Page 35 of Dark Soul

Dark put the earpiece in his pocket and started jogging.

He wasn’t worried he was going to hell.

He knew it.

And it would be well-deserved.

In the two weeks since the fondue dinner, he’d managed to see Alexia twice, and the more he saw of her, the more he liked her. She wasn’t just beautiful—she was smart, funny, and committed to her teaching role.

He’d found himself wondering why a woman like her would want to spend any time with a man like him—then realized she didn’t know the real him.

The felon.

The murderer.

She was spending time with Luke Dark, the television writer. A lighter, more easygoing version of himself. The man he could perhaps have been if—

But there was no point in thinking about that.

And he got the feeling he wasn’t the only one hiding something within him that caused him pain. Hell, that might even be part of the insane attraction between them—that they’d both experienced pain, even if it wasn’t something they could talk about.

He was supposed to be getting closer to her, and he’d never wanted something more—or less. Because he wanted to get closer to Alexia—he wanted that more than he wanted his next breath. But not for the reasons he was supposed to want it.

He pushed the bile down and ran faster, knowing he’d need to fake being out of breath by the time he ran into her.

A couple of minutes later he saw her turning the corner. He ran on, his pace steady, waiting … waiting …

“Dark? Dark!”

Small steps sounded behind him.

He waited for an instant longer, then turned around, feigning surprise.

“Alexia? What are you—“ He stopped as he saw the thick edition in her hand. “The Iliad?”

She waved the book in the air. “Nikolai likes stories of ancient heroes. I’m re-reading it to find the best parts.”

“You think he’ll like it better than Marvel?”

It was meant as a joke, but Alexia took the question seriously. As she thought, her bottom lip disappeared behind her upper teeth in an endearing way.

“I don't know if he will, but I would like him to be exposed to a world where men can be heroes and also cry.” At his questioning look, she kept going. “The Iliad is full of brave men, capable of amazing feats, but who haven’t forgotten how to cry. And that’s something we’ve forgotten in our days, perhaps. Or at least, something I don’t think Nikolai has been exposed to before.”

And she looked so sad, now. All of Dark’s senses were on high alert. Something was troubling her.

“Is everything okay, Alexia?”

“I just needed a bit of air. It’s been a rough day.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

She looked at him like he was crazy.

Because you’re meant to be writing TV shows, you moron.

But he didn’t care. The thought of her in trouble burned a hole through his stomach.

“If you’re in trouble, Alexia, let me—“