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“You think so?” I said as I looked up into his face. I wished I could see him better but the candle light off to our side was dancing around and wouldn’t quite settle on his features.
He touched a hand to my face.
“You were brave today,” I said. “I was impressed.”
“Me?” he said. “Nah, I was afraid, Jess. More afraid than you’d know.”
I had to laugh. He wasn’t afraid. No way.
“You weren’t afraid. I saw you.”
“I was. But not of bullets or bad guys. I was afraid of losing you.”
If he wasn’t crouched between my legs, my knees would’ve knocked. I wanted him. Suddenly I felt weak, not nervous, but like I might actually pass out. I felt feverish.
I couldn’t breathe. My throat was swollen and dry and my hands were shaking. Pike noticed and took one of them. He rubbed it and held it still.
“Pike, if you do this, you can’t ever leave me. Do you understand that? I’m a Dove. You’ll be mine. Bonded to me. You’ll have to share me with my other husbands. You’ll…”
“With all due respect,” he said. “Shut up.”
And I did.
He removed his shirt as he said, “I’m all covered in blood.” Then he stood and grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. If I’m gonna do this, I’m not gonna do it like all the other folks. Let’s do this like man and woman was meant to do it.”
With that, he blew out the candle and led me outside.
We left the community and were making our way through the trees. It was dark and damp. But I trusted him to lead the way. For a second I worried about Dominic. He’d be concerned after I left the way I did.
For having lived most of my life in the mountains, I knew little about our surroundings. You can imagine how paranoid everyone is about any female leaving the protection of the group. With the Venenum always out and about, we’re forbidden to explore. I knew our community’s ins and outs but a hundred feet away was completely foreign ground for me.
I was nervous and tugged on Pike’s arm.
“This is bad,” I said. “I’m not supposed to be out here like this.”
He stopped, pushed me up against a tree, and kissed me. My scalp scraped against the bark. It was rough but I loved it.
“Do you wanna go back?” he asked.
“We should.”
“Then let’s.”
“How much farther were we going?”
“Not far.”
“It’s just…I’ve never been outside the community.”
The moonlight hit his face and his lip lifted in a smirk. It was sly and sexy.
“Shit, you’re serious,” he said. “You ain’t ever been outside? Well damn, thank God I didn’t ask you to elope to Vegas.”
I reached between his legs and grabbed him, squeezing hard to teach him not to tease me. I don’t think he learned the lesson as his mouth widened into a full smile.
He pinned me against the tree again.
“You want me?” he asked.
