Classic.
He rose off the banister, watching me intently. “Then I put on a good front. The truth is, I’ve never felt more out of control than when I am with you.”
Something inside me snapped. I don’t know what came over me, but I knew it was now or never. This was it. I was balanced on the verge of a pivotal moment, teetering on the edge of a gigantic mountain – the point of no return. The fact that I had just come to this conclusion myself and really hadn’t processed it thoroughly probably wasn’t the best possible time to share, but I knew me. If I didn’t do it while I had the kahunas, I never would.
So I slipped my fingers into the front pockets of his jeans, pulling him to me. His body pinned me up against the white porch railings, and the split-second our bodies touch, his dark stormy eyes went intent and hungry. I shivered, because it was exactly the same for me.
The static in the air surrounding us was electrifying. At this rate, we were bound to create our own lightning storm.
He must have seen it in my eyes, what was on the edge of my lips. “Angel, don’t do it,” he growled. “Don’t you say it.”
Ooops. Too late.
The words were already pouring from my mouth. And too bad he didn’t want to hear them. I was going to tell him how I felt whether he wanted it or not. There was no way I could keep these emotions suppressed and bottled up anymore. They were eating me up inside, bursting to break free. So I did. I went for it, heart first.
“I love you,” I blurted out before I even realized what I was saying. Did I really just say those three huge, monstrous, relationship changing words? Oh God. Oh God. Oh. My. God.
Now that it was out there, I was scared shitless, shaking in my black converses.
He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking his reaction from my gaze. Jaw clenched, the vein in his temple ticked, and I could feel his muscles constrict. “You don’t know what you’ve done.” His voice was strained like he had a bad toothache.
This was not the reaction I’d wanted. And when time elapsed and he didn’t say anything else, I panicked.
Big time.
“I take it back. I take it all back. I despise you. I hate you. I loathe you,” I ranted, shoving at his chest. I would have gone on and on, if he hadn’t stopped me, but I think he got the point. Jerky, he wouldn’t let me go, and I so desperately wanted to run.
Firm hands held me from escaping, keeping me close. The heat from his nearness infused my already flushed body. There was some emotion I couldn’t identify that spread across his face. “You can’t take it back. I won’t let you.”
Won’t let me? He has lost his frickin’ mind. Let me?
I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. “I can’t stand you,” I spat. This wasn’t going as planned.
“Liar. You can’t keep your hands off me.”
And then he proved his point by sealing his lips over mine in a crushing kiss that rocked my sensory system into to orbit. Anger. Love. Need. A million emotions tangled inside me. My body went haywire, completely forgetting that I hated him.
Love.
Hate.
Really, there was such a fine line, and that line between Chase and I was more like a thread. I was drawn into him, swept away from reality. It was just him and me. And his lips.
His lips were a godsend.
My chest rose sharply as his fingers dug into my denim, holding me against him. I threaded my fingers into the soft hair at the nape of his neck. Balancing myself on my tiptoes, I gave him most of my weight and sunk into those delicious lips as he kissed me deeply. All I wanted was for this to never stop. Never end.
But of course all good things come to an end. If he hadn’t pulled back when he had, we’d probably have done something wicked on my porch.
Softly he said, “You’ll probably regret loving me. I don’t deserve it, but…” His eyes interlaced with flecks of topaz, and I could feel his demon surface. “I’ll never let anything bad happen to you. Never again.”
I traced my fingers on his cheek and down alongside his jaw line feeling his body tighten as he fought to stay in control. But that was just it. With me, I didn’t want him to constantly battle with the demon inside. I wanted all of him. Every. Part. Including the demon. This was what I’d signed up for when I had told him I loved him.
“Chase,” I whispered his name.
He closed his eyes, laying his forehead against mine. Around us the after winds of the storm blew.
My arms were still wrapped around his neck, and I absently played with the ends of his hair. “You don’t have to rein it in with me. I trust you.”
“That’s just the thing Angel Eyes. You shouldn’t. You really shouldn’t. But with you I can’t help myself, and it scares me. I refuse to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” I assured and nipped his lip.