Page 44 of Twisted Beauty

As feisty as Liv was, he half expected her to put up a fight, but she let him guide her around the flooded spots without a word.

The whole neighborhood seemed eerie today. Not a single car on the road, and water cascaded down the streets as if they’d always been rivers. When he reached the corner, the water looked deep and dangerous. He swore under his breath.

Liv looked at him, her brows raised and dripping water down her face. “You think it’s not safe to cross?”

She didn’t seem concerned, but she was so light, there was a good chance she wouldn’t be able to keep her balance in this current.

“Hard to tell. What do you weigh?”

“You don’t seriously expect me to answer that.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” She was so slim. Slinky, if he had to put a word to it, and she still didn’t want to answer that question. What was it with women? Unless they looked like Day of the Dead skeletons, they all thought they were fat.

“Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said and scooped her up into his arms.

“Hey, put me down!”

“Humor me.” Matt took a few steps toward the center of the block where the water looked less deep and waded out into it, carrying Liv across. It was rushing, but barely covered his ankles.

“Has anyone told you you’re a caveman?” Liv snaked her arms around his neck and held on. He felt her warm breath on his skin and his cock stirred again. Fuck. He needed to concentrate or they’d both drown.

When they made it across, he set her down on the sidewalk and smiled. That was a first for him, being called a caveman. “I suppose I should have just dragged you across by your hair.” His voice sounded thick. Probably because he could still feel her in his arms.

Liv kept a hand on his bicep while she regained her balance. Just as she let go, a flash of lightning bolted across the sky horizontally.

“All this standing around in water is a bad idea,” she said and then cleared her throat. Her voice was hoarse too, and he wondered if it was from fear or the fact that he’d hauled her across the street in his arms. Maybe she appreciated cavemen more than she cared to admit.

“Come on, we’re almost there.” Matt set the umbrella in a planter on the side of a building. “This probably isn’t safe to carry anymore.”

“You’re just going to leave it? Isn’t that Tito’s?”

“Pretty sure he won’t mind. If we’re both dead, whose lives will he interfere with?”

Liv giggled, and he wished like hell he didn’t love the sound. “True. I’d just hate to upset him. He really is a kind, wonderful man. A decent businessman too. You’re so lucky to have him.”

Lucky? With all he’d given up to be here, Matt hadn’t thought of it that way. But he was sure enjoying being here. And happy to be a part of Tito’s life again. He only wished he’d come sooner, while his grandmother was still alive.

Liv paused as she looked out toward the sea, and he followed her gaze. Several bolts of lightning streaked down into the churning sea, and the rumbles of thunder stretched into an uninterrupted roar.

“How much farther?”

Matt pointed. “See that white building? We’re almost there.”

He took her hand and pulled her along beside him as they rushed toward his home. Her hand felt good in his. Small and warm. But no more meaningful than him carrying her across the street, just necessary to get them out of the storm as fast as possible.

Every shop they passed was closed and boarded up, some with sandbags out front, and the rain pelting the windows and walls sounded like a train on bumpy tracks. The storm was definitely strengthening, with no sign of letting up. They’d probably stayed at Tito’s just a little too long.

When they reached his building, Matt ushered Liv into the lobby and shut the door. Water poured off both of them and onto the tile entry.

“Holy shit, that was crazy,” she said, pulling her hood off and unzipping her coat. She yanked it off and draped it over one arm. “I wish I’d zipped this all the way up before we left.”

Her tank top was plastered to her body, wet despite the umbrella and the coat, and Matt couldn’t tear his eyes from the outline of her perfect breasts and pebbled nipples. His mouth felt dry.

“My eyes are up here, caveman.”

He looked up and she shook her head at him, with a hint of a smile on her lips.

Right. Off limits. He needed to focus.