Descent - Tara Fuller Page 0,59

Gwen burned through my very being. I groaned against her mouth, loving how she came to life under my touch. Normally the only thing people did when I touched them was die. Not Gwen. She lit up under my hands, my heat. She tentatively pressed back against me, let her hands slide down my spine, exploring, testing, driving me fucking crazy. I growled and tore my lips from hers. If we didn’t stop now, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

God…I didn’t want to stop.

I pressed my forehead against hers, unwilling to sever our connection completely as we fought to catch our breath.

“I thought you said that wouldn’t happen again,” she said.

“I lied.”

She blinked up at me, lips swollen, face flushed. Her hair was a fiery mess from my fingers. I reached up and smoothed it away from her face. I didn’t know what to say to her. What could I say? She owned me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.

Because you’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Because I fucking love you. Because by some miracle of God you love me.

“Because—”

“Am I interrupting here?” Scout’s voice stopped my admission cold in its tracks. I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw, collecting myself. Jesus…what had I been about to say to her?

Something you know nothing about, jackass.

I pushed away from Gwen, avoiding the disappointment in her gaze. Raking my fingers through my hair, I turned my attention to Scout, who was staring at me with a knowing smirk on his face.

“What did you find?” I asked, impatient.

“Nothing nearly as interesting as what was happening in here, I’m sure.”

Gwen’s cheeks turned crimson and she ducked behind the curtain of her hair. I scowled at Scout as I scooped my pack off the floor, brushing the ash off it.

“That’s the only free pass I’m giving you.” I pointed my scythe at him. “Next time I shove this up your ass.”

“No need to get kinky.” He held his hands up and grinned. “I found a way through. It’s going to take a little longer, but there is no way we’re getting through town now. Not with her, anyway.”

In other words, a horde of demons knew about her, and were looking. My blood chilled at the thought of what would happen if they caught up with us. The look on Gwen’s face said her thoughts were in line with mine.

“All right then.” I held my hand out to Gwen, and she hesitantly laced her delicate fingers through my rough ones. “Lead the way.”

Chapter 21

Gwen

For a brief, disorienting moment, I fooled myself into thinking I wasn’t in Hell at all. The industrial park–type buildings around us mimicked the ones on earth in a disturbing way. The blistering cold was another kind of torture altogether. Pinpricks of pain scattered over every inch of my skin, and my teeth chattered so hard my jaw began to ache. I rubbed my arms, trying to create enough friction to thaw my blood. All around us, bloody snowflakes floated down from the sky. Normally I would have been thrilled at the opportunity to finally feel fluffy white wetness against my skin, but this was different. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at the cherry-red flakes falling all around me or think about who or where they came from.

“Gwen?”

I opened my eyes at the sound of Scout’s voice. His blond brows were pinched together, concern coloring his soft features. He really was handsome. Not in the dark, addictive way Easton was. No…Scout still had an innocence within him. He may have been attempting to rid himself of it at every turn, but it was still there. A sunny yellow core that glittered through his pores.

“Yes?” I finally said.

“You still with me?” He looked worried and uncomfortable, like he wasn’t accustomed to thinking about how the person he was in charge of guarding was feeling. I didn’t know what to say to him. How to look at him. He was the one who brought Tyler into this place. I rubbed my arms and dropped my gaze to my frozen boots, trying to remember my roots. I was still an angel. Angels forgave.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, wondering what was taking Easton so long. I peered through the long dark shadows the rows of enormous rusted-out buildings created. We’d been at this for hours, hours that felt like days. Easton would go ahead of us to scope out the kaleidoscope of dilapidated metal buildings. Scout would