Page 41 of Until the Stars Fall

“Scaring you.”

I continued to glare, though it was anything but annoyance coursing through my veins. Stars, he looked good. He smelled good. Everything about him—

“I wanted to see you,” he said, as if it was the most natural, obvious thing in the world.

“And what about your brother?”

Brennan’s lips twisted into a devilish grin. “What about him?”

I shrugged, trying to mimic his earlier nonchalance. “Oh, you know, his command that I stay away from you.”

“He doesn’t need to know,” he said, stepping forward slowly.

“We shouldn’t—”

My breath caught at his invading warmth. I shifted my eyes down to his chest, reminding myself he wasn’t mine and could never be. His finger slipped under my chin, and I let him lift my face.

“Is that what you want?” he asked in a near-whisper, trapping me in the deep green pools of his eyes.

Swallowing hard, I scrounged for words.

WhatdidI want?

I wanted him. I always had.

“Your thundering heartbeat is answer enough,” he said.

He traced his fingertip along my jaw, then slid his hand beneath my ear to cup my neck.

“Maybe it’s thundering out of fear,” I said shakily.

He smirked again, wetting his lips with his tongue. “I might believe that if you weren’t looking at me with such desire.”

When his gaze lowered to my mouth, I reflexively pulled my bottom lip between my teeth. My mind went utterly blank as he leaned forward until his lips whispered over my own, so close I could almost feel him. All I had to do was shift forward slightly, and I’d get the kiss I’d yearned for.

He finally saw me as more than just his human friend.

He finally saw me the way I saw him.

Wait. Why now?

After all this time—after he stopped speaking to me or even seeing me—why?

I pulled back just enough to escape his breath on my skin.

My heart raged against my thoughts, cursing me for not simply seizing this moment.

Connor’s warning rang out in my head at the same time.You’ll only get hurt.

Damn him!

Nothing good can come from this, Lieke.

Cursing silently, I retreated further to look Brennan in the eye.

He gave me a shaky and uneven laugh. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been rejected before.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” I whispered.

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