Lost Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 4)
Page 68
“I fucked up,” he finally says.
“I’m well aware.”
His lips twitch, but I don’t know what he finds so amusing.
“I’m sorry,” he says, sounding genuine.
“Don’t just abandon me when you get pissed. I spent the majority of my life in a cage. I won’t always know what to say or not to say. I—”
He kisses me to cut me off, and I stiffen against him until my body can’t resist any longer. As I melt against him, he leisurely explores my mouth with his teasing tongue, tasting me, seeking... It’s very distracting.
When he finally breaks the kiss, he pushes his forehead to mine, staring into my eyes. “I’m so fucking sorry. I mean it. You did nothing wrong. Other than tell Slade.”
He grins like he’s joking, but I’m confused. “I didn’t tell Slade. Slade was there.”
His eyebrows go up. “Not during... that. He showed up while we were talking,” I add.
“And saw you naked?” His voice gets darker, aggression stirring.
“He’s seen me naked quite a bit. Most of my life, actually. He doesn’t see me as sexual because he watched my body turn into a woman’s. It’s... sick to think of me as more.”
He slowly relaxes. “And you?”
“I see him as my only family.”
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His lips tense. “Karma?”
“She’s my twin. I’d like for her to be family one day, but for now, she’s just a girl I’m scared to get close to until I don’t have to worry about losing her.”
My voice gets strained on that last part, betraying the emotion I’m trying to mask.
He runs his hand through my hair, and his other hand slides down my arm. “You don’t have to be cold to survive anymore. Emotions make us stronger.”
“Emotions lead to rash decisions and stupid mistakes.”
He grins. “Rash decisions like fucking a man who might accidentally claim you for all eternity?”
I bristle.
“Rash decisions such as showing up at our place so you could spy on me?”
“I wasn’t spying—”
“Rash decisions like showing up to save a child’s life—a child you didn’t even know?”
My jaw grows tight, but he’s not finished taunting me, exposing all my hypocrisies under a harsh light.
“Stupid mistakes like luring in the one guy who might just take everything you have to offer?” he asks, his voice lowering to a more seductive edge just before he kisses me again.
He doesn’t stop kissing me this time, and I don’t push him away. He makes me reckless, and he’s definitely not good for me. But every time I feel something... anything... I spiral back into the rabbit hole where down is up and wrong is right.
He pushes into me, and I push right back until our bodies are suctioned together so close that it makes kissing hard—given the extreme height differences. He remedies that by grabbing my ass and lifting me up his body so that he doesn’t have to bend so far.
My legs slide around his waist like it’s their happy place, and my fingers tangle in his hair as I hold on. No clue where his hat went, but my fingers continue to greedily enjoy its absence.
Reckless tastes really damn good.