Zodiac Academy Fated Throne - Caroline Peckham Page 0,150

rejected it. I wasn’t going to ask him for help. But then again…I didn’t know how long I was going to have to wait with him before Tory showed up. I was going to have to say something to him. So maybe keeping our conversation on work was a good idea. It definitely beat making small talk or dipping into uncomfortable territory like all the crap that hung between us. And it would absolutely beat sitting there in deathly silence.

I headed up the passage that led to the hatch and soon arrived beneath it, hesitating as I fought away the dread in my stomach over what was waiting for me beyond it. The worst thing was, I wanted to see him. And that made me want to boob punch myself because I should have been done pining for him a long time ago.

Well I can’t linger here like a bad smell for the rest of eternity.

I sighed and reached up to press my hand to the Hydra symbol on the wood. It clicked open and I pushed it up a second before someone else took hold of it and Orion appeared above, crouching down as he looked in at me. A beat of silence passed where my eyes became stuck on his like glue and my lungs decided they no longer worked automatically. Seriously, how do I even goddamn breathe??

He’d shaved his beard back to a coating of stubble and his hair was cut neatly and swept back over his head. He looked how he used to before our whole world had imploded and I was captured by the need to move closer to him. But there was no chance of me acting on that urge.

“Hi,” he said in a deep tone that resounded right through my bones and I gave him a tight smile in response.

“I can get out if you move aside,” I said and he frowned.

“You can also get out if you give me your hand,” he countered and my heart did somersaults as I gazed up at him with pursed lips.

He gave up with a sigh, standing and moving away from the hole. I cast air beneath my feet and flew up into the kitchenette, kicking the hatch closed as I landed on the floor.

The place was dark, just a couple of lamps on in the corners and my gaze hooked on a book resting open on the arm of a chair beside one of them. A bottle of bourbon was down to the dregs beside it and the scent of it hung in the air, reminding me so viscerally of him that my lungs seized up again. Whiskey and my ex were apparently a deadly combination. Get a grip, dammit.

I glanced at him, feeling the silence stretching already and his jaw ticked angrily as he gazed at me. Had I pissed him off? Probably. Did I give a shit? Absolutely not.

I headed away from him just so I could breathe again and I moved to examine the large blue dresser which was busy with beautiful little ornaments. I picked up a delicate seahorse carved from stone and ran my thumb along the ridges of its back, wondering how long I could stand here examining it for before I looked like a crazy person.

“Do you want a coffee?” he asked, heading to the coffee machine.

“Sure.” I shrugged, stealing a glance at him and taking in the smart blue shirt that was hugging his muscles. He had smart pants on too like he was dressed for work and the way they clung to his ass was just fucking perf – get your eyes off his ass, dipshit! “Milk and-”

“One sugar, I know,” he growled, not looking at me as he grabbed two mugs out of the cupboard, slammed them down on the counter then set about brewing the coffee like the angriest man in the world. I swear he broke the machine at one point and punched it to get it going again.

I placed the seahorse down and moved across the room, gazing at the seating options. I settled on perching awkwardly against the back of the couch, half leaning, half sort of sitting and unsure what to do with my arms. Do they normally just hang there like that??

“Is everything…okay?” I asked.

“Lionel attacked Darius, stabbed him with a fucking steak knife,” he muttered and my breath snagged.

“Is he alright?” I gasped.

“He is now,” he sighed and my breathing eased a little.

God, we needed to deal with