She raised her brows. “If you’re trying to sweet talk your way into my pants, it’s not going to happen.”
Will leaned closer. His hot breath tickled her ear as he whispered, “No, as I recall, you liked me pinning you against a wall.”
The image of Will besting her back in the shady hotel rushed forth. Damn the man and his own strength. “Not true.”
He nipped her earlobe. “Liar.”
Petra’s heart pounded in her chest. She should push Will away and focus solely on the mission.
She searched his eyes, full of curiosity. Maybe this was the time to talk with Will. She’d been putting off this conversation with her former fiancé for far too long. After all, something could go wrong in Hong Kong and she’d lose her chance.
The only question was—how much would she tell him?
~~~
Will was gambling his chance with Leyna, but he was tired of waiting. Either of them could die in the bloody daft operation to rescue the magic user. He’d lived two years of regrets and what ifs; he wasn’t about to risk reliving that again.
Nuzzling her cheek, she sucked in a breath as his short-clipped whiskers brushed against her skin. He’d kept a close-cropped beard all of these years because Leyna had always loved the feel of it. The sight had been a visual reminder of what he’d lost and what he fought for.
He turned his torso further until he was blocking half of her chest from the view of the others. Casually brushing the side of her breast with his forefinger, he whispered, “No matter what you’ve been through or wha
t name you use, you can’t deny the attraction between us.”
He waited to see what Leyna would do. He more than expected her to bat away his hand and punch him in the groin. Yet with each stroke of his finger, she leaned a fraction more toward him.
Leyna murmured, “Attraction means trouble.”
“Perhaps.” He moved his finger a little more until it made contact with her taut nipple. “But can I tell you a secret?”
Holding his breath, Will waited for Leyna’s response. How she reacted to his current actions would determine if he had any sort of chance with her or not.
Leyna cleared her throat, but didn’t move away. “What? That you’ve turned into an exhibitionist?”
He let out his breath and chuckled. “What would you say if I had?”
Leyna tilted her head. “Then I’d say there’s no way in hell I’m allowing it to happen here. Millie would never let me live it down.”
Strumming her nipple, he answered, “While intriguing, it’s not what I was going to say.”
She sighed. “Will, we’re not going to die. The operation is pretty standard and we have the element of surprise. Don’t say things just because you want to clean your slate. You might regret it afterward.”
He stilled his fingers and met her eyes. “The only regret I have is not telling you every day we were together how much I loved you. And I have another secret.”
Her voice cracked as she asked, “What?”
His heart beat double-time, but this might be the only chance he had to speak the truth before he talked himself out of it. “I still do.”
She shook her head. “I call bullshit. You clearly hated me when we reunited yesterday. Don’t deny it.”
He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, to ensure Leyna couldn’t look away. He growled out, “Did you ever think it wasn’t because of my hatred of you but rather toward myself? For years, I imagined what it must’ve been like for you, alone on that fateful night, being burned alive. If only I hadn’t put my work above the love of my life and best friend, I might still have her. Seeing you was like seeing a ghost, and at first, I was angry, but mostly because of lost time. The two years between losing you and finding you were the two longest and loneliest years of my life.”
Leyna searched his eyes and he wished he had the ability to read minds.
Finally, her eyes turned wet and he’d bet his life it was the first time Leyna had shown even a flicker of true emotions in months if not years. He gently pushed, “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
He could barely hear her when she answered, “I can’t. It will risk your life, Will.”
He cupped her cheek. “I can take care of myself. Besides, if I’m injured, I can just heal myself and continue to fight at your side.”