Page 58 of As the World Falls

His fingers trail up my spine. So. Slowly. I fight the hiss of pleasure that wants to escape me as his hand curls around the back of my neck, grasping it to keep my eyes on his. “I’m starting to be,” he says lowly, his gaze now locking onto my mouth. There he goes again, saying things that feel so much deeper than he probably intends them to be.

I breathe quicker now as he holds me, staring at my mouth. It was like a magnetic force was pulling me to close the distance between us, no matter how catastrophic doing so might be. It was a horrible idea, but I was standing here with him, both of us in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by moving bodies, and it was like we were in our own world. That’s what being with him felt like. All consuming.

“Areyouscared?” he asks, not taking his gaze off my lips.

“Of what?” I breathe out.

“The way you breathe around me. The way your skin heats, and you have to ball your hands into fists to keep yourself grounded. The way you can’t keep your eyes off me despite telling yourself you hate what you see.” I’m starting to shake now, and for some reason, my hands fly to his shirt at his stomach, gripping it tight to keep myself from falling over. I was so hot, damn it. He grins and leans in closer, making me suck in a breath when I feel his lips barely brush over mine but never connect. “I want to know if you’re scared of the way I make you feel so fucking alive, unlike anyone or anything ever has before.”

I feel my hands pull him closer, if that’s even possible, and his hands curl to cup my face now as he stares down at me, his eyes burning as I hold onto him, not wanting him to ever let go of me. His eyes go half-lidded, and I close my eyes just as I feel his lips softly kiss the corner of my mouth, making me crave the real thing with every fiber of my being.

“James,” I plead.

“Fuck,” he growls. “I love when you say my name like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m your savior and not your ruin.”

“I won’t let you ruin me,” I say pridefully.

He smirked at that and leaned in, dropping his mouth to my ear again. “If you let me ruin you, Cecilia, you would beg me to do it over and over and over again.”

He says it agonizingly slow, and desire shoots through me, making me feel desperate for more of him. I hated it, yet I couldn’t let go of him. I…needed him. So badly.

Instead, I force myself to let go, and I dart through the crowd of people in an attempt to get away from him. I didn’t trust myself around him anymore. But I knew I wouldn’t get away. I could feel him stalking behind me, following me every step ofthe way until I burst through the entry doors and cool night air whips against my heated skin.

“You shouldn’t say things like that to me,” I say, knowing he’s right behind me. Then I feel him there—at my back, his hands snaking around my waist and making me fall deeper into his chest, his body, his deception.

It was just us outside. It was quiet except for the faint music coming from inside. It was so dark and still. All I could feel was him.

“I shouldn’t,” he agrees. “But fucking hell, babe, I can’t help myself.”

“Yes, you can,” I argue.

“No,” he bites out, turning me to face him now. I try not to look him in the eyes. I couldn’t. But he forces me to. He grabs my jaw and turns my face up to his, making my eyes snap to meet his, and it kills me.

Hunger. Want. Need. It was so evident in his gaze that I started to tremble with all the same emotions, but the biggest one I felt was regret. Why did I feel like I betrayed him suddenly? Why did I feel so drawn to him? None of this was fair.

“You’ve driven me insane since the moment I met you, and yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he tells me.

I shake my head. “You don’t know what you’re saying. I know this is all just some big game to you.”

“It’s not,” he snaps. “You know deep down it’s not.” I take a step away from him, back toward the club. I needed to get away. Why was he saying these things to me? Why now?

“Cecilia,” he calls after me, but I ignore him. I charge toward the doors. My only mission now is to get inside and find my brother so he can take me away from this place.

I feel his hand wrap around mine and pull me back. I spin around violently, ripping my hand from his as my crazed expression meets his. His gaze eats me alive. He looked at melike he was going to devour me whole and that he’d make sure I enjoyed every single second of it. God, I knew I would.

I swing my hand out in an attempt to slap his beautiful face or shield myself from it. I don’t know, but he catches it before I can decide. He jerks me to him now that he’s latched onto me again, and the second our chests collide, it knocks all sense from me.

My hands tangle around his neck, and I crash my mouth onto his. Everything inside me lights up like a million little firecrackers, and he groans into my mouth, deepening the burn inside me.

His fingertips claw into my hair as he holds both sides of my face. Our feet move us backward until my back slams against the brick of the building. He tears his mouth away for a single breath before he kisses me again. His lips taste like warm whiskey, and his chest is so hot against mine, plastering me to the wall and leaving me to his complete mercy.

His hands slide down the sides of my body, causing a moan to escape me. Being touched like this by him felt like a fever spreading over every inch of my body. Hot and uncontrollable. I needed him everywhere.

“James,” I whimper.

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