Page 31 of Branded By Shadow
A rough laugh leaves him, but there’s no humor in it. “Yeah, love. Seriously.”
A second nickname.
Love.
The word lands low and warm and unfair.
He lifts his head, and his eyes are darker than before. Less gray now. More storm.
“If I keep going, I’m not stopping at kissing.”
My mouth goes dry.
Oh.
Oh, that does not help.
He sees the thought cross my face. His jaw tightens like restraint physically hurts.
“And that,” he says, voice rough enough to scrape, “is exactly why I’m stopping.”
Chapter 5
Shadow
Istopkissingherbecause I still have enough control left.
Barely.
Talia’s mouth is swollen from mine. Her fingers are fisted in my cut, her blue eyes bright, wet, and pissed off because I pulled back.
Good.
Pissed off is safer than broken.
“That’s not rejection,” I say.
Her chin lifts. “Did I ask?”
“No.”
“Then maybe stop answering questions I didn’t ask.”
There she is.
My little hellcat.
Mouth sharp. Hands shaking. Still standing.
I step back before I put my hands on her again and forget every reason I should keep distance between us. She’s scared. Hunted. Hurting over that text. I know better than to take something she’s only offering because the world went sideways.
I want her anyway.
That’s the problem.
“You’re taking the bed,” I say.
Her eyebrows snap together. “Excuse me?”
