Page 96 of Infernal

I pushed the uncomfortable thought away and nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

And it was as close to the truth as I would get tonight.

It wasn’t like this were the kind of thing you could ready yourself to do. You sort of just had to do it—to jump feet first into the symbolical lion’s pit and hope to God you didn’t get torn to shreds before your feet even touched the ground.

A short stretch of silence passed between us, and I relaxed back in my seat, thinking he had let it go. And then I felt his arm slide along the back of my headrest as the side of his body pressed up against mine. He had completely invaded my personal space, and while my brain was telling me to shove him back to his corner, my body was having no part of it.

“Angel.” His mouth was so close to my ear that it made my body shudder.

My eyes slipped shut.

“Will you please look at me?”

My pulse quickened as I pulled in a breath and prepared myself to meet those knowing eyes. Only, I never turned. I couldn’t bring myself to face him—to say goodbye to him.

I inwardly cursed at myself for being such a coward.

“Why won’t you look at me?” he asked, suspicion creeping into his honeyed voice. If he didn’t suspect anything before, he definitely did now.

Turn, dammit. Turn or he’ll know something’s up!

Shuttering myself, I slowly turned my head and met his eyes. My heart immediately sank to the bottom of my stomach, but I held his gaze nonetheless. “Happy?”

“No.” His pupils dilated as he narrowed his eyes at me. “I felt that.”

“Felt what?”

“You.” Lines creased his otherwise perfectly smooth skin as tension swept across his forehead. “Something’s off. I can feel it, and I don’t like it.”

“You’re being paranoid, Dominic,” I said as evenly as I could manage. “I’m just mentally preparing myself to do this. Everything’s fine,” I lied and then started to turn my focus back to the window, but he quickly captured my chin and forced my attention back to him.

In that moment, we were so close, our breath was practically making out.

“I don’t believe you.” His eyes roamed over my face, taking in my features as though trying to decipher a ten-thousand-piece puzzle. “You’re hiding something.”

“I’m not.” The words left my mouth in a breathy whisper. It was taking every morsel of strength I had not to succumb to him, not to sink all the way into his arms and make myself a home there.

“Then look at me,” he demanded, this time without giving me the option.

Having no other choice but to do as he said, I surrendered to the compulsion and allowed myself one final parting good look at him.

His expression softened as I took in the forgiving edges to his face, the fullness of his lips, the boundless depths to his sinfully dark eyes. Eyes that I could easily get lost in. Curls that begged for me to run my fingertips through…

Shit.

I was in some big-ass trouble.

“Dominic,” I growled.

“Yes, angel.”

“How long are you going to make me do this for?” I meant for it to sound angry, but it came out weak and suppliant.

He cracked a smile, enjoying his temporary hold over me. “For as long as youwantto.”

At his words, I felt the heaviness of my free-will return, but oddly, my gaze never broke away from his. I’d fought so hard to avoid looking at him,feelingfor him, that now I couldn’t seem to do anything but that.

The man was as beautiful as they came, a masterpiece in his own right.

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