oubliette is something meant to be forgotten.” His hand wound across the back of her neck and pulled her closer. “But I remember every delicious detail of you,” he murmured.
Her breath caught, and she dropped her hand from his shoulder. “It’s been a year,” she said quickly. “God knows you’ve moved on.”
He didn’t break her gaze. “God knows nothing.”
Kristen shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. You’re not looking to rehash a fling , she chastised herself. She took a breath to calm her nerves and then let out a disgusted sigh. “Bored without the blonde? Libby? That’s her name, right?” She cocked her head, her tone venomous as she covered her mouth lightly with her hand. “Oops! I guess I should say that was her name.”
The twinkle slid from Luke’s eyes. He went eerily still. “That was business, Kristen. You of all people know sometimes we have to play nice to get what we want.” She heard his coat hit the floor and then his body pressed against hers, an inferno. His hands slid down through her hair. His mouth grazed her neck before rising to her ear. “Aren’t we here to play nice?”
“Business.” Her voice shook. Inside the safety of her pocket, her fingernails cut into her palm. Don’t let him play you. You know how to work him , she reminded herself. “We’re here for business.”
“Hmm.” His lips hummed again her neck. “So you honestly don’t miss us?”
She couldn’t move. “It was a lapse in judgment.”
“A bad dream you found it safer to forget,” he mocked. “You and I? We had a good thing.”
“It was a lapse,” she repeated carefully, “in judgment.”
From her left, she heard a pop, a crackling like a firework on half volume. She opened her eyes and turned toward the sound, confused. Somewhere near the back of her skull, a dull noise started. A flutter of words she couldn’t quite make out. The room flexed almost imperceptibly.
“Stop,” she whispered.
Luke’s hands stilled instantly. The thrill of whatever game they’d been playing, the back and forth, fell away. “Kristen?”
The whispers intensified, a white wall of sound suddenly rushing to take over. Her eyelids fluttered, heat rushing to her cheeks in a panicked flush. She couldn’t catch her breath.
“Look at you!” Luke squeezed the sides of her face. “They left you doomed and clueless, and I’m the enemy?”
“What are you talking about, ‘doomed’?” She tried to focus on Luke, but a dozen thoughts cascaded through her mind. He had to know she was in a tiff with Gabriel, because of her state, but that didn’t qualify as doomed. Death couldn’t touch her. Neither the Fallen nor the Bound could kill Siders. The Bound didn’t even know about them. Unless they found out , a voice whispered.
He let her go, strode across the room, and sat on the bed as a terrible thought struck her. What if Gabriel wasn’t ignoring her calls because he was angry?
“Clueless about what, Luke?” If the Bound knew Gabriel kept the Siders’ secrets over his commitment to them, they’d have him punished. Confined. “Damn it, answer me!”
He patted the space on the quilt beside him. “Sit.”
Her unease shifted to dread as she did.
Luke toyed with her rings, twirling them along her fingers, before he pulled them off one by one. The rubies on her middle finger stuck on her knuckle as they always did. She lifted her finger to her mouth, wetting the ring enough to slip it off. She added it to the pile in Luke’s hand. He stripped the bands from her other hand.
“It’s been a while since we’ve played,” he said quietly. “You remember?”
She nodded. Each ring worth a question and an honest answer. A game. She glanced down at the pile of metal and jewels in his hand. Five questions, five answers. Luke met her eyes.
“Ask.”
She hesitated. He would answer the questions, but he’d be getting his own information from what she asked.
“Do the Bound know about the
Her breath caught, and she dropped her hand from his shoulder. “It’s been a year,” she said quickly. “God knows you’ve moved on.”
He didn’t break her gaze. “God knows nothing.”
Kristen shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. You’re not looking to rehash a fling , she chastised herself. She took a breath to calm her nerves and then let out a disgusted sigh. “Bored without the blonde? Libby? That’s her name, right?” She cocked her head, her tone venomous as she covered her mouth lightly with her hand. “Oops! I guess I should say that was her name.”
The twinkle slid from Luke’s eyes. He went eerily still. “That was business, Kristen. You of all people know sometimes we have to play nice to get what we want.” She heard his coat hit the floor and then his body pressed against hers, an inferno. His hands slid down through her hair. His mouth grazed her neck before rising to her ear. “Aren’t we here to play nice?”
“Business.” Her voice shook. Inside the safety of her pocket, her fingernails cut into her palm. Don’t let him play you. You know how to work him , she reminded herself. “We’re here for business.”
“Hmm.” His lips hummed again her neck. “So you honestly don’t miss us?”
She couldn’t move. “It was a lapse in judgment.”
“A bad dream you found it safer to forget,” he mocked. “You and I? We had a good thing.”
“It was a lapse,” she repeated carefully, “in judgment.”
From her left, she heard a pop, a crackling like a firework on half volume. She opened her eyes and turned toward the sound, confused. Somewhere near the back of her skull, a dull noise started. A flutter of words she couldn’t quite make out. The room flexed almost imperceptibly.
“Stop,” she whispered.
Luke’s hands stilled instantly. The thrill of whatever game they’d been playing, the back and forth, fell away. “Kristen?”
The whispers intensified, a white wall of sound suddenly rushing to take over. Her eyelids fluttered, heat rushing to her cheeks in a panicked flush. She couldn’t catch her breath.
“Look at you!” Luke squeezed the sides of her face. “They left you doomed and clueless, and I’m the enemy?”
“What are you talking about, ‘doomed’?” She tried to focus on Luke, but a dozen thoughts cascaded through her mind. He had to know she was in a tiff with Gabriel, because of her state, but that didn’t qualify as doomed. Death couldn’t touch her. Neither the Fallen nor the Bound could kill Siders. The Bound didn’t even know about them. Unless they found out , a voice whispered.
He let her go, strode across the room, and sat on the bed as a terrible thought struck her. What if Gabriel wasn’t ignoring her calls because he was angry?
“Clueless about what, Luke?” If the Bound knew Gabriel kept the Siders’ secrets over his commitment to them, they’d have him punished. Confined. “Damn it, answer me!”
He patted the space on the quilt beside him. “Sit.”
Her unease shifted to dread as she did.
Luke toyed with her rings, twirling them along her fingers, before he pulled them off one by one. The rubies on her middle finger stuck on her knuckle as they always did. She lifted her finger to her mouth, wetting the ring enough to slip it off. She added it to the pile in Luke’s hand. He stripped the bands from her other hand.
“It’s been a while since we’ve played,” he said quietly. “You remember?”
She nodded. Each ring worth a question and an honest answer. A game. She glanced down at the pile of metal and jewels in his hand. Five questions, five answers. Luke met her eyes.
“Ask.”
She hesitated. He would answer the questions, but he’d be getting his own information from what she asked.
“Do the Bound know about the
Similar Books
