The comment is supposed to come out lighthearted, but it feels as though the crumbled pieces of my soul are cutting into my vocal cords. My voice breaks.
Sin’s gaze burns into mine with an intensity that leaves me unsure as to whether he’s angry or about to ravage me. Both seem like solid responses to this situation.
Tension ripples through his body. “Yourhalf of the bond is broken. That bastard may have burned me from your soul, but you? A piece of your soul is still very much intertwined in mine, where itbelongs. And I can feeleverything.”
The relief that hits me is staggering.
Sin still wants me.
His gaze drops to my lips, reminding me that we are in a very intimate position. My skin buzzes everywhere we touch, and a jolt of desire sparks through me.
I only have a second to catch Sin’s eyes flare before the ground disappears. An involuntary yelp escapes my lips as he sweeps me off my feet.
Cradling me against him, he starts down the hall again, moving at a fast clip.
“What are you doing?” I ask, laughing.
His jaw works, and he’s back to staring straight ahead. “Distracting you,” he grits out.
His muscles are still taut, and I trail my fingers along his neck to see if it will help.
His chest stills.
He’s stopped breathing.
I frown. “Distracting me from what?”
Sin’s steps get even faster as he turns down another hall. He doesn’t answer.
Not content to be ignored, I gently tug on a strand of his hair.
“Fates above,” Sin mutters, turning on his heel and shoving open the nearest door. It leads to what looks like an unused bedroom, similar to the one Leon had. The linens are accented with deep greens and gold.
He sets me down in the center of the room, then steps back to close and lock the door. Only then does he finally release a shuddering exhale.
I tilt my head, giving him a curious expression, as I fight back my smile.
Is it weird that I missed his mood swings?
He leans against the door, his eyes still locked on me. “I was distracting you from wherever your thoughts were headed,” he finally answers, crossing his arms. White spots bloom across his knuckles from how tightly he’s clenching his fists.
My brow pinches. “What thoughts? What’s wrong?”
A tortured look flashes over his features, and he rakes a hand through his hair. “Your arousal, kitten. I felt it. I am so starved for you; I would have taken you in that hallway. But you need rest, and I don’t,” he pauses, looking unsure, “I don’t know what he did to you – if you even want to be touched. And I don’t wantyou to feel pressured. I… I just want to take care of you, if you’ll let me.”
Chills break out over my skin. Despite how incredible his words are, they wrench the memories back to the surface. I don’t dare blink, trying to escape them.
The flashbacks come anyway.
The stone floor is cold, and metal digs into my wrists. Leon’s hands are everywhere, his teeth rip into my thighs.
“Kitten? Kitten, come back to me,” Sin coaxes.
The sound pulls the room back into focus, but it does nothing for the shivers that wrack through me. Inhaling, I try to find the courage to meet Sin’s eyes, hoping he doesn’t know where my mind went.
His devastated expression cuts through me worse than a blade. He must be feeling my fear.
I bite my tongue to stop myself from screaming.
