Page 105 of Cain

He smiles softly against my lips. “Does it scare you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you like that feeling?”

“Yes.”

A low hum rumbles in his chest, almost a growl, as he rests his forehead against mine. “Let’s go outside, shall we?”

“What?” I squeal in surprise, pulling back. Did I hear right?

“I choose the place. I drive. I set the rules.”

I nod, the smile widening on my lips. My heart is pounding in my chest, and my stomach is full of butterflies. I feel like a child who’s just been promised a trip to the playground.

Without thinking twice, I jump on him and plant quick, small kisses all over his face.

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” I say between kisses, diving into his arms.

He’s frozen at first, but then he wraps his strong arms around me, holding me tightly in his embrace.

Then, he pulls back and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I don’t know how the hell you do this,” he whispers.

“Do what?”

“Dissolve every dark thought in me.”

I look up at him, stunned to silence for a moment. Nobody has ever said anything like that to me. My heart stumbles in my chest.

So, I do the only thing that feels right. I reach up and hold his face in my hands, my thumbs brushing over his prominent cheekbones. His eyes flutter shut for a moment, as if he is allowing himself to get immersed in it.

“You say we’re more alike than I thought, right?” I ask.

He nods sharply, his brows softening.

“I can see it now.”

His gaze drops to my lips, then back to my eyes. “You do that too,” he murmurs. “You make it impossible to stay cold when you’re near.”

I don’t move.

Because that version of him, the one no one else gets to see, is standing inches from me. And he’s not hiding anymore.

He clears his throat. “Shall we?”

“Yes!” I say with a smile.

At the time, it felt like the beginning of something good.

I wish I’d understood what I was asking for.

There are no words for how happy I feel right now—like a little girl again. It’s horrible, if you really think about it, given the circumstances, but it is what it is. There’s nothing that can spoil my mood at the moment.

He walks out of the office, and I follow closely, tiptoeing, barely breathing. I’m sure nothing could shake his mood, but I have to be sure.

We run into Landon in the hallway just before the door. “I’m heading out. Keep your eyes open.”

Landon leans against the wall like he owns the place, arms crossed and that damn crooked smirk playing on his lips. “Any special orders about our little guest,boss?” His eyes flick to me. God, this man has something that makes my skin crawl.