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He was staring at her as if he’d won the lottery, the flecks in his irises glinting like gold in a riverbed. “That’s incredible. I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Not many people have,” she whispered. “It’s…a very rare type of magic. Hardly any books about it exist. I first learned I had the ability when my dad and I were playing hide-and-go-seek when I was five.”

“How does it work?”

“Kind of like glamors, but with less limitations. I can trick people into seeing something different on screens.”

His face smoothed with realization. “That was how you changed my phone screen.”

She nodded. “I’m not very powerful, though. I need this tattoo to tell me when it’s safe to use my magic again.” She showed him the fish skeleton tattoo, the tail just beginning to glow. “It’s very short-lived. I can only fool people for a few minutes before the illusion wears off.”

“The dock,” he mused.

She couldn’t help but grin, remembering that day too. “You should’ve seen the look on your face.”

His mouth twitched, but he was still looking at her as if she were a walking money sign. It made her stomach clench and twist as she wondered if she was reading him correctly.

“Are you going to tell anyone?” she whispered, a pit opening in her stomach.

Roman searched her eyes. Shook his head. “No.”

“Do you promise?”

“I’ll tell you a secret of my own, if you want.” She waited, and after he swallowed a few times, he glanced around and said, the words barely audible, “I’m afraid of the dark.”

Shay blinked—several times. “What?”

“I know,” he mumbled. “Go ahead and laugh.” Roman ‘Shadows’ Devlin—afraid of the dark. She never would have guessed.

Shay cleared her throat. “I’m afraid of being trapped in small places.”

He smirked, glancing pointedly at their surroundings—cramped and dark. “I guess we’re both at a disadvantage right now, aren’t we?”

She noticed it, then—his heart. It was racing. There didn’t seem to be much that scared him, but this?

Roman Devlin, Prince of Shadows and Wolf of the Hollow, was afraid of the dark.

As quietly as she could, Shay slid over to his side, nestling in close. They were both lying on their stomachs, barely able to see each other under here.

Shay liked risks, so she decided to take one. Roman’s eyes were already on her, and hers were already on him as she leaned in slowly, the tip of her nose grazing his—

She paused, their faces so close together she could feel the heat on Roman’s skin. “Is the wolf going to bite?” she whispered.

Roman was the one to lean in this time. And when he murmured his answer, she felt his breath on her mouth. “Not today.”

She tipped her head, brushing her lips over his.

He didn’t pull back. In fact, he waited with patience, as if captivated by every move she made. As she explored his mouth with a featherlight touch, her breath hitched in her throat, her heart thumping as swiftly as his. Butterflies stirred in her stomach, and her blood warmed.

And then Roman leaned in even closer, and pressed his soft lips solidly against hers.

He tasted everything and nothing like she’d imagined. Without smoke in his mouth, like that night in the motel room, she was able to experience the real him. And she found that she liked the taste so much, she desired the full meal.

When they broke the kiss, far sooner than Shay liked, Roman watched her, his face so close to hers that their noses were touching.

“Your heart is beating very fast,” he murmured, his breath fanning her mouth. The feel of it made her want to kiss him again. “Is it the tight space or my expert kissing skills that’s making your ticker freak out?”

She whisper-laughed. “A bit of both. But mostly…” Unable to resist him, she leaned in for another kiss, and he met her halfway.