Page 18

“No,” he chuckles and gives me a sweet kiss, his lips lingering over mine.

I’m so tempted to give in. To let this happen and say to hell with it. If the feelings weren’t this intense, I would. Anything that feels this raw and perfect can’t be good for me.

“Please,” I whisper, wincing at the weak plea.

“Addie,” he groans and presses his forehead to mine. His eyes are squeezed closed as if he’s struggling for composure. I know I am.

“I’m scared, too.”

His confession makes it better and worse in so many ways.

“You’ve got a hold over me that’s strangling,” his voice is rough over the last word. “I’m not resisting it, and I’m not going anywhere.”

His hands slip away from me, lingering on my hips as long as possible as he steps back. My hands fall as if my arms don’t have bones in them.

I feel a little lost. As if he had taken away everything with that single step back. He bites his lower lip, staring at my mouth with that blazing intensity that makes my heart start pounding again. I’m already leaning forward, waiting for him to kiss me.

“I’ll be waiting,” he mutters, shaking his head.

He leaves the room like he’s running from something. Maybe temptation.

I’m stuck with my mouth open, staring at the door he closed behind him. By the time I make myself leave the backroom, he’s gone. Damon takes one look at me and wiggles his brows.

My heart is hammering with fear and excitement long after he’s gone.

Chapter Four

Adelaide

Poe comes to the shop every day. It’s making my nerves ragged, and the need to be with him is almost overwhelming. Not to mention the way he watches me work like I’m the only person in the room.

No more taking his eyes off me to look at other women. He gives them a mere dismissive glance if they try to talk to him and goes back to watching me. He learned his lesson well without a single protest or excuse given. It makes me giddy.

I know in my bones he’s waiting for his chance. If I gave him any sign of a green light, we’d be all over each other in seconds.

The problem with that is how I feel about him.

He’s it for me. I can feel it every time he’s around me. When our eyes meet, it’s an instant knee-weakening reaction. I can’t stop thinking about the comfort of his arms around me. His kiss and that instant inferno of heat that cascaded through me. The rightness between us. Like I’d finally come home after a long as hell walk through the desert. I’ve never felt any of that before.

That doesn’t mean he feels the same. For all I know, it will be some wild sex and a goodbye from him. His focus is on me for the moment. Once he has me, he could walk away so easily.

Logic and reason don’t have a place in my brain right now. My emotions are all over the place. The constant nagging doubts won’t shut up, so I’m brushing them to the side like an idiot.

A lot of the SoT members have been coming in to get tattoos. I know it’s all thanks to him. That kind of gesture can’t be wiped away. He could have chosen any shop on this block with ease. He chose mine, and he’s sticking with it.

He’s even convinced several of the survivors’ group to pose for tasteful pictures that get put on the site to influence more people. I haven’t seen it since Grace showed me, but she stops in to check on me a few times a week and keeps me updated on behind-the-scenes stuff.

Or to let Damon hover over her like a love-sick puppy, ready to show her all the tricks he knows to get close to her.

When Poe noticed the check-ins, he said he would add me to the group so I could see it firsthand instead.

I didn’t feel comfortable with it. They’ve seen me once, and most of them didn’t speak much. They need a safe space without a random stranger butting in.

When I told him that, he smiled at me so sweetly, I wanted to pounce on him. Those lips are dangerous. Especially when he softens to give me adoring looks, as if I’m his everything. He knew what I was thinking, too.

“Do it,” he had whispered, his intensity burning me up. “Come on, siren.”

Instead of running to him, I ran away, claiming I had stuff to do.