Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards Read Free Book Online Page A

simply can’t let that happen.
     So what do I do? With the guards outside, we can’t escape, so there’s no way I can
     hide Natalie or get her out of the city tonight without them knowing. Plus, I doubt
     they’re the only guards keeping tabs on us—Purian Rose would’ve made sure of that.
     The men outside the church are a warning: he’s watching us. All I can do is keep her
     close.
    Natalie gives me a shy smile. “So . . . we’re all alone.”
    I grin. “Yup.”
    “With no one here to interrupt us.”
    “Nope.”
    She looks up at me expectantly, and all thoughts of tomorrow vanish from my mind.
     It’s just her, me, in this moment. I cup a hand around her face and gently kiss her.
     The echo of her heart tremors inside my chest, nervous and excited, as is mine.
    We lie down, and her blond curls spill across the pillow. Anticipation hangs in the
     air between us. The moment has finally come. My eyes drift over her face, her body,
     my vision shimmering around the edges. The Sight. It’s a force Darklings use to mark
     their prey, to ward off other Darklings. I envelop her in its enthralling darkness,
     telling her one thing:
you belong to me.
    My fingers glide over her flushed cheeks and lips, down her neck, stopping at the
     gold pendant peeking out the top of her purple corset dress. A silk ribbon crisscrosses
     up the lacy bodice, secured at the top with a simple bow. I playfully tug on the ribbon,
     and the bodice unravels to reveal the creamy, rose-blushed flesh underneath, marked
     only by a thin red scar from the heart transplant she had as a child. Fire blazes
     through my veins, and I let out a ragged breath, barely able to control my thirst.
    Natalie’s blue eyes simmer as she holds my gaze for a lingering heartbeat, knowing
     the effect she’s having on me. Finally, she entwines her fingers in my hair and draws
     me toward her. The kiss is like lightning, sending shock waves into my heart.
Ba-boom, ba-boom!
I hardly notice when she unbuttons my shirt. There’s none of the uncertainty of this
     morning. Her fingers caress my back, my arms, my chest, sliding over my stomach muscles
     toward my belt buckle. My poison sacs flood with venom.
    She parts her mouth, deepening our kiss, and I let out a low groan. My whole body
     trembles with pent-up tension; my skin is ablaze. My hands slide up her legs, lifting
     her tulle skirt at the same time. I roll on top of her and force myself to hold back,
     just for a moment, and drink her in. I want to savor this perfect moment, because
     tomorrow everything is going to change. She won’t look at me like this ever again,
     with pure love, trust, desire. One way or another, tomorrow I’ll reveal myself for
     the man I truly am. A traitor.
    “I love you,” I say, my voice hoarse.
    “I love you too,” she replies. “With all my heart.”
    I kiss her, unable to wait a second longer. She gasps, then a sigh, and it’s just
     like I remembered.
Bliss.
    * * *
    A shaft of sunlight spills between the wooden boards in front of the windows, waking
     me up. I rub an exhausted hand over my face, struggling to drag myself into the land
     of the living. My left hand dangles over the edge of the bed, and my fingers brush
     against the lacy material of Natalie’s torn, discarded dress. I grin. I’ll have to
     buy her a new one.
    The mattress dips slightly as Natalie rolls over to face me, the white sheet twisting
     around her body. A tangle of curly blond hair surrounds her flushed face, her blue
     eyes sparkling the same color as the engagement ring glistening on her finger.
    I tuck a curl behind her ear. “Last night was . . .
wow.
”
    She shyly bites her lip.
    “Are you hungry?” I ask.
    “Famished,” she replies. “What time is it, anyway?”
    I check the clock on my nightstand and then leap out of bed, panicked.
    “Grab some clothes—we’re late!”
    Twenty minutes later, we’re pushing our way through the crowds in the town square
     where one