Page 13 of Twilight of Embers
The loss of his touch stung in more than one way. His comforting heat. The fact that he didn’t want his friend to see him touching me. I fought the urge to curl in on myself.
The lanky boy sidled up to our table with a grin. “And what lovely lady do we have here?”
“Jason…” Knox said in a low warning.
That only made the guy smile wider, to the point that he looked slightly deranged. “I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Jason. This one’s much more charming and handsome friend.”
I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me. “Hayden. It’s nice to know not all the guys around here are cavemen.”
Jason barked out a laugh. “Making a real good impression, huh, Knox?”
“Shut up,” he mumbled.
Jason’s eyes danced as he held out a hand for me to shake. “Nice to meet you, Hayden.”
Knox stood, batting Jason’s hand away and letting out what sounded like a low growl. “Fuck off, J.”
Jason just laughed, holding up both hands and backing away. “Touchy, touchy, touchy.” Then he shot me a grin. “I’ll be seeing you around, Hayden.”
Knox let out another low, angry sound.
I stared at Knox as his chest rose and fell in ragged pants. “Did you just growl at him?”
Knox’s gaze swung to me, and I swore it flashed gold again. “He was being annoying.”
“You don’t think that might be a wee bit extreme?” I asked, fighting a laugh.
“He’s a punk,” Knox grumbled as he sat again. Then he glared at my muffin. “You didn’t finish eating.”
I couldn’t help it this time. I laughed. “I think you might need to take a nap. Or maybe you need this other half of the muffin. You might be hangry.”
I broke off a piece and offered it to him.
Knox’s gaze zeroed in on the muffin, but instead of taking it with his fingers, he bent down, closing his lips around my fingers and sucking the bite free.
Sparks of sensation zipped up my arm, and my eyes went wide as I sucked in a sharp breath.
Knox swallowed and grinned. “You’re right. I feel a lot better.”
I didn’t. I felt like my skin was suddenly too tight for my body. I didn’t know whether to run or throw myself at him.
A throat cleared. I jerked my gaze away from Knox and looked up and up until I reached a bizarrely familiar face. Even through the thick scruff, I could tell that the jaw had the same angular bend as Knox’s. His nose and cheeks were identical, too. His hair was piled into a man bun on top of his head, but it was the same color as Knox’s.
But the eyes were different. Green and gold, yes. But the gold flecks had a different pattern and shape. And the eyes themselves held so much disdain it dripped like acid.
“I’m guessing you’re the piece of ass my brother won’t shut up about.”
7
EASTON
Those violet eyes flared in surprise at my words, hurt even. Knox had described those eyes in infinite detail. He hadn’t stopped droning on and on about the girl for the past twelve hours. But even with his incessant chatter, he hadn’t done them justice.
They were a purple that seemed to change shades in the light, going deeper and then flaring brighter with emotion. Her blonde hair hung in waves around her shoulders. Hair that I could picture wrapping around my fist as I—
“What the hell, East?” Knox snarled.
I flicked my gaze in my twin’s direction. I knew him better than anyone, and I could see his anger starting to build. The tension lining his shoulders, the way his breathing came just a bit quicker.
