Page 51 of A Wild Darkness

“Helping you,” I say, swinging over to grab the same bar she’s holding. My body runs flush with hers. With a sharp inhale, I can feel her lungs fill with air.

“I don’t need help,” she whispers.

“Put your feet on mine.” Reluctantly, because she doesn’t have any other choice, she does it, resting her athletic shoes on top of mine. Once she’s in place, I lift my body upward, pulling us both into a pull-up. Stevie raises with me, and when our eyes meet above the bar, the corners of her mouth curve upward. “Let’s do ten to start. Next time, we’ll do a few more.”

“Next time?” she breathes out, lowering her body in sync with mine.

I bring us up a few more times, each motion bringing my eyes to lock with hers.

“Yes, next time,” I repeat confidently.

After a few more reps, the palms of my hands grow raw from the weight of us both.

She smiles. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lowering after the last one, we hang in place, facing each other for a beat. Her heated body softly rubbing against mine as I try to keep the tip of my nose from touching hers, but my eyes quickly fall to her light-pink lips. And for a moment, I imagine what it would be like to kiss her. To taste her and run my tongue across the front of her white teeth.

I need to get her off me.

“Slide down me,” I demand.

She hesitates, but then releases her grip on the bar and replaces it by wrapping her arms around my shoulders, then slowly lowers herself down the front of me. Her warm body slips down my body. forcing her cheek against my chest, and her stomach and over my semi-hard dick—fuck, I hope she doesn’t notice.

Stevie’s athletic shoes hit the mat with a slap.

“Thank you,” she says.

“Of course.” Then I follow, meeting the floor in front of her. “So, I got a call from Silas, the leader of the Society.”

Stevie’s eyebrows snap together. “Oh?”

“He told me there’s a dinner party tomorrow night at the old library downtown,” I begin.

“And?”

“This is where they want to get to know us better. So, you’re going to have to improve your acting skills.”

“My acting skills?” she quips. “I did amazing last night.”

“I’m not saying you didn’t,” I reassure her. She needs to know how well she did. I keep my tone steady. “I am expressing the seriousness of what we’re about to do. Tomorrow night our goal is to get to know as many of these monsters as we can so we can begin picking them off one by one…”

“Or a couple at a time,” she adds cheekily, trying to lighten the mood.

But assuming Stevie isn’t as depraved as I am, she has to understand the level of danger in this next step.

I gently grab her hands to help her focus and cup mine over her soft skin. Holding them between us, I make sure my voice stays steady. “Each time we interact with them, things become more dangerous. I need you to understand that.”

Stevie’s beautiful hazel eyes stare up at me, her demeanor changing as she senses mine by the tone of my voice. “I know, Sebastian. And I told you I’d do this. I’ll be all right.”

Despite all the teasing between us, I believe her.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

SEBASTIAN

The next evening, Stevie and I are on our way downtown to the old library. She sits next to me in a sweater, short skirt, and heels. It’s been difficult to take my eyes off of her.