Page 165 of House of Pain
Blaze liked it when it hurt.
In fact, helovedit when it hurt.
His eyes fluttered closed, and he leaned his head back against the cold tub, allowing his muscles to relax, wrapped in the warm rose water as the drug worked him from the inside.
There was this urge inside him, trying to claw its way out, for violence.
If he let it go, it would wreak havoc around them, hurting everyone the beast encountered on its way to self-destruction.
Blaze wasn’t sure why he tried to subdue it.
Maybe letting everyone burn around him for once would be the right thing to do.
A shadow appeared in the corner of his vision, and Blaze looked around to find Alecto leaning against the jamb.
Her face was blank. She wore that perfectly crafted mask of obliviousness Blaze found extremely beautiful.
If he were honest with himself, she was always beautiful.
When her eyes rolled whenever she was snarky, she was stunning.
When her eyes narrowed due to silent rage, she was breathtaking.
When her eyes widened, face falling still whenever she was surprised, she was a fuckingvision.
Blaze blinked, slowly catching her intense gaze.
She tipped her head to the side. “I suppose my invitation got lost in the mail.”
Words died in his throat as Blaze stared at her, his mind going blank.
There was only one thing left to do.
Slowly, with the blunt loosely wedged between his lips, he stood from the bathtub and grabbed for the towel.
Alecto’s gaze slid from his face down his chest and belly to his groin, and it took Blaze all his strength not to react as he wrapped himself in the towel.
He should have spread his arms towards her, calling her to his embrace.
He should have wrapped his arms around her tight and burrowed his face in her neck as he greedily inhaled her smell.
He should have brought her to his bed and lost himself in her body, allowing himself to lie next to her after they were exhausted and enjoyed the silence between them that said more than words ever could.
Instead, Blaze stepped closer to Alecto and said, “Or maybe your invitation never went out.”
The familiar warmth in her eyes evaporated.
It was as if Blaze had stabbed himself right in the chest, but he couldn’t figure out that feeling.
“Is that so?” she asked, cocking a brow. “Are you having one of your moments,Blazy?”
There was no kindness in her words, and Blaze was grateful for it.
It made everything so much easier.
His lip twitched as he cocked his head to the side. “Actually, I think I’mdonehaving one of my moments. It’s been fun, though, baby.”
“Excuse me?”
