"Jerome has been deemed trustworthy? Do tell how he earned that honor." I was insulted for the other Order members.

"He's too damn mean to be influenced by the fae," he reasoned, and yeah, I kind of had to give that point to him. "Anyone else I don't trust. And neither should you."

I folded my arms across my chest. "I'm sure they feel the same way about you."

"Do I look like I give a shit if they do? That doesn't change the fact of why I'm here and what I have to do." Turning to the side, he thrust his fingers through his hair. "Tonight wasn't a total bust."

"You're right. It wasn't. Because of me."

Lowering his arm, he looked at me blandly. "Oh, really?"

I smiled widely. "Yep. I'm awesome. Like I put the 'awe' with the 'some.' Admit it. I got the details while you played Chatty Cathy with a fae at the bar."

His eyes narrowed.

"We know that they are picking off Order members and that they most likely know where the gate is. They're working together. That is more than we knew yesterday," I said.

Ren faced me fully. "You know what I'll admit?"

I cocked my hip out. "Waiting."

"I'll admit that you felt fucking sweet as silk against my fingers when I had my hand between those pretty thighs."

Whoa. Totally not expecting that. My eyes widened as warmth invaded me. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

He laughed. "That's bullshit."

"No it's not!" I unfolded my arms, anger fueling my next words. Anger mostly directed at myself. "What happened inside that club? What do you think it was?"

Ren took a step toward me, lowering his voice. "It was you about five seconds away from having the best orgasm of your life."

Oh my God, he did not just say that. "Y-You," I sputtered. What in the hell did I say to that? "I was acting," I finally spat out. "I was pretending."

He was only a handful of inches from me now, and when he laughed, I wanted to hit him. "Pretending? You were faking inside?"

"Are you a fucking parrot?"

"Oh, Ivy, babe . . ." He chuckled under his breath. "You're a shit liar, you know that?"

My hands curled into fists. "I am not lying."

"Yeah. Okay. Then how do you explain your panties being so wet they were practically drenched?"

My eyes widened. Mortification swept through me, but he wasn't done. His mouth kept on moving. "I bet I could taste you on my fingers right now. But you were pretending? Then that sweetness between your thighs must be one hell of an actress."

I didn't even think.

Stepping forward, I swung at him. No bitch slap either. My closed fist was heading for that jaw. Unfortunately, he was too fast for that. He caught my wrist before my fist connected.

"That's not nice," he said. "No reason to be so violent and a liar."

My rage knew no limit. "Oh my God, you arrogant, self-important, mother—"

"You were not acting. You were not pretending." The teasing dropped from his tone as his voice hardened. "You were riding my hand, and Ivy, there isn't a damn thing wrong with that. What's wrong is that you're acting like nothing happened between us. That's total shit. You lit up for me like a damn firework and I barely touched you."

"I—"

My back hit the beam, and before I could take my next breath, Ren's entire hard length was pressed against the front of my body. His head was low, his face in mine. "Do not tell me again you were pretending. You and I both know the truth. I want you. I think I've made that abundantly clear."

"As clear as a damn glass window," I shot back, frustrated for a thousand and one equally important reasons.

His lips twitched. "What is your deal?" One of his hands dropped to my hip. He squeezed gently as he gave a little shake of his head. "Do you still love him?"

I stiffened as if I'd stepped under an icy downpour. "What?"

"Do you still love the guy you lost?" he questioned. "Is that it?"

A huge part of me couldn't believe he dared to even ask me that question, that he would even reference Shaun when we were this close. It seemed so wrong, as if we were spitting on his memory, but the words still tumbled off my tongue. "A . . . part of me will always love him."

"Meaning you aren't still in love with him."

Lowering my gaze, I couldn't respond to that. Losing Shaun had devastated me, and my role in his death had nearly broken me, but I wasn't still holding on to him. Not in that way, and I wouldn't lie and use that as a reason.

"I don't get it then."

"Why do you even want me?" My voice shook. "You barely know me."

He stared at me a moment, incredulity etching into his features. "What I know is that there is no guarantee of tomorrow. There is no promise there will be another day or week for us. When you want something, you go for it. I don't need to know your life story to want you. And don't twist that back on me. I see it already building in those pretty blue eyes. I want to know your story. I want to know you. I want—oh, fuck it."

Ren cupped my cheek, his hand gentle as he tilted my head back, and before my heart could take another beat, he kissed me.

It was no slow or seductive kiss.

He claimed my lips as if he were laying claim to my body, to my soul, and every part of me. His mouth was demanding as he tilted his head, his lips moving over mine, his tongue tracing the seam of my lips, willing them to part, and I . . . I opened for him. My lips parted, and he made this sound, this deep animalistic groan that sent flames lapping over my skin. The kiss deepened, and his tongue slid over mine, along the roof of my mouth. He took me with his mouth, tasted me and claimed me.