The logical voice that so often guided her thoughts was screaming to be heard, screaming for her to slow down. To think. But she pushed it away. All she wanted tonight was to live. To fall into the world of danger and excitement that Jason represented. To do what she wanted rather than what she was supposed to.
Jason turned back to her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, he seemed to hesitate, showing uncharacteristic restraint. But her heart harbored no such hesitation, and she took the first step toward him. Her step forward broke whatever spell that was holding him in place, and he closed the gap between them, his arms snaking around her waist. His lips closed over hers, and desire exploded deep within her. He tasted like champagne—sharp and fruity—his teeth grazing lightly over her lips.
Every sense sharpened even as the world grew fuzzy. Her breath caught and her heart tumbled. She was lost…
Without parting, he backed them effortlessly into the bedroom. The back of her knees hit the bed, and she fell backward onto the soft mattress, pulling him down with her. A gasp of pleasure escaped her as his lips found her pulse hammering down the line of her throat. His arms were still wrapped around her, and the tips of his fingers trailed a line of Gifted sparks down her spine, making her arch up against him.
Stop!
That annoying little voice of reason screamed at her. This was lust and desire. A brilliant white flame burning too hot and bright—something that would burn itself out in a moment. Something that would consume and destroy, leaving nothing but ash and regret behind. She wasn’t doing this for the right reasons, she was using him, wanting him to help her forget. His kisses to burn away her fears, and the brush of his fingers to sweep away her anxiety.
I don’t care, I don’t care, I don’t care, she repeated over and over in her head, trying to drown out reason and logic. But maybe she did. She did care—he meant too much to her to toy with him in this way. He was more than just a momentary distraction.
“This is a mistake,” she whispered, the words tumbling from her lips even as her body pulled Jason closer.
He stilled abruptly over her, his breathing jagged and uneven. With a soft groan, he rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he fought for control over his breathing. Eventually, he untangled himself from her and tried to get to his feet.
“Don’t go,” she whispered, still breathless, suddenly terrified that she had ruined in a few seconds everything they’d built over the last six months. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.”
Jason pulled her up until she was sitting up on the edge of the bed. He leaned down and pressed another kiss to her lips, but this one was soft and gentle, nothing like the feverish desire of before. He sat down next to her.
“But you’re right,” he said. “This is a mistake.”
He rushed to explain as she stiffened suddenly at his words, pained anguish washing over her racing heart.
“Not that I don’t want to,” he said, taking in a ragged breath and turning to look at her. “Because, Allyra, I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted anything more.”
He fell into momentary silence as if struggling to find the right words. “It’s no secret that I’ve been with a lot of women,” he said.
“The words every woman dreams of hearing,” Allyra said with a small laugh, attempting to lighten the mood.
He refused to be drawn, his voice low and serious as he continued. “I’m sorry, this isn’t easy for me to explain. But I need you to understand. Those women, the ones from before—they were momentary distractions. I had a reputation and they knew it. They understood what I was offering. And I knew they would be gone by morning.
“But everything is different with you. Everything matters. For the first time, I don’t want it to be a brief flame in the night. I want this moment to stretch into infinity. I can’t bear the thought of being parted from you.”
He traced his fingers lightly along her cheek, tracing a line of warmth down the curve of her throat. He leaned in and pressed another kiss to her lips. “I don’t want there to be the slightest trace of doubt in your heart when we do this. Allyra, when we do this, I want to do it right.”
Jason looked at her, with stars in his eyes, as if she was something precious, as if she could save him.
She didn’t even know if she could save herself.
Allyra opened her mouth to say something, but words escaped her. The truth was, she didn’t know what to say. He seemed so sure, while she’d never been less sure of herself.
“It’s okay,” Jason said quietly, “Don’t say anything. I can wait. For you, I would wait until time has no meaning, until the Source ceases to exist and the stars come tumbling to earth.”
“That sounds very dire,” she said.
“So uneducated,” he said fondly, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. “It’s an old Gifted saying, mostly forgotten now. But it’s quite appropriate really, they’re the words shared by Finals winners, within the Between, when they part from each other. It’s a promise that they make to each other, that one will never leave the other behind.”
Jason got to his feet and disappeared back into the main room before returning with the previously procured champagne bottle and glasses. He popped it open and poured the golden liquid into the glasses, handing one to her.
“After the last time I drank with you, I made a promise never to drink again,”
