Risking it All (Crossing the Line, #1)(8)

“Can I get that smile now?”

“If I don’t give it to you, what happens?” she asked, with a little more steel in her voice than intended. “Are you going to shout the smile out of me?”

His thumb massaged a circle into her palm, watching her closely. “Careful, Ladybug, you’re showing your spots.”

What is that supposed to mean? She snatched her hand back. “Maybe I keep the smile for my boyfriend only.”

He leaned back slowly and sipped his whiskey, all traces of amusement gone.

“If you do have a boyfriend, he’s about to be sorely disappointed.”

“Why is that?”

“I’ve never been much good at sharing.”

Sera stared at him in shock.

Instinctively she knew not to challenge him in front of the men sitting behind her, no doubt hanging on every single word.

For some reason, they seemed to fear him, and until she knew the lay of the land, making a scene wouldn’t help her cause. She set her tray down and lowered her voice to a whisper. Still, she couldn’t let him get away with that comment. Share her? As if she were a can of Coke? “Who do you think you are?”

His gaze dropped to her lips. “I’m the guy who’s going to kiss you tonight.”

“Like hell you will,” she sputtered, crossing herself before she could resist the urge. “I don’t even know your name.”

A single eyebrow rose. “Did you just cross yourself?”

She shifted on the balls of her feet.

“I’d tell you to try it, but it appears to be too late for religion where you’re concerned.”

“No arguments here.” He leaned forward, clasping his hands between his knees. The way his head tilted to the side probably sent most girls into a squealing fit. It hadn’t escaped her notice he still hadn’t revealed his name.

“I’ll make you a deal—”

“Oh no.” She shook her head. “This is how every episode of Dateline NBC

starts.”

“Ah, sweetheart,” he murmured so low she could barely hear it. “How did you end up here?”

Sera didn’t know what to make of his confusing question, so she picked up her tray and started back toward the bar, but his voice brought her up short.

“If I can make you smile, I get that kiss.” He rose and gently pried the tray from her hands. “That’s the deal.

Harmless enough for you?”

“Nothing about you is harmless.” The statement slipped out on a whisper.

“Aren’t there other girls you could be kissing?”

“Sure there are.” Without looking, he tossed her tray on the table. “But none of them bless themselves after saying ‘hell’

or make me crazy to see them smile.”

“You appear to be crazy regardless.”

His lips twitched. “How about it, then? If I’m so crazy, there’s no harm in the deal. No smile, no kiss.”

A slight hesitation was her mistake.

Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and tugged her toward the back of the bar. “Wait. Wait. I have customers.”

“They’ll live.” His calloused fingers twined with hers as he led her down the back hallway, past the bathrooms, and into the kitchen. The short-order cook and his assistant glanced up, looking completely unconcerned to see her being dragged through the kitchen by the insane customer. She opened her mouth to ask for their assistance when her kidnapper greeted them both by name. Fabulous.

“Where are you taking me?” Sera might know how to defend herself, but it wouldn’t be wise to go somewhere alone with this man she knew nothing about. She threw a desperate look at the cook. “Stop him!”

Laughter sounded behind her as she was pulled into the alleyway behind the club, the kitchen door slamming shut behind them. Never having been back there before, she took a moment to take in her surroundings. A loud extractor fan above the door hummed, and street sounds greeted her ears in the distance.

It had rained earlier, leaving damp asphalt in its wake and water dripping from the drainpipes of the apartment building across the alley. A cool breeze whipped down the passage and Sera wrapped her arms around herself to protect her exposed skin.

Her kidnapper still held her hand tightly, but had stooped down to scoop up a pebble off the ground. As she watched in stunned silence, he lobbed the pebble up at the closest window of the building on the other side of the alley.

“What are you doing?”

He held up a finger, smiling when a light illuminated the window. “Wait for it,” he drew out.

When the window flew open on a barked curse, his hand squeezed hers, pulling her closer to his side. Sera stumbled into the crook of his arm, the smell of whiskey and smoke wrapping itself around her like fog. Above them, a white-haired woman in a housecoat appeared at the window, squinting into the darkness and looking less than thrilled by the disturbance.

“Mrs. Petricelli, you’re looking extra beautiful this evening,” her kidnapper shouted. “Sing for us, would ya?”

“You, huh?” She propped a fist on her hip. “This ain’t a free show.”

He slapped his free hand to his chest.

“My

undying

love

isn’t