Page 33 of Forging Darkness

The door slams shut behind us.

“I hope it doesn’t automatically lock.”

Steel’s face is expressionless except for a minutely arched eyebrow. “If it does, I’ll just break the lock.”

Right. Good point. Like something as trivial as a locked door would keep Steel out.

“You feeling better?” He doesn’t look at me when he asks. Rather, he scans the alleyway behind me.

“Yeah. That wasn’t my jam.” Understatement.

The door let us out into a dead end. Glancing over my shoulder, I survey the rest of the alley while the cold night air chills my overheated skin. There’s a streetlight near the entrance and I watch a group of three girls decked out in clubbing clothes stomp under its glow before disappearing behind the corner of the building. The rest of the alleyway is lit only by moonlight.

“Ash is with Sterling and Grey,” Steel says. Oh, I’msucha crap friend. I completely forgot about Ash. “She was pretty freaked that she lost you.”

I rub my forehead. My headache thumps, but I can tell it’s dying down.

“I told her I wouldn’t have a problem finding you. She’s inside searching with them now.”

“How were you certain you’d find me? I could have been anywhere in that mess.” The closed door behind me is no match for the song blasting behind it. The jarring beats ricochet inside my head.

“You’re not hard to find.” Steel’s gaze finally settles on me. “At least for me.”

I straighten. What’s that supposed to mean?

The question in my eyes goes unanswered as Steel steers our conversation in another direction.

“This is bold.” He gestures to my dress and heat rises to my cheeks. I can get on board with Nova’s idea of finding my own style, but stretchy bandage dresses aren’t it. I itch to peel off the dress and throw on some sweats. I’ll keep Ash’s boots though and Nova’s jacket—

“Oh, shoot!” I pat my arms, confirming what I already know. “I lost Nova’s jacket.”

Steel chuckles. “There’s going to be hell to pay for that one.”

“Don’t I know it.” I tip my head skyward, not seeing any stars. I once saw Nova go nuclear on a guy in our class for spilling soda on her, and that only ruined a cotton tee, not an expensive leather jacket. I absently wrap my arms around my middle while I contemplate what to tell her. Would she believe me if I told her a Forsaken stole it?

Steel’s calloused palms brush over my biceps, startling me. I drop my gaze to find him standing in front of me. He slides his large hands slowly up and down my arms, warming the chilled skin.

“You cold?”

I’m covered in goose bumps, but I’m not cold. I shake my head, but Steel doesn’t release me nor does he stop stroking my arms. An involuntary shiver works its way through my body.

“You sure?” He angles his head and moves a breath closer. He knows exactly what’s going on, but I can’t seem to drum up the energy to be annoyed. His once-cooling touch now has the opposite effect, causing warmth to fizzle in my veins, a delicious contrast to the cold kiss of winter air against my exposed skin.

Steel and I have been through a lot together. And the attraction that’s been brewing between us, well . . . I may finally be ready to see where it leads. Our timing isn’t perfect, but perhaps to an angel-born, there’s no such thing as perfect timing. Maybe I need to grab hold of the moments I have whenever they come. The life of a Nephilim can be long, but there’s no guarantee of tomorrow.

Reaching between us, I lay a hand on Steel’s chest while the other crawls up his neck. His pupils grow until there is just a sliver of aquamarine ringing the black. I step into him, playing with the longer hairs at the nape of his neck.

“I think I should be worried,” he starts. “The last time something like this happened between the two of us, I got a fist in my throat.”

“Are you saying you didn’t deserve it?”

Bending his head and stepping fully into my space, he rubs his nose against my cheek before whispering in my ear. “It was well deserved.”

He pulls back slightly, and my gaze dances over the angles on his face made sharper by the moonlight and shadows. He looks like some otherworldly creature sent to tempt me.

Maybe he is. Maybe it’s working.

“Emberly, this thing between us.” He brushes his fingers from my shoulder to wrist, and I close my eyes against the sensation. “I don’t know . . .” I open my lids when he doesn’t continue. “I’m not sure that it’s real.”

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