Page 107 of Promises in the Dark

And right then, I felt it. That invisible wall she was putting up between us, as if she was building a barrier brick by fucking brick.

It fucking stung, if I was being honest.

I told myself over and over again that I needed to keep my distance, that getting too close would only end in disaster. No matter how hard I tried to force myself to see Red as just another chick I hooked up with, it just wasn’t fucking working.

Every time I looked at her, my heart did this stupid fluttery thing, reminding me of the nights we spent tangled together, all heat and desperation. She wasn’t just a lay, and that scared the shit out of me.

I was craving her presence, not just her body.

Even if I was too stubborn to admit it.

“Funny how you didn’t seem too concerned about those patients when we were swapping saliva earlier," I remarked, giving her a slow once-over.

Red’s expression shifted, her eyes flickering away for a split second before she snapped back with that same brisk tone.

“Oh, like you were concerned about your schedule when that woman was here, Casanova.”

She was a damn fortress, keeping her walls up tight. And every time she looked at me with those fucking eyes, like she could see right through me, I felt myself crumbling.

I raised an eyebrow, trying not to let the smirk creep onto my face. “Jealous, are we?” I asked, throwing her own words right back at her.

“I’m just making an observation,” she countered, refusing to take the bait.

Observation, my ass.

I sighed, realizing this argument wasn’t getting us anywhere. Stepping closer, I kissed her hard, hoping to kill the tension.

It was unlike any other kiss I’d shared with a woman before, raw and primal, a desperate plea for her to understand just how much she meant to me.

For a second, she froze, probably caught off guard by how rough I was, but then she melted into it, her hands grabbing my chest as she kissed me back just as fiercely. It was fucking electric, intoxicating, and I never wanted it to end.

“We’ll pick this up later after training,” I muttered against her lips when she finally pulled away.

She stormed out, leaving me alone with the taste of her on my lips.

Damn, I couldn’t let myself get too attached. That was the cardinal rule of being a player, right? Never catch feelings. But fuck, it was getting harder and harder to stick to that with Red.

I stomped my way back into that bunker, feeling like I’ve stepped into the bowels of hell itself, with a bit of industrial flair thrown in for good measure. The air hung heavy with the scent of sweat, metal, and something that might pass for hope if you squint really hard.

Ah, home sweet home.

I leaned against the wall, smirking as I watched those pencil-pushers try to survive Pyro’s brutal training. Yeah, they might save lives out there, but in here, they were just a bunch of weak-ass losers.

What caught my eye—or rather, what didn’t—was the absence of Dr. Asswipe. Thank fuck for small miracles, was I right? Because if he’d shown up, I didn’t trust myself not to wrap my hands around his scrawny neck and squeeze until his eyes popped out like grapes.

I spotted Red training her ass off with some other chick who could barely keep up. Her red hair was tied back in aponytail, catching the light like a fucking flame, her moves incapsulating all the grace of a goddess.

And that body... Jesus fucking Christ. Carved by the hands of the devil himself, all curves and edges that could cut me to pieces.

Her skin glistened with perspiration, muscles flexing with every strike she landed. I couldn’t stop staring, especially when her tits bounced, nipples poking through the soaked fabric of her sports bra.

I was in heaven.

Her movements were fluid, her strikes precise, way better than our last training session. It was like she had transformed overnight, leaving me standing there dumbfounded, wondering where the hell she had learned to move like that.

I never knew she had it in her, to be honest. But now?

I couldn’t fucking look away.

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