But Elodie was notglass.
Desire exploded through her as she gripped his collar and pulled him closer, deeper.Her hips twisted against the lap belt.Aiden groaned, low and eager, a trembling roar building within him as his arms encircled her and pulled her tight against his heaving chest.His hands tangled in her hair as her palms melted against the strong muscles of hisback.
Elodie breathed him in, the forest after the rain.His tongue encircled hers, and heat bloomed within her, a thousand buds opening again andagain.
Aiden was everywhere.Everything.
She dissolved into him.No beginning.No end.Just this moment.And them, diving into each other.In Aiden’s kiss lived all the answers.In Aiden’s kiss livedhope.
Elodie knew she didn’t love Rhett, but she never thought she’d love the spooky tunnelride.
XXXV
The screeches and screams of the creatures haunting the dark tunnel were reduced to a steady background hum as desire surged, molten hot inside Aiden.It crashed against the dam he’d built within his chest to keep this part of himself at bay.The part thatneeded.The part thatwanted.
But now he was close to Elodie.Too close to keep the waves from roiling and striking through his inner walls.
“Do you lovehim?”
It was a simple question, but the way Elodie’s eyes glinted in the dull red light and the absence of a swiftyestold Aiden everything he needed toknow.
The dam within him cracked.The rapids tore free.Every inch of him heated with wave after wave of desire.Aiden’s mouth claimed hers and he pulled her closer.Needing more of her.Needing all of her.Elodie’s lips parted in gentle welcoming.
She was everything.
Light crept in between his softly closed eyelids, but he refused to let loose the moment and give her back to the present.He’d found his place.He washome.
The sun’s warmth poured onto Aiden’shead.
“What the fuck are you doing?”Astrid’s snarl tore through his world like a crack of lightning.
Aiden slammed back against the side of the cart as he jolted and Elodie pushed him away.His eyes strained to adjust to the brightness outside of the tunnel.The world tipped around Aiden as he tried to get his bearings and meet the heaven that was Elodie with the hell of the present, where the darkness from the tunnel no longer hid theirkiss.
Astrid choked down a breath.“What the fuck is wrong with you?”she howled.Her tone was thunder, shaking Aiden to hiscore.
Aiden struggled to stand up inside the cramped cart.“Astrid, there are things you don’tknow.”
“Things I don’t know?”Her ponytail lifted and whipped the air with a sudden gust of wind.“Nothing you could say would make any of this okay.What you did—” Livid disgust sharpened her features.“You’ll pay for this.”
Elodie brushed against him as she struggled to free herself from the lap belt.“Astrid!”Finally free, Elodie leapt from thecart.
Astrid jerked backward and clicked on her Violet Shield.“Don’t you dare touch me!I don’t know what has happened to you.Whathe”—Astrid stabbed the air in Aiden’s direction—“has done to you, but this is—it’s unforgivable.”
Elodie buried her face in her hands.“Iknow.”
Aiden’s heart froze within his chest.“You can’t tell anyone, Astrid,” he said, climbing out of theride.
Astrid blinked and shook her head as if Aiden were a child showing off a silly trick.“I have to.For your protection, for Elodie’s, for Westfall.The Cerberus virus happened once before.It could happen again.”
“A kiss won’t hurt anyone.”He could explain if she would only give him the chance.“I promise it won’t.”
Astrid took another step back.“Tell that to the billions of people the virus killed,” she said.“I’m sure they felt the sameway.”
“Astrid—” Elodie began, but Astrid’s cutting glance made her choke back her words.
Tears welled in Astrid’s eyes.“How could you do this?”Sharply, she blinked them back before they had the chance to escape.“This isn’tyou.”
“Please!”Elodie sobbed.
