Page 77 of Anomalies

“Do you want me to stop?” he breathes onto my skin, trailing his lips back up my jaw. “You can tell me to stop.”

“Stop,” I blurt, and he pries his lips from mine, his arms falling to grip the edge of the table as soon as the word leaves my lips. I almost whimper at the loss of him, but then my head tilts curiously. “You listened.”

His eyes are a shade of silver that I’ve truly never seen before, his pupils blown wide and his bottom lip parted and swollen. “You’re surprised?” His voice is heavy and low.

“I don’t know.” The corner of my mouth tilts, and his darkened eyes trace the movement. “Maybe.”

“Was that a test?” Callan asks, then shakes his head when my smile widens. His fingers flex on the coffee table in a wonderful show of restraint, and I wonder how long I can keep him at bay like this. I wonder how long he can stand it. How else am I supposed to test the strength of his word?

“I had to know if you meant it.”

“Lucina,” he exhales heavily, and fire burns low in my stomach.

I lift my chin, forcing down a shaky breath. “How else am I to trust you?” Callan’s eyes snap to mine. “That’s what you meant earlier, isn’t it? Asking if I’d trust you if I had the choice?”

“You said no.”

“Change my mind.”

His breathing is labored, but he remains still. Deathly still. I sit back, staring down at the river of Sol Marks inked along his torso.

“Can I touch them?” I ask, unable to resist the urge any longer.

“You can do anything you want.”

I raise a brow, then trace the raised skin of the Draal, lingering on the hammering beat beneath it. Then my fingers move down another mark, prodding the raised skin gently, and goosebumps trail in the wake of my touch. Callan stiffens, but he never moves his hands from the table.

“You, okay?” I skate my fingers over his torso, drinking in the way his arms flex in response, the veins in them bulging.

“Tempt me all you’d like, Chaos,” he grits out, “I can handle it. But I won’t apologize for anything I do when you set me free.”

“And what if I don’t?” I ponder quietly, and his eyes lock on my lips. “What if I never set you free?” I guide his hand back into my hair, his fingers instinctively wrapping around the base of my neck, and a groan tumbles past his lips when my eyes fall heavy.

“Keep me at your mercy forever, then” he breathes. “It will be a dull life, but I’ll live.”

Everything in me goes molten, my bottom lip sliding between my teeth, as I run my hands down his ribs. Callan’s stare bores into me so intensely that a rush of adrenaline skitters along my bones.

“What is it?” I look back at him. Had I pushed him too far?

“You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?” His fingers shift along my neck. “I bet people have told you that your whole life, and you’ve never believed it. Never how you should.” Callan drinks in the sight of my face, and I let him, even though my skin crawls at the scrutiny. His eyes move over my wild waves and curls, soaking in the sight of them too. “You are a work of art, Lucina.”

My eyes dart between his then I reach out a hand, brushing my thumb lightly across his bottom lip. “You’re free.”

“Thank fuck,” he groans, crashing his lips into mine, both hands sliding back in my hair⁠—

“Fire’s out.” A door creaks open. “How is she⁠—”

Callan and I whip our heads to the door, breathless, and I swear Pax’s eyes are about to fall out of his head.

Fuck.

Phoenix prowls out from behind him with a devilish grin. “She looks pretty good to me,” he taunts. They’re both covered head to toe in soot–

Oh, my gods, they’d been putting out the fire… while I’ve been…this. I’ve been doing this.

“Out,” Callan orders, and my cheeks heat when Pax tries and fails to suppress a smile. I will never hear the end of this.

“We’ll wait on the porch,” Phoenix winks.