Page 67 of Magic of Sins

“Kaya, stop!”

His voice sounds strained; desire mixed with alertness.

“I can’t,” I gasp.

He should know that better than anyone. After all, he’s the one pulling on the threads, and as long as he doesn’t let go…

Caden pushes my hands away and grabs my shoulders.

“Look at me!” he says, sounding much calmer now.

I can’t look at him. Not while I feel like this. I want him. I want him so much. Him pushing me away like this almost feels like punishment. The desire is still there. And it’s so much stronger than I am. I lean in to kiss him again, but Caden’s sober voice stops me in my tracks.

“Of course you can. I stopped feeding on you a long time ago.”

Chapter Eighteen

I don’t dare ask when exactly it was that he stopped. Was it when I started unbuttoning his pants? Or much earlier, when I climbed onto his lap? What must he think of me now?

Shamefaced, I move away from him and lean against the wall, tucking my legs up against me. Caden puts his hand on mine, stroking it gently with his thumb.

“Thanks. You probably saved my life.”

He says it like I’ve been stitching up wounds and changing bandages instead of climbing all over him, driven by desire. And I’m grateful to him for that.

“Are you feeling better?” I ask, immediately annoyed at my squeaky voice.

Caden’s hand is still on mine—warm and big and reassuring.

“Much better,” he says.

I’m waiting for a stupid comment like,We should do that again sometime.But it’s not coming. Does he even want to? Maybe I did such a bad job at it that he’s glad to have it over with. My heart restricts painfully at the thought. I stare straight ahead at the steel door in front of us. I’ve never been so uncomfortable about anything in my life. Never have I felt so guilty—or so alive. As if I were on fire. I felt so… free.

“Now what?” I ask.

Caden leans his head against the wall at his back.

“Now we wait.”

The hours pass. It never gets totally dark in our prison. Probably because there’s a streetlight outside the small grated window.Its yellowish light eventually gives way to dawn. Caden’s still holding my hand. I don’t dare to move, just as I can’t look at him after what’s happened.

“What are we going to do if your people don’t show up?” I ask him.

“They’re coming.”

Caden sounds more confident than I feel. Despite his coat around my shoulders, I’m practically frozen now. My teeth chatter, and my eyes keep wanting to close, but I’m afraid to fall asleep. Jared or Syrus might come back, and I don’t want to be defenseless against them when they do.

“Tell me something.”

Caden lifts his head and looks over at me. When he sees me shaking, he puts his arm around me and pulls me toward him. I should push him away, but instead I snuggle up to his body, savoring his warmth.

“What do you want to hear?” His chest vibrates with each word.

“Tell me something about yourself. Did you grow up in the East End? What was it like for you to use your powers for the first time?”

He stiffens, and for a moment I’m sure I went too far.

“I’m sorry, I—” I begin, but Caden interrupts me.

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