Page 39 of Trick Me
“She did.” His hand skims lower, dragging me closer. “She’s gone. But she’s in everything I do.” He grins, eyes glinting.
Before I can answer, he twirls me out, spinning me with ease, then draws me back in so fast I stumble, landing flush against his chest. His face is inches from mine. His breath is mine. His gaze drops to my lips.
And then he kisses me.
It’s not a gentle brush. It’s deep and slow and claiming. My knees weaken, hands gripping his shoulders, needing him to hold me up and never let go.
A loud whistle cracks through the haze.
“Get it, girl! That’s my girl, Erynn!” Sera suddenly yells from across the dance floor. “You two look like you’re about to scandalize the entire ballroom.”
I pull back, laughing into Ash’s shoulder. He grins and wraps his arms around me, tucking me into him like he has no intention of letting go anytime soon.
“Tell me something about yourself,” he asks, mouth against my hair. “Something real. Just yours.”
I hesitate, then tilt my head to look up at him. “I used to live in a little red house tucked deep in the Finnish forest. Quiet. Secluded. You could hear the wolves howling at night.”
His brow lifts slightly. “Which forest?”
“North of Lake Saimaa.”
He goes still, fingers tightening slightly at my waist. “You’re kidding.”
“What?”
“I grew up in those same woods.” He leans in, brushing his nose along my cheek. “My pack’s land is on the other side of the ridge.”
I blink up at him, stunned. “You’re from Finland?”
“Born and raised. Middle of nowhere. Closest neighbor was probably your ghosts.”
My breath hitches, and I can’t help the smile thatslips free. “So all this time… I was listening to your pack from across the ridge?”
He grins, full and bright, eyes flashing gold for just a second. “Fate, huh? Maybe not as cruel as we thought.”
He twirls me gently beneath his arm, catching me close, and this time his hand settles low on my back again. Our bodies press together, and I feel the heat of him through every point of contact.
“Tell me something else,” he murmurs, lips brushing the curve of my jaw like a secret. “Something that has nothing to do with ghosts or tonight.”
I try to think through the pounding of my heart. “I moved to Helsinki for a job with the Nordic Institute of Posthumous Communications.”
His hand tightens just slightly, his thumb sweeping a slow stroke over my spine. “You left the forest for the city?”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “The silence got too loud with too many ghosts.” I pause, then glance up at him. “You know those woods are controlled by the Dukes, right?”
His brow lifts. “The mercenary brothers.”
I nod. “Khaos, Eryx, and Tallis. Half brothers. Dangerous, rich, and ruthless. Everyone in the north has heard of them. They run the biggest mercenary operation around… and their grandfather, part god, still pulls strings behind the scenes.”
Ash lets out a low hum, something like amusement. “Yeah, I know them. Did some work for them years back—tracking, intel, protection gigs. They’ve settled now, believe it or not. Found their mate, Billie. Had twins.”
I blink. “Seriously?”
“Seriously. Wildest part? They’re good fathers.”
Ash pulls me closer again, and now there’s no space left between us. His thigh presses between mine as we move, our rhythm slower, deeper. I feel his breath on my cheek, his mouth so close to mine.
“Your family still out there?” he asks.
