by Brea Viragh
Kai released me suddenly and I stumbled. Embarrassed, I ducked my head, using my hair to hide my reaction, hide the flush riding high on my neck when all I could think was how I’d like him to throw me onto the bed and do naughty things to me.
His smile was small and predatory. “You take things too seriously. It’s hell trying to control the circumstances when you know you’ll lose. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I get the impression that you tend to grasp the reins most of the time.”
“Look, buddy…” I pointed a finger in his direction, surprised when it held firm. “I’m in control of my life, and there’s nothing wrong with keeping a firm handle on the situation.”
He caught my hand in his, resulting in an instant shockwave of desire. If he kept touching me, it would be hard to maintain the distance I needed to keep my head clear.
“Let go every once in a while.” Kai pressed forward. Not a man to give up easily. “Give in to me.”
“You’re awfully cocky.” I tugged my hand once, not putting enough effort into the gesture.
He advanced, moving closer until I was forced back on my tiptoes to maintain breathing room. I watched every step and noted the palpable hunger in his gaze.
“The other night,” he murmured. Automatically, my fingers curled into his. “You never let me fuck you.”
Ugh, he said the magic words. The one that had goose bumps automatically rising to the surface. “You fingered me.”
“I’m not talking about family dinner.”
“Then what…”
“At the Tooth. Hello, my name is Nell Quade, and I engage in random acts of sexual intercourse with men I pick up in a bar.” His voice took on a high-pitched character as he mimicked me. Mocked me. “You were the one in control the whole time.
I opened my mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. “How dare you!”
“It’s the truth.”
Amusement came slowly, followed by surprise at my reaction. “You’re a piece of work.”
“Tell you what, Nell.” Those nimble fingers reached forward to slip the slim fabric of the tank from my shoulder, first one, then the other. “I’ll make this easy on you.” He bit my lip with those slightly crooked teeth, and I wanted to do the same to him. Make him groan.
I covered his hands with my own to still the progress before my breasts popped free. “The hell you will.”
“Forget about your silly argument. Your need to fight.”
“I can’t,” I groaned, and stilled when he bent to brush his cheeks against my temple, leaving a trail of liquid fire in his wake.
His murmur against my mouth had my pulse scrambling into overdrive. This time, I knew, there would be no music or candles. No wine or flower petals heralding the beginning of a romantic afternoon. This was a scramble, a rush. A swell of heat and urgency the moment one or both of us felt our control snap.
“Forget about everything except me.” His hand guided mine down to the erection straining against his pants. “Except this.”
Drawing me up, he put his mouth on mine and wound his arms around my body.
He was greedy, but I was worse.
We fought to see who could devour the other first, who would be the pursuer here and who could take the most. He was tall and firm, smooth muscles and hardness. His hips jerked against mine and I fisted my hands in his hair. We fit together like pieces of the same complex, messed up, child-chewed-the-corners-off puzzle. And for a moment, that soft, warm kiss was everything.
“Kai…” I hated the feeling of something inside me trembling. Shaking in his arms when his lips brushed against my cheeks, grazed my temples, and skimmed down my neck.
“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” he murmured.
“After a while there is nothing to do but talk.” I tilted my head to the side to give him better access.
Letting out a single ragged breath, he continued the assault. “Good point. But not now.”
He moved against me, and at once I was lost. Aching. Fingers traced a pattern along my skin, from my brow to the plumpness below. His cock stirred in his pants while those damnable fingers continued to make their way along the planes of my body. He deepened the kiss, tasting each inch of my mouth and licking into me as ferociously as anything I’d dreamed. Our tongues tangled together, a promise, and I almost lost myself right there.
Isn’t this what any woman wants from a man? The thought bounced around my skull an instant before disappearing. His tongue traveled the length of my chin before settling at the crook of my neck. On instinct, I widened my stance to allow him access.
No further discussion about dinner, or any of the people involved. No further thought of the rest of the family sitting peacefully downstairs.
“I want you,” Kai whispered. He grabbed my breast, digging in until I felt every fingertip in a strange combination of discomfort and pleasure. “You have no clue how much.”
It was the same way I wanted him. I was totally powerless to do anything but lift my mouth to his when the tingle of nerves twined through my body and latched around my heart. Though I trembled, his fingers were strong when he reached for the drawstring of my pants.
Kisses rained over my face as he delved into the depths of my underwear. Seeking the heat. At once I felt there was not enough time. His liquid chuckle sent a resulting answer through me, my body shuddering as he continued to play with my folds. He wanted me writhing and willing, dammit, a heady, sexual Pied Piper.
I was happy to dance to his tune. Happier when he flicked my clit and brought me to heaven.
Kai shoved my pants down to my ankles. I twisted under his touch and tilted my hips for better access. A gust of air blasted my nether regions the moment I spread my legs. At war with the inferno raging inside my core. Once more those talented fingers found their prize, thrusting inside again and again when he settled into a rhythm.
“I have to fuck you, Nell. Now.”
Um, yes? Please?
Oh God, how could I resist him? The ache built instead of fading. This was filthy and wrong. And so damn arousing I wanted to melt. I grabbed his collar and yanked him down to me, the friction driving us into a frenzy. He jabbed a finger inside of me, wetness pooling, and the roughness stimulated me more than anything.
