Borrowed Souls (Soul Charmer #1)(56)

She pushed against him, until he released her and she could see his face. His brows were drawn and his lips curled. Taking the conversation to a dark place was her fault. As much as she wanted answers now, to find out why the Charmer could force magic on her and not Derek, she wasn’t going to extract them. The cost was too high. “Then it’s very good I have you to protect me. I didn’t want this magic stuff.”

The lines on his face faded, and he keened his head to the right. “Why’d you do it then?”

“Agree to be a part of this?” When he nodded, she continued, “You already know the answer there. I’m doing it for Josh.” The emotion she packed into his name left no question who Josh was.

“But why? I get he’s your brother, but would he do the same for you?”

His hand slid from her back to wrap around her hip. Her body softened as one of his fingers found skin between her shirt and jeans. “It’s not about an exchange of sacrifices,” she said softly.

“Maybe it should be,” he muttered, stiffening his fingers against her side.

The instinct to rally to Josh’s defense was second nature, but it was hard to generate much irritation at a man who thought she deserved better. She’d had friends rally at her about ditching Josh, but Derek hadn’t told her what to do. He’d earned himself a little more honesty. “It’s hard to see it from the outside, but I owe him. He—” she paused, debating if the vodka was making her magnanimous “—he did what was necessary to keep me safe when I was in high school. He’s been my constant. Now I’m doing the same.”

Light danced in Derek’s eyes. He watched her too closely. It was clear he wanted more specifics, but he held back. Thank God. She’d underestimated how many times Josh would call forward that memory—the betrayal she’d committed, and how he’d sheltered her from the fallout. Those details weren’t for others’ ears. Not even Derek’s. Not even with another fifth of vodka consumed. The job for Ford would get her back on solid ground with Josh, and bury her secret permanently.

Derek pursed his lips. “You’re damn resilient for someone so small.”

Callie’s laugh started low in her stomach, and escaped through a big grin. “You say that like I’m built of steel or something.”

She wasn’t, but he damn near was. The forearm against her back went taut as he pulled her toward his chest. Her body collided with his, her hand curled over his shoulder. She squeezed the muscle there. She needed a distraction, or she’d lose herself in the sensations assailing her. The hard planes of his chest held firm against her breasts. The pressure had her nipples tightening. She should have worn a bra with some padding. The lightly lined one she had on was more feminine, but it also failed to conceal her response.

Callie tilted her head back, unsure what to say. Energy sparked along her skin, kindling something dark and needy inside. When she finally met his gaze, he looked angry. The calm blue of his eyes had turned the grey of a winter storm. His lips were still the soft pink she’d seen moments ago, but he’d thinned them as though he was about to bite out a snarl. Even his jaw line has sharpened, the angles severe. He looked like the brute he played on the job. And she liked it.

She squirmed, and a quick flash of desire passed across Derek’s face. His lips lost their tension right before he leaned toward her. Fire. Their kiss sparked pure heat. It washed over Callie in a backdraft. It only took moments for her entire body to be suffused with the bone-melting burn. The Charmer’s magic had brought flames to her hands, ones that made her itch to injure others. But Derek conjured a whole other kind of fire within Callie. This she wanted more of.

Derek parted his lips, and she accepted the invitation. Their tongues slid against one another in a needy dance. His fingers dug into her hips as he lifted her and pulled her onto his lap. Straddling him only stoked the blaze. She squeezed her knees against his sides, and he groaned into her mouth.

This desperate need to be closer to him overwhelmed Callie. She wouldn’t give him the complete truth about her past. This she could give him though. His hands snuck underneath the back of her tee shirt. His palms spanned her back, and the reminder of his size sent a fresh rush of heat through her. There wasn’t a safer place than at his side. She rocked her hips toward his, needing more but not knowing what to do next. Her body had flipped to instinct mode, but her brain was lagging. She edged up on her knees to lick along the outer edge of his ear. He shuddered beneath her. “I need more,” she whispered, knowing he’d take care of her.

He groaned. “I got you.”

His hands traced down her back to snag the hem of her shirt. He lifted it over her head, and then hissed out a curse at his first glimpse of her without it. “If I’d known you had fucking black lace on, this shirt would have been on the floor an hour ago.” He threw her tee across the room without taking his eyes off her barely concealed breasts.

Callie eased back on his lap to get enough space to reach for his shirt, too. The back of her hand glanced his jeans right before she yanked his shirt up. He hissed and helped rip it off with hurried motions. His chest was better than she’d imagined. Shadows highlighted each muscle on his torso, and she wanted to lick every one. But Derek had other ideas, and he was very convincing. Her bra met their shirts on the floor as his hands ghosted up her sides—eliciting goose bumps in their wake—and cupped her breasts in his palms. His lips were soft against her neck and his thumbs teased her nipples. She rocked forward against him, the hardness she discovered hidden behind his denim jeans encouraging her to do it again.