Page 249 of Legacy
I groan against her neck. “Scarlet…”
She giggles.
It’s soft, light, and fucking lethal.
And damn. My brain short circuits.
That sound.
That goddamn sound.
It’s light and effortless and full of something that makes my ribs ache.
I grip her tighter and kiss her hard, stealing it from her mouth before it slips away.
“Do it again,” I mutter against her lips.
She shakes her head and laughs,really laughs this time—and it wrecks me.
“You’re insane,” she says, grinning up at me, her voice husky and full of life. “You’re actually insane.”
It’s her smile, I think.
That smile.
It’s golden. It’s peace.
But then her fingers rise to my face, slow, gentle; and she cups my jaw like I haven’t ruined everything else I touch.
And suddenly her smile means nothing next to her touch.
Because this…
This.
This is the thing that ruins me.
Her hand on my face.
Touching me like I’m worth something.
Like I’m not just a sinner or a soldier or a broken man covered in blood and scars; but hers.
Her touch is the kind of peace no war can touch.
I lean into it, helpless to stop myself, and her thumb strokes the stubble on my jaw.
Then she leans up and kisses me. Soft. Lingering. Warm.
When she pulls back, her smile turns sly. “You can have me…”
My breath catches.
“…after you feed me.”
I blink.
Then laugh.
