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“There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.”
~ Sarah Dessen
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Bear threw his keys on the kitchen counter and watched Chloe walk around his apartment—his real one, not the safe house. Though the building was decrepit and the street run down, his place was clean and well furnished. The only thing missing was Tasha’s indignant croak. She hated when he left her outside.
His heart dropped.
“No personal items.” Chloe turned and frowned.
“I have a cat.” He rounded his shoulders and shoved his hands in his pockets. “And a picture of me and Raven.”
“Of course, you do.”
What did she mean by that? More of that soulmate crap? He couldn’t deny he had a connection with his sister and it strengthened in her presence, but he wasn’t so sure about the whole two sides to the same coin thing. “You could’ve told me the Shadow Man was your brother. I would’ve returned you to him.”
“That’s precisely why I didn’t.”
Huh? If he’d contacted Cole and bartered for her return in exchange for sparing his life, he would’ve only had to worry about Bane.
And he never would’ve gotten to know Chloe.
“I was curious to see what you’d do and what we could become,” Chloe continued.
“We?” Why did his chest expand with warmth and lightness like that? Why did she seem to have this power over him?
“I heard what you said earlier, Pretty Boy.” She folded her arms. “We.”
He scratched his head. “Yeah, about that...”
She cocked her head, a small smile playing on her lips like she was in on some inside joke. “Did you not mean it?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know. I’ve never said that to anyone before. I’m not sure if it’s true. I barely know you. How can it be true? That’s weird, don’t you think? Too quick.”
Kissa chose that moment to saunter out of his bedroom. The cat despised his sister and Bear always suspected her hatred stemmed from jealousy. Kissa never liked any of the women he brought home.
The cat continued to strut through the apartment like she worked her own personal runway, tail straight in the air. When she reached Chloe’s leg, Bear braced for the hell-beast to freak out.
Instead, after one sniff, Kissa rubbed her cheek on Chloe’s jeans. A loud purr erupted from her chest.
Bear rocked back on his heels. He didn’t believe in fate or signs from above, but his cat and Tasha both told him the same thing in their own way—they liked Chloe—and that meant something to him.
He dragged his gaze away from Kissa to look up at Chloe. He found her amused smile gone. The crinkles around her eyes softened and she walked over to where he stood by some overripe bananas. “Some things in life defy logical explanations.”
Though he understood at some level what she meant, he still didn’t trust the potency of their connection. He’d never been one to fall hard or fast. In fact, he wasn’t one to fall at all. “What do you suggest?”
Instead of answering, she slid her hands up his shoulders and neck to grip the back of his head and pulled him down for a kiss. Her lips pressed against his and her magic, light and bright, coiled around him. Warmth spread through his body and tingled his toes. She tasted like sugar and naughty promises whispered at midnight.
He held her in his arms and kissed her back. She felt right like this, with him. He didn’t know what romantic love was. He loved his family, of course, but that was different. That wasn’t the same thing as love for a partner. He’d take it slow and figure things out. He didn’t deserve her—that was for certain—but she didn’t seem to mind.
Sure, this was new, and uncomfortable. But for the first time in a long time, he had hope.
~The End~
Did you enjoy reading The Call of Corvids? Please help this author out and tell someone or leave a review. Your support is much appreciated.
If you haven’t read the Raven Crawford books yet and want to know more of the story, start with Conspiracy of Ravens
(A Raven Crawford Story, Book 1),
a full-length novel by J. C. McKenzie.