Page 72 of Eternal Surrender

“Are you calling my crowd a band of crime fighters now?”

This was the moment I wanted to remember, seeing in Ingrid’s eyes not hatred, not fear, but a sense of wonder, fondness even.

She glanced at my mouth, then lifted her eyes to mine, as if something stirred there, a recognition she couldn’t quite name. The air tightened between us, a quiet crackle of awareness. It was brief, undeniable, and strong enough that neither of us could pretend we hadn’t felt it.

Through her shirt, I could see the salacious rise of her nipples, a silent confession of desire. Her arousal was clear, written across her body, impossible to ignore, and it set a fire that I felt in my own blood.

I bit my lip, tasting the ache of wanting her, imagining the heat of her body pressed close, the impossible pull of needing to push myself inside her.

Wanting, more than anything to fuck on her on the marble counter. Jadeon. . . my name crossed her mind like a prayer.

Her breath hitched, a soft, ragged exhale that told me she teetered on the edge, ready to surrender herself to me.

Her lips came close to mine. “Don’t ever come here again.”

The spell was shattered.

“I’m not going to let this go.” Her gaze fell to my lips. “No matter what bribes you offer me.”

“How can I convince you that the continued pursuit of your obsession is futile?”

“You can’t.”

“Then you’ll waste the rest of your life chasing shadows.” Realizing I’d been staring at her, I tried to break the intensity. “I should go.”

“I never thanked you properly for what you did to me at Belshazzar’s.” Her tone was sarcastic.

“You should never have gone there.”

“If I keep digging, what other skeletons am I going to find?”

“It’s important for. . . Jadeon to know you’re safe. You’re happy.” I shook my head, trying to shake off this welling grief brought on by seeing her. “It’s time for you to move on.”

“Jadeon told you that?”

“Yes.” I tried to make it sound convincing. “Jadeon’s not coming back.” These lies tasted foul.

I saw it then, the ache in her eyes, deeper than anything I’d known. I wish I hadn’t said it, but she had to hear it. It was the only way I knew how to protect her. It wasn’t true, not really. Somewhere inside me, I still hoped that one day, somehow, we would find our way back to each other, but in that moment, she was safer for believing it was finished. Safer for believing I was gone.

And knowing that was what hurt her, that was what hurt me most.

“I’ll see myself out.” I passed James who was still chattering away on his mobile.

I almost made it to the front door, but Ingrid was right behind me and she clutched the back of my coat.

I eased off her fingers. “This is your life we’re talking about.”

She glanced over her shoulder to check James couldn’t hear.

I opened the door. “Have you ever questioned just what it is about the underworld that draws you to it?”

“What are you insinuating?”

I stepped out and turned to face her. “Highgate cemetery.”

“Orpheus is buried there?”

I backed away. “Enjoy your gift. That vintage survived a decade of turmoil, yet it remains as an exquisite vintage.”