Free Blood of Cupids by Sophia Kenzie Page B

it for us? Should I
have instead asked to see him every day in between just in case they were the
last days we would have together?
    I’d just gotten out of class, and I knew my father and a
handful of club members would be showing up at my place in a matter of minutes.
I rounded the corner and my hair blew across my face. I moved it behind my ear
and looked up, toward my destination. There he was. Ryan had come to see me. He
was even more exquisite than I remembered. How did he pull that off? I wanted
to run to him. I wanted to throw down my books and jump into his arms. And I
almost did.
    My heart stopped. My father was on his way. I didn’t know
how close he was, but he could be here any second. What if he saw Ryan? What if
Ryan saw him? He met me halfway down the block.
    “Grace, is everything okay?”
    “Ryan, you have to get out of here.”
    He threw his head back and ran his hands through his hair.
    “Grace, I’m not an idiot. Would you stop fucking pretending
that you don’t have feelings for me?”
    “I’m not. Ryan, I do. Believe me, I do. I just can’t have
you here right now.”
    “Oh really?”
    He knocked my books out from against my chest, slid his
hands under my arms, and lifted me above his head. Wow, he was strong. He threw
me up against the wall and guided my body down the rough bricks as I slid down
to meet him. He cradled my head in his hand and attacked my mouth with his. A
rush of warmth cascaded over me, and for a moment, I forgot who we were and why
we were standing in front of my building. I only knew the feelings I felt for
this man. I knew how my body fit with his, and I knew I liked when he refused
to listen when I told him things wouldn’t work between us. He was the only
person who had ever made me love to be wrong.
    He pulled his lips away, looking into my eyes. I stole a few
more kisses, unable to let him go; knowing the second I did, I may never see
him again. How could I warn him?
    “What were you saying about me needing to get out of here?”
His mouth was so close to mine that I could taste his words.
    I couldn’t stop myself from kissing him in between my
breaths. “Please…give me…a few hours…then meet me…back here.”
    His lips moved to my neck and my breathing became labored.
My insides tingled, and my body begged for him.
    “I told you…I have a…boxing match tonight…”
    I was having a hard time forming words. “Skip it.”
    He yanked at my shirt, pulling two buttons free, and cupped
my breast in his hand. I was completely unaware of anyone walking by and was
imploring him to simply take me right there on the street.
    “It’s my fight, baby, I can’t miss it.”
    Baby. Baby. My father called me ‘Baby’. Patrick Brennan was
still coming. I needed to get Ryan out of there.
    “You wouldn’t even skip it for me?” I needed to do something
drastic. I took his hand and ran it up my skirt, wanting him to feel my warmth.
He bit his lip and hummed, and I felt him grow beneath me. I was totally
playing the girl card, which in normal circumstances, I would never do, but I
didn’t want him to get hurt. I needed him to stay clear of that match.
    He brought his hand up to my chin and lifted my face to his.
There was worry in his eyes. “Grace, I have to be there tonight. Believe me, if
I could get out of it, I would. But, I swear to you, I will be here tomorrow
morning. I will come for you.” He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight
to his body. I could tell by his embrace that he wasn’t completely sure what
the night had in store. I wanted to tell him that I knew what was going on,
that he could talk to me. I wanted to offer a way out.
    But Ryan was part of a club. He was part of a family. I
knew, better than anyone, that you don’t leave your family. I would have to let
him go. I returned his squeeze and lowered my feet to the ground. I took his
face in my hands and kissed him, trying to hide the tears in my eyes.
    “Grace, what’s wrong?”
    I