Incipient A Dark Paranormal Romance - Bianca Scardoni Page 0,50
around his waist and my cheek resting comfortably against his chest. It felt so good to finally be out of pain, and with our soulmate bond trilling steadily between, it was as close to perfect as I’d gotten in months.
“Thank you for everything you did tonight,” I said, still pressed up against him and in no hurry to move away.
“You know I’d do anything for you, Jemma.” His arms encircled me with their warmth as his fingers traced little circles against the small of my back.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I needed to pull away from him. To put that wall back up and that space between us, but I couldn’t seem to dig up the will to do it. And after the night I’d just went through, I figured I deserved some good vibrations. At least for a little while longer.
“Good vibrations?” Trace chuckled, the sound of it deep and rumbly against my ear.
My cheeks burned hot with embarrassment. I slowly pulled away from his chest and squinted up at him. His eyes were filled with amusement and his dimples were digging in and out of his cheeks as he tried to stifle his laugh.
“I thought I told you to stop listening in?” I said, trying to take the heat off myself.
“It’s not my fault,” he said and took a step back, smirking. “I was born this way.”
I smacked him in the chest and buried my own smile. Freaking goofball.
“You hungry?” he asked as he turned on the desk lamp.
“Starving.” I sat down on the edge of his bed and flopped backward, sprawling both arms out as I closed my eyes. It was nice to have just a moment of peace without any worry or pain. Of course, I knew it was as fleeting as the wind, but I was enjoying it while it lasted.
With happy thoughts and contentedness swirling around in my brain, the room fell silent. I wasn’t sure how much time had gone by before I realized Trace had stopped talking and shuffling around the room. I peeked out from the corner of my eye and found him leaning against his desk, staring at me. His arms were crossed, and his expression was unreadable, but he looked every bit the Adonis that he always was.
“What are you staring at?” Feeling self-conscious, I perked up on the bed and gave myself a quick once over for any blaring anomalies. Everything seemed in order.
“You,” he answered without missing a beat.
The room temperature seemed to be climbing again. “Do I have something on my face?” I asked as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and then wiped under my eyes, hoping to god I didn’t have mascara dripping down my face or blood smeared under my lip, because I was totally that kind of girl.
He smirked. “No.”
“Then why are you staring at me like that?” I asked, half laughing, half flustered.
“Because you’re gorgeous and it’s hard not to stare at you,” he answered plainly, though the intensity in his eyes made my heart miss an entire beat.
I didn’t need a mirror to know I was blushing. “Give me a break, Trace,” I said, trying to snap some sense into him while also simmering down the ache that was starting to grow in me. “I’m a total mess right now.” I popped up from the bed and rushed over to grab the duffel bag I’d left by the dresser.
Another beat of silence followed by the strange sensation that his eyes were still trained on me. I chanced another glance at him and confirmed my suspicion.
The air suddenly felt heavy with unfinished business and almost kisses that never were.
“You want to take a picture?” I asked teasingly as I dug out a change of clothes. “It’ll last you much longer.”
“Nah,” he said as his gaze travelled down the length of my body, slow and appreciating. “I prefer the real thing.”
My cheeks flushed with heat. “I thought you said you were planning on staying away from me?”
“That’s not what I said,” he reminded, his arms still folded across his broad chest. “You’re the one that’s confused about us, Jemma. Not me. I’m just trying to give you time to figure out what you really want.”
My heart sank to my feet because confusion wasn’t the problem I was facing. My problem was I was in love with two different men in two completely different ways and no amount of space in the world could undo that.