Chapter 18 Defiance #2
I whisper the spell, my pulse kicking up a notch as the magic shimmers around me. The portal tears open with a crackle of power, air pressing heavy against my chest. I don’t hesitate. I dive straight through. It snaps shut behind me, sending a harsh, throbbing pain through me.
I gasp as I hit something soft and uneven. “Fuck, woman!”
I hear a groan from beneath me. My eyes fly open, and I freeze, looking down at Theo. I’m sprawled right on top of him. And not just anywhere, we’re wedged into a narrow shower cubicle, the tiles cold at my back, his body burning at my front.
“What on earth-”
“Did you really need to follow me in here?” he growls, his hands firmly clamped around my upper arms, holding me just far enough away from him. His head knocks lightly against the tiles when he tries to put more distance between us, and he scowls.
“Stop running off like Cinderella, and I wouldn’t have to chase you,” I snap, squirming to get up. The space is too tight, though. My knee slides, landing square in his stomach, while the other presses between his thighs. Brilliant. Just brilliant. “Get up!”
“How?” he shoots back, voice low and edged with exasperation.
I whisper a silencing spell so no one can hear us. “Why are you even in a bloody cubicle?”
“Hiding from you, obviously. That spell of yours is dangerous.”
“And?” I lift my chin, refusing to back down.
His mouth curls into a wicked grin. “I’ll tell your momma.”
“I’ll tell yours about all your secrets,” I fire back without hesitation. I don’t even care that my knees are digging into his stomach right now. He deserves worse.
“Try it,” he murmurs, his eyes flashing with a dare.
“Don’t test me.” The warning leaves my lips in a hiss. “You were supposed to update us on Hades yesterday!”
“I would have if you hadn’t fucked with my car.”
I can’t help the smirk tugging at my mouth. “Aww. Did I do that? Oops. Must’ve slipped my mind,” I pout tauntingly.
He scoffs, his gaze flicking down between us, no doubt very aware of just how tangled we are. “Get up!” he orders, voice tight.
I open my mouth to argue, but then he looks straight at me, those stormy blue eyes locking onto mine. Heat licks through me, uninvited and confusing. Is it the proximity to a man?
I fumble, planting a hand on the wall to shift my weight. Too late, I slip again, and my knee lands exactly where it shouldn’t.
Theo sucks in a sharp breath, his whole body jerking.
“Sorry!” I blurt, horrified, trying to scramble upright. “Sorry, sorry!”
In the chaos, I manage to knock his shoulder, then his chin, before I finally stagger to my feet. He rises with less grace, one hand still cupping his dick, his glare scorching hotter than hellfire.
I bite back a laugh, cheeks still burning, and tilt my head with mock sweetness. “Well, maybe next time don’t hide from me. Besides, it’s fine; we don’t need little Theos running around.”
His brows knit, jaw flexing. “What?” he grits out, still half doubled in pain, but determined to look unbothered.
“If it’s damaged, it’s fine. That’s what I mean,” I clarify, glancing at his crotch, pressing my back against the cubicle wall. The space is suffocatingly small. It’s made for one, not two, and he’s taking up far too much room. We’re almost chest to chest. Way too close.
His eyes narrow further, and I’m actually impressed with how he manages to make them look so sharp, so piercing.
“You’d better get out of here,” he warns, voice dropping low, dangerous, “before I make sure there’s no little Heavens – or more like little Hells – running around.”
I frown, pouting slightly as I let a hand rest against my stomach. “You’re going to hurt me?”
His hand slams against the tile beside my head, the impact echoing in the cramped cubicle. He leans down until I can feel the heat of his breath ghosting over my skin, his voice a velvet threat.
“No, Blondie,” he whispers menacingly, “I’m going to kill you.”
The sinister tone should scare me, but it doesn’t. Instead, it coils like electricity low in my core. My lips part, readying a scathing retort, but before I can get the words out, my elbow knocks the shower lever.
A sharp blast of ice-cold water crashes down on both of us.
Theo swears violently as he jerks back, water soaking through in seconds, plastering his shirt against him, every line of his chest and stomach cutting through the thin fabric. His hair darkens, dripping into his eyes as he glares at me with murderous intent.
I choke on a laugh, sputtering as the spray drenches me, too, but I can’t stop. “This might cool the steam that’s literally coming out of your ears, Westwood.”
He runs his hand down his face, shoulders taut, nostrils flaring, eyes burning like he isn’t sure if he wants to throttle me or kill me. “You think you’re funny?” he growls.
“I can be,” I reply haughtily, though my voice betrays me with the faintest tremor beneath his gaze.
The air hums between us, thick despite the icy downpour. My pulse stumbles. He’s too close. Too bloody smug, even when drenched, and for one dizzying second, all I can think about is how the water has left him looking like he’s carved from stone.
I snap my eyes away, forcing a scoff to cover the traitorous thought before glaring at him with renewed resilience.
“Now, tell me what Hades said.”
Neither of us moves. Neither of us yields.
And for the first time, I’m not sure if I’m losing the battle… or myself.