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she muttered. With a roll of her eyes and a flick of her ponytail, she started to walk away but he caught up with her in three long strides, grasping her slender arm so she couldn’t escape. She glanced over her shoulder at him, those big brown eyes wide and full of so many questions. Questions he wasn’t prepared to answer.
    “I’m sorry,” he murmured, his voice low, his stomach doing weird flip-flops when her gaze dropped to his mouth and seemed to linger there. The electric buzz was still there, sizzling between them, pinging between their bodies, and he felt as if every hair was standing on end.
    “You say that a lot, you know.” She sighed and carefully disentangled her arm from his hold. He immediately missed touching her. “It doesn’t have to be this difficult.”
    She was right. He fought the attraction they had for each other constantly. “I don’t know if you understand what exactly I’m struggling with . . . ”
    “I think you struggle with the same thing I do. You’re just not brave enough to go for it.” She stared him down but he refused to flinch. Delilah had basically just called him a coward. And that hurt. “I don’t know how much more obvious I need to be.”
    “Dee—” He started but she reached toward him, her fingers settling on his parted lips; that tiny, seemingly innocent touch searing him to his very soul. But there was nothing innocent about Delilah. Not when it came to the two of them together. She knew just how her touch affected him. And he knew he had the same effect on her.
    She lifted her gaze to his once more. “You know we want each other.”
    His entire body went stiff. Especially his dick.
    “You know I’ll do whatever you want, whenever you want,” she continued. “Wherever you want me.” Her voice was full of so much fucking promise that his mouth went dry. Never had she talked to him like this before.
    “You don’t know what you’re saying,” he practically choked out. She couldn’t know what her words did to him. If she kept this up she’d tear down every one of his defenses and he’d finally give in.
    He frowned. That didn’t sound like a bad idea.
    “I know exactly what I’m saying.” She licked her lips, her lids growing heavy, reminding him of some sultry Hollywood seductress. “The ball is in your court. Your move, Lane.”
    And with that she left, leaving behind a cloud of her intoxicating perfume.

Chapter Four
    F IVE DAYS . I T had been five long days since Lane last saw Delilah. Since she’d dropped the bomb right into his lap and told him it was his move. She’d told him exactly what she wanted.
    Him.
    And he’d stayed away from her like a chickenshit. Just like last time, after the restaurant fire, when he’d found her safe and had been so overcome with relief and . . . something else, something he couldn’t put his finger on. Her hair had been a snarled mess, her dirty cheeks streaked with tears, but he’d held her close, buried his face in her smoke-scented hair, and held on tight. Like he never wanted to let her go.
    In that moment, he hadn’t wanted to. Ever.
    Just like at West and Harper’s condo five long nights ago. Those foreign emotions had tumbled around inside him like damp clothes in a dryer. Banging around vital organs—his bruised heart, in particular—reminding him that yes indeed, he did have one. And it seemed to beat for one woman in particular. Why, he wasn’t sure.
    Okay fine, he knew why. She was beautiful, sweet, kind, smart, thoughtful, sexy as all fuck, hot-headed, impulsive, and had he mentioned sexy? Christ, he had it so damn bad. But they weren’t meant for each other. That was plain as day to him so why couldn’t she see it?
    Staying away from her hadn’t been his original plan. That night, after he’d gotten home, he’d jerked off to thoughts of Delilah. Remembering those dark eyes of hers, full of promise as she studied him. Her seductive voice. When she’d touched his lips, the tips of her