Casanova(51)

I sighed. “And it’s only just scratched the surface.”

She looked down at her camera and flipped it over in her hands. “So tell me.”

A shudder ran through me. “I’m not proud of the things I’ve done.”

“Does that matter?”

“If I’m telling you, it does.”

“Why me?” She peered over at me. “I’m just a girl you knew once upon a time, Brett. It’s not like we’re friends anymore.”

“Aren’t we?” I scratched at my chin, a small smile on my mouth. “Because I don’t usually talk this much to people I’m not friends with.”

“Fine, we’re friends, but it doesn’t mean I like you.”

“You don’t have to like me to want me, kitten.”

“Just as well, since I don’t want you either.”

I reached over and pushed her hair back behind her ear. “Yeah, all right. Tell that to your pussy next time I kiss you.”

“There won’t be a next time.” She glared at me. “I’m not playing that game.”

“All right.” I looked back over at the crowd. It was thinning out now, and I saw the familiar head of Xavier Ryan laughing with a blond girl and heading toward the overbearingly bright finish line.

Slowly, I dragged my gaze toward Lani. She was staring off to the side, no longer paying attention to anything.

“Let’s make a deal.”

She snapped her head around and looked at me. “A deal?”

“Yeah. If Xavier leaves here with a girl, you agree not to go on a date with him.”

“Oh boy,” she said dryly. “I really get the good end of that, don’t I?”

“I’m not done.” I nudged her with a laugh. “If he leaves the race with a girl and you agree not to go on a date, I won’t only tell you where I disappear to, I’ll show you.”

Lani narrowed her dark eyes, piercing me with her gaze. She didn’t believe me. It was written in the shadows of her eyes. She didn’t think I would follow through, so I put my hand out to her.

“I swear.” I moved my hand closer to her. “I might not tell you everything, but I promise I’ll show you.”

She parted her lips as if to say something before she closed them and pursed them. A few seconds passed before she quietly said, “What if he leaves here alone?”

“Then my previous asshole comment stands.”

“You promise you’ll show me?”

“I promise.”

She glanced at my hand. “I’m not shaking your hand. It’s covered in paint.”

I shrugged a shoulder. “I already tucked your hair behind your ear. It’s all in your hair.”

“Mothershit!” She frantically untucked her hair and looked at it. “Damn it, Brett.”

I grinned.

“Fine.” She dropped her camera into her backpack and, with a wince, put her hand in mine. “Deal.”

I wrapped my fingers around her tiny hand. I shook once, firmly, and then looked out at the finish line. “Oh look. He’s leaving.”

Lani dropped my hand like it was on fire and jerked her face in the direction of the line. Her expression was neutral for all of two-point-five seconds before her brow furrowed.

I smirked.

“You shithead! You knew he wasn’t leaving alone!” She turned and shoved her hand into my shoulder.

Apparently my smugness was premature... Something I wasn’t used to.

“Whoa!” I had to steady myself on the bench. “Easy, kitten.”

“Kitten your ass!” She pushed me again. “You dick, Brett Walker! You saw him, didn’t you? You tricked me!”

“Hey.” I laughed and stood up before she could ram the heel of her hand into me again. “Does it matter? We have an agreement and you get what you want.”

She pouted. “And so do you.”

I couldn’t argue with that. “I don’t really want to share with you where I go when I disappear.”

“But I’m now not going to go out with Xavier if he asks, mostly because that,” she motioned in his direction, “proves he’s sluttier than a city full of naked whores.”

“I tried to tell you.”

“For your own agenda, sure.”

I grinned and stepped toward her. Her gaze was hot on mine as I closed the distance between us, and her lips parted just enough for her to inhale sharply. The wood was cold against my hands as I grasped the back of the bench and leaned right into her.

“You’re right,” I said in a low voice, glancing down at her full lips. “If I don’t get to have you, nobody else here can either.”

“You’re—”

“Going to have you. Accept it, Lani. I’m going to have you and you’re going to love every second of it.” I straightened up. “I’ll pick you up at ten o’clock tomorrow. That good?”

“Make it eleven,” she said slowly. “What for?”

“A little road trip and a hell of a secret reveal.”

“Ten-thirty,” she corrected herself. “Anything I need to know?”

“Yeah. Wear something you don’t mind getting dirty.”