Page 82 of Captivated

Liliana wet her lips, and looked away. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

“Are you going to stay down there, or come closer?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Still pissed at me, then.”

Liliana took one step forward, and then another as she said, “Maybe I should have let you explain, Joe.”

His lips pulled into a smirk, and he cocked one eyebrow high. “Maybe?”

She sighed. “You’re going to make this hard on me, huh?”

“Not really.”

“Not—”

She was close enough for him to grab, and it seemed like that’s exactly what he wanted to do with her. In a blink, she found herself pulled into Joe’s embrace, and his arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders. It was like she couldn’t help herself but bury her face into his chest, and hug him back.

A part of her wanted it.

Another part needed it.

“Been driving me crazy for days,” she heard him mumble.

“I don’t want to be a job, Joe.”

She felt his lips press to the top of her head. “Yeah, I got that.”

“So, I guess there’s not much for you to explain,” she said.

Joe let out a heavy exhale. “Nothing that I really can—nothing more than you already know. I get why it might have messed with your head, though. I didn’t really consider that, so my bad.”

“That’s a shitty apology.”

He laughed. “That’s because it wasn’t an apology.”

His hands slipped under her chin, and he tipped her head back. Through her lowered lashes, she stared at Joe as he stroked her cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. And then, he closed the bit of distance between them, and kissed her soft, sweet, and slow.

Usually, he owned her with his kiss. Fast, hard, and deep. A lot like the way he enjoyed fucking her, really.

Not this.

Soft strokes of his lips. A gentle dance with his tongue. His gaze locked with hers.

Liliana smiled when Joe pulled away. “Was that the apology?”

“No.”

“Joe.”

He grinned. “This is the apology.”

“Get on with it, then.”

“I’m sorry if I made you feel like anything less than the amazing, interesting, and perfect woman you are, Liliana,” he murmured, stroking her cheeks again with his thumbs. “You’ve got this strange way about you—like a siren, or something. Captivating me, and pulling me in for more. That was all before I had to watch you, and I just considered the rest a bonus. I should have let you know, though. You may be part of the job I have to do, but when it’s just me and you … it’s just me and you.”

“And what does that mean—me and you?”