Page 91 of Tempt

His eyes finally locked with mine. It took my breath away and I let him hear it. His gaze dropped hungrily to my lips. “I am who I have always been.”

“The devil?”

“Something like that.”

I hated that he believed that. He couldn’t see what I saw. A man who was caught up in something he couldn’t escape. Theo hadn’t set these things in motion. Sure, he was part of it and he was responsible for his choices, but he was just trying to survive it. The men who started this were the ones with black in their hearts. “You are not the devil, Theo. They are.” I tilted my head toward Toni and Dan.

He stood up straight, intentionally towering over me. Using his height to make me feel small and weak. “Don’t make me scare you away, Allison. I’ll fucking do it. And there will be no future for us.”

“I don’t think you’ll let us have a future anyway.”

His eyes flashed and suddenly he was kissing me.Hard. He took fistfuls of my hair as he pressed me into his body. I whimpered because it was so overwhelming. It was so fast. And I so desperately needed it. This was the proof I needed that Theo didn’t hate me for what I’d said and he didn’t really want me to go. He was pushing me away because he thought it was the safest thing to do.

And he was probably right.

Then he pulled back, his hands on either side of my face, his forehead pressed to mine. “Please?” he panted. “Please, just listen to me. Go and do not look back.”

I could give him space. I could leave and wait for things to settle back down. But to never see him again? He’d lost his damn mind.

“How, Theo?How?” I didn’t know how to walk out that door.

He squeezed his eyes shut and I knew I was going to hate what he said next. “Do it for me,” he whispered.

I swear the world stopped spinning because for a few seconds I didn’t know which way was up. It was one of those moments where time slows down and you can see and remember things you know are happening much faster than they seem. I had time to notice the perfect curve of his lip and the scar on his chin. I still didn’t know how he got his scars, but I wanted to hear each story and kiss each one. I had time to realize he wasn’t wearing cologne or any other scent. He just smelled like Theo and sweat and blood. I had time to see that when he opened his eyes he hesitated before looking into mine.

And that’s when I knew I was going to walk out that door. I couldn’t do it for me, but for him I’d walk through fire. I’d do whatever it took to take that look of pain out his eyes.

So I kissed him just as hard as he’d just kissed me, and this timehewhimpered under the intensity. I held his face in my hands and looked up into his broken eyes. “I will go if you promise me one thing.”

He took a few moments, but then nodded.

“When this over and you’ve had time to put yourself back together, you come back to me. You give us a second chance. Arealchance.”

He tried to pull back but I wouldn’t let him. He shook his head. “Allison, I—”

“Do it for me.”

The determination I loved so much suddenly hardened his features. His jaw ticked and his pupils narrowed as he nodded slowly. “You’re sure you’ll want me after this?”

“Yes,” I whispered. Forever.No matter what.

“I’m not so sureI’llwant me.”

“But I always will,” I said as I fell a little bit more in love with him.

He kissed me on the forehead—a long, firm kiss—as if he were drawing strength from me…or maybe from our connection. The reasons didn’t matter. It was the sweetest damn thing and it damn near broke my heart. Then he pulled me into his arms and wrapped me up in a hug. This position forced me to either close my eyes or stare at Theo’s prisoners.

“Is this really the best place to do this?” I asked into his coat.

He turned his head and grimaced. “More perfect than you’d think,” he whispered. Then cleared his throat. “We have total control over this space and who sees us coming and going. The heavy equipment operating outside provides excellent cover.”

No one was going to notice any sounds coming from down here as long as cranes and bulldozers were moving and no one would be coming down here uninvited. He was right. This was a great spot.

He tucked me back into his wide, safe chest and stroked his fingers through my hair the way he did when we were naked in bed together—as if it were as comforting to him as it was to me.

Then, with his arms around me every step of the way, Theo walked me down the hall to where Joe, Seth, and Martin were waiting.

Martin almost smiled—I saw the corners of his lips turn up just a little.

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