Page 230 of The Carnage We Keep

I glare up into his obnoxiously gorgeous face.

“Yeah,” Dame growls under his breath. “You do.”

I scowl at him. “Do what.”

He grins. “You know.”

“I most certainly do not⁠—”

“God, you are so fucking cute when you're being stubborn.”

Heat creeps up my cheeks as I purse my lips, bristling.

“Stubborn and,” I finally mutter.

Damiano chuckles quietly. “And stabby. And murdery.”

A small smile quirks up the corners of my mouth.

“Why can’t you say it?” he says with a soft smile.

I groan. “Dame⁠—”

“It’s really not hard,” he shrugs, a stupid, sexy grin on his face. “You just say⁠—”

“I can’t, okay? Can we drop this?”

A bewildered chuckle rumbles from his chest as I start to spiral. “I don’t underhand why you can’t just⁠—”

“Because I’m scared!!”

The words explode from my mouth with a roar that shakes us both. I swallow heavily, anxiety clawing at my insides as my pulse quickens.

“Because I’m scared,” I choke again, starting to shake.

The smile fades from his lips as he bends down to me. His brow is heavy with concern as he raises a hand and strokes the backs of his knuckles over my jaw.

“Why are you scared, little nightmare?” he whispers. “Tell me, baby.”

My heart skips as the words tumble like old stone from my lips, my eyes squeezing shut.

“Because I love you so much.”

I’m aware of the sound of the water lapping at the dock. Of the crackle of the fire. Of the hoot of an owl somewhere across the lake.

Everything else goes utterly still and silent.

My eyes are haggard when I finally open them again, my face pale and drawn as I drag my gaze nervously up to his.

“I love you so much and that scares the living shit out of me,” I whisper hoarsely. “And I’m so fucking scared to tell you that,” I choke, my lip slipping between my teeth as my hands tighten in his shirt. “But I think I’m even more scared of the loneliness I know I would always feel if I never told you at all, so…”

My pulse skips, my skin electrifying as his hand comes up to cup my face.

“Dame…” I whisper in a hoarse little voice, my brows knitting as the sheer weight of it all presses down on me. “I…”

“Wanna try this again, little nightmare?” he growls.

My eyes squeeze shut again. My teeth sink into my bottom lip so hard that I taste copper.