Page 159 of Mine Again
I watch the way his body moves as he draws. The smooth pull of muscle under skin. The tension in his arms. The way his shirt clings to his back and shoulders when he exhales.
And the way he holds himself. Confident. Calm. That quiet control used to drive me wild.
Still does, apparently. My mouth goes a little dry.
I shift my grip on my bow, trying to stay present and not let the heat crawling up my neck distract me. I needhimto be the one sidetracked.
He draws the first arrow, anchoring smoothly.
That’s my window.
I step up behind him, like he did with me earlier.
“Hey, Luca?” I ask sweetly, not touching him but making sure he can feel my breath.
“Are you… always that stiff when you draw back, or is it because I’m behind you?”
He chokes on a laugh, and his grip falters.
The arrow flies wildly left and buries itself in the grass.
I gasp, all mock surprise.
“Oh no. Did I… ruin your concentration?”
He turns toward me slowly, eyes narrowed and gleaming. “You did not just say that.”
“What?” I feign wide-eyed innocence. “I was only asking a serious archery question. Form is very important.”
“You’re a menace,” he chuckles.
“Thank you. I work hard at it.” I wink at him. “And now we’re even.”
The next three arrows land tight. But that one miss shifts the score.
He pulls his final arrow from the quiver. “This one decides it.”
“Better not miss again.”
He holds my gaze for a beat longer than necessary. “I won’t.”
He draws. Holds. Releases.
It strikes the bullseye so cleanly it nearly splits his previous shot.
Dammit.
“A gentleman would have let me win.”
“Nah. You wouldn’t appreciate that. Being handed victory has never been you.”
I pout. “Maybe I’d have made an exception today. I’ve had a few…”Shittyis the first word that comes to mind. But as much as the revelations of the last twenty-four hours stung, having Luca back in my life is a blessing, even if I’m not ready to admit that to him. So I settle for, “… challenging days.”
He doesn’t reply, his eyes holding mine.
And it hits me.
The ache in my chest has eased. The weight in my stomach is lighter. The spiraling doubts… gone, at least for now.
