Taming the Darkness: Love & Monsters, Book 2 by Devin Harnois Page B
Authors: Devin Harnois
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already half-healed, but that injury wasn’t near as bad as his side.
“No. Dawn hasn’t been fun since I was changed, but it’s nothing like it was yesterday. Learned a lesson about getting inside before daybreak. I should be fine,” he said. “I hope.”
Both of them sat tense, waiting for sunrise to come. Victor sat with his back to her, facing the east. She couldn’t read emotions from scents the way he could, but she could see the tension running through his body. Claire moved to sit beside him and slid her hand into his. “If you break my fingers, I’ll break your jaw.”
Victor looked at her and smiled. He squeezed her hand—gently. “It’s not bad. It’s the fear that gets you, you know?”
Claire nodded. Seeing him afraid was so strange. She watched his face for a moment, looking at his brown eye—his human eye, as she thought of it—and wondered what he was like before he was altered. He started to tremble and squeezed her hand harder, just shy of hurting.
“Sunrise.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. All the tension drained out of him, his shoulders slumping. He started tilting, and she realized too late he was going to fall. He was sitting so it wasn’t far, but he fell on his left side—the injured one. Victor groaned.
“Are you okay?”
“This is normal. I just need a few minutes.”
She sat back, not knowing what else to do. Victor lay partly curled on his side, his eyes closed, breathing slow but steady. After a while, he took a deeper breath and sat.
“So that’s normal for you?” she asked.
“Yep. Every morning since I was altered. It doesn’t really hurt. I just get weak and shaky while the monster pulls back.”
“Is your side okay?” She looked at the bandage.
“Still sore, but I feel much better.” Victor pulled the bandage off. It looked like he’d gotten the wounds days or weeks ago instead of last night.
“Are you okay to walk?” Her gaze moved from the healing wounds to the solid muscles of his chest.
“Yeah.”
She pulled her gaze away before she could think too much about running her hands over that chest. “Then let’s get going.” It was going to take them hours to get back to the lab.
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
Victor closed the distance between them so fast she barely saw him move. He wrapped strong arms around her and then his hot lips were on hers, his tongue demanding entrance. Claire tried to make a sound of protest but it turned into a moan. She opened her mouth for him, rolling her tongue against his. The night had been cool, almost chilly, but it suddenly felt stifling in the small space. She got control of herself enough to pull back. “What are you doing?”
He smiled, a wide playful grin. “Kissing you.” He leaned close to do it again.
“Wait. Stop.”
The smile faded and he loosened his arms, although he didn’t let go.
The look in his eyes, intense and wary, made it hard for her to think of a reason for them to stop. “We need to get back to the lab.”
“They won’t expect us for hours.”
It was disturbing how tempting that was. “But…” She scrambled for another excuse. “You’re hurt.”
“Not enough to stop me.” He left one arm around her and brought the other hand up to brush strands of hair from her face. Her ponytail had come loose during the night. “I want you so bad.”
That made her wet, and she was done with trying to make excuses. She cupped Victor’s face and pulled him into a kiss that let him know exactly what she was thinking. Claire started stripping off her armor. Whatever the vaccine had made him, he was still a man, and she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. It didn’t matter how fucked up this was. One of the lessons she’d learned in this harsh new world was you had to take what good you could get. She got her outer layer off and paused long enough to run her hands down that delicious chest of his. It was all lean strong muscle, his skin hot under her
“No. Dawn hasn’t been fun since I was changed, but it’s nothing like it was yesterday. Learned a lesson about getting inside before daybreak. I should be fine,” he said. “I hope.”
Both of them sat tense, waiting for sunrise to come. Victor sat with his back to her, facing the east. She couldn’t read emotions from scents the way he could, but she could see the tension running through his body. Claire moved to sit beside him and slid her hand into his. “If you break my fingers, I’ll break your jaw.”
Victor looked at her and smiled. He squeezed her hand—gently. “It’s not bad. It’s the fear that gets you, you know?”
Claire nodded. Seeing him afraid was so strange. She watched his face for a moment, looking at his brown eye—his human eye, as she thought of it—and wondered what he was like before he was altered. He started to tremble and squeezed her hand harder, just shy of hurting.
“Sunrise.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. All the tension drained out of him, his shoulders slumping. He started tilting, and she realized too late he was going to fall. He was sitting so it wasn’t far, but he fell on his left side—the injured one. Victor groaned.
“Are you okay?”
“This is normal. I just need a few minutes.”
She sat back, not knowing what else to do. Victor lay partly curled on his side, his eyes closed, breathing slow but steady. After a while, he took a deeper breath and sat.
“So that’s normal for you?” she asked.
“Yep. Every morning since I was altered. It doesn’t really hurt. I just get weak and shaky while the monster pulls back.”
“Is your side okay?” She looked at the bandage.
“Still sore, but I feel much better.” Victor pulled the bandage off. It looked like he’d gotten the wounds days or weeks ago instead of last night.
“Are you okay to walk?” Her gaze moved from the healing wounds to the solid muscles of his chest.
“Yeah.”
She pulled her gaze away before she could think too much about running her hands over that chest. “Then let’s get going.” It was going to take them hours to get back to the lab.
“Not yet.”
“Why not?”
Victor closed the distance between them so fast she barely saw him move. He wrapped strong arms around her and then his hot lips were on hers, his tongue demanding entrance. Claire tried to make a sound of protest but it turned into a moan. She opened her mouth for him, rolling her tongue against his. The night had been cool, almost chilly, but it suddenly felt stifling in the small space. She got control of herself enough to pull back. “What are you doing?”
He smiled, a wide playful grin. “Kissing you.” He leaned close to do it again.
“Wait. Stop.”
The smile faded and he loosened his arms, although he didn’t let go.
The look in his eyes, intense and wary, made it hard for her to think of a reason for them to stop. “We need to get back to the lab.”
“They won’t expect us for hours.”
It was disturbing how tempting that was. “But…” She scrambled for another excuse. “You’re hurt.”
“Not enough to stop me.” He left one arm around her and brought the other hand up to brush strands of hair from her face. Her ponytail had come loose during the night. “I want you so bad.”
That made her wet, and she was done with trying to make excuses. She cupped Victor’s face and pulled him into a kiss that let him know exactly what she was thinking. Claire started stripping off her armor. Whatever the vaccine had made him, he was still a man, and she wanted him just as bad as he wanted her. It didn’t matter how fucked up this was. One of the lessons she’d learned in this harsh new world was you had to take what good you could get. She got her outer layer off and paused long enough to run her hands down that delicious chest of his. It was all lean strong muscle, his skin hot under her