Page 109 of Will Bark for Pizza
“Book research.”
I could put her down.
Ishouldput her down.
But then I’d have to admit the spider disappeared into the shadows after she screamed. At least, that was the excuse I clung to.
“Do your heroes always save the day?”
“Only when it comes to spiders,” she said, one corner of her mouth tipping up. Fuck, I wanted to press my lips to that spot. To trace my tongue along the seam of her mouth until she opened for me. Would she taste like frosting? Or caramel iced coffee? “My heroines don’t need a man.”
“But you write romance?” I asked, confused.
I fought to keep a blank expression, as she slowly peeled herself from my body. As she lowered her legs, my hand accidentally grazed her ass, and I sucked in a breath. It took every ounce of restraint I had not to grip her hips and yank her back against me. But that would be a point of no return. I was barely hiding how badly I wanted her beneath my zipper. If I pressed her into me now?—
“Beckett?”
I turned away to adjust myself. “Yeah?”
“Where’s Charlie?”
“Good question.”
She leaned into me, her hand gripping my arm, her floral scent—lilac?—invading my senses as her fingers curled, fingernails pressing through the cotton of my sleeve.
“YoulostCharlie?”
“I still don’t understand why you named a spider.”
“It’s not her fault she’s a spider,” she answered, as if that cleared it up.
“Why don’t you go downstairs?” I suggested, nodding toward the open door. “I’ll handle the boxes.”
“Are you going to carry me to the other side of the room?” She scanned the room diligently, no doubt searching for her nemesis.
“Is this your favor?”
“What?”
“The favor you won playing darts.”
“I’m not using an open-ended favor to cross a room. Even a spider-infested one.”
She started to walk away, but I caught her by the wrist and yanked her back to me. I scooped her into my arms, enjoying the way her laughter vibrated against my chest.
We made it halfway across the room before I heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs. I couldn’t make out what the man was saying, but I wasn’t the only one who recognized the grumpy baritone.
Kira scrambled out of my arms, her feet touching the floor three seconds before Luke and Connor appeared in the apartment.
“Wow, what a fucking mess,” Connor said, scrubbing a hand through his shaggy hair.
“What are you guys doing here?” Kira asked, her voice raspy, as though we were nearly caught with our pants down instead of just horsing around.
“We were summoned,” Luke said, nodding to me.
“Hey, some woman in a sparkly dress is downstairs,” Connor said to Kira. “Says she’s your assistant?”
“Lila!” Kira gushed, running for the door without a backward glance.
