Page 56 of I Am Salvation

She reaches for me and gently strokes my cheek. It’s a tender motion. A comforting one. The touch of her skin against mine sends electricity coursing through my veins.

“Please,” she murmurs, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’m not afraid of you, Dragon. I’ll never be afraid of you.”

Her voice is like a balm to my soul, soothing the tempest raging within me. I know I can’t resist her now. The allure is too powerful.

But still I fight. “You should be, Diana. You should be very afraid.”

My heart clenches as our lips meet once more. She grasps the back of my neck and pulls me closer, forcing me to confront the depth of feelings I have for her.

She’s mine and I’m hers.

Fuck.

In this moment, we belong to each other.

But then she pulls away.

She’s panting lightly, her chest heaving. Her eyes are wide and glistening under the dim light.

“I have to tell you something,” she mumbles, her voice coming out as a nervous whisper. “I’ve been keeping something from you.”

My heart drops to my stomach, and a cold shiver runs down my spine. I pull back slightly, looking into her eyes, which are shimmering with vulnerability. Dread pools in my stomach, and I prepare myself for the worst.

“Tell me,” I coax her.

Taking a deep breath she says, “I’m not what you think I am either, Dragon.”

The world around me seems to crumble as I try to make sense of her words. The confusion is overwhelming; it feels like a storm is raging inside me, tossing my emotions haphazardly. The atmosphere between us grows tense. A knot of unease tightens in my gut as I digest her revelation, her eyes never leaving mine.

“What do you mean?” I ask, keeping my voice steady, hoping to mask the unsettling fear spreading through me.

“I have secrets too, Dragon,” she whispers.

“You’re a member of the Steel family,” I say. “What kind of secrets could you possibly have?”

“You know a lot of them.” She blinks, bites her lip. “It’s all come out. My family…”

“So your family isn’t perfect.” I take her face in my hands. “Who the fuck cares, Diana? You have enough money to last your lifetime and more. You’ve never had to work a day in your life.”

She scoffs. “Are you forgetting I lost my job today?”

“No, I’m not forgetting that.” I let go of her face. “But damn it all, Diana. I’m sorry about that. I am. But it means nothing, really. Maybe the job meant something to you, but you’ll get another, and if you don’t? Your lifestyle won’t change one fucking bit.”

“Fuck you!” she hollers at me. “Fuck you to hell and back, Dragon!”

She moves to slam the door that adjoins our rooms, but I stick my booted foot in the crack, denying her.

Oh hell no. I’m as hot and bothered as I’ve ever been, and I want her.

I ache for her.

“Move your damned foot,” she grits out.

“Fuck you, Diana.”

“Fuck you too.”

I wrench open the door and grab her. “With pleasure,” I whisper into her ear as I bite harshly into her lobe.

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