Page 61 of Veil of Night & Flames

It’s like he hasn’t decided yet whether he’s furious or wrecked or something else altogether.

“Chase?”

His eyes are hard on mine. “How was it?”

My entire body goes cold.

“Dammit, Cora. How was it?”

Something snaps in me, and I grab the jeans I’d left balled at the foot of my bed and hurl them at him. “Don’t you dare come in here all pissed and holier-than-thou and act like you caught me in some horrible crime. You’re pissed because I slept with Adric? Fine. Be pissed, but do it on your own time in your own damn place, because I told you to your face I wanted him, too. And guess what? Like it or not, I’m engaged to the man. And, oh, surprise, surprise, I’m still sleeping with you.”

He takes a step toward me. “Don’t,” he says. “Don’t you dare pretend not to understand why I’m upset. Dammit, Cora. I love you.”

And there it is.

“I know,” I say gently. “I love you, too.”

For a moment, he doesn’t move. Then his body seems to sag, as if some of the pressure is being released. “And him?”

I shrug. “It’s different. I already told you I’m attracted to him, but it’s not love.”

He cocks his head, his eyes narrowing.

“It’s not,” I say firmly. Then, softer, I add, “but sometimes I think it could be.” I almost flash a grin. “He’s also insufferable at times, so sometimes I think there’s no way…”

To his credit, Chase laughs, and I take a tentative step closer, then another. Then I reach out, grateful when he takes my hands. “He is my fiancé,” I say softly. “And for what it’s worth, he knows I’m not giving you up. But Chase—even though I kind of hate that it’s true—I really don’t want to give him up. So please, if you value what we have, don’t ask me to.”

He closes his eyes, then drags his fingers through his hair. “You know I hate this.”

I nod.

He looks down, and his shoulders rise and fall as he draws a breath. When he looks at me, there’s some emotion on his face I don’t recognize.

“What?” I say, fearing another spat.

Once again, he runs his fingers through his hair. “The truth is, I did know. Your attraction, I mean. Both of you for each other. And in the back of my mind, I think I always knew you’d end up in his bed. I even think that on some subconscious level, I’d made peace with that. But this…”

I frown as I try to parse what he’s saying. “But if that’s the case, then why did you just crash into my dorm room?”

He shakes his head, chuckling softly. “I’d steeled myself for you sleeping with him. And for you telling me as much. I didn’t think to prep myself for bearing witness.”

I take a step back, the room suddenly very cold. “What are you talking about?”

“Every caress, Cora. Every sensation. Every mind-blowing, cock-teasing, blood-racing, goddamn second of feeling. Just feeling. But I knew it was you he was inside.”

Heat scorches my face. “Wait. What?”

“I felt his hands on you. I felt being inside you. I thought I was losing my mind. I thought I was having the most vivid fantasy of my life. Then I came in my own apartment with your name on my lips and nothing in my hand, and I realized it wasn’t a fantasy. I was in him. Or he was in me. I don’t know. I don’t know how it works. I only know what I felt.”

I can’t move. Can’t speak. For a moment, I’m frozen, my skin on fire as mortification settles into my bones, and right now I really just want to climb out the window and into another life.

Then another thing hits, and I can’t even believe the question is in my head. But it is, and dammit, I want an answer—Did Chase like it?

I shove that down so hard it almost cracks my ribs.

“Oh my God,” I say. Then, louder, because I can’t think of anything else to say and I have to say something—“Oh my freaking God.”

“Yeah.”