Page 53 of Claimed By Ruin

“There isn’t a play, Jack. I just didn’t see a need to kill him.”

“That might come back to bite you in the ass.”

“It might. Wouldn’t be the first time.”

His jaw ticked.

“And besides, I’m sure if there’s a problem, you’ll fix it,” I said.

“I’m going to keep watch,” he said.

“You know there’s no need. Elliot’s on top of it, you should get some rest,” I said.

“I’m not tired,” he countered.

“What then?”

Absolutely the stupidest question I could have asked.

Because I knew the answer, and he did, too.

He stepped towards me, and on instinct, I stepped back.

Jack stepped forward again like I knew he would, like he always did.

Like he always would.

No. I couldn’t rely on that.

But I couldn’t deny this either.

This…whatever it was had been between us since the moment I stepped onto that elevator.

What if someone else had been there instead of Jack?

I’d be dead now.

I knew that. Knew I owed him my very life, but that didn’t change the pain.

But the pain didn’t change this either.

He stopped when I was at the edge of the bed, stared down at me with that feral gleam in his eye that still sent shivers down my spine.

For a second, he changed. I didn’t know how to describe it, but some part of me wondered if it was possible, even as crazy as it seemed, that maybe, possibly, he felt whatever this was, too.

I couldn’t afford to let myself think that, and it didn’t matter. He leaned forward, his eyes still ferocious, and placed a soft kiss on my cheek.

It was a whisper of a touch, barely there in a way that made me feel it more than his deep, bruising kisses ever would.

I craved one of those because maybe that kind of kiss would keep away whatever was at the back of my mind threatening to soften me away.

I didn’t know. But I told myself not to think, not to examine for once, to just let things be.

And this, me and Jack like this, it worked. In this insane world, one that was a nightmare turned reality, this was the only sane piece of it, the only thing I could rely on.

I kissed the corner of Jack’s mouth as softly as he kissed me.

He reached out, hands warm, encompassing on my shoulders. He brought our bodies together, and like always, the fit was perfect, my curves molding into his hardness.