Page 83 of Stone Cold Touch

“It does.” And it did.

A beat of heavy silence stretched out between us, and his gaze dipped to my lips and then below, to where my hoodie was zipped up to my neck. His grin spread. “Cold?”

“It’s chilly in this house,” I responded, happy for a shift in topic.

But then his gaze rose, and those eyes were electric. My chest rose with a deep breath. “I should get ready,” he murmured.

“You should.”

“But I sort of want to just lie around and do nothing.”

A tingle started at my lips and shivered its way down to my toes. “That’s very un-Wardenlike.”

“If you only knew my very un-Wardenlike thoughts, you’d probably run from this room.” He took note of my sharp inhale. “Or maybe not.”

My fingers itched to touch him, but I kept them by my sides. He’d suggested that we take it slow and give us a chance, and that probably didn’t involve feeling him up. But it was so hard.

“You want to get some training in with me tonight?” he asked.

“Yeah.” My voice sounded husky. “That...that would be cool.”

“Really cool. Or maybe hot. Probably hot....” He trailed off, and his head dipped.

I shrank back, pressing into the mattress as if it could suck me right through. “Zayne,you shouldn’t be so—”

“It’s okay.” He kept coming, moving closer, completely unafraid and completely crazy. “You worry too much.”

“You’re crazy.” I turned my head, but he placed two fingers on my chin and guided my head forward. My eyes widened. “Completely freaking crazy.”

“No. I just trust you.” He rested his forehead against mine, and every muscle in my body locked up. “See? You’re not eating my soul, now, are you?”

I kept my mouth clamped shut. The faint burn was in my throat and I didn’t trust myself to speak.

He shifted his head and his nose brushed mine, a totally new experience with Zayne. My heart sped up, beating so fast it was tripping over itself. A sigh shuddered out of him and into me. My eyes fell closed as his fingertips trailed across my cheek and then down, to where my pulse beat rapidly. If he lowered his body just a bit, we’d be pressed together in all the ways that made my toes curl and my knees weak, and I had a feeling I’d discover quickly if he wore anything under that sheet.

Oh God, that was so not the right thought to be having right now.

I thought I heard him whisper my name, and then I felt the barest sweep of his lips, as soft and quick as the flutter of wings, across mine.

Shock rippled through me, stealing my breath. My eyes popped open wide, and Zayne lifted his head. There was a tiny, smug smile on his lips and mine...oh, mine were tingling and humming from the brief touch.

“Hmm...” he murmured, and his tongue flicked out, smoothing over the indent in his upper lip. “I’m still here. Soul intact. Go figure.”

I was absolutely stupefied, beyond the ability to speak. It hadn’t really been a kiss. My lips had been sealed tight, so you couldn’t even say it was a peck, but Zayne...he had dared to put his lips against mine. He’d risked that—risked losing his soul for a brief brushing of lips.

Zayne stretched up, kissed my forehead and then rolled onto his side. “I really need to get into gear, and I need to get changed.” He swung his legs out from under the sheet and stood.

He was totally naked.

Totally freaking naked and I was staring at his behind, his rather firm and—“Oh my God!”

Glancing over his shoulder, he arched a brow as his sly smile turned wicked. “What?”

“What?”I gaped at him, but then my gaze dropped and my face burned like the first circle of Hell. “Oh my God,” I said again as I rolled off the bed, onto the other side. A giggle crawled its way up my throat and burst free. “You are so freaking naked.”

“Really?” His response was dry as he plucked up the sheet. He turned slightly and—oh dear God, I whirled around, eyes widening.

Holy baby gargoyles, he was...

---