Page 107 of Stardusted
My mouth went dry.
Clueless to how deeply I was spiraling into inappropriate interest in his physiology, Sky sighed. “I know I’ve apologized a million times, but I never meant for you to get caught up in this mess. The lab…everything just happened so fast.” That was regret shining in his eyes now, when they slid from the bruising and found mine. “But I should’ve done better. They never should’ve touched you.”
There was that protectiveness again. It made me all soft and gooey inside. It didn’t help that his gaze sparkled with that alien light, like it held swirls of nebulae.
“It’s okay,” I managed to whisper.
“It’s not.” His murmur came out hoarse. “I hate that they hurt you.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his vehemence. “It’s just a bruise.” One that still throbbed if I laid on it wrong, but still. “And it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known I’d be there.”
He gave his head a little shake. My attention slipped down and caught on his lips.They were awfully close. Mere inches from mine.
And they looked human enough.
There were a thousand reasons why thinking that, standing this close, and noticing how easy it’d be to smash my mouth against his were all terrible,terribleideas. But I couldn’t recall a single one. Common sense had fled the scene.
I only realized I’d been staring when his mouth curved into a crooked, knowing smile.
“Rae…” he said softly, a tinge of that regret coloring his tone. His voice had deepened, though. Enough a shiver passed through me.
“Yes?” I yanked my eyes upward to meet his again, cheeks scorching.
Something had changed. Beneath that ghost of a grin, I read a struggle in his tightening jaw, the sudden tension in his shoulders. I had the reckless urge to raise up on my toes just enough to wipe it away with?—
I should be running far away. Calling the FBI. Hiding. Not leaning in.
But I didn’t want to do any of that. I wanted to press my lips to Sky’s.
He broke eye contact and looked down at the bruise again. This time when he reached for me, he didn’t stop.His knuckles grazed the discolored skin, light as butterfly wings and reverent. I bit back a gasp.
My belly tightened. It was my arm, for God’s sake. Not exactly an erogenous zone. But my mouth was a desert anyway as I asked, “What are you doing?”
He didn’t look up. “Not sure. Not keeping my distance like I’d said we should, though.”
Sky raised his head. His expression was impossible to decipher.
The stairwell seemed to melt away, like we were floating in soft shadow. The sound of the storm outside was muffled beneath my shaky breathing, my racing pulse.
He didn’t move.Neitherdid I. His heat made me want to lean in, but because he wore a faint frown, I didn’t. I’d give anything to know what he was thinking right then. Because itseemedlike he was feeling this, too, this electricity.But that was clearly conflict?—
I nearly gasped when he cupped the side of my face. My heart stopped beating as he bit his lip and gave his head the tiniest shake, eyes darkening.
“Just this once,” he murmured, gaze lowering to my mouth. “You make it really hard to follow my rules, Raven.”
Before I could even grasp what he’d said, what he was saying, he kissed me.
Sky Acosta was kissing me.
Time slowed. My soul left my body.
I decided I also hated rules because I never wanted this to end.
His mouth brushed mine in a gentle, teasing slide, and I gripped his shoulders for balance. To catch myself because my legs went weak and my head was a spinny, dizzy ball of fluff. No thoughts. Only feelings.
He captured my lower lip between his, giving it a slow and deliberate tug, and I stopped breathing.
How many times had I dreamed of this moment? Too many. More than I’d ever admit. The reality was better than I’d ever imagined.Somuch better.
