Fury and Flame | 3

5 | 1

R I L E Y

      When Jaxon had set up a meeting with one of his weapon-dealer friends, I hadn't known forcing Kane along with me would be so entertaining. Because Jaxon had to make some changes to his metal arm, he'd asked me to go in his place to receive the weapons. And naturally, Kane had been easy to persuade.

      Maybe he really would do anything for me.

The thought made dark triumph bloom in my chest. It awakened strange feeling within the heart I'd always thought to be cold and black.

I looked up at him as we strode cautiously through the maze-like alleyways enveloping our hideout. The gray mid-morning sky mirrored his mood. As usual, he wore a flat scowl.

"It wouldn't kill you to smile once in a while, you know," I said, wondering how much nicer he'd look happy.

"It wouldn't kill you to be subtle once in a while, you know."

I scoffed at his slight. "I'm serious. You look like you're trying to turn everything your gaze touches to stone."

He looked directly at me. "If only."

"Whatever." I tossed my hair. "Just remember that you agreed to this."

"I only agreed because I knew you going out alone like this would end in one of two ways: you starting a city-wide fight or you flirting your way into trouble with Jaxon's friend."

"Who says I only have to do one? You know I don't like to limit myself."

"Exactly." Hands sliding into his pockets, he nodded to my gleeful face. "This is why I came along."

"I'll remind you of that when I flirt with Jaxon's friend and he becomes interested."

"He won't be interested."

"You don't sound convinced." We were on the open road now, walking beside the busy street and doing our best to look inconspicuous.

      He sighed. "Why does it always have to end in flirtation with you?"

      Shrugging, I answered, "You never seem affected by it. I need to make sure I still have enough charm."

      Kane didn't look at me, kept his gaze straight forward and kept walking along, leaving me to try to match his wide strides. "That's because I'm not affected."

      A twist of my lips. "You sure seemed affected when I was naked in the dressing room the other day."

      "That was different." His eyes were dark with annoyance.

      "You couldn't stop staring at the floor, practically blushing," I crowed, not caring who heard me. "How does it feel to be so easily affected?"

      "I was not blushing. I was being polite." He shot a dirty look at me. "That's more than I can say for you, stripping naked in front of a stranger."

      "So you were looking." I feigned disgust. "How impolite."

      It was his turn to turn away, scoffing. "There's nothing to look at."

      "That's the biggest lie you've told today, and you know it."

      There was a quiet that followed and I smiled, knowing he had nothing more to say. Delphinium was right—I had this boy wrapped around my finger.

      "There he is." The subject change didn't escape me. "In the black shirt."

I squinted my eyes. "The good-looking one? I see him."