Chapter 26
Luciana was so stunned she instinctively took a step back, then immediately tripped over a raised piece of pavement. She stumbled hard, nearly falling.
She yelped before she could stop herself.
The sound cut through the silence, catching the attention of Nigel and Wendy mid–makeout. They broke apart, both turning to look straight in Luciana and Thiago’s direction.
Before either of them could react, Thiago moved fast, pressing Luciana up against the wall. His broad frame shielded her completely.
They were way too close–close enough that she could feel the heat radiating off his body. The scent of pine and spice clung to his skin. “Don’t say a word,” he murmured with his head tilted down, his breath warm against the side of her neck. His lips brushed her earlobe slightly, sending a shiver rocketing through her. It felt like an electric current had shot up from her feet to the crown of her head.
From behind, their pose looked intimate—way too intimate. They were like two people who couldn’t bear to be apart, wrapped up in a quiet moment of tenderness.
Nigel and Wendy seemed to glance their way, but after a few seconds, the sound of their footsteps faded as they walked off into the night. Luciana stayed frozen, her lips pressed tightly together. She was barely breathing, but her racing heartbeat completely gave her away. It pounded in her chest like a summer thunderstorm–loud, wild, and impossible to ignore.
After what felt like an eternity, she whispered softly, “Are they gone?”
Thiago had her pinned in place, a lazy smirk tugging at his lips. “Nope. I think they don’t want to be done.”
Luciana couldn’t believe it—no way. They’d been kissing so long that their lips were probably swollen by now.
She stood on tiptoe, trying to peek over Thiago’s shoulder–only to see the spot completely empty. Nigel and Wendy were long gone.
She shoved him, her face burning. “Y–You’re such a jerk!”
Thiago hadn’t expected the strength behind that push. For someone so slim, she packed a decent punch. He stumbled back a couple steps, but just slipped his hands into his pockets. His lips twitched with amusement.
“Really, Luciana? Not even a little flustered by me? Gotta push me off like I’m nothing?”
Right now, Luciana had zero time to replay their too–close–for–comfort moment. She quickly pulled out her phone to text Vivian, brushing Thiago off with a casual reply. “Plenty of girls are into you. You don’t need me in the mix.”
Thiago chuckled. “Oh, yeah? You’ve been using the same phone these past few years?”
Luciana paused, her fingers hovering above the screen. “Yeah. Why?”
Phones cost a fortune. She could barely afford the one she had. It had been with her for five, maybe six years now.
Thiago held out his hand. “Let me see it.”
“What for?”
“You said I’ve got no charm, right? Let’s check your camera roll,” he said with a smirk. “Luciana, don’t think I didn’t notice. Back in high school, you used to sneak photos of me sleeping at my desk during lunch.”
The second those words left his mouth, Luciana’s heart skipped a beat like it had actually stopped for a moment, She instinctively clutched her chest, trying to calm the sudden rush of adrenaline. Her entire body flushed hot.
Before she could think, she shoved her phone into her pocket and bolted.
“I did not! You’re delusional!”
Behind her, Thiago called out, “Run all you want. I’m tossing your sketch bag,”
Still running, Luciana yelled back without turning around, “Toss it, then! I don’t care!” Thiago had no words.
