Whispered Darkness by Jessica Sorensen Page 0,27

is racing with so much self-doubt, and I can see it in her eyes when she feels it, when she sees what’s hidden inside me.

I wait for her to say something about it, but she just places her hand against my cheek and slants in to kiss me again. The kiss is soft, but it makes my body shudder. And then she’s pulling away. But she doesn’t go very far, her lips hovering near mine.

“Please kiss me back,” she whispers. “I want you to—”

I don’t let her finish. I slam my lips against hers and nearly devour her. The kiss is rough, and full of panic and desire, and I’m shaking so badly that I’m sure she probably thinks I’m ridiculous. Or maybe not. I’m starting to realize that maybe this Harlynn, the girl who died in my arms and was strong enough to come back to life, is not the same Harlynn who was abused by my brother. She is different yet somehow the same, and I want her more than I dare admit. Still, I find myself touching her, trailing my hand up her leg to her waist.

When she gasps, I almost pull back, but then she kisses me again while hitching her leg around my waist. I can barely think straight as I grip on to her, kissing her deeply, consumed by her warmth, taste, scent, the emotions pouring through her—everything about her.

“Oh my God,” she moans as she breaks the connection of our lips. “This is so intense.”

Intense is an understatement. This is beyond intense, consuming, or overwhelming even. But in a fucking amazing way.

“We can stop,” I breathe out, “if you want.”

She shakes her head. “No, that’s not what I want at all.” Then she kisses me again while gripping my shirt, pulling me closer and closer until no room is left between us.

She lies down on her bed, drawing me with her. My body covers hers, our tongues tangling, my hand unconsciously wandering across her sides. She moans into my mouth then bites down on my bottom lip, and I damn near explode.

I start to lose control, trailing my mouth from hers to travel across her jawline to her neck. I feel her pulse pound against my lips and her fingers comb through my hair as she pulls me closer. With my teeth, I nick her skin, and she whimpers, roughly yanking at my hair. The noise pulsates through my body, and so I do the movement again. She shudders and … fuck, I’ve never been so turned on in my life. That’s what I think until she begins rolling her hips against mine.

After another shudder rolls through me, I lift my head and crash my lips against hers, rocking my hips against hers over and over again until she moans out my name and digs her fingernails into my shoulder blades. After that, things slow down, a stillness settling through me. And for the first time in a long time, everything is perfect.

Then I feel that strange, fading sensation again, the one I felt when I left the police station. Now I know what it is and brace myself to fade completely, something I’ve expected to happen for a while. However, the sensation eventually drizzles away.

I’m about to tell Harlynn what happened when her gaze suddenly darts to the other side of her room.

“What in the hell are you doing here?” she hisses.

I startle, thinking it’s her mom. But when I track her gaze, I … well, I don’t know if what I see is worse than her mom or not. Because what I see is a girl standing in the shadows of her room. It’s too dark to make out everything about her, but I can see enough about her features that it’s pretty clear she’s dead.

6

Harlynn

I really wasn’t trying to take things that far. I just wanted to kiss him. But the moment our lips touched, it was like everything else just faded away.

Then Beth appeared in the corner of the room with her decaying face and pale lips and poisoned the moment. Not that it’s her fault.

Still, why did she have to show up in my room right after I … Kingsley and I were making out? It’s just plain creepy.

“What in the hell are you doing here?” I hiss at her, unsure whether I’m more pissed off or just mortified.

“Jesus, is that Beth,” Kingsley mumbles, looking at me. He’s propped up on his elbows above me, strands of hair