Tilting my head, I consider the pink spreading across his cheeks. “And you?”
He mockingly frowns. “Twenty minutes. Lily never let me live it down.”
Determined to get it right, I face the door again and insert the tools. Fifteen minutes later, I’m banging my head against the door. “I’m not getting it.” Tossing him a mock glare for not telling me that this was hard.
He wraps his arms around me and places his hands on mine. “Being on the run creates its own urgency. Here. Let me help you.” Resting his chin on my shoulder, he guides my fingers and the tools.
My concentration scatters, and it takes me a minute of mindless movement until I can rein in my focus. For the next twenty minutes, I ignore the press of his hard body against mine and the heat generating between us to pick the damn lock. Finally, success! The latch clicks, and I turn the handle. Shock renders me speechless as the door swings open, but River immediately picks me up and swings me around in a circle.
Wearing a matching grin, I wrap my arms around his neck. “I highly doubt it will be that easy on my own.”
My eyes lock with his green ones, and I marvel at the gleam of happiness I see in them. Does he see the same in mine? Lionel’s death broke my heart into a million pieces, and this new world isn’t worth the toll I paid, but somehow, this exact second is full of life and hope.
Holding me to him, his mouth lowers. Strong and compelling, his lips coax mine into joining his in a joyous dance. Full of laughter and mingled desire, our tongues and lips play to a song only we can hear. Walking forward, he pushes the door open, then closed.
My back presses against the cool wood, giving me the leverage I need to wrap my legs around his waist and eliminate the gap between our bodies. His lean chest and hips align with mine perfectly, and we both groan at the feeling. Only skin against skin would be better.
The kiss goes on for eons. Chests heaving the few times we break to stare at each other before desperate need pulls us back for more. It’s the best of tortures. Lost in the taste and feel of his lips against mine, I shove aside any rational thought and let the world drift away. Who knew kissing could be this good?
Eventually, he lifts his head. Green eyes drenched with desire stare down at me, but soon conflict creeps in, bringing reality with it. One path leads to something beautiful, but the other rips us apart. Are we willing to take the chance? Neither of us has any words of reassurance for the other. He can’t tell me he’s going to stay, and I don’t know whether I’m willing to leave.
My hand smooths down the back of his head to his neck, and my legs fall to the ground, unsteady but willing to stand at his side no matter what.
Lids lower over bright green eyes, concealing his thoughts, as he pulls me into a tight hug. “From the first moment I saw you, something shifted inside me.” He gives a low chuckle. “I didn’t account for you. You make me want the impossible.” He pauses, taking a deep breath. “But it’s not just us. I have to think about them.”
My lips turn down, but I understand his feelings. “If my mom and sister were out there and needed me, I wouldn’t stay. It would kill me, but I’d leave. And I won’t let you stay for the same reasons.” Dropping my forehead on his chest, I let his warmth chase away the chill sliding over my body. “Who knows? Maybe fate will find a way for us to be together.”
CHAPTER27
WILLA / GREER
An alarm intrudes into my dreams, and I smile. I’ve missed waking up to one. Living without a phone has sucked. In my old life, it would wake me up, tell me about the world, show me my emails and calendar, and basically, rule my life.
River taps the phone in his hand to turn off the sound. “Good morning, Sunshine.” After a stretch, he eases down and gathers me in his arms. “Looks like we’ve got a few minutes to relax.”
My schedule has me meeting with Beckett every other day, but not today. Grateful for the small reprieve, I turn my attention back to the object of my desire. “Where did you get a phone? And why didn’t you get me one?”
He grimaces. “Sorry. I don’t like to be out of touch with my… family.” Pausing for a second, he looks from me to the phone. “I can get you one, but why don’t you ask Oliver first? They seem to be watching you pretty closely. Might be better if it comes from him.”
I consider his words and nod. “A phoneandmy go bag. I don’t like being without the means to leave.” I dart a glance at him and see his smile brighten a bit. After the kiss last night, he tugged me into bed to snuggle. Both of us quietly agreeing to accept whatever happens. Let Fate have her way.
Pressing a kiss against his lips, I ease up from the bed and head toward the door. “I want to change and stuff before class.”
I’m excited to see if my manipulation of water was a fluke or not. Until now, I’ve been scared of using my powers, but whether I like it or not, I’m a part of this world. Might as well start figuring out how to live in it.
He jokingly lunges for me but laughs when he misses. “Go. Learn new stuff. Tell me all about it later.” His eyes are bright and happy again this morning.
Thirty minutes later, I’m walking toward Oliver’s office, using the tablet as my guide, but as I near, I hear him talking. Not wanting to intrude, I look around for somewhere to wait, but unlike Beckett’s office, Oliver doesn’t have an outer sanctum with extra seating. I prop myself against the wall a little farther from the door, but I can still hear every word.
“More are arriving every day. You know what he does there. He can’t be allowed to continue his operations. None of our actions have contained him. He’s gained more power and become increasingly less concerned with following the established guidelines. It has to stop. If that means going rogue, we’re ready,” Oliver tells the person, his voice sharp and to the point.
Nobody replies, which means he must be on the phone. I wonder if he’s talking about Hightower. Does that mean Raven’s captured more individuals? What are they doing with them? I creep a little closer.
“I’ll stand down for now, but we need to see movement. Fast,” he states firmly.
For a second, there’s silence, then I hear something slam. Listening intently, I wait, wondering if he’s still on the phone. He strides out of his office but comes to a halt when he sees me lingering in the hall.
“Sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt,” I mutter awkwardly, tapping on the tablet. “Are we still having class?”
