Page 64 of Stealing Embers
Instinct says to follow them, but when I take a step in their direction it’s thwarted by the body of a six-foot-five, raven-haired angel-born.
“They’re going to—” My words die a quick death on my tongue when Steel’s hand brushes a tangle of hair away from my cheek. The small contact causes a tremor to work its way through his body.
He closes his eyes and steps into me.
I retreat a step.
“Finally,” he breathes, dipping his head to gently rub the tip of his nose up the column of my neck before his lips just barely brush my earlobe.
It’s my turn to shiver.
What is he doing?my mind screams.And do I care?it whispers as an afterthought.
Shaking my head out of a confused fog, I take another shaky step back.
Yes, I do care. The boy must have hit his head harder than I thought.
“Listen, Steel, we don’t have time for this. You’re not yourself right now.”
I bring my hands up to push him back. He’s invading my space—big time.
When I reach forward to give him a shove, he grabs hold of my wrists and uses my momentum to bring me closer.
The guy has moves, that’s for sure.
One look in his eyes and I can tell he’s not all there. His lids are lowered to half-mast and his gaze sweeps lazily over my features.
Steel takes another step forward, forcing my capitulation until he’s maneuvered me against the rough bricks. A foreign sensation zips along my spine, as if something heavy is fused to each vertebrae, weighing me down. I don’t have a chance to investigate because Steel’s head is dipping again and I have nowhere to move within the cage of his body.
I freeze, wholly unprepared for the situation. That gives Steel the perfect opportunity to dive in and take what he wants.
A shudder racks my frame the moment Steel’s lips connect with mine.
He’s . . . kissing me?
The soft press of his mouth to my tightly sealed lips, and the way he’s coaxing them to soften with a languorous, persistent pressure seems to suggest that yes, he is indeed kissing me. But I just stand there with my arms hanging lamely at my sides, eyes wide open.
I’m not kissing him back.
I’ve never been kissed before. When would I have had the opportunity, considering that up until moving to the academy, everyone I met either gave me a wide berth or tried to make my life a living hell?
I have no idea what to do. I’m not prepared for a moment like this at all.
Jerking back, I bonk my head against the brick wall. The movement severs the connection with Steel.
If he was surprised, he doesn’t let on. A ghost of a smile curls the corner of his mouth, and he cups my face with his rough hand.
Calluses aren’t supposed to feel good, are they?
I resist the urge to rub my cheek against him. What is he doing to me?
“Listen, I don’t think—”
“Good, don’t think,” he cuts in before his head descends again.
He swallows my gasp of surprise and increases the pressure on my lips.
This time my eyes slide close without permission and my hands find their way to his chest.