Page 11 of Hopeless Magic
And yet, there’s an energy swirling between us. I think it might be from the spark he rained down on my poor nose, but it’s definitely … strange. It’s like his body is charging mine, spiking energy all through it. My core tightens simply from the feel of his body against me.
“Fucking human.”
What a delightful asshole this one is.
My jaw clenches at the word ‘human’. He says it harshly. Like I’m beneath him and his kind.
What does this man have to be so unhappy about? I’m homeless and even I enjoy my life more than Darrio. A beat passes and we’re still assessing one another.
A cruel, jagged line is slashed down his face. It isn’t small; the imperfection demands attention. Without much thought, the smooth skin of the scar adorning his temple greets my fingertips.
He’s so different from his twin it’s almost astounding.
“You're not the same, are you? Not here.” Not with every jagged imperfection that lines his scarred body. Not in the mind that’s always turning. Not deep down inside.
Darrio doesn’t flinch away from my touch. His eyes hold mine as I study the pink skin beneath my index finger. It runs the length of his dark hairline, from temple to jaw. What did Darrio do to deserve this? Oddly, it doesn’t take away from his haunting good looks. It only magnifies it if anything. It highlights his light eyes. My gaze shifts to his depthless gaze. The scar draws attention to his always calculating and hard, glaring irises.
The energy I felt earlier is growing wild within my chest. My erratic heartbeat pounds restlessly.
His brows pull together in confusion. Does he feel it too? Or does my attention make him uncomfortable?
Good. He deserves to feel awkward for what he called me.
A smirk touches my lips and before I can speak again his mouth is on mine.
It’s a reckless kiss. Flawed and rushed; our lips angled against each other.
To my surprise, I lean into him with my arms held uneasily away from his hard body. Strong hands grasp my hips. Darrio holds me the way I used to hold the stolen trinkets I hid away as a child. His palms skim up my bare sides, against my ribs before meeting the cotton of my vest.
It’s a kiss filled with fire and intent and all I want is for it to burn me up inside.
With a striking spark that tingles all through me, he parts my lips. Slowly he rolls his tongue across mine, sending that igniting feeling right through me. It’s a feeling that wakes me up inside. A feeling that makes me snap.
I push back from him with more force than necessary. My palm connects swiftly with the scar along his jaw. The scar that got me into this mess in the first place. A sting explodes against my fingertips and a satisfying red mark tints his cheek.
The hateful words we’ve shared won’t be forgotten with one kiss.
Even if it was a heart pounding, knee shaking, panty …
I shake my head adamantly. Not going to happen.
He looks to the ground. It’s a confused look that almost makes guilt touch my stomach.
“I’m sorry.” His throat bobs before he finally meets my eyes.
“You should be,” to spite him I add, “Rio.”
Thin lips pull across his features, his head shaking back and forth, rejecting the affectionate nickname just like I rejected him.
Light sparks, catching my attention. A blazing ember is held in Ryder’s hand, lighting up his good looks in a golden hue. The fire rests in his hands as Daxdyn studies the stream they stand in. Daxdyn’s shirt has been thrown to the ground and I couldn’t tear my gaze away from his body if I wanted to. Even if his own brother is looking right at me.
“Fucking human,” Darrio whispers once more before turning away from me.
His deep voice tingles across my skin.
A smile clings to my lips from his term of endearment. That’s what I’ll call his little name for me; endearing.
Another light appears, held tightly in Daxdyn’s hands. He lowers his palms beneath the waters. Reflective colors ripple across the sharp angles of his jaw. Seconds pass with him standing ever so still. The muscles of his shoulders tense, and when he rises, he holds a large squirming trout in his hands.
