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Authors: Amos Cassidy
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forced a light laugh. “Has it been that long since I told you I loved you?”
His chest rumbled against my ear. “Love you too.”
CLAY
Clay watched her leave and then stared at the note in his hand. His gut felt tight and squirmy. He was worried about her. This thing with Ryder must have really messed her up. She was his sister. It was his job to protect her, but he was learning that he couldn’t protect her heart. Her heart could be broken, she could be wounded and he was helpless to shield it. It made him feel vulnerable, useless.
He undressed for bed and crawled under the covers. He would speak to her tomorrow, really speak to her about her feelings, and Ryder, and moving forward. He couldn’t shield her heart, but he could help heal it.
ASH
I don’t know why I ended up outside Ryder’s room. He wasn’t mine; he belonged to Nina, but I had to see him one last time before I left. I didn’t know whether I’d be coming back and I needed to say goodbye, even though I couldn’t say those words exactly. I knocked twice. There was no response, and I was about to turn away when he opened the door. I stared up at him and tried my damnedest to ignore his bare torso; the hard abs, the smooth, taut pecs. I swallowed.
“Hi,” I said.
He grabbed my elbow, pulled me into the room, and slammed the door. “What were you thinking going into a quarantine room without the proper scrubs?”
“What?” I stared at him in confusion.
“Nina told me how reckless you were today. Damn it, Ash. You could have caught whatever they had.”
I stared at him. He was pissed at me for going to those children, for trying to comfort them in their last moments on this earth.
He was pissed at me?
I shook him off. “Your precious Nina doesn’t give a shit about me. In fact, I’m sure she’d throw a party if I got sick and died. Might be a party for one, a very quiet party so no one would know how happy she was, but it would be a celebration.”
Ryder’s lip curled in disgust. “How can you say such things about the woman I . . . about Nina?”
“Um, because they’re true. She doesn’t know me. All she knows is that you and I hang out, a lot, and I’m a hot, kick-arse Reaper chick, who could give her a run for her money any day. So, yeah, she probably wishes I was gone ‘cos she feels threatened.”
He was staring at me now, his eyes roving up and down my body as if seeing it for the first time. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “She has no reason to be threatened. I’m with her.”
Something about his words, the tone and the body language, didn’t ring sincere enough. I sensed the doubt, actually felt it like a tangible force in the room when he spoke. It woke something inside me. A sense of danger.
I was gone in a couple of hours. Who knew if I would ever see him again? I could actually die out there and that would be that. I’d never drink grog again, never have another orgasm . . . never have kissed him.
“I’m with Nina,” he said again.
Who was he trying to convince?
I realised in all the years we’d been friends, we’d never been alone like this, in his room, in my room, away from prying eyes. It had always been the mission, the Shadowlands, the training room, the dining hall.
This was a first and the tension between us was palpable.
“You’re not with Nina now.” I took a step toward him.
His eyes darkened. “Ash . . .”
I moved fluidly, stopping when we were mere centimeters apart. I could feel the heat of his body. My fingers ached to touch his bare skin. I kept my eyes locked on his, watching the play of emotion in their emerald depths, watching him fight the desire. He wanted me.
He fucking wanted me, the bastard. Then why had he never acted on it? I didn’t understand, and it was too late to figure it out now.
“Ash—”
“Shut up and kiss me,” I said. For a moment, I thought I’d pushed too hard, that I’d misread the situation, but my doubts were quickly banished.
He
His chest rumbled against my ear. “Love you too.”
CLAY
Clay watched her leave and then stared at the note in his hand. His gut felt tight and squirmy. He was worried about her. This thing with Ryder must have really messed her up. She was his sister. It was his job to protect her, but he was learning that he couldn’t protect her heart. Her heart could be broken, she could be wounded and he was helpless to shield it. It made him feel vulnerable, useless.
He undressed for bed and crawled under the covers. He would speak to her tomorrow, really speak to her about her feelings, and Ryder, and moving forward. He couldn’t shield her heart, but he could help heal it.
ASH
I don’t know why I ended up outside Ryder’s room. He wasn’t mine; he belonged to Nina, but I had to see him one last time before I left. I didn’t know whether I’d be coming back and I needed to say goodbye, even though I couldn’t say those words exactly. I knocked twice. There was no response, and I was about to turn away when he opened the door. I stared up at him and tried my damnedest to ignore his bare torso; the hard abs, the smooth, taut pecs. I swallowed.
“Hi,” I said.
He grabbed my elbow, pulled me into the room, and slammed the door. “What were you thinking going into a quarantine room without the proper scrubs?”
“What?” I stared at him in confusion.
“Nina told me how reckless you were today. Damn it, Ash. You could have caught whatever they had.”
I stared at him. He was pissed at me for going to those children, for trying to comfort them in their last moments on this earth.
He was pissed at me?
I shook him off. “Your precious Nina doesn’t give a shit about me. In fact, I’m sure she’d throw a party if I got sick and died. Might be a party for one, a very quiet party so no one would know how happy she was, but it would be a celebration.”
Ryder’s lip curled in disgust. “How can you say such things about the woman I . . . about Nina?”
“Um, because they’re true. She doesn’t know me. All she knows is that you and I hang out, a lot, and I’m a hot, kick-arse Reaper chick, who could give her a run for her money any day. So, yeah, she probably wishes I was gone ‘cos she feels threatened.”
He was staring at me now, his eyes roving up and down my body as if seeing it for the first time. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “She has no reason to be threatened. I’m with her.”
Something about his words, the tone and the body language, didn’t ring sincere enough. I sensed the doubt, actually felt it like a tangible force in the room when he spoke. It woke something inside me. A sense of danger.
I was gone in a couple of hours. Who knew if I would ever see him again? I could actually die out there and that would be that. I’d never drink grog again, never have another orgasm . . . never have kissed him.
“I’m with Nina,” he said again.
Who was he trying to convince?
I realised in all the years we’d been friends, we’d never been alone like this, in his room, in my room, away from prying eyes. It had always been the mission, the Shadowlands, the training room, the dining hall.
This was a first and the tension between us was palpable.
“You’re not with Nina now.” I took a step toward him.
His eyes darkened. “Ash . . .”
I moved fluidly, stopping when we were mere centimeters apart. I could feel the heat of his body. My fingers ached to touch his bare skin. I kept my eyes locked on his, watching the play of emotion in their emerald depths, watching him fight the desire. He wanted me.
He fucking wanted me, the bastard. Then why had he never acted on it? I didn’t understand, and it was too late to figure it out now.
“Ash—”
“Shut up and kiss me,” I said. For a moment, I thought I’d pushed too hard, that I’d misread the situation, but my doubts were quickly banished.
He
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