Wicked Heart (Starcrossed #3)(18)

God, he smells good. And I have zero doubt he’d taste good. But more than anything, I know for damn sure he’d feel so good, one kiss would be all it would take for him to have me completely under his spell. Considering I don’t have the time or inclination to be in the thrall of a devastatingly attractive actor right now, I lean away from him and order my disgruntled body to stand down.

“And that’s why I need to leave,” I say, trying to convince myself as well as him. “Plus, you lied when you said you wouldn’t try to seduce me.”

He frowns. “Is that what was happening? Because I swear it was the other way around.”

“All I did was look at you.”

“Exactly.”

With a resigned sigh, he jumps down from the ledge and holds his arms up for me. I put my hands on his shoulders, then he grips my waist as he slowly lowers me down.

Lord, he’s strong. He holds me like I weigh nothing, and though I’m short, I’m also curvy. It’s not like I’m a featherweight.

When I’m on my feet, he doesn’t let go of my waist; in fact, his fingers tighten and release in an uneven rhythm. And I don’t let go of his shoulders. They’re beautiful. Hard and round. More muscular than those of any other man I’ve ever been with.

“There’s still time for the shirt-ripping option,” Liam says quietly as he stares down at me. “I promise I won’t judge you.”

I have a moment of weakness and graze my fingers down his arms, over his triceps, elbows, and forearms. His skin is so hot and smooth, I’m tempted to find out what his stomach feels like under his T-shirt. But if I head in that direction, there’s no way I’m getting out of here tonight.

As it is, I’m so aroused I’m nearly panting. “Maybe next time.”

He clenches his jaw, and I notice that his breathing is a little faster than it was a few minutes ago. “I’ll keep you to that.”

Our trek downstairs is filled with tension, and when he drops the supplies back in his apartment, I have one last longing look at his perfect body next to his perfect bed before taking him up on his offer to walk me to the subway station.

A few minutes later, we reach the stairwell that leads beneath the street.

I stop on the corner to face him. “Well, here we are.” I’m trying to disguise how reluctant I am to go, but there’s a good chance I’m failing.

He nods, and I can see tension in his jaw. “I guess so. Tonight was . . . special. Meeting you. Touching you. All of it.” He cocks his head. “But I have a terrible feeling you’re not going to offer me your number, are you?”

If you weren’t an actor, hell yes. But I’m almost sure you are, so I won’t.

I shake my head. “But maybe I’ll see you around?”

He lets out a short laugh. “In this city? Unlikely.”

“Unless fate, right?”

I mean it to be a joke, but his expression turns serious. “Yeah. Fate.”

He stares for a few seconds, then shoves his hands into his pockets and gives me a wry smile. “Of course, you know where I live now. So if you ever feel a deep, spiritual need for a booty call, you can drop by anytime. Day or night. Or day and night if you’re feeling tense. Apart from pristine bed-making, I also specialize in mind-blowing erotic massage.”

I suppress a laugh as a ball of warmth blooms in my stomach. “I have no doubt. Sure. I’ll drop by.”

He shakes his head. “You really are a terrible actress, aren’t you. You can’t even fake it to spare my ego?”

“I predict your ego will be just fine. Good night, Liam Quinn.” I hold out my hand as he goes for a hug. Then we laugh and step back. When he offers his hand, I shake it.

Jesus, most awkward moment ever. It gets even more awkward when we stop smiling and neither one of us lets go. We just continue to stand there and shake hands.

Liam lets out a breath. “Okay, so . . . this is where you walk away.”

“Yeah. I’ll just . . . go.” I take a tentative step away from him, but he doesn’t let go of my hand.

My back hits the wall of the building behind me as Liam steps forward. He’s so tall and his shoulders are so broad, they block out the light. In the shadows, his expression looks ravenous. I’ve had men look at me with desire before, but nothing like this. I can feel him holding himself back. Every muscle is tense, yet his fingers are gentle as they caress mine.

“Elissa.” He cups my face and leans down. When our noses brush, I can’t help but grip the front of his T-shirt. “Maybe you don’t have to leave just yet.”

My blood pressure is getting higher every second. “I really should.” My heart is thundering, roaring blood through my ears.

“Or maybe you can just stand there for a few minutes and let me do this.”

I stop breathing as he gently grazes his lips across mine.

Oh. Fuck.

No.

No, no, no.

Giant mistake.

My mind seizes. I’ve never felt lips so soft. He does it again, and my whole body flushes, inside and out.

“Is this okay?” he asks, his voice raspy.

I grip his T-shirt tighter. Not really.

I’ve tried to resist him all night, but now that I’ve felt his mouth, not wanting more is impossible.