Imaginary Lines (New York Leopards 3)

“Yes?”

“You realize we’re dating.”

I gnawed on my lip.

“You can’t eat your lip.”

“I can try.”

“This is a date. The club was a date.”

“Maybe we’re not dating. Maybe we’re just flirting. A lot.”

He shook his head. “Nope. We’re dating.”

I closed my eyes. “Well, see, Abe, that’s a problem.”

“Yes, you explained. Issues with history and all that. Luckily for you, I believe I can help you with those issues.”

I smiled but didn’t open my eyes. “No, but also... Tanya talked to me about you.”

He looked unimpressed. “Tanya Jones. Your boss. Why?”

“She figured out we knew each other.”

He could tell something was off, and it visibly displeased him, enough to sharpen his words. “I thought you guys were supposed to be reporters. Or does Sports Today not investigate?”

That pricked at my pride. “We do. I just... I’d kept it quiet.”

He cocked his head. “Why?”

I looked out the window. Rain had begun to fall, a steady drizzle without the oomph or excitement of a downpour, just relentless and unyielding. “I don’t know. I guess because I knew...I had an inkling, you know? That we can’t do anything. That it’s not professionally appropriate.”

His mouth turned down with displeasure. “The hell with that. We’ve known each other since long before anything professional came into this.”

“But it doesn’t change the fact that our jobs do put us at odds.”

“I don’t care.”

I couldn’t help smiling. “Because you were a Rookie-of-the-Year. Because you’re first string and a beloved player and known by—and making—millions. But I’m a newbie reporter that still needs to prove herself.”

He reached across the table and brushed a loose lock of my hair off my face. “And is that the real reason?”

Confusion curled in my belly, desire for his touch, for him, and uncertainty at how to proceed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean the real reason you’re so hesitant.” He shrugged. “There is a real reason, isn’t there?”

I licked my lips. “What if I’m right, and you’re wrong? What if we try a relationship or whatever, and it doesn’t work out, and it ruins our friendship? That seems like a very bad idea.”

“Hey.” He leaned forward, dark eyes glittering. “Let me tell you a secret.”

I mimicked his body and leaned forward, until we were only a breath apart. I could smell him, warm and spicy, and my entire body lit on fire. I couldn’t look away.

He pressed his lips to mine. They moved in a sensual, slow kiss, the kind that could topple empires—or at least people into bed.

I pulled back and scowled. “Foul play.”

He grinned. “You liked it.”