“Why?”
“I’m going to call you that.”
“Kara.”
“Don’t Kara me! I’m stuck here with you and I’m so sick of referring to you as the Devil. So, will you give me a name, or shall I give you one?”
“Shorten it to Luke.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.”
“I’m still going to stop you.”
He turned and slipped into the darkness, chuckling. “You can’t escape me.”
And for the first time, I wondered if I’d stopped hating him.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Luke
Luke?
I told her to call me that.
What was I,human?
I was going to have an aneurysm—or pop a blood vessel I didn’t even need. The cursed, useless organ inside my chest beat like a caged beast. No outward sensation, no pleasure, but my body rioted anyway.
My heart still beat. My desire still scorched me. And I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Madness.
Pure seething madness.
I swiped my tongue across my lips, desperate to taste her, hoping for even the faintest trace. Nothing. Not a whisper of her sweetness. Not even a phantom warmth remained.
It drove me restless—ravenous.
I left her alone, not because I wanted to. I left because I couldn’t stand lying to her anymore.
I wanted to fuck Kara. Not tease, not toy with, not punish. I wanted totakeher. To slam into her and feel her stretch, grip, pulse around me.
I. Had. Her. On. My. Tongue.
On myfingers.
And I couldn’tfeela damn thing.
The tragedy of it stole a breath I didn’t need. This was a punishment worse than banishment, worse than exile.
Towantsomething more than I ever had—
Tohaveit—
And not be able toexperienceit?
