I huff. “I would rather let a souldrake burn me to a crisp then chomp on me like overcooked bacon than get into a car with you, thank you very much.”
“That’s your only solution if you don’t want Grayson to catch wind of this.”
Gnawing on my bottom lip, I try to devise a different option. Anything to not be in an enclosed space near Kaiden. There’s a pond to my right, but the water is so murky I can smell it from here. Given my luck, I would probably catch ten different skin diseases. A few minutes of blistering silence pass before I reluctantly mutter, “Fine.” The only pleasure I take from this is that I’ll most likely ruin his ostentatiously expensive Italian leather seat.
The weird buzz beneath my skin only seems to intensify the longer I’m in the cemetery. As does the cadaver count and the inexplicable urge to slam my palms on the ground. A group of about seven ghosts catches the corner of my eye, momentarily distracting me. They float chaotically over the pond. Are they…racing? Nope, I can’t do crazy right now.
This is the oldest cemetery in Ashville, and since the people buried in this section are over two hundred years old, mourning relatives rarely visit. Which is good because we don’t encounter anyone on our way to the parking lot. I roll my eyes when Kaiden opens the passenger door of his Escalade for me. On the inside, though, I melt like butter on warm toast at the gesture.
The moment I sink into the soft leather of the chair, my nose wrinkles. Not even Kaiden’s heavenly cologne can mask the horrid stench of the car. I wonder what it is, but I don’t dwell on it too long. He then slides behind the wheel, holding a towel anda T-shirt from the trunk. “Here, I keep these with me in my gym bag. They’re clean. You can use the towel to wipe off the blood, and I thought you might want to change.”
“Thanks. Can you wait before driving off so I don’t give anyone a heart attack through the windshield?” I say as I take them from his outstretched hand. Sparks fly when I accidentally brush my fingers against his.
He gives a curt nod in response.
Hand still tingling, I use the water bottle resting in the center console to soak the towel. My reflection in the sun visor is something else entirely. Emily was right. I do resemble Carrie. I wipe off the dried blood on my face and neck as best as I can, but unfortunately, I can’t do anything about my braid, which is caked with it.Ugh. Heat scorches the tips of my ears when I tell Kaiden, “Turn around, please.”
His eyebrows knit in confusion. “Why?”
“So I can change. Duh.”
“Should I remind you that you were riding my cock like a goddess only three weeks ago, angel? Stripped to your skin while moaning my name. I think we’re past the point of me turning around when you change your top, don’t you think?” He challenges me with a mocking eyebrow, followed by that infuriating smirk of his.
This demon is going to be the end of me. The air in the cabin thickens dangerously. Because my devious mind hates me—and the images of me losing my virginity to Kaiden aren’t enough—it also sends me flashes of him feasting on my pussy and sinking his fingers into me in this very car. I damn nearly combust.
What are you going to do when she remembers you were the one who locked her powers away alongside her memories?
The recollection of that sordid morning efficiently douses the flames of desire. Teeth gnashing, I wrap my fingers around the handle to open the door. “Fine, then I’ll go change behind atree,” I snap.
Kaiden wraps a hand around my forearm to stop me. “I’ll go,” he grits out before closing the door at his back. His muscles are coiled like tight springs while he takes a few steps away from the car.
I make quick work of peeling off the corset, followed by the long-sleeved blouse underneath. Gagging, I throw them to the floorboard along with the dirty towel, then slip Kaiden’s tee over my head. Holy fuck! I have to bite my lower lip to stop the moan from tumbling free at being engulfed in his scent. I’m glad the sour ammonia smell inside the car didn’t permeate the fabric. I’m about to bring it to my nose and sniff it like a creep, but luckily, I spot Kaiden just in time, striding back to the car.
“What’s that smell? Did you eat fish in here?” I blurt out when Kaiden slides back behind the wheel.
His lips twitch. That little movement is maddening. All I can think about is how good it would feel to have him devour me whole with a scorching kiss.
Earth to Iris!
We’re not going to fantasize about six-foot-four sexy demons that betrayed us anymore.
“Funny you ask,” he responds, shifting the car into drive and effortlessly gliding into the evening traffic. “Someone thought it would be a good idea to leave rancid seafood in all twenty-five of my cars. I can only assume a fiery redhead took revenge because, quote, ‘You make my bestie cry, I fuck up your stuff.’ was written in red lipstick on all the smashed windshields.”
My eyes widen. “What? Sam did this?”
“Oh yeah. I don’t know how the fuck she pulled it off because the cameras didn’t catch anything suspicious. I got the Escalade from the shop today. They tried everything to get the smell out, but clearly, it didn’t work.”
I can’t stop the chuckle that bubbles up my throat. It morphsinto a hearty laugh—the type that makes my head tip back on the rest and my eyes water. It dies when I feel Kaiden’s burning gaze on me. He’s drinking me in as though I’m the last drop of water in the desert, and he’s dying of thirst. The fact that he’s not paying attention to the road would normally send me directly into the arms of a panic attack, but the evening traffic is brutal. We’re moving at a snail’s pace.
“Fuck me. You’re the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But nothing—nothing in this world compares to your laugh, Iris. It steals my goddamn breath away.”
Kaiden’s words are like a match thrown over a gasoline-soaked floor, setting me ablaze. Fuck. I knew getting into a car with him was the worst idea ever. Now he’s looking at me as if I’m the sun, the moon, and everything in between, even though I’m a mess. Not able to withstand the brunt of his gaze anymore, I turn to glance through the window, feigning indifference.
The silence is deafening. I break it after a few minutes when I turn on the radio, then ask, “Um, can you drop me off at Sam’s?”
“Sure.”
“Good thing you already know where she lives,” I drawl dryly, my eyes still glued to the window. “I know you’ve been in my room…You weren’t exactly subtle when leaving those irises on my pillow. It’s creepy, so stop doing that. If I didn’t make it clear enough before, let me spell it out for you again: I don’t want you in my life, Kaiden.”
