Page 14 of Nest Of Lies

Zaden groans but moves towards the two men who are still tussling.

I slip through the house and jog up the stairs, stepping over passed out men and women. I reach the top of the landing and pause.

She’s got her back to me, pulling a door closed. She looks beautiful and like she should be mine.

So innocent. Her hair, though I can’t see the colour right now, shines like gold. Like a living halo around her head. Her eyes are the biggest blue-green eyes I’ve ever seen, depthless, fearless. Her skin is gold-touched, but she moves like me, easily, dangerously silent. Where did she learn to walk so quietly?

She turns then, and the smile is instant and blinding. Full of fun and mischief. Does she realise how enticing she looks? Like a damn angel who has been put on Earth to tempt me into repenting my wicked ways.

And then her eyes sweep down my body and back up, and to hell with repenting. I want to corrupt her with every single breath I take.

“Lia, what are you doing here?”

She smiles and dances towards me on the lightest feet. I hold perfectly still as she stops in front of me.

I reach out, unable to help myself, and put a hand on her waist, drawing her towards me.

“Lia,” I whisper, drawing her name out.

“It’s your birthday,” she’s nervous now, unable to meet my eyes. Her hand lifts and presses against my chest, her fingers splaying out over the hard muscle, and I, I’m a lonely dog leaning in for just one more touch.

“It is.”

She beams up at me, those two words erasing her nerves completely. I’m frozen by the glow, the happiness that pours out of her.

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a tiny little parcel, wrapped in balloon wrapping paper that is obviously a few years old.

“What is it?”

“It’s your present.”

I peer at it and feel a strange tightness wrap around my chest.

“You shouldn’t be here, Lia.”

All that delightfully inquisitive, radiant energy withdraws into her.

“Well, I was just dropping it off.”

I hate that I’ve put that meekness in her voice.

She steps back, but I hold her, refusing to let go. With each step, I follow her back, into the shadows of the landing, far out of the eyes of anyone who might save her. Ranger stole one. Maybe I can, too?

“What I would like is something…a bit different.”

“Oh?”

I lean in faster than she can anticipate. And I brush my lips against hers. Her lips are softer than any I have kissed. There is a warm, sweet scent I can’t place. She’s frozen, and then her lips move under mine. Tentative, experimental, unsure.

I move in closer, with all intents to take the kiss deeper and into darker territory, but a creak on the stairs has me pulling back and drawing a knife out of my sheath, ready to throw it should the person attempt to harm…

What am I doing?

Still, I don’t sheath my knife until I recognise Harlow. He spots me with my weapon, holds up his hands, and retreats down the stairs.

Lia hums softly, almost inaudibly, and then tugs free and races off before I can stop her.

I stare after her, knowing I won’t find her. Then I look down at the present in my hand. I carefully open it and go still as I take it in.

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