The Sweetest Burn. Jeaniene Frost
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something in Demonish that I loosely translated as âWhoâs a good boy?â The gargoyle took his praise as his due, even tilting his head in invitation. Adrian scratched him for a minute, then left Brutus to come toward me.
If Iâd thought he looked luscious with his jacket open, that was nothing compared to how he looked with it off. His shoulders were so broad, my arms wouldnât fit around them. Muscles flexed under skin tanned a deep gold, and his taut abdomen was set off by jeans that now hung so low, one tug would probably bare everything beneath.
I had a sudden urge to test that theory, and I clasped my hands together to stop myself before I did something crazy.
âSo, some ride,â I said, more than a little breathless.
He came closer, and the raw hunger that flashed across his features almost leveled me. âThe ride isnât why your heartâs pounding, Ivy.â
He almost growled that last part, and his roughly sensual voice felt like it rubbed me while he spoke. I couldnât admit that he was right, so I took a step backwardâand almost tripped over a headstone. Adrianâs hand shot out, steadying me, and I shook it off while mentally berating myself.
Smooth, Ivy. Real smooth!
I pushed him away, feeling my heart hammer at the brief sensation of him beneath my hand. Touching him was more than enticing; it was addictive, which was why I had to get away from him before I let him do everything his darkly erotic stare promised me that Iâd love.
I took his jacket off and held it out to him. His fingers closed over mine, but instead of taking the jacket, he used it to tug me into his arms. His hair brushed my face as he leaned down, and willpower alone caused me to turn my head at the last second, so that his mouth landed on my cheek instead of my lips.
He didnât fight the movement, but slid his mouth lower until he reached my neck. A moan left me at the feel of his tongue, and I shuddered when he pressed his lips more firmly against my throat. Flicks, circles and light suction had me reeling from sensations, until I needed the arms he wrapped around me. Without them, I might have fallen.
âIvy.â His voice was rough, and the hands that slid over me were achingly possessive. âI want you.â
I could feel that in the hard flesh that pulsed against my belly. Deep inside me, an answering throb responded. Iâd been overwhelmed, angry, lost, betrayed, burdened and brokenhearted over the past several months, but right now, all I felt was passion that threatened to boil over until it scalded me, and I knew that I would love being burned.
But I couldnât. Doing so wouldnât just be epically stupidâit would be greedy, and greed was something to be avoided at all costs when it came to Adrian and me.
Judas had been guilty of three betrayals: trust, when he stole from the communal funds; greed, when he accepted those thirty pieces of silver; and death, when he identified Jesus to the Temple guards with that final, infamous kiss. Adrian had already betrayed my trust by lying to me about my real destiny. I wasnât about to help him succumb to greed by saying yes now.
âNo,â I said, pushing him away. Adrian let me back him up. He didnât go far, and his hands flexed into fists as if he were fighting a fierce inner battle.
âOkay, so I still want you,â I went on, because that was obvious. âWhether thatâs destiny, lust or something else, I donât know, but if you care about me like you claim to, youâll stay away from me unless you can prove that youâre not going to betray me again.â
And the only way he could prove that was if we succeeded in finding Mosesâs staff and used it to repair the realm walls, then found the final, hallowed weapon, and did all of this without getting killed in the process. I may as well have told him that Iâd give him a chance only if we were the last two people left on earth.
Even still, I couldnât stop the emotions that rolled over me, breaking through barriers that hadnât been strong enough to hold them. Adrian was rightâI did still care for him. And that weakened me in ways my enemies would be too quick to take advantage of.
âI need to stay focused if I have any chance at winning this fight,â I continued, my tone hardening. âSo, once again, if you really want to show me that youâve changed, walk away from me. Now.â
He said nothing for so long that I wondered if he was going to walk away without a word. If he did, it would be for the best, which was why I refused to say anything else.
âWhat if I can prove that I wonât betray you again?â he finally asked, surprising me.
I let out a short laugh. âIf any of us are still alive after this whole thing is over, sure, I might be up for a date.â
âThereâs a way I can prove I wonât betray you without waiting until then, but Iâll need Zach.â Then his voice dropped, becoming rougher and softer at the same time. âIf I can prove to you that you can trust me, that thereâs no way Iâd even be able to betray you again, will you give me a chance? A real one?â
I should say no. It might sound like a simple question, but it still possibly had destiny-affecting consequences. Then again, it was as realistic as my saying what Iâd do if I won the Powerball, although I had better odds of doing that than Adrian had of proving heâd beat his destiny without actually having to beat it first.
Still, even as the word no formed on my lips, something rose up in me. What was wrong with saying what Iâd do if an impossible dream came true? the part of me that couldnât stop caring for Adrian whispered. After all, millions of people talked about what theyâd do if they won the Powerball, and 99.9 percent of them would never find out.
In the end, I gave Adrian the same answer Iâd forced myself not to say earlier. âYes. Prove that...and Iâll give you a chance.â
DESPITE BEING AWAKE for half the night, I woke up before Jasmine. After I brushed my teeth and threw a cardigan over my tank top, I went out into the main room. From the swaying motion of the tour bus, we were already back on the road, but I was surprised to see Adrian driving. Brutus sat behind Adrianâs chair, and someone had thrown a large blanket over the gargoyle so that he was completely covered. Costa was awake, yawning as he opened a carton of eggs in the kitchen.
âOh, let me make breakfast,â I said, smiling as I gently moved him aside. Itâs not that I thought cooking was my duty as a girl. Costa loved to cook, but he also wasnât very good at it, as the past several weeks had proved.
He gave me a hopeful look as he went to the wet bar, where a coffeemaker was now set up. âFrench toast?â
âSure. Adrian?â I asked, a little unsure about how I should act. Things between us hadnât changed, and yet Iâd agreed that they might, if he could prove that heâd conquered his destiny.
âNothing for me, I already ate,â he replied.
That neutral response told me nothing about his frame of mind. Come to think of it, Adrian had been blunt to the point of aggressiveness about wanting me, yet he hadnât said that he wanted more than sex. Months ago, heâd told me that he loved me, but in fairness, he said it right before he thought he was going to be killed by minions.
Did he still love me? Orâin truthâhad he ever loved me? Maybe his saying that back then had been impulse instead of sincerity? He had thought he was about to die, after all.
I began breaking eggs and mixing them in a bowl. Noises in the bedroom had to be Jasmine waking up, so I called out, âJaz? Want French toast?â while still mentally stewing.
âDid