Page 23 of Shattered & Returned

First kisses were supposed to be sweet. This waspossession.

He deepened the kiss, and I parted my lips for him. His tongue invaded my territory, and I tasted myself on his lips. It should horrify me instead of turning me on.

Somewhere in the haze, the dream whispered of drowning and dying, but his hands anchored me to the present. To the dangerous truth:

I didn’t wantto let go.

I wrenched myself away with what little willpower remained.

This had to end now.

I wasn’t in his league. A male like him, all danger and dark promises, would drag me under if I lingered.

“That’s enough.” I pushed off the stone table, my gown falling back into place.

His dark, amused chuckle curled around me like smoke. “It willneverbe enough.” A shadow shifted where he’d stood—then vanished. Only his voice remained, slithering through the trees: “Run back to your tower, little flower. Hide behind its walls. But nowhere exists where I won’t find you.”

Chapter

Nine

Bloom

Behind Gothic Walls

Ifled the dark, enchanted forest, still dazed, and returned to my chamber on the sixth floor of Ravencrux Tower. My fingers fumbled for the key in my pocket, brushing against my inhaler.

I blinked. The night had been a whirlwind of action, like riding a roller coaster, yet I hadn’t once reached for it, not even when the devil kissed me breathless or stole the air from my lungs.

How was that possible? It made no sense. By all accounts, I should’ve fainted when he grazed my sweet spot, the act so obnoxious and brutal. Instead, I’d had the orgasm of the century.

I didn’t even recognize myself.

The door flew open before I could use the key, and I stumbled back.

A girl around my age stood there, holding the door open.“Where did you go?”she demanded.“I thought I’d find you here after class. And why are you so flushed? Looks like you’ve had the best lay of your life.”

“What? No!”I stared at her, my heart hammering.

She couldn’t know, could she?

“Shit, look at your hair.”She blinked, already moving on.“It’s like staring into the sun. I’ve never seen a color that bright.”

She was a redhead too, but her hair leaned auburn. Heavy eyeshadow framed her slate eyes, and a tiny black ring pierced her left eyebrow.

“This color got me into trouble,”I said.“It’s why I’m here. Were you kidnapped too?”

“Kidnapped?”

The answer was clearly no, so I didn’t explain. I didn’t know her at all, and trust wasn’t something I handed out easily. Besides, I wasn’t even that angry at my kidnappers anymore, not when Orren had already carved a place for himself in my thoughts in such a short time. And now, I was finallylivinghere. Starting with orgasms, for one.

I offered a smile.“Never mind. I’m Bloom Aurelius.”

“Oh, you’re the new girl everyone’s talking about,”she said.

“What?”Dread curdled in my stomach. As a homeschooler, I’d never learned to handle the spotlight.“Why would anyone care? Just because I’m the ‘newest item’? That’ll fade, right?”

“Depends.”She waved me inside.“Let’s see if you can keep the attention of the hottest men here. But first, you should know the cardinal rule.”

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