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His eyes looked less intense now, but no less crazed. She found it strangely hot, actually, despite the situation she was in. God, her thoughts. She was going to die in the next few minutes and she was still thinking about how attractive he was? What was wrong with her?
“I can’t let you leave now,” he said, sounding almost sad.
Lucy’s heart pounded. Unthinkingly, she closed in and kissed him, thinking it might catch him off guard … and it did. The knife clattered to the floor as his hands went to her waist, pulling her close.
He kissed her hungrily, deeply, his lips pressing against hers with a fierce intensity. He tangled his fingers in her hair, tilting her head back to deepen the kiss, and she felt the heat of his mouth against hers, a scorching wave that drowned out every rational thought.
His body was solid and warm against hers, and she could feel the strength in his arms, the controlled power that both terrified and thrilled her. She should shove him away, run while he was distracted, but the intoxicating pull of his kiss made her knees weak.
Cindy was right. That man was right. Carver was a monster, and yet, the heat of his mouth against her, the pressure of his body against hers, felt right. It was like she couldn’t get enough of him, and she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted to remain a captive in his arms, lost in this moment of dangerous, exhilarating passion.
Carver broke the kiss first, breathing heavily. His eyes searched hers, a mix of confusion and desire.
“Lucy,” he murmured, his voice rough and raw. “What are you doing to me?”
She looked up at him, her own breath ragged. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I can’t stop.”
For a moment, they just stood there. Come on, Lucy desperately thought, make the next move. Are you going to kill me, or fuck me?
****
Carver didn’t know what went through his mind when he rushed out of his apartment to buy groceries. Lucy was still on his mind, and he was focused on cooking her a great dinner.
In the process, he had forgotten to lock his front door. Such a grave mistake—one he’d never thought he would make. Flunkies and new recruits in his brothers’ organization made stupid mistakes like that, but not him.
Despite the messy nature of his work, he was meticulous and careful. Carver always thought two steps ahead, yet Lucy had a way of unraveling him.
As he stood there, looking at her now, he saw the defiant glint in her eyes, the tension in her shoulders. Her entire body was trembling—was it from fear, excitement, or maybe a mixture of both? Carver couldn’t help but want her even more.
She was a witness. No, even worse, she had freed Emmet. The next logical course of action was to get rid of her. It was simple, clean, and would protect his operation. But he couldn’t do it. Not Lucy. Not the girl who reminded him he still had a heart despite all the foul deeds he racked up in his family’s name.
His gaze lingered on her, and he saw the flash of confusion and fear in her eyes. Carver took a step closer, his voice low and steady.
“Lucy, you shouldn’t have come in here. You should’ve knocked,” he said.
She lifted her chin defiantly. “I-I was worried about you,” she said.
“Worried?” He couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped his lips. “You just freed a dangerous man, Lucy. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
Her eyes widened slightly, but she stood her ground. “He was hurt. I couldn’t just leave him,” Lucy replied.
“Sometimes,” Carver said, stepping closer still, “leaving is the safest option.”
He was close enough now to see the rapid rise and fall of her chest, to hear her shallow breaths.
“And what about you?” she whispered, her voice shaking but resolute. “Are you going to hurt me?”
Carver reached out, his hand gently brushing her cheek. Her skin was soft, warm under his touch.
“I should,” he admitted. His heart ached at the thought of hurting his sweet Lucy. “But I can’t.”
Lucy swallowed hard. “Why not?”
“Because,” he said, his hand trailing down to her neck, his thumb brushing against her pulse, “you make me feel something I haven’t felt in a long time.”
Her pulse quickened under his touch, and she looked up at him. Carver thought there was something more than fear in her eyes now. There was hope, hope he was going to end up crushing.
“What now?” she asked.
