Page 8 of Bite of Midnight
Her breath catches. “What?”
I force a smile, hiding the truth behind it. “Static, maybe. Or just chemistry.”
She laughs, but it’s a little shaky this time. “That’s one word for it.”
We sit in silence for a while, both pretending not to notice how the air between us feels alive. Every time she exhales, it feels like the universe exhales with her.
And for the first time in a thousand years, I wonder if the curse of eternity might finally be over.
Because she’s here. And she’s mine.
Chapter 3
CALLA
Damien’s hand brushes mine. It’s not an accident this time.
The warmth of his skin sends a pulse of energy through me, like static, but deeper, heavier. I feel it in my chest, in my pulse, in that strange flutter low in my stomach that hasn’t stopped since I met him.
The music shifts, slow and smoky. Couples drift toward the dance floor, and for a second, I think he’s just watching them. Then his fingers slide between mine, firm but gentle, and he rises to his feet.
“Dance with me,” he says.
It isn’t a question.
Before I can come up with an excuse, he’s already tugging me up. My drink’s still on the table, my heart somewhere back in my chest, and I just let him lead me because… what else can I do?
His hand settles on my lower back as he guides me through the crowd, weaving easily until we reach the center of the floor. The room feels dimmer here, the music louder but somehow distant.
He turns to face me, one hand finding mine again, the other resting lightly against my waist. His palm is warm, so warm it feels impossible.
“You don’t have to be nervous,” he murmurs.
“I’m not,” I lie.
He smiles, like he knows I’m bluffing. “You are.”
When he pulls me closer, it isn’t rough or demanding. It’s slow, deliberate, the kind of closeness that feels inevitable. My chest brushes his, and I swear he inhales like he’s breathing me in.
The air between us changes, thicker, softer, dizzying. I can hear my heartbeat in my ears.
“You’re staring again,” I whisper.
He leans down, his breath ghosting my ear. “I told you. You’re difficult to ignore.”
A shiver runs down my spine.
We start to move, not quite dancing, more like swaying. The music folds around us, low and hypnotic. He leads effortlessly, like he’s done this a thousand times. Maybe he has. He feels timeless in a way I can’t explain, old and new all at once.
I rest my hand on his shoulder for balance. He’s solid, every muscle beneath my touch coiled but steady. When I glance up, he’s already looking at me, his expression unreadable except for the faintest trace of something fierce.
Something hungry.
It should scare me, but it doesn’t. It just makes my heart stutter harder.
“I don’t even know you,” I whisper, breathless.
“Not yet,” he says softly. “But you will.”
