Page 85 of Wings of Death

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you?—”

“You didn’t,” I interrupt, “but you’re being an asshole,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest.

He closes his eyes for a moment, as if attempting to calm himself.

“I don’t mean to be. I just…” He hesitates while seeming to find the right words. “You’re my responsibility now. And I need to know where you are.”

I don’t respond, and he steps closer to me and rubs my arm.

“I’m sorry about Finlay.”

I glance down as I urge my body not to cry. His words are genuine, but it occurs to me I need to clear something up. Whatever this is between us, it needs to stop. He needs to understand how I feel about Kyle.

“Amaros, can we talk?” I ask and swallow down the lump forming in my throat when he nods. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but it has to stop.”

His brows furrow as he takes in my words. “Zarla?—”

“No, please let me finish,” I say, holding my hand up. “I get you care about me. I can see it, and I appreciate it. But whatever this is,” I say, gesturing between the two of us, “it won’t work. It can’t. Kyle and I?—”

Anger flashes across his features, and his jaw tenses at the mention of Kyle’s name, forcing me to stop talking midsentence. I stare at him, waiting for him to respond. He shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose as he squeezes his eyes shut.

“You have no idea,” he whispers.

I frown in confusion. “About what?”

His eyes meet mine, and I can see the longing in them, as if they are saying the words he seems to struggle to find.

“How I feel. About you.”

I bite my bottom lip, suddenly uncomfortable. If he’s about to declare his love for me, I don’t think I can take it. It’s too much. I’ve been through so much in such a short space of time, I can’t bear to break him. Surely that isn’t the case, though. He can’t love me, can he?

He steps closer, and I back up. Ignoring it, he steps closer again, this time taking my wrist before I can move away. I look down at his hand, unable to meet his eyes for fear I will get lost in them.

“You take my breath away, Zarla Quinn. Every time I’m with you, when I’m in your presence, you are all I see.” He reaches out and gently lifts my chin until I’m looking at him. “I can’t focus on anything with you around. And when you’re not, you’re on my mind. When I sleep, you play out in my dreams. You are everything to me.”

As his words sink in, I find it difficult to understand them. He barely knows me. Sure, he has been there my entire life and watched me grow, but we have never gotten to know oneanother, not on a level where these feelings he has developed can be valid. And what about Astelle?

As if sensing my thoughts, he continues. “Astelle was only ever a distraction from what I really want. A way of trying to move on, to see if I can form those feelings for someone else.”

I let out a long breath, and he moves his hand over my cheek, caressing it softly. Damn it, why did he have to be so handsome? His ice-grey eyes smoulder as he searches mine for a reaction. There is definitely some sort of connection between us, but I don’t understand it. My feelings for Kyle are so strong, I am confused what these feelings for Amaros can mean.

My mind shifts to thoughts of him and Astelle. “And your feelings for her?”

He doesn’t respond, which is answer enough.

“No matter what I do, no matter the distractions I try to muster, there’s only you,” he tells me, and his gaze drops to my lips.

He slides his hand around the back of my neck and into my hair, tugging me closer. My mind stirs as he leans down and kisses me. A passion takes hold of me, and I give in to it, parting my lips and letting him in. He takes the invitation and reaches down and grips my hip, tugging me up against his body as his tongue moves against mine.

His desire presses into me, and I find myself pulling him closer as I snake my arms around his neck. He lifts me up, and I curl my legs around his waist, sliding my hands through his hair. He lowers us down to the grass and braces his hands on either side of my head as he breaks the kiss.

We are both still, breathing hard while my mind comes back to me, and I realise what I have done. What am Idoing?

Not again,I groan to myself, closing my eyes.

“Everything okay?” he asks with a hint of humour.

I cover my face with my hands and shake my head. “No. It’s not. I’m in love with Kyle. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

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