Page 34 of Flag On The Play
“But then you wouldn’t get my charm.”
“You think you’re charming?”
“I know I am.”
She rolls her eyes but bites her lip, trying not to smile.
“That’s your move, huh? Be a pain in the ass until I cave?”
“I don’t need you to cave, Nova. I just want to see you smile at me without flipping me off after.”
“That’s asking a lot.”
“Yet here we are,” I say, watching her eyes soften just slightly.
She shifts closer, arms folded. “What do you want from me, Finlay?”
It’s a fair question. One I’ve asked myself a thousand times.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “But I’m tired of pretending I don’t want anything at all.”
Her eyebrows lift, clearly not expecting that answer.
“Is this your new play? Emotional quarterback confession to get in my pants?”
I laugh, and for the first time tonight, she does too. Really laughs. It shakes the tension just enough.
“No,” I say, smiling. “That move was last season. This season I’m trying honesty. It’s terrifying, by the way. Zero stars. Do not recommend.”
She snorts. “God, you’re such an idiot.”
“But you’re talking to me again. That’s progress.”
She shakes her head, her smile betraying her resolve. “It’s tequila. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Sure, Lux.”
“Don’t call me that outside the club.”
“Why not? It fits. Lux is fire. Untouchable. Dangerous.”
“You forgot ‘pissed off’.”
“Oh, I didn’t forget. I live in fear of your wrath, daily.”
She laughs again, and this time, there’s no sarcasm. No venom.
“That may be true, but Lux stays in Heaven. Nova is who you get out of there.”
I can feel the shift. It’s slow, but it’s happening. Her shoulders drop. Her eyes soften. And then we’re not talking about shots anymore. We’re circling each other. Verbal jabs turn into teasing touches. Her hand brushes my arm, mine grazing her waist.
“Still think I’m that high school jackass?” I ask, tipping my beer to my lips.
She shrugs, stepping closer. “Still think I’m just some angry stripper with a grudge?”
“I never said just.”
She laughs, and it cuts through the tension and adds something else in its place. Heat. Hunger.
