’t smile.” His back was to her. Gia stuck her tongue to the side of her cheek, pretended like she was arranging a box of cutlery. When in fact she was gearing up to wreck his calm exterior. “But that mouth does other very wicked things, Hawk. Don’t forget that. Might even be better than a smile.”

He became deathly still.

And Gia’s internal organs all cooked at once from his heated stare stealing her very soul.

Oh, god. Making this very serious man react was in a word; Stimulating.

When he spoke his voice-box had a few extra pounds of smoke added to it.

When Hawk turned fully towards her it was like he shifted the very air with the width of his shoulders and suddenly the room was five times smaller.

“Maybe you’re the one with the mouth on you, little girl. Feeling bold, are you?”

Gia cleared her throat. His stare was heated. Intimidating. Beautiful.

“I was until twenty-one seconds ago.”

Hawk exhaled, dropping his stare and he approached, and he didn’t stop coming until the tips of his boots bracketed either side of her sneakers and that very blond head of his accommodated for their size difference by hanging on his neck at an angle and she caught the scent of clean masculine sweat and soap.

Mercy. She wanted to cry mercy.

He won.

Whatever game she’d attempted to play he’d won the board.

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