Page 43 of An Unexpected Ascension (A War Between Worlds #1)

The Angel

“We should probably head back to the party or what’s left of it now.”

I chuckle as Lynx laps a droplet of water from my neck.

“That sounds like a terrible idea.”

His words are hot against my skin as he reaches behind me to shut the shower off. The stream ceases and casts us in a chill. With gentle hands, he wrings the excess water from my hair before grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my body.

“It would be rude to leave Lucifer out there alone.”

My eyes trail his glistening torso down to the V between his hips, that now disappears beneath his towel.

He smirks.

“From the sound of it, the party has died out anyway.”

“Then we should see if he needs any help cleaning up.”

He levels me a stare.

“Briar, he’s the God of Hell. Do you think he’s ever cleaned a day in his life?”

I shrug, my gaze flicking toward the bathroom door, which causes him to sigh.

“Don’t worry, I won’t force anymore intimacy tonight. I can see you’ve had enough.”

My eyes roll, but a little string tugs at my heart. I didn’t mind the sweet moment we shared earlier. In fact, I actually really enjoyed it. So much so that I’m beginning to feel the weight of what it means: to be in love with a demon – to be in love at all.

My empty heart is filling once more, and the thought petrifies me because as my heart fills, the void once there is closing. The void that was held open like a festering wound. The void that held grief for my daughter, for myself.

To fill it up?

Devil, save me because I don’t know how to forgive myself for something like that. To replace that love lost with a love found. Such a large part of me doesn’t want to heal. The idea of risking my heart all over again could be detrimental. I don’t know if I could survive another tragedy and with this war?

I can already feel the walls forming and hardening around my wavering heart.

And by the sadness clouding over Lynx’s midnight eyes, he can see it all happening too, brick by brick, taller and stronger. That near-slip of the tongue earlier might have been his only chance at hearing those words he longs for.

He nods, knowingly, before leading us out of the bathroom to dress in silence.