Page 114 of Cold Hard Truth

“Hope the other guy looks worse,” Crew says to him.

But Sage doesn’t take his focus off me. He makes a beeline for me, and the path on the floor might as well be gasoline. The room is on fire. With every step I’m swept up in the inferno that comes with his attention. The need to be in his arms and for him to claim me with his body.

Around his friends, he usually keeps his distance, even if they all know what we’ve been doing. But right now, in this moment, something has shifted. And as he stalks over to me, there might as well be no one else in the room.

“There’s blood on your shoes,” I say, noticing the red splatter that coats the bottom of his jeans and the top of his boots.

I’m not even sure why I say it. I’m never nervous because he’s never looked at me like he is right now, and it’s throwing me off balance.

“There is.” He hums, slowly closing the distance.

And when he reaches me, his hand goes to my throat, wrapping around the choker that circles my neck and presses my back flat against the refrigerator. His lips steal mine and my soul leaves my body.

He smells like a bonfire, like gasoline. He smells like nighttime and childhood and comfort. And as his warm body presses against me, I feel like I’m coming home.

Sage pushes my chin up with his thumb and deepens the kiss.

There’s no him or me, there’s only us.

He might not believe in the signs of the universe, but I saw it. Loving him will be the death of me, and I no longer fear it. He’s worth a hundred lives and a thousand deaths if I can have him.

“On that note.” Voices filter back into my consciousness as Sage pulls back, and I hear the group gathering near the door.

“Lyla better still show up for work next week; don’t scare her away with your dick.” Crew gets cut off by Echo telling him to cut it out, and Sage chuckles against my mouth at whatever they’re saying.

I’m sure there’s more to that, but I don’t care.

There was a gap between us. Years of space we could only seem to fill with more time. But that was before. And what we have now is all that matters.

“Bye, you two.”

Peeking around Sage, I spot Fel waving goodbye while Maren winks at me. The group disappears, and Mason closes the door.

“I’m hitting the sack,” Mason says, walking past us. “Don’t worry, I’ll turn up my music.”

“I feel kind of bad.” I bite my lip as Mason disappears down the hall.

“Don’t.” Sage grins, picking me up and pinning me to the refrigerator. “I’ve had to listen to that dude fuck for months; this is payback.”

I shake my head and laugh, raking my nails over his scruffy jawline. “So much for subtlety huh? That was a pretty public kiss. If your friends reported to Kane, I’m pretty sure he’d be at the door next.”

“You see this?” Sage lifts my fingers to the blood dried over the fresh gash on his forehead.

“What about it?”

“Secret’s out.”

My eyes widen, and I run my fingers over his eyebrow again. “Kane knows?”

Sage nods.

“And you lived?”

“Against all odds.”

“You know what that means, don’t you?”

He shakes his head, kissing my throat. “What does it mean?”

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