Page 66 of Clash of Sin and Secret

Zane chuckles behind me. “Remember how much fun we used to have on Centre Island?”

How could I not?Jack used to take us when Da and Francesco were out of town. We’d wait until the last ferry left the island, then we’d hit the amusement park at Centreville for a night of crazy fun. There would be rides and junk food, and then we’d spend the rest of the evening running in the open park, climbing trees.

“Do you think our fathers ever knew about our unauthorized trips?”

Zane chuckles close behind me, scaling the tree with ease. “Oh, they knew. It’s how they manipulated us into not getting annoyed that they were leaving us.”

“Sneaky smart.”

“That they were.”

When I climb into the wide V of the trunk, it takes a bit to get turned around and settled, but when I do, Zane settles in right beside me. We squish together a bit and then he scoops me up and drapes my legs over his lap to give my hips more space. “Better?”

“Yeah. Thanks.” If he weren’t a vampire and I didn’t know better, I’d worry that I’m too heavy to be sitting on him with just the hard bark and wood of the tree under his butt to cushion my weight. But heisa vampire, and I know very well that won’t bother him in the slightest.

Perched where we are, we’re hidden within the canopy of the tree, but have an unobstructed view of the main entrance of the building. We’ve also got an unobstructed view of the sprawling grounds below us. “I bet this place used to be nice.”

Zane nods. “It’s one thing I always wished we had growing up.”

I twist in his lap and read the nostalgia in his gaze. “What is?”

“A big yard. The compound is great, and I love living downtown, but when we have kids, I want them to run free in the moonlight.”

I meet his gaze—something unspoken swirling in his eyes. “Don’t talk like that, Z. I love where we’re headed, but you can’t start planning our lives together and naming our kids so soon.”

“It’s all I think about, Scots. Even when you refused to see me, all my dreams were filled with us together, building the life we always dreamed about.”

I close my eyes and try not to let the emotions he’s prodding overwhelm me. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I’m your squire. We’re piecing our love back together. I need you to take it slower with the promises.”

He leans closer, curling a strand of hair behind my ear. “I can go slower. I have eternal longevity and am not planning to have my head removed. Slow works.”

He brushes a gentle finger under my chin and pauses with our lips about to touch. He’s giving me the chance to pull back, but I don’t. “Does slower mean you don’t want to kiss me?”

“It does not.”

“So, I’ve got your permission?”

“You do.”

The kiss starts soft but quickly deepens—a rush of warmth and familiarity flooding over me as our lips move in sync. My heart races as memories flood my mind: long summer nights spent hiding from the world, the two of us edging closer to a sexual relationship, the soul-deep knowledge that we were written in the stars…

I’m getting lost in him again, but I’m not even sure I care. He’s always been my home and I’ve been adrift for seven long years.

With his arms around me, his scent in my head and his fangs descended and skimming over my lips, I’m his.

I’ve always been his.

A sound in the distance startles me and I break away, breathless, scanning the entrance to the building below us. “There she is.”

Daeva Blackthorne exits the abandoned hospital, but before closing the door, she turns to shout inside. “Tell Alec to get his ass out here or I’ll find a new pet to play with.”

She slams the door, standing on the wide concrete steps like she owns the night itself.

My heart pounds in my chest and I tap my communicator. “We’ve got her. The burgundy-haired bitch just stepped out onto the front steps.”

Huntley responds in the next instant. “Call Link for backup. Tucker and I will be right there.”

Zane pulls his phone out and is calling for backup as a tall, dark, and deadly vampire joins Daeva on the front steps. They stand there for a moment, speaking in hushed tones, then they head off to the right toward the parking lot.

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