“Thank you,” I say when I finally manage to speak. “But… what did you just use your power for?”
Smirking, Sin presses closer, invading my space. “I was removing the clasp and making the chain unbreakable,” he notes mildly.
I frown slightly. “But it’s too small to slip over my head.”
“That’s right, kitten. Want to know why?” His tone grows more dangerous. “Because for some reason, you keep thinking that I’m going to change my mind. So, to help remind you, I’m making sure the necklacecan’tcome off. It’s fucking permanent, just like we are.”
I suck in a sharp breath, and my pulse flutters. Because no part of this feels like ownership. It feels like reassurance, and the extreme gesture tempers my crippling insecurity.
Sin’s gaze rakes over every trace of skin around the necklace, but he pauses when he reaches the spot where I’m holding the pendant. Tilting his head to the side, his expression turns curious.
Before I can ask what’s up, he gently tugs me further into the sun. His eyes track over my collarbones.
That’s when I see them – thin white lines that are so faint, they’re only visible in the sunlight. They twist around my arm like vines, occasionally dotted with tiny, ghostly flowers.
They’re almost… beautiful.
“What are they?” I askin a hushed tone.
“I think… I think they’re your Creator tattoos,” Sin whispers. “But typically, they only appear while Creators are using their power.”
Thoroughly curious, I call on my Creator power. Immediately, the faint lines glow with golden light.
A breath gets caught in my throat at how pretty they are. But a moment later, I feel the power ripple. Quickly, I pull it back, before I accidentally combine it with the Reaper energy and lose control.
When my gaze finally returns to Sin, I find his eyes following the lines across the rest of my exposed skin. “What is it?”
He smiles at me in a way I’ve never seen before. It’s both sad and joyful, and his eyes crinkle at the edges, filling with warmth. “The flowers cover every place you used to have a scar.”
“What? How can you be sure?” I squint at my arm, trying to remember where the scars were.
“Because you’re seared into my soul, kitten. The moment I saw your marks, they were burned into my memory.” His voice turns menacing as he continues, “Because I wanted to make sure not a single fucking stone was unaccounted for when I visited your realm.”
His words send my heart beating into a frenzy, and a part of me struggles to believe someone could ever care for me so much. But instead of delving any deeper into those thoughts, I focus on the tension lining his forehead.
Cupping his cheek, I give him a half-smile. “It was a long time ago, Sin. It’s okay. They won’t ever hurt me again.”
His hand settles over my fingers, and he kisses the underside of my wrist. “You’re right, they won’t hurt you again. But that doesn’t make it okay. Nothing will. So, I’ll continue to visit your realm and haunt their nightmares until the day they fucking die.”
Our hungered gazes meet, and he sweeps me against him for a kiss. It’s desperate and possessive, as our pent-up need to protect each other rages to the surface. Our tongues twine against each other, and Sin buries his fingers into my hair, gripping me even closer.
My nails dig into his shoulders, and he lets out a low growl before lifting me and striding back into theshadowy recess behind the marble column.
I wrap my legs around his waist, and he moans against my mouth. The sound emboldens me, and I nip at his bottom lip before pulling back to meet his eyes.
His pupils are blown, and he looks starved for me.
“I want to taste you,” I whisper.
He groans. “Kitten, if I fuck that sassy mouth of yours, then I won’t be able to stop myself from locking you away and having my way with you. It’s already fucking torture to watch you wear anything other than me.”
My core clenches at his dark promises. “Please, Sin,” I beg, tugging at his hair a bit.
He shudders but doesn’t make a move. “Kitten, you don’t–”
Seeing him on the brink of losing control is almost intoxicating, and I lean in closer to whisper in his ear. “I want to get on my knees while you fuck my throat and use me.” I kiss his neck, dragging my teeth against his skin.
His answering groan borders on sounding pained. “Fucking Fates above.”
