Page 69 of Hell Kissed

I have to admit I’m fucking dying to know as well, but I try to smooth the awkward smile on her beautiful face.

Reality and too many dark memories sink back into me. For some people, sex isn’t comfortable or freeing.

And I hate the idea of this conversation making her feel that way.

No one should feel that way.

“That’s enough,” I rumble in her defense, and Rhys’s stunned gaze flicks back to mine. “Sex is natural. However someone finds pleasure isn’t your fucking business.”

But it was Latham and Aric’s business last night.

The same sultry image of her throwing her head back, of her beautiful tits thrusting outward, hard and rosy, fills my mind until I harden myself and scowl at the three of them for dragging me into the conversation I rationally know I walked straight into.

I swallow hard.

No. Rhys isn’t innocent at all.

She’s a fucking temptress.

A siren calling me to deeper depths I’ll surely drown in.

I storm away, heading for the now unguarded bridge to the underworld.

“Makes sense.” Aric shrugs as they all trail after me. “She likes to watch as much as she likes being involved.”

My teeth grind.

“That’s why you liked watching me kiss Aric,” Latham muses.

“I’m damn sure it wasmekissingyou, pretty boy,” Aric counters. “And you fucking liked it.”

“What’s not to like?” Latham sounds genuinely confused.

“Exactly,” Rhys says, all dreamy and content.

Gods. Make it stop.

“Can we focus?” I snap, tiring of the conversation that’s heading nowhere good. I’m not in the mood to hear more about their sexual exploits when I’m having enough trouble burying Rhys’s moans into the deep recesses of my mind.

Who the fuck am I kidding? If anyone is lying, it’s me. I’m buried so far in my fabrications I’m borderline delusional.

Forget Rhys?

Somehow I doubt I’ll be able to forget anything about her. Perhaps I won’t. Maybe memories of her will be a gift. I’ll only pull them out on my darkest days. They’ll be a spark in the darkness, a pinprick of light in the onyx nights ahead.

Rhys reminds me of what I used to be. Of what I used to have.

Of everything I’m now denied.

She’s the pure embodiment of everything awakening in my tainted soul that I was sure shriveled away long ago.

“So where are we going now?” Rhys practically jogs to keep up with my longer strides, and I slow marginally. Not enough to show her I care about her wellbeing, but enough so she can walk at a fast clip without falling on her face and landing in the river of fire.

That fucking cat of hers laps up the flames of the river in a bizarre sight I can’t stand to look at.

I sigh and keep walking at my casual pace that has the woman at my side running ragged.

I’ve saved her enough for one day. Deep down, I know that if she can’t handle Hell’s Gate, she’ll never survive what’s inside.