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“Where was this move when you were in the fighting ring?” he teased.
“My opponent didn’t have your abs.” A thrumming vibration spread through my chest as his fingers tightened on my hips.
“Any more moves you’d like to show me?” he asked.
“Depends. How expensive is this shirt?”
“It’s custom. Why?”
“Because I’m about to ruin it, and you know I can’t affordto replace it.” I gripped the shirt by the seams and pulled. Buttons flew in all directions, clattering on the hardwood floor.
“What did that shirt ever do to you?” he asked.
“It was an obstacle, so I removed it.” I explored his chest, feeling the strength of his heartbeat beneath the muscles. Its rapid pace matched my own. Warmth radiated through my body as his hands migrated to my backside.
“Your eyes are like storm clouds,” he said, gazing at me with uncharacteristic tenderness.
My mouth sank into his, breathing in his scent of pine and sandalwood. Kane was a force of nature—compelling, yet somehow comforting. My mind went black. I was falling straight into his soul, and I had no interest in stopping. Only when the darkness cleared did I realize I wasn’t in his soul.
I was in his head.
Kane was naked against a wall. Blood seemed to seep from every pore. It took me a moment to realize that his body was tacked to the wall with hundreds of nails. A winged demon with red scales hovered in front of him clutching a hammer. With a gleeful shout, the little bastard drove another long nail through Kane’s arm. The prince of hell didn’t make a sound; he simply observed the motion with apparent detachment.
Only I knew better. I could feel everything he felt in that moment. It was beyond any pain I’d ever endured. Agony didn’t do the feeling justice.
The scene shattered into pieces. I was back on the floor of the Castle, my limbs entangled with Kane’s.
“Quite the mood killer, isn’t it?” he said.
I covered my mouth and stifled a cry. “Gods above, Kane. That was a horrific nightmare.”
He removed himself from my grasp. “It wasn’t a nightmare.”
I wanted to throw up. “Someone did that to you?”
His eyes locked on mine. “Yes.”
I felt guilty for glimpsing what he’d intended to keep hidden. “I’m sorry, Kane. I didn’t look on purpose. I can’t control it as easily when there are…” I nearly said “feelings” but settled on, “heightened emotions.”
He glanced in the direction of the animals. “The magic circus?”
I nodded. “I think the donkey is sloth, and the goat is lust.”
“So we’re two lazy whores, which probably explains why we can’t seem to get off the floor.” He shrugged. “Could be worse. Could be wrathful whores.”
I didn’t want to imagine what that would’ve entailed. I was relieved we stopped before going too far. I didn’t want to have sex under the influence of anything except good, old-fashioned hormones.
I sat up and wrapped my arms around my knees. “I won’t touch you again. I would never want to invade your privacy like that.”
He pulled himself into a seated position and tried to adjust his buttonless shirt. “Which is the reason I left. I didn’t want to risk getting close to you.” He paused. “Any closer than I already had.” He lowered his voice. “I’m sorry you had to witness that.”
Except it wasn’t just witnessing. I experienced all of it. His agony. His despair. But I didn’t want to make him feel worse than he already did.
He gazed straight ahead at nothing in particular. “Now that we’re being a little more forthright, I have questions.”
“After that vision, so do I.”
“Me first, then it’s your turn.” He shifted his gaze to me, revealing eyes now a shade of rich amber. If I wasn’t careful, they’d trap me like a butterfly.
