Page 96 of A Whisper of Cinders

A rush of excitement flows through me. Finally, I’ll be able to defend myself. The skill might’ve been useful all those years at Anima, but there is nothing to be done about that now. I can only look forward.

At the very muscled chest of Aramis, for example. The sweat that still covers his pecs and abdomen give his skin a luminous glow. The urge to glide my tongue along those divine abs is nearly driving me wild.

“Mai?”

Shit. I was staring like a full-on creep. Damn it. But flashes of last night pass my mind, which isn’t helping at all. “I’m sorry, what were you saying?”

He tries to contain his smile, but fails, and quickly repeats what he was saying. “I asked if you’d want to come to the lake this evening? There is a small party, nothing special really.”

“Sure, I’d love to.”

His smile is brighter than any sun could ever shine. “Great! Ami’s going too, I’m sure she’ll find you before.”

He stretches his shoulder, placing one arm over his head, pushing his elbow down behind his back. I’m about to turn around and try not to drool all over him, an angry red mark on his ribs catches my eye. A mark the size of my fist. “Did I…hurt you?”

He gives me a confused expression and without giving it a second thought, I gently touch the edges of the burn.

“I am so, so sorry, Aramis. I didn’t mean to hurt you…” I look over my shoulder, not seeing Conláed anywhere. “Did I burn him too?” I ask, my voice so little now.

Aramis grabs my chin and turns my head so I face him. “It didn’t hurt, Mai, I promise. I’m fine and it will be gone within hours. And Con, well, I don’t think you can really burn him since he is fire as well. So no, his ego might be a little bruised, but other than that he is fine.”

Right, he said we are the same, or something like that. But I hurt Aramis. My hand still rests on his ribcage, and the familiar burning sensation travels through my fingertips.

“I’ve been thinking about last night,” he admits quietly.

My pulse stumbles. “That makes one of us.”

He glances at me, clearly unconvinced, and the corner of his mouth lifts slightly. “Liar.”

I have to look away to keep from smiling as I drop my hand, but that only makes the warmth spreading across my face worse. His proximity makes me nervous, but not in a bad way. At all.

His expression softens as he watches me, amusement fading into something gentler.

“Do you regret it?” He asks carefully.

“No,” I respond a little too quickly.

His expression softens almost instantly, tension leaving his shoulders so subtly I almost miss it.

“Good,” he murmurs.

Impossible to contain my smile any longer, I step back and walk to where I left my shoes. The longing in his eyes is impossible to ignore and I am seconds away from giving in to my own desires.

“I’ll see you tonight?” He asks, breaking my line of thought.

“Tonight?”

“The lake?”

“Yes! Sorry! Of course, I’ll be there.”

I quickly wave him goodbye and head back to my room before I make an even bigger fool of myself.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

The fear of lashing out, to lose control of my flames, is something I can’t seem to shake off. Not after showering, and especially not after lunch. I barely manage to eat, the red mark a reminder of what hurt I can cause.

“Are you excited to learn about our history?”