Page 108 of An Empress of Air & Chaos

“I am nothing like you!” She shook her head once, her body stilled.

“That’s where you are wrong.” He smirked. “You’ll see.”

“I do not have an ego that could burst any minute.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“Of course you will,” she sneered. “Even if I punched you in the face, you would take it as a compliment.”

He walked towards her slowly; as he neared, she could smell his scent of frozen berries and pine, causing nerves in her skin to spike. His dark brows pulled down to crown his glorious blue eyes and she couldn’t predict what he was going to say or do next.

Torin was predictably unpredictable.

Maybe the unpredictability of his character made her feel these—these strange things.

He lowered his lashes before speaking in a low, husky voice, “One day you are going to want to kiss me. You are going to want to experiment with your feelings and step outside that bubble you have lived in for too long. You are going to want to explore your deepest and darkest desires.”

She couldn’t breathe, not when his face was so close to hers. She could see the air from his breath swirl past her.

“And when you do, I will be waiting for you.”

Any moment now, Emara felt like her heart was going to explode from her chest. Why did he make her feel like this? She struggled to regain normal breathing. It felt like the only way to break the tension between them would be to scream. Or punch him. Or kiss him.

No, not kiss him. Absolutely not!

That would be the worst thing she could do.

“I am never going to want to explore anything with you,” she argued. Straight away, Emara couldn’t help but wonder if the lie on her lips had sounded believable.

He was right about one thing, though: She wanted someone who could consume her heart by exploring every desire she had, even if they were her darkest; she wanted someone to share that with. She wanted someone who treasured her and didn’t want anyone else. Only her. But when she went exploring those darkest desires on her own, she also toyed with the idea of someone who was unpredictable and fierce, but loving and kind. And someone who would be unapologetic about how passionate he was.

Unapologetic about who he was.

From the moment she had seen Torin, she had accepted that he was strikingly beautiful, but she had preserved that thought due to who he was.

Would it have been different if Gideon hadn’t kissed her first?

Would it be different if Cally hadn’t acknowledged a relationship between them? Even though Torin probably didn’t see it that way. She thought of the hours that she had spent with Gideon, sleeping in his bed. Torin’s brother’s bed! She couldn’t feel these things for him. She had to deny them. Not if what she felt in her heart for Gideon was real.

“Are you going to tell me what is happening in that intriguing little head of yours?” He grinned cheekily.

“No,” she said all too quickly.

“Are you thinking about what it would be like to kiss me?” He folded his arms over his broad chest. “Because I would rather just show you.”

“I will never kiss you. Do you hear me, Torin Blacksteel? I will never want to kiss you!” she hollered. Some birds flew from the trees above them, momentarily taking her attention from the warrior in front of her.

“I am not so sure…” he laughed. His head tilted to the side in amusement. “Angel.”

“Do not call me that.”

Rage bubbled in her blood. How irresistible did he think he was? How conceited could someone be?

“If I keep calling you angel, what are you going to do about it, Emara?” he challenged with a sensual grin.

“You are the most annoying, most arrogant ass I have ever met in my entire life!” she cursed.

“Now, now, angel, I wouldn’t say in your entire life—”

---