Page 199 of That Time I Accidentally Became A Serial Killer

“Breathe, Poppy. You’re okay.”

She fists my vest like she’s drowning. I don’t mind. I wish we weren’t wearing this gear—so she could hold me, not the damn vest.

I’d let her break my ribs if it kept her from unraveling.

Outside, doors open. Laughter spills out. Then they close again. They’re looking for her. Getting closer to our hideout.

“Just slow down, okay?”

I never look away—and neither does she.

Her body molds to mine, soft curves against hard lines. I feel her heartbeat, her tremble, the delicate hitch of every breath.

My hand cradles her jaw like she’s something fragile, something rare.

Without thinking, my thumb rubs her cheek.

Her eyes are wide and glassy, shimmering with something raw and unguarded.

I drag my thumb lightly across her bottom lip, feeling the slight tremble there, the way she leans into the touch without realizing it.

Her mouth parts slightly—soft, yielding—and her eyes flutter half-closed.

Every instinct in me roars to life.

I lean in, slow and deliberate, giving her the chance to pull away.

She doesn’t.

If anything, she tilts her head up, offering herself with a soft, broken sound that damn near tears me apart.

Our mouths are a breath away, the tension pulled so taut it could slice us both open.

I want to kiss her.

Wreck her.

I want to taste what she sounds like when she moans my name.

I breathe her in instead, hovering on the precipice of something I can’t take back.

The sound of voices echoing farther down the hall pulls me back to reality like a punch to the ribs.

I don’t want to do this here.

Not like this.

Not the first time her lips feel another’s. Not in a fucking closet where girls are being held and drugged before being sold like livestock.

Our earpiece crackles, and her shoulders jump. The moment snaps, breaking immediately.

“All clear. Return to the van.”

I press my forehead to hers, forcing my pulse down.

Somehow, I pull away before I ruin us both.

“You ready?” I rasp, my voice lower, rougher than it should be.

---