Page 70

“You met them last week?”

“Yeah, officially. That’s how long it took for them to realize I could see them. I watched them for two months. When I was in the library, Beatrice was always worked up about a book being left on a table, but she’s so much more this week. I don’t know if it’s the energy of Halloween? Or if there’s something going on with the planets, stuff like that. I don’t even know if ghosts are affected by that.” Now that I was talking, my mouth just kept going. I didn’t know what was going to come out next. “I have no idea where my grandparents are, and I’ve barely even thought about them since Monday. For some reason I don’t think that’s normal. I should have some thoughts about them? Considering they’re my only way to communicate with my mom, but she’s out of my life for good. So are they, along with all my shit they gave away or sold.”

“You could probably talk to a detective about that.”

“I’m not going to hold my breath.”

He lay down next to me, tugging me more firmly to him. One of his legs slipped through mine. His arm reached over to rest lightly on my stomach. I clutched his arm, my fingers digging into his skin as waves of fear came over me. One after another. This was anxiety. I was trying to tell myself that.

I was scared.

I whispered, my voice cracking, “If you kick me out, I have nowhere to go.” He was so close that I could see the different specks of color in his hazel eyes. The green. The brown. The gold. They were beautiful. “No pressure, though.”

He laughed, dropping his mouth to my shoulder before moving toward my throat. He lingered.

Heat flared in me.

He murmured against my skin, as he rose over me again, “The issue isn’t me kicking you out. It’s going to be if you run from me.”

I went still.

He began nuzzling down to my chest.

I caught the side of his face, and stopped him, lifting him to look at me. There was a wall over his face. I smoothed my thumb over his cheek. “This is about the secret?”

He nodded, quiet. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Fear flashed briefly in his eyes.

“I see ghosts. The only thing that could make me nervous was if you told me you’re secretly a demon.”

His lip twitched. “I’m not a demon.”

“You’re human?”

“I’m human.” He lowered his head, his mouth finding the side of my jawline and nipping me there before moving to find my mouth. “I promise. Just like you.”

“Well.” I laughed abruptly, but the heat was soon an inferno. “I’m not exactly a normal human. Remember?”

He didn’t answer as the kiss grew more heated. Soon he moved over me completely, settling between my legs and I shifted down, lifting my legs to wrap around his waist. His shirt was soon taken off. So was mine. The sleeping shorts were pushed down and he was grinding into me. “God, you’re so hot, Cole.” He pressed in harder, holding. His words left him in a whisper, as if he hadn’t meant to say them out loud, “I want you so bad.”

I was eighteen in one day.

I met him a week ago.

“I want you too.” I caught both sides of his face.

His eyes were dark, lustful, and he wasn’t completely seeing me.

My heart was pounding.

An inferno was yearning between my legs. I wanted him to slide inside of me.

Was that so bad?

I almost gave in. I considered it. Truly. Then I remembered Cassian, and a bucket of warm water doused me. “We need to wait.”

He nodded, his eyes so dilated. “Uh huh.” He groaned, his mouth moving back down my throat. Chest. Further and further until he looked up at my waist. I knew what he was asking, and I nodded, breath catching in my throat all over again. Some nerves seared me even though we’d done this before, but his mouth dipped down, tasting me, and oh fuck.

I was gone.