“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t fucking pity me,” he spits, and I can’t help but smile, to which he growls, “What?”
I step closer to him, my fingertips dancing along the small lines that adorn his skin. “You’re beautiful.” My voice is barely a whisper, but I know he heard me. “And I can never pity someone. I know how it feels to be looked at with such sorrowful eyes that it makes you want to slice open your flesh and bleed out.”
“I meant what I said, wild rose,” Damien says. “Never again.” I know what he means, but I don’t know if I can promise that to him. It’s been my solace for so long. Damien cups my face in his hands, the softness of his thumb sweeping along the apples of my cheeks. “I mean it. If you want to hurt, I’ll do it. I’ll make you ache so badly; nothing will ever compare to how I make you feel.” His promise sends heat pooling between my legs.
“Tell me how?” My husky voice causes a smirk to appear on his face. The way his dimples deepen, as only one corner of his mouth tilts upward, making my skin prickle with awareness.
“I have something in mind, but I’ll need you to trust me.” His eyes simmer with something feral. There’s pure animalistic need driving him because his expression holds lust and hunger.
“Can I trust you?”
“I’m meant to be here as your guardian, your older stepbrother, the person who’s meant to keep you safe, and I’ve already broken the rules. I’ve kissed you, craved you, and now I’m about to make you do something stupid in the darkness of the forest,” he speaks. His voice turns me molten with the thought of all those kisses, every touch and whisper.
“I don’t like playing by the rules,” I tell him confidently, squaring my shoulders, but even in my show of confidence, I’m trembling. I know we shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t stop myself from being attracted to him.
“I noticed,” he quips. “But then again, I’ve always liked a bad girl.” More huskiness laces his voice, the gentle roughness of it running over my skin, making me shiver.
“How many—”
“Don’t.” The one word holds more weight than I ever thought words could. He doesn’t want to talk about his past, which only means he’s had a lot of girls.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like a jealous girlfriend.” The moment the word leaves my lips, I know it’s a mistake. Damien’s blue eyes bore into me, drilling deep, finding the parts of me that I try to hide.
“Don’t you ever apologize to me,” he tells me. “I don’t know what this is between us,” he says. “But I know that as wrong as it is, I can’t stop it.”
“Aren’t you meant to be the levelheaded adult here?”
This causes him to chuckle. “Oh, wild rose, if you only knew. I’m so far from sensible. That’s why my father thinks of me as the black sheep.”
“I thought Finn would be the black sheep,” I counter. From what I’ve seen of the three Thorne sons, Cassian would probably be the most reliable, Damien second, and Finn would, most definitely, be last.
Damien grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners, the white-hot flame dancing in the blue. “We all hold a certain level of darkness within us,” he tells me. “It’s only a matter of time before you let yours shine through. So far, you’ve only seen mine.” He winks at me, and my stomach flips wildly.
“So, what are our plans for tonight? You said you had an idea.”
He leans in until his mouth is at my ear. “You’ll learn the truth behind Finders Keepers.” He steps back, leaving me cold, as he opens the tap. I watch him get a cloth, soak it, and twist it before he turns to me and starts cleaning me up. Once he’s taken care of me, he leads me to my bedroom and says, “Get some rest. You’ll need it for tonight.” And then leaves me staring at his back.
17
Damien
When I told Cass and Finn about my idea, they were on board. I told Nesrin on her first night that she should be careful of the garden out back, but I didn’t tell her why. And tonight, I’ll gladly show her.
The thought of her cutting herself turns my blood hot with rage. Seeing her scars, earlier, was too much, and if she truly wants to feel a release, she’ll find it with me. And only me.
“There’s a storm coming,” Cassian tells me, as we watch the stars flicker in the dark sky. The moon is merely a sliver of silver. The trees break through the glittering pinpricks, and I shiver with excitement at what’s to come.
“There is a storm brewing in the distance,” I agree. “I have a feeling that our annual dance is going to be explosive,” I tell my brother.