Page 90 of Love's Ace

At least, that’s what Wren seemed to be thinking when he flew us to the house to grab our things so we could rent another hotel room. It wasn’t until we were safely behind closed doors that the tension slowly started to leak out of Wren’s frame.

It left him slumping against the wall.

“Wren?” It was ridiculous to ask if he was okay, but I didn’t knowhowto comfort people.

I’d never had to before.

“I thought he was going to kill you.” He spoke through the hands that covered his face. “I thought he was going to tear the thread from my chest. I was so worried, I—”

Maybe I didn’t know how to comfort him, but instinct still told me exactly what to do. It was easy to step forward, and easier to pull his hands from his face so I could lean in and press my lips against his.

He tasted like salt.

Like tears.

Like all his fear and stress coming out while he tried to hide it from me. I kissed him, licking the flavor of sorrow from his mouth and trying to replace it with what I felt, what itmeantthat he’d been willing to stand in front of me. To protect me.

To lose everything for me.

“It’s okay,” I murmured when I pulled back, and he shook his head.

“It won’t be until we finish this. Where’s the book? We can…” He trailed off when I slid my hands along his waist and smoothed my fingers beneath his shirt. They skated up the curve of his abdomen, and I brushed his nipple with my thumb. “Theo, what are you doing?”

“You heard Aiden.” I smiled, and I knew the expression was probably rueful. I heard him—I heardeverythinghe’d said.“This might be it, Wren. We might die when we go after what’s in that book.”

“We aren’t going to—”

“You don’t know that. So let’s… pretend.” I stepped into him until our bodies were pressed flush together, until the heat of my breath mingled with the coolness of his own. “We’re just two humans, Wren. Some asshole cupid with a god complex shot us, and now we’re here. We’re in love and we don’t know why, but we’re here.” I kissed the corner of his mouth and dropped my head to his shoulder. “For tonight, do you think we could pretend we have forever? That it’s just you and me? No danger, notomorrow.Just you and me, and nothing that could tear us apart?”

The soft brush of Wren’s hands along my spine, lifting up to thread through my hair so I looked at him, sent shivers running all along my body.

“I love you,” he whispered. “If that’s what you want, we’ll make tonight feel like it’s the first night… The last night. Let’s make it last forever.” He pushed me back and made his way to the bed behind us, dropping his jacket to the ground and looking over his shoulder as he did. “But if that’s what you want, then I want something too.”

My eyes widened when he climbed onto the bed, running his fingers along the comforter and looking up at me. I felt drawn forward, a moth helplessly flying toward the flame, like that look alone was enough to completely destroy any willpower I had.

“What do you want, Wren?”

He licked his lips while he looked me over, and took a deep breath like he was nervous. Then he smiled and pushed himself to lay back. “I want you to fuck me.”

“I—”

“I’ve never let anyone touch me like that before, Theo. If it’s the first night, our first time… If this is the last night of our lives,I want that. With you.” He sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it to the side. “Just you.”

Ohshit.There was no world where I would ever deny him. No world where I could ever tell him no.

And I wanted it.Fuck, I wanted him so much I could barely think straight. Could barely stop myself from crawling onto the bed and letting that dark thing in my chest come to the surface, so I could take him like an animal and leave myself so branded on his soul he’d find me again in our next lives if we died tomorrow.

But…

I turned to my bag and rifled around—it felt like a lifetime ago when Wren had taken me shopping. How did the days feel so long? How did it feel like forever, and like I’d barely had a chance to be with him at all?

Why did it feel like it was all rushing headlong to an end?

I pushed the thought away and grabbed the bottle of lube I’d teased him with, tossing it onto the bed beside him.

Wren laughed, and the sight of his smile made my chest ache.

“What?” I finally said, crawling up beside him.

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