Page 57 of Love Unwritten

“Willow signed us up for self-defense classes when we first moved out to Los Angeles.” I tap his arm. “Now, if you don’t mind, could you get up? I think my left lung has collapsed.”

He curses at himself. “Sorry.”

A wave of warmth spreads from my cheeks to my toes as his body rubs against mine one last time before he jumps to his feet and grabs the discarded Nerf gun from the ground.

“We could call a truce,” I say.

He lifts his hand until I’m staring into the barrel of a toy gun.

“So that’s how it’s going to be?”

He doesn’t smile, but his eyes soften at the edges. “It’s nothing personal.” His finger hovers over the trigger.

“I’ll save you, Ellie!” Nico shouts from the other side of the field.

“Thank God I can count on one Lopez at least.”

Nico runs directly toward his father, but unfortunately, he doesn’t make it in time to save me from the foam pellet that hits me right between the eyes.

“No!” Nico cries as he raises his Nerf gun at his father and shoots. “Everyone get him!”

Hundreds of foam darts hit Rafael at the same time from all angles as twenty of Nico’s friends shoot him. He mutters a curse under his breath while I explode with a giggle.

The rare sound not only takes me by surprise but Rafael as well.

His dark gaze lands on my lips. “You think this is funny?”

Another laugh erupts from my throat as a foam dart hits him in the eye.

“Screw this,” he practically snarls.

One second, I’m lying flat on my back, and in the next, I’m being pulled into Rafael’s arms as he uses me as a human shield.

“Cease fire!” Nico shouts at his friends, but they don’t listen.

Foam darts hit me in the eyes, chest, and legs, making me hiss. “Ouch!”

Rafael’s lips press against my ear. “Not so funny now, is it?”

My stomach tightens as his lips brush over the shell of my ear.

What’s next? Goose bumps during a hostage negotiation? Pull yourself together, Ellie.

“You proved your point. Now let me go.”

“I plan on it as soon as they stop.”

“To think I once considered you a gentleman.”

“That was your first mistake.” Rafael lifts my feet off the ground as he hides his face behind my back. I try to break free of his hold, but the band of steel wrapped around my waist doesn’t budge.

“Stop! You’re hurting her!” Nico calls out in a panic.

I wiggle my way out of Rafael’s hold, but only because my butt rubs against something it shouldn’t have.

Something that felt way bigger and firmer than expected.

Oh shit!