Page 102 of The Immortal's One
Oh, no!
I was supposed to call Dad at five!
My fingers scramble under the quilt until I find my phone, unlocking the screen. There’s a missed call from Dad and a text.
Sorry I missed you, sweetheart. Call me if you get the chance. If not, don’t worry. We can chat more tomorrow.
My chest tightens.
Des watches me with a furrowed brow. “What is it?”
“Nothing.” I force a smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. “I was just supposed to talk to my dad today.”
Dad and I have been like ships passing in the night. The time difference makes it hard enough to reach him, but now that he has a clean bill of health, he’s dived back into work, full throttle. He told me that since I’m gone, there’s no reason not to start drafting another book proposal for his publisher.
I want to tell him I’ll be back sooner than he thinks, but I don’t want to jinx it.
Des’s gaze softens with understanding. “You can call him back. I’ll tell the others you’ll be down shortly.”
My stomach growls loud enough it practically echoes in the room.
“Or not,” he chuckles.
Damn it.
The butterflies, now unleashed, flutter madly and make my pulse spike. How can his laugh sound so effortlessly sexy and musical all at once?
I lower my chin to my chest, trying to hide the heat rising in my face.
“I’ll just call him later,” I mumble, standing up but shifting to the side. “Excuse me, Argos.”
I try to slide my legs over the edge of the bed, but Argos’s heavy paw rests on my foot, pinning me down. The dog huffs in response, clearly unwilling to move.
“Argos.” Des’s voice drops an octave, taking on a commanding tone. “Off.”
Argos growls low in his throat but eventually obeys, shifting off the bed and padding to the side.
“I can’t remember the last time Argos warmed up to someone so quickly,” Des comments, as if more to himself than to me.
I can’t help the smile that tugs at my lips. “I like him, too.”
My feet hit the floor, but I realize too late that they’re numb from disuse. My balance wavers. Des’s hands snap out, gripping the skin just above my elbow with surprising strength.
I gasp, the contact sending an unexpected jolt through my whole body. My heart stutters as the air between us charges. Heat rushes from where his hands hold me, shooting up my arms and spreading outward like wildfire.
I blink rapidly, trying to make sense of the dizzying sensation.
I’ve felt this way before…
Des stares down at me, his expression unreadable. His eyes, those impossibly vivid eyes, hold mine with an intensity that steals my breath. For a moment, everything else in the room falls away, and all I can focus on is the pull between us.
Seconds stretch into wondrous eternity.
Kiss me.
Des’s nostrils flare.
His grip tightens. For a blissful second, I believe he’s heard me. His beautiful eyes lock on my lips. But instead of closing the distance between us, he grabs my waist and lifts me like I weigh nothing at all and sets me back on the bed.
