Scorched Fury: A SkinWalker Novel #5 (DarkWorld: SkinWalker) Read Online Free Page A
Author: T.G. Ayer
to go."
I gave him tight smile, realizing too late that moving from the chair had been a bad idea because I now stood an inch from Justin, hemmed in by his well-muscled thighs.
And he knew it. He moved his hands and rested them on my hips. Although I stiffened, they didn't fall away.
"Have you thought about my proposal?" asked Justin, his voice low as he watched me intently.
I nodded. "Yes. I have. And my answer is the same. I don't think it's a good idea. I'm in a relationship, and I don't believe in personal relationships for political reasons."
"You can't seriously be telling me that you don't feel what we have. You and I both know that a relationship between us would definitely not be for political reasons."
I let out a short laugh. "The last time we had anything going on between us I was seventeen, and very naive. Going to Chicago was the smartest thing I could have ever done. It taught me a lot about who I was."
"But I already knew who you were." His voice was soft, and I suspected he was right.
I'd been torn in so many different directions that I'd failed to see my own strengths, whereas to those around me they were obvious.
The silence hung between us.
When I didn't respond, he said, "A person's feelings don't change overnight, Kai. You found love again, but that didn't happen for me."
I let out a sharp laugh. "I may have been all the way in Chicago, but people still felt the need to inform me of your rampant love life."
"I never said I was a monk." Justin laughed, completely unaffected. "Look, all I want is for you to give it some serious consideration."
I raised my eyebrows. "Do you seriously think that I'm so fickle that I'd leave the man that I'm with while he's in a coma and probably dying, to run off and marry somebody else?" I shook my head. "I wouldn't think you'd want to be married to someone like that."
"That's not what I was asking you to do." Justin cupped my face with both of his hands. "We still have something special between us. That's something that can never die, no matter how hard you try to kill it. Right now, Logan is lying there in a coma. He may die. He may live. Either way you still need to make a decision. All I'm asking is for you to think about what we have together, to consider who it is you want spend the rest of your life with."
But I was already shaking my head. "You asked me this question before. When Logan was fine. And I told you then that I wasn't interested. What makes you think I'd be interested now?"
Justin didn't answer. He bent down and placed his lips on mine giving me a soft, tender kiss. Nothing passionate, just a gentle butterfly kiss. Then he took a step away and headed to the doorway. "Just think about it. And I mean really think about what you want out of life, who you want in life."
Before I could answer, he was gone, leaving me standing by the window, alone with my thoughts.
CHAPTER 5
T HE S UPREME H IGH C OUNCIL DID THINGS their own way. Likely due to centuries of doing just that. Their Chicago Elite headquarters was located in an old two-storied colonial home, its red-brick exterior, little white porch and black window shutters elegant and respectable to a fault.
Likewise, their forensics division was located nearby, in an equally regal residence, making my regular trips between the two divisions pleasant and short.
Fresh air was better than canned elevator music any day.
Elms and oaks guided me toward the forensics building, and I headed up stairs swept clean of the debris of shedding blooms from the ancient jacaranda that dominated the tiny courtyard. The beautiful purple blossoms gave the house a friendly and welcome feel.
I slipped my key card out of my pocket and swiped it through the reader. The door opened with a soft click, and I entered, quickly closing it behind me.
The tiny front hall was silent and claustrophobic, and I placed my helmet on the floor and swiped my card again, eager to get inside. The second level of security was
I gave him tight smile, realizing too late that moving from the chair had been a bad idea because I now stood an inch from Justin, hemmed in by his well-muscled thighs.
And he knew it. He moved his hands and rested them on my hips. Although I stiffened, they didn't fall away.
"Have you thought about my proposal?" asked Justin, his voice low as he watched me intently.
I nodded. "Yes. I have. And my answer is the same. I don't think it's a good idea. I'm in a relationship, and I don't believe in personal relationships for political reasons."
"You can't seriously be telling me that you don't feel what we have. You and I both know that a relationship between us would definitely not be for political reasons."
I let out a short laugh. "The last time we had anything going on between us I was seventeen, and very naive. Going to Chicago was the smartest thing I could have ever done. It taught me a lot about who I was."
"But I already knew who you were." His voice was soft, and I suspected he was right.
I'd been torn in so many different directions that I'd failed to see my own strengths, whereas to those around me they were obvious.
The silence hung between us.
When I didn't respond, he said, "A person's feelings don't change overnight, Kai. You found love again, but that didn't happen for me."
I let out a sharp laugh. "I may have been all the way in Chicago, but people still felt the need to inform me of your rampant love life."
"I never said I was a monk." Justin laughed, completely unaffected. "Look, all I want is for you to give it some serious consideration."
I raised my eyebrows. "Do you seriously think that I'm so fickle that I'd leave the man that I'm with while he's in a coma and probably dying, to run off and marry somebody else?" I shook my head. "I wouldn't think you'd want to be married to someone like that."
"That's not what I was asking you to do." Justin cupped my face with both of his hands. "We still have something special between us. That's something that can never die, no matter how hard you try to kill it. Right now, Logan is lying there in a coma. He may die. He may live. Either way you still need to make a decision. All I'm asking is for you to think about what we have together, to consider who it is you want spend the rest of your life with."
But I was already shaking my head. "You asked me this question before. When Logan was fine. And I told you then that I wasn't interested. What makes you think I'd be interested now?"
Justin didn't answer. He bent down and placed his lips on mine giving me a soft, tender kiss. Nothing passionate, just a gentle butterfly kiss. Then he took a step away and headed to the doorway. "Just think about it. And I mean really think about what you want out of life, who you want in life."
Before I could answer, he was gone, leaving me standing by the window, alone with my thoughts.
CHAPTER 5
T HE S UPREME H IGH C OUNCIL DID THINGS their own way. Likely due to centuries of doing just that. Their Chicago Elite headquarters was located in an old two-storied colonial home, its red-brick exterior, little white porch and black window shutters elegant and respectable to a fault.
Likewise, their forensics division was located nearby, in an equally regal residence, making my regular trips between the two divisions pleasant and short.
Fresh air was better than canned elevator music any day.
Elms and oaks guided me toward the forensics building, and I headed up stairs swept clean of the debris of shedding blooms from the ancient jacaranda that dominated the tiny courtyard. The beautiful purple blossoms gave the house a friendly and welcome feel.
I slipped my key card out of my pocket and swiped it through the reader. The door opened with a soft click, and I entered, quickly closing it behind me.
The tiny front hall was silent and claustrophobic, and I placed my helmet on the floor and swiped my card again, eager to get inside. The second level of security was
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