“Maybe if I kill you, it’ll stop,” I mutter, mostly to myself. My hand raises slowly, sliding my fingertips up her sternum to her neck. Stroking along her pulse point, I grip the front of her neck loosely, then flex my fingers, my eyes focused on her lips, which she licks nervously. I watch her tongue slick over her lips, then disappear, and I groan and lean in, my gaze moving to her eyes.
Her throat moves beneath my hand, her wide eyes no longer defiant as a tinge of fear shadows her features. “Zion. Please.”
Learning in, I rub the tip of my nose against hers, then slide along her cheek until my face is pressed against her neck. “Please, what?”
She doesn’t say anything, so I wait, my face pressed into her neck, my lips and tongue teasing the soft skin over her fluttering pulse. When she still doesn’t say anything, I pull back, immediately frowning at the look of fear in her eyes. Moving my hand from her throat, I cup her face in both of my hands, my face a mere inch from hers as I whisper, “What is it?”
“What is happening?”
My lips curve up, some tension leaving my body as I respond, “You feel it now?”
She swallows visibly, her gaze briefly moving over my shoulder as she nods shortly. “Yes. And I don’t like it.”
Relief washes over me, taming that burgeoning inferno attempting to drive me into doing something horrible—something completely unforgivable. “You don’t like it?” I ask bitterly. “You should try being me.”
Her eyes meet mine again, her slight smile matching mine as she says, “Is it wearing off?”
I shrug, my fingertips caressing her jaw as I lean my naked body into her, happy yet also annoyed that she’s fully clothed. “It seems that you acknowledging the connection helped take the edge off.”
Vivian sags against the wall, her hands moving to grip my wrists as I continue to hold her head between my hands. With pleading eyes, she says quietly, “What does it mean?”
I shake my head, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation because I don’t have one. I don’t even have an unclear explanation, which is something, given I’m notorious for having an answer for everything at all times.
She still watching me, waiting for some kind of response so finally, I say, “I don’t know what it means, but obviously it’s easier to manage if we don’t fight against it. Okay?”
She nods, her thumbs now caressing my inner wrists soothingly. We stare at each other for a few long moments, our matching breaths even, our matching heartbeats slowing until the chaos inside me finally settles back to that dull fire behind my sternum.
Feeling much calmer, I manage to release her and step away, and she pushes her upper body off the wall, her hands lacing together in front of her as she looks around the room rather nervously.
Frowning, I ask, “What?”
Her eyes move to mine, humor glinting there as she nods toward me, her eyes moving downward for a millisecond before meeting mine once more. Glancing down, I laugh, having completely forgotten that I never got dressed and I’m standing here completely nude. And obviously excited to see her.
She clears her throat, her gaze moving over my shoulder as she giggles, then says breathlessly, “You may wanna get dressed.”
Nodding, I slowly turn away from her as I respond, “Yeah, we’re definitely going to be late now.”
“Late for what?”
I half-turn back to her, eyebrows raised. “I have to take you in today. Even if it’s just to prove I have you under control.”
Vivian grimaces, then nods. “Shit, I forgot.” Her hands wring in front of her, the movement matching the nervous expression on her face. “Do you have to?”
“Yes.”
Her brow furrows, a slight twitch in her eye as she processes my response. A pang of worry reverberates inside me, and I raise a hand to my chest, pressing my palm against the ache in my sternum as I watch her.
“Hey,” I say softly, waiting for her eyes to meet mine before adding, “It’ll be okay. I promise. I got you.”
Some of the worry fades, a shuddering sigh escaping her lips as she nods, her hands falling to her sides. I wait a beat then turn back toward the bathroom, and my clothes, waiting until I’m just shy of the doorway before I say sharply, “Stop gawking at my ass.”
There’s no real malice behind my words, since I’m only intending to lighten the mood. She doesn’t say anything, but her low laugh sends that increasingly familiar warmth through me.
And I don’t bother closing the door between us as I go about readying myself for what’s next.
THIRTEEN
A CONFUSING JOURNEY
