The Burning Shadow (Origin 2)

I dragged my hand back over to his chest, to where I could feel his heart pounding. “Prove it.”

Luc made this deep, throaty sound that curled my toes. “Evie…”

I bit down on my lip as I rose up on my elbow and stared down at him. Moving my hand from his chest, I placed my fingers against his jaw. The bristle of hair teased my fingertips as his hand slipped to my lower back. “I’m not sleepy,” I repeated. “Are you?”

He looked up at me, and I saw a pinprick of white light where his pupils were. “Not even remotely at the moment.”

“Sorry?”

One side of his mouth hitched. “There isn’t a tiny part of you that is actually sorry.”

He was right. “I was thinking…”

“About?” His hand trailed up my spine, tangling in the strands of hair that had come free during sleep.

“About something you said to me on Halloween.” I drew my finger over his chin and then up, touching the center of his bottom lip. The hand in my hair formed a fist.

The pinprick of light grew brighter and wider. “What did I say to you?”

“You said it … it was only me. That it could only ever be me,” I reminded him.

“Did I?”

My head cocked to the side as the corners of my lips started to turn down. “You don’t remember?”

The hand in my hair loosened. “I do.”

“Jerk.” My eyes narrowed.

He responded with a quick nip to the tip of my finger, causing me to gasp as the bite sent a jolt straight through me. Those eyes held mine as I felt his lips close over my finger and the flick of his tongue.

My entire body tensed.

He gazed up at me. “What did I say to you? Can you repeat it? I have an incredibly short-term memory right now.”

“You said it has only ever been me.” Breaths coming out in short, shallow pants, I slid my damp finger on his lower lip. Smugness filled me when he gripped my hair again. “You said there’s been no one else.”

Those eyes took on a heavy, hooded quality. “I did say that.”

I lowered my head, stopping inches from his mouth. “Is it true?”

“Yes.” His voice was deeper, thicker.

The bridge of my nose brushed his. “Does it mean what I think it does?”

His other hand lifted from his stomach and landed on my hip. “What do you think it means?”

He was going to make me say it. “Does it mean you haven’t been with someone?”

“There have been … others that I’ve had a few moments of … enjoyment with. Kissing,” he said, gently tugging my head back, exposing my neck. “Touching. Learning. Some level of pleasure.” His mouth found the center of my neck, and I shuddered. “But are you asking if I’ve ever been with someone?”

I flushed from the tips of my ears all the way to my toes. “Yes.” My voice sounded coarse. “That’s what I’m asking.”

He pressed a tiny kiss to where my pulse beat. “Then the answer is no.”

My eyes drifted shut.

“I could never be,” he continued, tone raspy. “I never wanted to. Not with the memories of you and what we could’ve been.”

The swelling feeling in my chest returned, and I thought if I had memories of him, it would’ve been the same with me.

But that wasn’t the case. I lowered my chin, opening my eyes. Those pupils were all white now, bright as the sun. “I was with Brandon. We—”

“I don’t care,” he said. “That changed nothing for me. Changes nothing for me.”

The next breath I took was shaky as I dropped my forehead to his. I didn’t know what to do with the knowledge that he’d never been with anyone because of me. There was an absurd amount of possessive glee at that knowledge, and part of me knew I should feel bad about that, but I didn’t.

“I’m still not sleepy,” I whispered.

“I know.”

I didn’t respond. I didn’t get a chance, because Luc shifted—moving faster than I could track. He rolled me onto my back, and then he was beside me, one hand on my hip and the other holding himself up. My heart about came out of my chest as he lowered his head to mine.

“Tell me what you want.” His lips brushed mine in the darkness. “You need to say the words, Evie.”

“You,” I whispered into the space between our mouths, while my heart beat so fast I didn’t understand how it could keep going. “I want you.”

He shook his head, and a lock of his hair brushed my forehead. “You already have me. So, that can’t be what you want now.”

My heart clenched as the breath I held puffed out in a heady gasp. I lifted my hands, placing them on his shoulders.

“I think I know.” His nose grazed mine. “You want my mouth.” Those lips touched my cheek. “You want my hands.” The hand at my hip squeezed. “You want my lips on yours.”