Page 53 of Darkest Deception

And … the burning hate fades ever so slightly.

To justify what I am about to do, I tell myself that I can hate her and want her when we are out of here, but right now, I am worried and need to comfort her. She needs this.

She needs someone.

“Helia.” Her whisper is quiet, so soft it feels like a caress on my cold skin. It wrenches at my heart, stripping away the hate I usually feel for her. I fear if she were to ask me anything in that tone, I would turn the world inside out to give it to her.

I would carve it out for her, and my ability to make that happen is so high it’s dangerous to even think about it.

“Please, tell them to open it. Why did they lock us in here? Is it because of what I did?” Her voice shakes, and that’s when I reach my limit.

I pull her close to me, sitting her on my lap. Her arms instantly go around my torso, her head burying into my chest.

“No,” I whisper, but she shakes her head against me.

“No, no, no—” Ambrose pushes me away and starts to look around, her eyes not focusing on anything.

I need to stop her, to distract her.

I shouldn’t do this.

I hate her.

Despise her.

She’s made my life difficult.

But fuck it. Fuck my rules and fuck my hate.

Grabbing her chin, I kiss her.

She instantly grabs my wrists and freezes. I don’t truly kiss her, just press my lips against hers. She slowly opens her mouth, and my mind shuts down. I go to pull back. I wasn’t supposed to do this.

No.

Ambrose places a hand on my jaw and pulls me back, kissing me harder.

It’s rushed, like she wants to use this lifeline to escape reality and she’s running out of time. I follow her lead, kissing her back just as harshly, just as fast, just as desperately.

My skin burns with her touch, and explosions happen inside of me, fireworks that manage to wreck me. It’s the dam finally breaking, rushing through us, wreaking destruction, and I know, beyond doubt, that this kiss will destroy us both, but I can’t seem to care.

Her body relaxes, and she sighs into the kiss. She grabs hold of my hair, and her perfectly manicured nails dig into my scalp, making me quietly moan into her mouth.

Mistake. This is a mistake.

I almost killed her for insulting me.

But I want her to know that even with this kiss, I own her.

That’s when the carnage takes over and the predator in me awakes.

I push my tongue into her mouth, swiping it against hers, and the instinct to pull her closer grows. I kiss her and kiss her until I feel her breathing slow. Her heart is pounding; I can feel it when my hand travels down her neck and back. I suck her tongue, slowly letting go, then dive back in.

Then I let her go, dropping my hands and pulling back.

Her eyes open.

Her lips glisten, and, fuck, if that sight isn’t the most seductive sight ever…

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