Flames in the Shadow

The roof was quiet except for the desert wind and the steady beat of Colossus’s heart against my back. His arms stayed locked around me, one massive hand splayed across my stomach like he could shield me from the whole damn world. “They’re coming,” he said, voice low and rough. “I can feel it.” I turned in his arms and looked up at him. The floodlights painted sharp shadows across his bearded face, making the scar on his collarbone stand out like a warning. “Then we’ll be ready. You and me.” His gray eyes darkened. “You and me,” he repeated, like a vow. We didn’t make it back to his room slowly. The second the door closed behind us, Colossus had me pinned against it again, mouth claiming mine in a kiss that tasted like love and war at the same time. His hands were everywhere — rough,