Page 33 of Tainted Ties

Their black curls were vibrant against the soft glow of the island light. I stared, knowing exactly who it was. She had haunted my dreams for a decade now.

Aurora was unmoving, holding a glass of water in her hand. She appeared distant, as if in deep thought.

I realized then that even though Itriedto ignore her these past few weeks, I didn’t like her doing the same.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“Shit.” She jumped back, her hand resting against her chest as she faced me.

Fuck me. What was she wearing? If that was her definition of sleepwear…

I swept my gaze from her red-painted toes all the way to her face, where a blush crept slowly across her cheeks. She wore a black silk set that unfurled a strong tenor of want in the pit of my stomach. It was the only thing I could focus on as heat rushed to my cock.

Aurora cleared her throat, causing me to stop eye fucking her. “Was there something you needed?” she asked.

My lips twitched in amusement.What a loaded question.

I walked the short distance to her, stopping just out of reach. “There are many things I need, but right now, a glass of water will suffice,” I said before grabbing the glass in her hand.

The whisper of contact left my skin buzzing. I clenched my teeth, restraining myself from doing something stupid—like kissing her again.

The air thickened, overheating and suffocating. It grew taut between us, ready to snap in two.

Her eyes widened a fraction when I turned the glass and brought it to the exact spot her lips had been and drank deeply until it was empty.

Her nipples strained against her top, bringing my attention to them and I knew,I knew,if I slipped my fingers between her legs, I’d find her wet.

Her arms crossed against her flushed chest. “You’re bleeding.”

“And you’ve changed your hair.”

“Gianna did it. I didn’t see the point in keeping up a false appearance when it rendered useless.” An austere expression shadowed her features. “Besides, a lot can change in two weeks.”

It had. For one, I took her life into my hands and put her smack dab into the middle of mine.

“What else has changed?” I challenged, taking a step toward her. Aurora squirmed under my scrutiny but held her ground.Good girl.

“What else…”Another step.“Has changed, Aurora?” I stood close enough to notice her pulse fluttering against her throat.

Dark satisfaction filled my chest, knowing I had as much of an effect on her as she had on me.

Her gaze trailed my face and she flinched, turning away. “You should tend to those cuts, or they’ll get infected.” Either she was thoroughly disgusted, or she was playing coy.

I didn’t press further on the matter, solely because my mind was racing at the ridiculous notion that she cared.

“I could wake up Gianna for you.” I might’ve believed her concern if I didn’t know what she was capable of.

Laughter exploded from within me, so loud and candid that confusion edged around her eyes.

My hand shot out, circling her throat.

She was caught off guard, her pulse thumping heavily against my hand. I bent my head, eye level with her. “I don’t fuckingwant, need,orlikeyou to do anything for me.”

For the first time since we’d met, Aurora had never looked at me the way she was now. Her soft features had hardened into stone, eyes blazing from fury as she breathed hard through her flared nose.

She stepped forward, causing my grip to tighten around her throat. “Then what the hell am I doing here?” she asked as her gaze narrowed in on me. My own breathing had picked up speed. “To punish me, right?” Her voice rose in volume. “If that’s it, I can tell yourightnow you’re doing a pitiful job.”

My fixation dropped from her eyes and settled on her plush bottom lip, that was now healed from the bite I had inflicted.