“It’s like asking me to stop breathing.”
Her heart stuttered at his words.
He lifted his head, a rawness to his intense stare. “These two days of not seeing you, time became endless…” Dark laughter. Yet Ely sensed it was more at himself. “You shouldn’t be anywhere near something like me, yet every time you’re close, I want to lay you bare and lick you from your lush mouth to your doubtless pretty toes, and lose myself in this chimera you torment me with glimpses of.”
His husky words were a spark to her shaky emotions, igniting a need from deep within as embers of a long-dormant desire unfurled. But what he said troubled her. “What do you mean,something like you?”
He didn’t respond. Instead, he kissed her inner wrist, the sensation of his lips tightening every nerve endings as desire stirred—
“Ely?” Shadow called out, shattering the bubble enclosing them.
Ely blinked, hurtling back to where they were, behind the popped hood of the SUV.
Nate shut his eyes briefly, then let her go, his expression smoothed back to impassive. He rounded the open hood.
She sagged against the SUV grille, struggling to get herself together, his words a haunting echo in her mind.
Something like me.
Why would he say that about himself?
“Is Aba ready?” his voice drifted to her. No sign of the male who seemed so torn moments ago.
“Yes,” Shadow murmured. “Nate?” she said then, her voice edged with worry, and Ely stilled. “Please be careful. I’m scared for you. The last time you were hurt so badly—”
“I’ll be fine,” he brushed it off. “I’ll text you once Aba’s back.”
Something had happened to him? Hurriedly, Ely smoothed her hair and joined them, keeping space between her and Nate. Because proximity wasn’t good with this dangerous pull between them.
Shadow bit her lip and glanced at Ely, then back at Nate.
“Hey.” He touched her arm, his expression softening, something Ely had never seen on a hard male like him. “I’ll be all right.”
The walls around Ely’s heart trembled. She wanted that tenderness directed at her…so much.
Shadow exhaled, then reluctantly nodded.
Nate pivoted, and as he passed Ely, he slid his hands into his jeans pockets. But the hooded stare he cast her caused her stomach to pitch. Ely watched him go, her beanie peeking out from his back pocket. Oh, crap! She hoped Shadow hadn’t seen it. She didn’t want her friend drawn into whatever this thing was between her and Nate. He disappeared behind the popped SUV hood and started working on the engine again.
Her emotions all over the place, Ely turned to Shadow. “Let’s go.”
Minutes later, they reformed on the castle portico as evening approached, absorbing what remained of the weak sunlight. Ely crossed to the massive front door.
“Ely, wait—” Shadow grasped her hand, and she knew what was coming. “How do you know Nate?”
And there it was.
Stalling, Ely tucked a breeze-blown lock of hair behind her ear and settled for, “I ran into him during patrol.”
“Oh, no.” Anxiety flickered across Shadow’s expressive face. “Was he, was he…?”
With other demons? Ely didn’t want to add more to Shadow’s worries, so she shrugged. “He was being a pain in my ass, trying tosaveme from a demon fight.”
Shadow blinked, then her mouth dropped open. “Ohhh.”
Heat scorched Ely’s cheeks as understanding dawned on her friend’s face. “It wasn’t likethat,” she said quickly. “He didn’t know I was a Guardian.”
“Yeah? I was there once, too,” Shadow murmured, pushing back her hood, a smile starting. “Denying it all because, well, Nik was overwhelming. And Nate is kind of the same, too. And just as hard, perhaps worse.”
