His kiss had left me wanting more. The adrenaline of the night had me addicted. I couldn’t let this guy run out of my life. It would be much too fun to see where things went. Besides… I think I was starting to like him…

Seriously like him.

I wrapped my arms around his body, resting my cheek against his back. Even though our lives had been threatened, I felt safe with him, like he would protect me from all of the evils of the world.

The ride home was quiet and sobering.

I replayed the kiss over and over in my mind. I’d had my fair share of boyfriends in the past, but none of them had electrified me in the same way. It was like his lips had flipped a switch inside of me, turning on a part of me I hadn’t known existed. Already, there was a fire burning between my legs.

Cruz had cast a spell over me, and now I would never satisfy this itch until he was mine.

And sooner or later, he would be.

“You can park in the back if you don’t want anyone to see the motorcycle,” I said. This whole situation was like being in one of my novels. It was both terrifying and exciting, all at the same time. I never wanted it to end.

Cruz nodded his head before he rolled the bike behind the apartment building. “Does anyone live with you?”

“No. All of the other apartments are still for rent,” I explained.

“Good.” This seemed to put him at ease. “Are you going to be okay by yourself tonight?”

I shook my head, giving him great big puppy dog eyes. “I don’t know…”

“That’s not going to work,” he said, getting up. “You can’t give me the puppy dog look when you were just telling me how exciting it was to be chased by a hitman.” He cupped my face and pulled me close. “Amelia, you have to promise me that you’ll take this seriously. This isn’t a game. This isn’t one of your novels. This is real, and I would never forgive myself if you got hurt.”

“Then… stay with me.” I pressed my body to his. “Stay the night. Keep me safe.”

He looked down at me, his expression faltering. I could tell that he was just as turned on as I was. All of this pent-up energy had to get out of our systems somehow.

When he didn’t respond, I took his hand and guided him to the back door. “Um… have you seen my purse?”

“You placed it in the storage compartment of my bike, remember?” Cruz doubled back and retrieved it, handing it to me.

“Oh, good. I thought I had dropped it somewhere and the bad guys were about to find my ID and hunt me down.”

“Don’t even joke about that.”

“Jeez…” I frowned. He must be really worried about all of this.

“Sorry. Just the thought of you in danger gets me…” He trailed off like he didn’t have the proper words to explain his feelings.

I kissed his lips gently, hoping that would calm him down. I lingered there a moment, savoring the taste. Cruz was, hands down, the sweetest thing I had ever tasted.

Finally, I rummaged through my bag and pulled out my key, unlocking the door. Inside, my apartment still smelled like the apple turnovers I had made for breakfast. I turned on the light, illuminating the mess I had left for myself in the kitchen. I silently cursed myself for my lack of tidiness.

Great, now Cruz was going to think I was a slob. That’s exactly what I needed when I was trying to impress him…

“Do you want anything to eat or drink? I think I have some beer in the fridge.”

“No thanks,” Cruz answered, his tone serious. He undid the topmost button on his shirt. “I’ll just have a water if you have it.”

“Are you nervous or something?”

“No.”

“Then why are you sweating?”

“I’m not.”

“Whatever you say.” I chuckled, crossing the kitchen to grab a bottle of water.

I could sense his eyes on my body. No doubt he was watching my hips sway back and forth as I walked. I made the motion a little more pronounced, teasing him.

When I reached the fridge, I bent over, my ass on full display. I was being naughty at this point, but I didn’t care. I loved it.

Eventually, when I felt he had experienced enough sexual torment, I grabbed a water bottle and made my way back over to him.

He was seated with his legs crossed, like he was trying to hide a boner. I grinned to myself. It was good to know that his body was slowly betraying him. I had no doubt that soon enough, he would find it impossible to resist me.

“Thank you,” he said, grabbing the water. His eyes lingered on my chest for a moment before he looked away, trying to find something else to focus on. “Um… is this what you’re working on?” he asked, picking up a notebook where I had jotted down the opening scene for my Jack the Ripper novel.

“Yes, but it’s not worth looking at.”

“But this is excellent…” He read it quickly, his eyes scanning over my bubbly handwriting. “You’re really good at capturing the scene.”

“It’s my job as a novelist,” I answered before I took the notebook out of his hand and sat down on his lap, my arms wrapping around his neck. “But work is the last thing on my mind right now…” I whispered seductively, my lips brushing against his. “You’ve enthralled me, Cruz. I can’t stay away.”

His hands rested on my hips, and for a second, I thought he was going to give in to his desires, but he just shook his head, pulling away.

It seemed that he would be a harder nut to crack than I’d thought.