Page 12 of Of Flesh & Bone

Keeping with the feather-light touch, he runs the tips of his three middle fingers across my ear, down my neck and arm, all the way to the tips of my fingers.I try to keep my eyes open and feign that I'm unaffected, but I have no control over these traitors, and they flutter closed.My lips part and a gasp escapes, but he doesn’t stop.He runs his fingers under my palm and turns it over, exposing the underside of my hand to him.He gently traces each line as though he is memorizing them.

“You?Or your soul?”

His words drag me back...mostly.Part of me is still wherever the hell he just took my body.

“Huh?”

“You asked how old I think you are.I'm asking if you want to know how old I think you are in your physical form or if you are asking how old I think your soul is.”

Well, that is that.I'm well and truly out of my league.This is, in fact, my first rodeo and I haven’t got a fucking clue how to ride this bull.

“Umm, well, I guess my physical form.

“Well, I know that this is your first year of college, so I assume that you're 18 or 19.”

“How do you know that this is my first year?”

“I think I’ll keep that one under my hat.I know more than you think.”

“I’m 18.How old are you?”

He smirks and quirks a brow.He still has my hand linked in his on his thigh and he’s using the thumb of his other hand to put pressure on the palm of my other hand.He drops his gaze to my mouth and leaves it there while asking, “How old do you think I am?"

“You?Or your soul?”I ask, echoing his words back to him.

He lets a deep, short chuckle escape his lips.“Definitely my soul."

“I think your soul may predate the term soul.”

His jaw clenches and his dark eyes turn ominous as he reaches up and grabs me by the nape of the neck, pulling me toward him.His movement startles me and I’m not sure how to react, so I do nothing.My stomach plummets to my toes when he places a firm, lingering kiss to my forehead.At least, I think it was my stomach.It quite possibly could’ve been my heart, and it is way too early for that shit.

CHAPTER 5

Adam

Ican’t pinpoint whatmade me ask her to lunch.It could have been the defiance in her eyes, something I have never once experienced from a woman. Or it could’ve been how undeniably beautiful she was standing there reading All The Living and The Dead, a personal favorite of mine.Although, if I'm being honest with myself, I know that it was her obvious recognition of the darkness inside me.I see something inside her too.It's calling to me.

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