Page 39 of Of Heartbreak and Harmony
“I’m employed by you, am I not? This is a professional relationship; therefore, you are my boss.”
“Hmm.”
He takes his hands out of his pockets and pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head, then pins me in place with his gaze. I was doing so well until he had to go and bust out those green eyes. They’re lethal.
I force a swallow as he bounces his eyes between mine. When he drops his attention to my lips, I wet them on impulse, and the small smirk he gives me makes my breath hitch. I can’t look away. I findmyself curling my fingers into his shirt, pressing my palms more firmly into the fabric so I can soak up the warmth from his skin underneath. My heart is beating fast in my chest, but his feels so steady. So calm.
He brings his hand to my face, brushing my hair behind my ear, and then his lips follow.
“That’s better.” My eyes fall shut as his breath tickles the shell of my ear. “That’s so much better, Calla Lily.”
I release a shuddering breath as he drags his knuckles over my jaw and then tilts my chin up so he can press a soft kiss to my neck. I stifle a whimper, but I can’t hide the way my body shivers. Suddenly, I find myself imagining glitter and music. I smell smoke and paint. I feel four years younger and just as naïve. When he presses another kiss below my ear, the whimper I swallowed moments earlier returns with bolstered determination, and I can’t fight it.
“That’s it. You do it just like that, and we’ll have everyone fooled.”
I snap my eyes open, reality crashing over me like a tidal wave. It was a show. It was all a show, and fuck me, but my heart sinks. I stiffen, and then I hear a sigh. When I look toward the sound, I find Hammond staring at his phone.
“We got a few good ones, until you lost it,” he grumbles. “Let’s get one with a kiss, and then we’ll be done.”
My eyes widen and jump back to Torren. He must be just as against the idea as I am because he shakes his head and addresses Hammond without looking away from me.
“No kiss.”
“An almost kiss, then.”
Torren raises his eyebrows, nonverbally asking for my consent, so I shrug. He nods. “We can do an almost kiss.”
“Make it believable, please,” Hammond says, and I shoot him a glare.
“I’m not an actress, and I’m not an escort. If how I’m doing it isn’t good enough for you, go find one of those.”
Hammond blinks at me like he’s waiting out a tantrum. I realize that’s probably how I look when Glory is in one of her moods, and that pisses me off. Hammond says nothing—he just blinks and waits—so I roll my eyes and turn back to Torren.
“Fine. Let’s just get it over with.”
He nods curtly. “Close your eyes. It might be easier for you.”
I obey immediately. It is easier, and I’m grateful he suggested it. Anything to not have to look into those green orbs of sorcery again.
“I’m going to put my hand around your neck, okay?”
I nod, and soon his warm hand is cupped lightly on the side of my neck, his calloused fingers teasing the hairline at my nape.
“Can you put your hands on my chest like you had them before?”
I do as he asks, but I don’t curl my fingers into his shirt again. My hands hover more than anything else, but he doesn’t say anything to correct me. I take a deep breath through my nose and immediately regret it. Leather and tobacco and ginger. Why does he have to smell so good?
“Can you tilt your head to the left for me?” I do as he asks, and I feel his thumb lightly caress my jaw. “Good. Can you part your lips for me just a little? Yeah, just like that. Now I’m going to lean in really close, okay?”
“Okay,” I whisper, and then he’s invading my space.
He closes the distance, shading me from the sun and grazing his nose against mine. I feel his mouth centimeters from my mouth. His breath tickles my lips as he inhales and exhales. His thumb once again rubs over my jaw, and chill bumps rise on my arms.
His proximity is unnerving. I don’t know if I want to close the small distance between us and press my lips to his, or if I want to take three giant steps backward and then bolt away, but luckily, he makes the decision for me.
Too soon, he leans back, exposing my face to the sun and giving me space to breathe once more. I open my eyes and blink a few times, avoiding Torren’s face, and then the person watching us from the front stoop grabs my attention. Sav Loveless.
She’s standing with her arms crossed and her head tilted slightly to the side as she surveys me. She doesn’t have to take off her sunglasses for me to know she’s sizing me up. It makes me feel small. It makes me jealous, too. I can’t help but feel like she’s pissed that I’ve had this moment with Torren. She knows it’s fake. She knows it’s for her benefit. But still...
