They were hands only now.
Gage came at him with a powerful, too-fast strike combination that would’ve crumpled most men. The blur of his fists was almost too much for his mind to follow.
Scar blocked the first, absorbed the second strike against his jaw, but intercepted the third by hooking Gage’s forearm. Their arms locked as they stood face-to-face, so close it sent a tremor through Scar that wasn’t fear.
The sparring session had shifted from testing strikes to blurring the line between combat and passion.
“Are you still mad?” Gage asked softly.
The huskiness in Scar’s voice betrayed him. “I’m always mad.”
“At me?”
“Yes.” Scar frowned. “Mad that you smile for him. Furious that you let him touch you.”
“It’s not like that with Adrian.”
Scar narrowed his eyes as doubt crept through him.
Gage lifted his chin. “If I tell you it isn’t like that…why don’t you believe me?”
Scar didn’t have a good answer. It confused him how well Gage could read him without seeing him.
Gage was close enough that Scar could stick his tongue out for a taste of those delicate lips.
“What changed?” Gage murmured. “What made you go from despising me, like you always did back home…to this? Because I’m still me.”
Scar’s answer was blunt, ugly, and embarrassing with truth.
“My attraction to you has always been there. I just didn’t know what to do with it.” He tightened his arm around Gage’s waist. “You were so damn beautiful and innocent, unlike the trash I saw and dealt with every day.”
Drea wasn’t trash, but she just wasn’t him.
“When you showed up…I…I…”
Fuck, this was hard to say, but he had to man-up like Meridian said.
“You what?” Gage breathed.
“…I fucking wanted you. I wanted you so damn bad it literally hurt. I’d denied what I’d craved for too long and then you showed up. But Roz made it clear you were off-limits. And I hated that. But I’ve only ever known one way to deal with not getting what I wanted. I get angry…and destroy anything in my path.”
Gage sighed.
“And trust me when I say…you are not the same.” He gave himself a reward for his honesty and cautiously touched his mouth to Gage’s smooth cheek.
“Why couldn’t you just—”
He closed his mouth over Gage’s to show he was done splaying himself open.
White Ravens
Gage
Scar’s mouth settled on his with a tenderness he hadn’t known Scar possessed.
Gage registered it the way he did everything now, in textures and sensation. Heat first, then pressure, awe…and sensuality.
His blindness didn’t dull the feelings. It made them louder, heightened every nuance.
