Sempre (Forever Series #1)(36)

“I’m torn between deep brown and this shade of pinkish red right now. Looks kinda like my tie.”

Her blush deepened, and she had to look away from him as her heart raced.

“My turn,” he said. “Why’s green your favorite color?”

“Pass,” she said.

“You can’t pass.”

“But you didn’t answer some questions.”

“Fine, I’ll ask something else. Why are you embarrassed about your favorite color?”

Her brow furrowed. “I passed on that question.”

“No, you passed on why green was your favorite color. Now I wanna know why green being your favorite color is embarrassing. Two completely different things.”

He spoke matter-of-factly, as if it were just that simple.

“I think you’re cheating,” she said. “So I pass again.”

Carmine laughed as he relit his cigar. Haven was mesmerized at the calmness of his expression as he inhaled, and goose bumps popped up on her skin at the sight of him. Maybe it was the intoxicants, but something made her feel at ease. She felt safe there, and as frightening as that was she basked in the sensation. Because never in her life had she truly felt safe with someone—not even her mama. She couldn’t protect her.

She trusted him, when she’d never trusted anyone in her life. And she knew she shouldn’t, especially him. He was the son of the man who controlled her—his family held her life in their hands. They could kill her, and she’d be defenseless to stop it. But she trusted him anyway. She could feel it in every inch of her body, every beat of her frenzied heart.

Something about this boy had burrowed under her skin.

Carmine leaned forward, pausing an inch from her mouth. She parted her lips, inhaling everything he gave her, and closed her eyes as she tasted his breath.

His face grazed her cheek, the sparks from his skin sending tingles through her body. She could feel the slight stubble of his facial hair, rough and scratchy, as he inhaled deeply. He breathed her in, and she allowed herself to wonder if maybe—just maybe—this frightening creature could want the same thing she craved.

She held on as long as she could, not wanting to let go, but her body’s need for oxygen won. She exhaled as Carmine got up, but she kept her eyes closed. She didn’t want to face reality yet.

* * *

Carmine slipped out of the bedroom, needing to put some space between them. She had him twisted. Up was suddenly down, left was now right, and everything surrounding him was a blur. It was difficult for him to admit he was as inexperienced as her. He could f**k a girl senseless, but when it came to loving one, he had no clue what to do.

Love. The word perplexed him. He wasn’t swimming in lust anymore. This was uncharted territory, and he was f**king drowning.

Carmine walked over to the library and flicked on the light. Blinking a few times, he scanned the titles on the bookshelves, grabbing one before heading back to the bedroom. Haven lay on her stomach on his bed, her feet up by his pillows. He gave her a small smile and shut the door behind him, holding the book out to her. “The Secret Garden. Thought you might like it.”

She took it. “What’s it about?”

He shrugged. “A garden, maybe? A secret? I don’t know. Read it and tell me.”

“Uh . . .” she started, her brow furrowing as she eyed the cover.

He chuckled. A book flustered her. “Look, you don’t have to. I’m not gonna make you write a book report. Just thought it would give you something to do.”

“Oh, I want to! It’s just . . . what if your father finds it?”

“Don’t worry about him,” he said. “I got you covered.”

Her eyes glossed over with tears as she opened it halfway. “I don’t think I can read this. There are a lot of different words.”

“Well, I think you can do it,” he said. “Besides, you have help now.”

“Help?”

“Yeah. I mean, if you don’t want help, fine, but I’m happy to do what I can.”

She looked down at the book again. “Okay.”

“Okay,” he echoed her word. “Is that an, ‘Okay, I’d like to do this reading shit with you,’ or is it an, ‘Okay, you’re really f**king nuts if you think you can help me?’”

She merely smiled, the sight of it telling him it was probably a combination of the two.

He kicked off his shoes and sat down next to her, playing a few chords on his guitar as she read the book. It made him warm inside, and for a while, it felt like it was normal . . . like they were normal. Just a boy and a girl, both of them a bit f**ked up, but they were just themselves.

And he savored it.

He tried to keep his attention off her, not wanting to make her uncomfortable, but from the corner of his eye he could see the look of concentration on her face as she sounded out words. “What’s tyr—uh, this word?”

He set his guitar down and rolled onto his stomach, peeking over to see what she pointed at. His chin rested on her shoulder. “Tyrannical. It’s like a tyrant. You know, like a master.”

She turned to him, their faces so close the tips of their noses touched.

12

Haven stood in the kitchen, her mind wandering as she made cookies. She’d slipped out of bed an hour ago, her nerves on edge about last night. Her body controlled her when she was around Carmine, her heart taking the lead over her mind. Her mind told her it was ridiculous, dangerous to spend time with him, but her heart told her it was right.