Chapter 18

I swallow hard, my throat dry as his words hang in the air between us, thick and heavy. My brain is screaming at me to push him back, to tell him to stop this ridiculous game, but my body has other ideas. Heat rushes through me, and my mind refuses to form a coherent thought. Before I know it, he’s closing the remaining distance between us. Another step, and we’re practically nose to nose. His breath is warm on my skin, his scent filling my senses, and I’m frozen, caught in the web of whatever this is. “Make a choice, Julie,” Luke says. I need to say something, anything, but my brain is short-circuiting. All I can focus on is how close he is, how his eyes flicker with amusement and something darker, more dangerous. “Julie,” Luke says, “you’ve got that look.” “What look?” I manage to ask, though it comes out more breathless than I’d like. “The one that says you’re thinking way too much,” he whispers, his lips dangerously close to mine now. “You’re overthinking this. Just go with it.” I