Page 32 of The Devil's Waltz

“Like a total pain in my ass? Yeah.”

I nod, lowering my voice before asking, “Is Blake a hunter too?”

Xander exhales a short laugh, shaking his head. “The hunter lifestyle of rigid rules isn’t exactly Blake’s vibe.”

“I mean, fair enough. I certainly don’t blame him for that.”

He nods thoughtfully, and we chat about school for a few minutes until our food arrives. After dinner, we head toward the pier, my stomach fluttering with nerves as Xander slips his fingers through mine. The breeze coming off the water helps cool my heated cheeks.

“I have an idea,” he says, breaking the comfortable silence as we walk along the pier.

I cast him a sideways glance. “Oh?”

“How do you feel about heights?”

My stomach dips, and I cringe inwardly. “It depends. Are we talking flying in an airplane or…?”

“How about taking a ride on The Great Wheel?” he offers, squeezing my hand. “I’ve never been. Have you?”

Nervously pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I hum softly and shake my head.

“Do you want to?”

“Sure,” I answer automatically. I’m not prepared to tell Xander my pulse is pounding beneath my skin or that my heart is attempting to break free of my rib cage. I’m not scared of heights. But gettingstucksomewhere I can’t control…that’s another thing entirely.

We stand in line, and I shove my hands in my pockets so Xander can’t see the way they’re shaking.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” he asks, watching me with a raised brow as he shrugs off his jacket and wraps it around my shoulders.

I swallow hard and plaster a smile on my lips. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Xander frowns. “Camille—”

“All good,” I say in a confident tone, though my voice wavers slightly.

Once it’s our turn to get on, Xander gestures for me to go first, so I stick one foot in front of the other until I’m inside the cart. I drop onto the seat and stare ahead as Xander gets in. The ride operator closes thedoor. And a minute later, the wheel starts moving.

Everything glimmers in the dark. Lights along the pier and the entire Space Needle glow, and the bright moon reflects off the Puget Sound. If I wasn’t so worried about being stuck in here, I might be able to appreciate the stunning city views on one side and the water on the other.

“You can see most of the city from up here,” Xander muses, a faint smile on his lips as he takes in the sights.

“Yeah.” My voice comes out breathy as I press my hands flat against my thighs and try to focus on filling my lungs steadily, knowing the ride will be over in a matter of minutes.

Just when I think I’ll be able to manage this without losing control of my nerves, the wheel jerks to a stop with us at the very top, and my stomach drops.

No, no, no. Oh, god. I can’t do this.

Xander moves into my view, his brows drawn together. “Camille?”

I look away—right out the side of the cart, which sends my pulse racing faster, to the point my head spins. “I can’t…” My voice cuts off, the dryness in my throat making it impossible to speak. The thundering of my heart vibrates my chest, and I close my eyes. It doesn’t help. Control is slipping through my fingers like water and my throat is so tight I can’t pull in a breath.

“Camille.” His deep voice breaks through the wall of anxiety that’s currently laying heavy bricks of overwhelm on my chest. In the space of a heartbeat, he moves across the cart, pulling me into his lap with one arm while his other hand sinks into my hair and cradles my neck. I suck in a startled breath in the second before his mouth steals mine.

I’ve been kissed a few times before, even by him, but I’ve never experiencedthis. This all-consuming parallel dimension where nothing else exists but us. His tongue sweeps along my bottom lip, and I forget how to breathe. It might be embarrassing, if I could bring myself to care about anything besides the feel of his chest pressed against mine or the thundering in my chest. Xander’s presence is grounding, pulling me back from the waves of fear threatening to pull me under.

I fist the front of his shirt as he tips my head back, deepening the kiss and wringing a soft moan from my lips. Heat fills my cheeks, and I gasp against his mouth when he slides one hand along my thigh.

He pulls back just enough to trace the shell of my ear with his lips,making me shiver. “Keep your eyes closed,” he purrs.

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