Page 189 of Fangs
“Oh fuck!” I whispered frantically.
“Right there?” he purred, curling his nimble fingers and making every part of my body seize.
“Lee! Oh gods, yes.”
His fingers picked up the pace, thumb rubbing against my clit, and within seconds I strained against his hold on my wrists, lightning flashing white behind my eyelids. I gasped in a breath, but his mouth captured mine, muffling my cries. His tongue thrust into my mouth, mimicking the stroking movement of his fingers. He tilted his head, fastening his lips and pressing me harder against the wall. I could barely breathe, my entire body rigid and trembling as the pleasure washed over me in waves.
As the heady rush began to fade, a thought occurred to me, and my eyes popped open in a sudden panic. I broke our kiss and looked down at my body, terrified I would see my power lighting up the entire alley like a beacon, but there was no glow emanating from my skin and no golden light surrounding us. I froze, trying to process the twisted mess of emotion that swept over me. Lee’s fingers stilled, and he pulled back enough to see my face.
“Are my eyes glowing?” I asked in a hoarse whisper.
His brow furrowed. “No?”
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. “Oh,” I said in a small voice.
“You okay?” he asked, breathing unsteadily.
“Yeah,” I lied, and then my face crumpled.
“Hey,” he murmured, releasing my wrists and withdrawing his hand from my shorts so he could wrap me in his arms. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed into his shoulder, hating myself.
“You don’t need to apologize, Freckles.”
“I hate this,” I managed to get out. I had to believe that Trey didn’t realize how much losing him would destroy me. I had to believe he didn’t know I would be so broken.
I would never promise to love you and then leave you.
I hated Menace for those words he’d planted in my head. I hated that he made me resent Trey for dying—as if he had any fucking control over what happened.
“I’m guessin’ that’s the first time you’ve been with someone since Trey?” Lee asked softly.
I nodded, squeezing my eyes shut as fresh sobs choked me.
“It’s okay, Freckles.” He pressed a kiss to my hair and then my forehead. “It’s okay to grieve.”
All of me wanted to withdraw, to get out of here and create some space so I could go cry alone, but something held me back.
It’s okay to need people.Trey’s voice echoed in my head, and I wondered with sudden horror if he’d been trying to prepare me for losing him.
I would never promise to love you and then leave you.
I shoved that cold voice out of my head and wrapped my arms around Lee’s neck. He pulled me close, murmuring soft, gentle things, and I cried.
“I’m sorry,” he said after I managed to calm down a little, and the sadness in his voice was enough to make me look up at him.
“For what?” I asked
“Just… everything,” he sighed, raising his hands to cup my face. “We should go back before Wolf comes out on the warpath.”
I followed him back to the clinic, adjusting my rumpled clothing and swiping my wet face as I went. As I climbed back onto my mattress, Wolf stirred and sat straight up, his eyes narrowing.
“I just had to go to the bathroom,” I lied in a whisper, and his face relaxed.
I bunched Trey’s quilt in my fists and pulled it up to my face, closing my eyes. I felt wrung out physically and emotionally. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about what I’d done with Lee tomorrow. I wasn’t sure how I feltright nowabout what I’d done with Lee. No, that was a lie. I felt everything: grief, desire, guilt, fear, attraction—all of it together at once.
I jumped when a hand touched my arm, but when I peeked out, Lee had scooted slightly closer, his dark eyes on me. His arm slid further under my quilt to find my hand, lacing our fingers together and making my chest ache.
