He squints at me, sees right through my bullshit. “And you? Will you leave now?”
My eyes drop to the earthen floor.
“Where would you go?” His voice goes softer. “Where are you from, Phoenix? Or did you just burst from the air itself?” He’s half-murmuring now, talking himself through it. “Maybe I’ve hallucinated this entire week. Maybe this is what happens when I finally lose my mind.” His translucent gray eyes settle on me. “Not an altogether unpleasant madness.”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not a figment of your imagination.”
“I don’t know, dream girl.” His smile is soft, devastating. “I can’t imagine how you could possibly be real.”
Something swoops in my belly. Low and dangerous.
He’s the dream. Not me.
I want to be the kind of dumb, impulsive girl who believes in fairy tales. But I know better. Dreams don’t come true for girls like me.
Layden stands. Moves toward me. Each step deliberate.
“Who are you, Phoenix?”
I hold up a hand to stop him. He does stop—but only when my palm presses flat against his chest. His heart beats steady under my hand. Slow. Strong. While mine’s a fucking rabbit.
“Where do you come from? Who are your people? Why were you alone in that forest when you found me?”
My mouth stays shut. His eyes bore into me until I can’t take it anymore.
“Doesn’t matter,” I whisper. “You’ll never see me again.”
I try to pull away but he catches my hand. His fingers wrap around mine, warm and careful.
“It does matter. We’re alike, you and me.” His words pierce something in my chest. “You’re alone like I am.”
“It doesn’t matt?—”
“It does. Because you aren’t alone now. You’re here.With me.” He steps closer, backing me against the cooling stove. “You were running from something just like I was. What’s the point of bringing me back to life and making me hope, if you’re just going to disappear into the fog?”
My eyes flash up, angry, because angry is safer. “I don’t owe you anything.”
“No.” He steps into me, one hand still holding mine, the other lifting to my face. His thumb traces my cheekbone. “You don’t. But what if we ran away from the rest of the worldtogether? It’s just two months.”
His face inches closer. I can’t think. Can’t breathe. Can’t do anything but feel the nearness of him—his lips, his scent, the overwhelming presence of him.
“Say yes,” he whispers.
I can hear both our hearts now. His, that steady bass drum. Mine, racing like I’m prey about to be devoured.
Am I prey? Do I fucking care?
Because for the second time in my endless existence, everything else drops away. I am pure want. Impulsive and hungry and alive.
I want to kiss this man. I want to consume him and be consumed.
Our lips inch closer. The tension between us pulls taut like a wire about to snap. We’re both savoring this moment before connection. This last chance to pull away.
Neither of us does.
I suck in a breath, giddy and terrified, because I have the awful, thrilling feeling that this is about to change everything.A kiss from a fallen angel.
Our lips barely touch. His chest starts glowing with blinding light?—
