Page 106 of Reckless
“Azer,” I cut in firmly. “Don’t pretend to forget who we are to each other. What we are to Ilya.” I jab a finger into his bare chest. “Elite. Ordinary. Enforcer. Criminal.” I shake my head, staring blankly at the branches swaying around us. “We are enemies with history. Enemies who hate each other.”
I don’t bother to look at him, but I know he’s shaking his head. “You don’t hate me.”
“Oh, I have every reason to.”
“But that doesn’t mean you do.”
I huff and push my palms against his chest. “Put me down.”
He holds me tighter. “You know what I think?”
“No, actually, I don’t give a damn what you—”
“I think you hate that you can’t hate me.”
My face is inches from his. “Oh, I can hate you just fine.”
“Then hate that you feel something for me.” His hand skims my thigh while the other presses me firmly against him. “Hate me for making you want this.”
A raindrop pelts my cheek. I swallow, searching for words before settling on a shake of my head. I push weakly against his chest, blinking at the beads of water trailing down tan skin.
“Just pretend,” he murmurs. “We deserve to pretend.”
There’s that word again—the one that justifies the feelings I’m fighting.
He’s lifting my leg, guiding it until it’s wrapped around his hip. Another raindrop finds my nose when my gaze lifts to meet his, our faces close. My heart pounds in my chest, raging a war with my screaming mind.
I shouldn’t do this. He is a slippery slope that I am on the verge of tumbling down, a temptation I know better than to taste. Again.
But this is pretend.
This is a secret for the souls.
And that’s what I tell myself as I wrap my other leg around his hip, his hands tightening across my back. Holding me against him, he takes a few slow steps back until the water laps around our collarbones. And I let him. Because I trust him more than I care to admit.
Rain begins sprinkling from the sky, creating a pattern of ripples around us.
“This is just pretend?” I whisper, melting into his hold.
“This is just us.” A hand slides up my back and over my hair. “No titles. No obligations. No history.”
I nod slowly as I place my hands on either side of his neck. Rain splatters onto our faces, falling harder with each second spent staring at each other.
“You going to kiss me, Gray, or just continue admiring what you see?” he murmurs, now running a thumb over my bottom lip.
“Still contemplating drowning you, actually.” My voice is breathy, my own fingers wandering over the curve of his jaw.
“Oh, darling, I already am.” His lips inch closer to mine, teasing me. “And I’m begging you to let me breathe you in.”
I smile slyly. “I thought you never begged?”
“I’m getting used to it when it comes to you.”
And then his hand slips behind my neck to pull my lips toward his.
His mouth is on mine, distracting from every echo of warning bouncing around my skull. He tastes like a mistake, and yet, I memorize the feel of his lips against mine. Some part of me knows I shouldn’t be doing this, but I can’t seem to remember a single reason why.
This kiss feels different.
