Page 66 of Magic of Sins

And once he does, he will incite my wrath. I remember Ava’s phone call and the horrible state of our apartment afterward. In here, Caden would be the only one I could direct my anger at. What if I hurt him? He doesn’t look like he would be able to put up much of a fight against me.

“So wrath’s out of the question,” I decide.

That just leaves …

Lust.

I give Caden a quick glance, feeling my cheeks start to burn. He knows what I’m thinking. I can see it in his eyes. Maybe he even tastes it on his lips.

The idea of getting close to him should horrify me. Or fill me with disgust, after everything I’ve just learned. But there’s a prickling sensation in my gut that wipes out all those feelings in one fell swoop. I take a deep breath.

“All right.”

“What?”

Caden looks dumbstruck. I can’t believe it myself that I’ve agreed. Slowly, as if he’s a predator just waiting to sink his teeth into my flesh, I draw closer to him.

“I’ll do it.”

My voice sounds hoarse and not like me at all.

Caden doesn’t move an inch. His eyes dart to my lips, then back up to lock gazes with me.

“You can’t grab my threads.” He falters. “I’m not sure I have enough strength to stop if you do.”

My heart is racing. What am I agreeing to, exactly? A touch? A kiss? More than that?

Caden is still leaning stiffly against the wall. I expect him to make the first move, but he doesn’t. He leans his head back and closes his eyes. I wonder how much pain he’s in.

I gather all my courage and gently run my fingers over the back of his hand. I can feel the veins, their bluish color standing out against his pale skin. His fingers are long and strong. I imagine him slipping his hand to the back of my neck, gently pulling me toward him.

Caden’s breathing is labored. I don’t know if it’s my touch or the severity of his injuries. I can’t yet taste his desire.

I move even closer, lifting my hand carefully to his face. Despite the wounds, it’s still beautiful. The high cheekbones, the full lips. The blood should scare me off, but it doesn’t. Not when I know I can heal him with my touch.

“You don’t have to do this,” Caden whispers.

I’m so close to him now, I can feel his breath on my cheek.

“I know,” I reply just as softly.

I’ve never kissed anyone before. I didn’t think I’d ever want to. But I want to now. I want to know what it feels like. Caden’s lips on mine, his hand in my hair.

The heat of my blush spreads through me, lacing through my body like a flickering flame. I timidly move closer. My breathing is now as erratic as Caden’s.

My bottom lip quivers as I place my lips on his. They are warm and much softer than I expected. I feel the butterflies in my stomach grow stronger. Breathing heavily, I pull away again,suddenly unsure.

Caden blinks. His pale face has regained some of its color. His busted lip has healed almost completely. It seems to be working, though Caden can’t have pulled on the threads too much; I’m still in control of my body. Embarrassed, I stare down at the mattress.

“You call that a kiss?” teases Caden, clearly amused. “I think we can do better than that.”

He gently cups my face in his hands and makes me look at him. There’s an unspoken question in his dark gaze. I nod imperceptibly.

When he lowers his lips to mine, it’s like the world around me disappears. There’s no more fear, no more shame. There’s just him. His soft lips. His scent of whiskey and fireplace. His desire mingling with mine. Sweet and dark and burning. I hear the blood rushing in my ears, and my thundering heartbeat seems to resonate through my whole body.

Without any regard for Caden’s injuries, I climb onto his lap and press myself even closer to him. He moans between kisses. His hands move down my neck and over my shoulders to my back. He holds me close as his tongue invades my mouth. At the same time, I feel him growing hard underneath me.

Feeling Caden’s arousal so clearly makes my head go blank. I know there’s a reason I shouldn’t be doing this, but I suddenly can’t remember what it is. Not while Caden is pulling on the threads. My whole being focuses on that spot where we touch, and everything inside me softens and tightens at the same time. I move up and down, rubbing against Caden’s hardness. If only there wasn’t so much fabric separating us. My fingers move to unbutton his pants.

---