Page 118 of Alluring Darkness

She chuckles against my mouth, her warm breath dancing over my skin. I steal a gentle kiss from her lips and then draw back again.

When I meet her gaze, there is such a serious expression in her eyes that my stomach flips. She studies me as if she is trying to read answers behind my eyes.

“Earlier, I told you that my heart belongs to you,” she begins.

Dread floods my chest. Fuck, is she going to take it back? Because I couldn’t protect her from Gabriel? Because I failed to do the one thing that I should have—

“But you never said it back,” she finishes.

Stunned surprise flutters through me, and for a moment, I can’t get my mind to work properly. I told her that I can’t breathe without her. Is she seriously unsure of whether I love her or not?

“So I just wanted to know where we stand.” She shrugs, as if it’s no big deal. But I can practically feel the tension in her body. “Does your heart belong to me as well?”

“No.”

Hurt flickers in her eyes, and she starts to turn her head away. I quickly grab her chin and turn it back to me.

“My heart does notbelongto you.” I hold her gaze with a steady expression. “Youaremy heart.”

Her mouth drops open slightly, and emotions flood her eyes. It makes my own chest tighten too. Leaning down, I kiss her deeply. Her body melts into mine.

Then I draw back.

And she punches me in the chest instead.

Her small fist doesn’t actually manage to cause any pain, though. In fact, she shakes out her hand as if she felt that punch more than I did.

“Bastard,” she snaps. “That’s for making me worry.” She glares up at me. “I actually believed you when you said no at first.”

I trail my fingers from her jaw and down her throat. “Then I guess I will have to spend the rest of my life teaching you even more thoroughly just how much every single part of me belongs to you. Because know this, princess…” I wrap my hand possessively around her throat and then bend down to speak my next words directly against her lips. “I am never letting you out of my sight again.”

“Good. Now, are you going to kiss me or—”

An explosion tears through the air.

I shove Raina behind me, shielding her with my body as fire erupts from halfway down the parking lot. Flames lick the air and smoke billows up from a red sportscar, making hellish light dance over the other cars around it. Even from this distance, I can see Shelley’s already dead body lie slumped in the driver’s seat.

Stunned shock pulses through me as I stare at the scene before me.

A smug chuckle comes from beside me.

With my eyebrows raised, I turn to face Raina again. Light from the flames dance in her eyes and a villainous grin decorates her lips as she watches the fire consume both the car and the now dead woman inside it.

“Was this you?” I ask, surprise still clanging through my skull.

Raina’s grin widens. Then she looks up at me with a mock innocent expression. “It really is fascinating what a few chemicals can do.”

A baffled laugh tears from my chest. Cupping her cheeks, I lean down and kiss her wicked mouth while the flames from the explosion dance in front of us. My entire chest is pulsing with incredulity and crazy fucking love for this absolutely unhinged woman.

Pulling back, I drape my arm over her shoulders instead. And then we stand there, watching the fire burn like the devils we are.

Raina Smith is insane.

But she is my insanity.

And my salvation.

EPILOGUE

---