Page 91 of Unmask
I didn’t… I wouldn’t have…
No way I slept with Mason. Like I hadn’t been that tired. Had I?
Lifting my gaze, a rush of air expelled from my lungs at the sight of Kreed’s gorgeous face. His arm was slung across mywaist like he was still protecting me even in sleep. His face was half buried in the crook of my neck, stubble scratching against my collarbone with each slow, deep breath. Heat radiated from his body, seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt until the steady thrum of his pulse beat against my shoulder blade.
Oh, thank God.
But unfortunately, the relief at knowing I hadn’t gone to bed with his brother didn’t last long as the message from last night slammed into the forefront of my mind.
Today was the last time I’d wake up beside Kreed like this.
Tonight, I was leaving him behind.
Tonight, I’d be gone.
Tonight, I’d betray his trust.
And he didn’t have a clue.
Oh, how the fucking tables have turned.
I stayed perfectly still for a moment, afraid that even the slightest movement would shatter this fragile bubble of peace. My ribs rose and fell in careful rhythm, matching his breathing as I memorized the weight of his arm and the scratch of his stubble against my skin. The way he seemed to instinctively pull me closer even as he slept, his fingers twitching slightly against my hip bone. One lock of dark hair had fallen across his forehead, and I fought the urge to brush it back.
I shouldn’t wake him, not with what awaited him, but I couldn’t stop myself from turning my head just enough to study his face.
He looked…peaceful. And younger somehow. The harsh lines around his eyes had softened in sleep, his jaw unclenched for once. As if the constant tension he wore during the day, the rigid set of his shoulders, the way his hands always seemed ready to reach for a weapon, had finally loosened its grip. There were no edges on him right now, just soft, steady breaths and a quiet that made my heart ache.
This morning, I wanted something selfish. Something simple. Just a moment with him that didn’t involve fear, or loss, or the world pressing down on both of us until we could barely breathe.
I shifted slightly to face him, the mattress dipping under my weight as I propped myself on one elbow. My fingers hovered above his cheek, trembling slightly, and without even thinking, I traced the line of his jaw with my fingertip. The contact was featherlight, but he leaned into it unconsciously. I brushed against the faint shadow of a bruise near his temple, purple and green at the edges, a reminder of yesterday’s violence.
That warmth in my chest bloomed, unfurling like sun-drenched ivy, curling through my ribs and spreading outward until my whole body hummed with it. I wanted to memorize every version of Kreed. The good and the bad. All of him.
God, he’s beautiful.
And he didn’t deserve any of this.
Screw it.Why didn’t we deserve one day of happiness before I blew up both our lives?
I missed that feeling. The butterflies taking flight in my stomach. The electricity that made my skin feel alive. The part of me that still believed in moments that made all the scars worth it, that whispered maybe, just maybe, some things were worth fighting for.
I leaned in slowly, heart thudding against my ribs so hard I was sure he’d feel it. My lips hovered just above his for a moment so I could taste his exhale. I could feel the pull between us, magnetic and heady, every nerve ending in my body suddenly awake and aware of the space between us, the narrowing distance, and the anticipation making my hands shake. The ache had been building for weeks.
I closed the distance. My lips brushed his softly, a question pressing against his mouth. It was barely a kiss, more like awhisper of contact, but he tensed beneath me, and the answer came immediately.
Kreed stirred, a soft sound rumbling in his chest as his lips parted slightly. His breath caught as I kissed him again, deeper this time. His hand came up slowly, fingers finding their way into my hair, threading through the tangled strands. He pulled me closer with gentle insistence, lips pressing more firmly against mine, and I melted into him.
Heat flooded my veins, pooling low in my stomach as his other hand found the small of my back, his fingers splaying wide against my spine. I could taste the salt of sleep on his lips and feel the way his pulse jumped beneath my palm when I pressed it to his throat.
“Good morning,” he murmured against my mouth, voice rough with sleep, making me want to kiss him again. His eyes were still closed, but a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
“Morning,” I whispered as I kissed the corner of his mouth, then his jaw, then that spot just below his ear that made him shiver.
His arm tightened around my waist, pulling me flush against him until there was no space left between us. Just skin and warmth and the steady rhythm of two hearts beating in sync. For a moment, I let myself pretend this was real. That tomorrow wouldn’t come and I’d still be here, but even as I kissed him deeper, even as his hands mapped the curve of my spine with reverent fingers, I couldn’t shake the cloud hanging between us.
By sunset, this would all be a memory.
By sunset, I’d be the villain in his story.
