Page 35 of The Viper
“Soundproof walls,” Lucas said smoothly.
I turned and glared at him. He shrugged, all innocence.
Hannah sighed, setting the takeout down. “You know what? I’m not even surprised. You’ve been in Charleston a few days, and already there’s a scandal waiting to happen.”
“I’m fine,” I said, grabbing napkins to look busy.
She raised an eyebrow. “You look like someone who’s definitely not fine and maybe missing her panties.”
Lucas’s laugh was low and quiet, and I jabbed him in the ribs with my elbow. “Not helping,” I hissed again.
He leaned down, whispering just loud enough for me to hear, “Didn’t think I was.”
I shot him a look that promised revenge later.
Hannah shook her head and grabbed her keys again. “I’m going to go eat on the porch before I say something I regret.”
When the door closed behind her, I exhaled, pressing a hand to my chest. “That was way too close.”
Lucas chuckled softly. “You handled it.”
“Barely.”
“Not bad for a Hollywood girl.”
“Not bad for a spy who almost hid in my closet.”
He grinned. “Operative.”
I threw a napkin at him, laughing despite myself. “You’re impossible.”
He caught it easily, his smile softening. “You’re trouble.”
“Yeah,” I said, meeting his eyes. “But you like it.”
That silence again—the thick, charged kind that pulled at something deep.
His gaze dropped to my mouth, and I thought, for one dangerous second, that we might pick up exactly where we left off.
Then he sighed, stepping back. “Another time.”
My pulse jumped. “Promise?”
His eyes darkened. “Count on it.”
12
LUCAS
Istood in Lexi’s bedroom, the echo of her lips still burning on mine, my pulse hammering like I’d just run a mile under fire. The air was thick with steam and her scent—clean, warm, with that maddening hint of woman that made my blood roar.
Hannah’s footsteps retreating to the porch had snapped me out of it, like a bucket of cold water to the face. I ran a hand through my hair, willing my heart rate to slow.Get it together, Dane.This wasn’t a mission gone sideways; it was worse. It was personal.
I tugged my shirt straight, the fabric still warm from her hands, and took a deep breath. The house creaked softly, settling into the night, the marsh outside whispering secrets I couldn’t catch. I needed to talk to Hannah, clear the air before this turned into a bigger mess. Might as well get it over with.
I grabbed the vodka sodas I’d mixed earlier, the ice half-melted now, and headed for the porch.
The night air hit me as I stepped outside, humid and heavy. Hannah sat on a wicker chair, takeout bag at her feet, her posture stiff as she stared out at the dark water. The porch lightcast a soft glow, catching the sharp line of her jaw, the way her dark hair was pulled into a tight knot, like she was holding herself together through sheer will.