There was no time to de-clothe, no nakedness between us. He reached down and brought me up to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and ground my hips against the obvious show of his arousal.
I heard the quiet snick of a zipper the instant before Kai brought his flesh to mine. Such steel hidden beneath the soft heated skin. My skin dampened despite the chill in the air and the whole of me felt tight. Muscles bunched and flexed in anticipation. I struggled to fill my lungs with air and my pulse galloped into heart attack territory.
Our eyes met, my lashes fluttering when he took one of my nipples between his teeth, nipping lightly. He lashed at the breast, squeezing, the mounds filling his palms.
I was not one to beg. At least, I couldn’t think of any time in recent memory I’d wanted someone enough to demand his attention. Still, I moaned his name, squeezing my thighs around his waist.
Sweat dripped down my neck, my back drenched and each breath a harsh punishment. The outside world bled away until there was nothing but Kai. The upcoming family dinner, the people downstairs I needed to entertain, the life I’d put on hold…on hold until I got through the week. Through the month. Through the year.
There was no hold button here. I couldn’t control myself with him.
“Now.”
The word tore from his throat the moment he surged forward, ramming inside and filling me with his hard length. I gasped, my hips accommodating his girth. Holding on for dear life in preparation for the wild ride, legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck, and with his mouth scorching me wherever he touched, I felt like I clung to an electrical transformer. He moved and I squirmed, letting every bit of doubt and fear and anger go. I wanted him to fuck me until I couldn’t walk. Until I couldn�
�t remember who we were.
We were a tangle of legs, Kai toned and muscled, coming together with the thunder of storm clouds. We were lips and teeth and hands. Moans and sighs and nips. Sweat trickled down his arms from holding me upright. Those biceps rippled and captured my attention.
I threw my head back and knocked it against the door while he drove furiously forward. An automaton of a man doing his best to remind me who was, indeed, in charge.
I opened my mouth to moan a moment before Kai slapped a hand over it to cover the sound.
“Be quiet,” he hissed against my ear.
The sizzle of friction propelled me into silence when he slid out, whirling me around to press my cheek on the door. He placed the flat of his palm between my shoulder blades and pushed me down until I was bent over, calf muscles bunching. I was exposed to him.
“Someone will hear.”
Screw them all. I wanted to throw caution to the wind and say “let them hear.” The logical part of me still left with half of her wits begged me to listen, to not let my woohoo do the talking.
My woohoo was taking a thorough pounding and loving every minute. Kai was relentless, driving forward with all the zeal of youth. He continued until he was fully inside of me, the fit perfect, hard and deep. We both moaned in unison when I shifted my hips. I inhaled, unable to form a complete thought under the weight of my orgasm. It rolled through me in waves of pleasure, my body undulating against his as if chasing the sensation. I clamped down on his shaft, still inside, squeezing.
Kai bit down on my shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise, thrusting me over the edge and into one of the most delicious orgasms of my life. His fingers threaded through my hair and pulled me closer, bunching his muscles against my pelvis when his thrusts quickened. Our bodies clamped together. Blood roared in my ears.
And his release came…with my family just down those stairs.
Once upon a time, or so it felt, I’d promised myself I wouldn’t fool with Kai again. A one-time deal. A spur of the moment coming-together.
Now I’d made a liar of myself.
CHAPTER NINE
The room smelled of sex.
It hung in the air. Foggy, heavy, oppressive. Though Kai stood behind me, I was alone, my brow pressed to the wood of the door. I felt fabulous, loose and limber. My body held the imprint of him and, if I’d had my way, I would have stayed this way for hours.
Sated. Pleasured.
His fingers were in my hair and stroking those long dark strands the same way his lips stroked against my own. There would be no lazy pillow talk afterward, though the same haze had settled over my mind. The sex had been wild. It was better than any high and worse than the plummet after a sugar rush.
I slumped against the door, Kai’s arms the only things keeping me erect. He rested his forehead against my shoulder until I felt the heat of his exhalations.
“Fuck,” he managed.
“Yeah.” I couldn’t say more, not while he still penetrated me, the feeling wild and inexplicable.
“It’s the middle of the morning.” He paused, his words muffled when he bent to kiss my spine. “I can’t think of a better way to wake up.”
“But you’ve been awake.” Then it struck me how foolish I sounded.
“I could do this with you every day, ten times a day, and still not get enough of you.” He pulled away, calmly running a hand over my neck while helping me stand on my own two feet. “I’ll tell you now, Nell, and you’ll think it’s too soon, but I have feelings for you. A lot of crazy, complicated feelings and I’m not sure how to react.” A second kiss on the top of my head.
My eyes widened. “What? Don’t say that! What?”
“One thing is clear: I want you.”
Immovable logic settled back into place. Hyper-alert, I listened to approaching footsteps taking the stairs at a clipped pace. Purposeful and precise.
Nerves rose to the surface in a flash. “Kai, I—”
“Someone is coming.” He spoke with unparalleled calm and moved to retrieve his pants from around his ankles.
“Fuck.” Holy hell, was I weak. I watched him move, my mind blank. Kai shifted into overdrive while I stood there like a moron. His eyes stayed on mine when he reached down to tug my pants back up to my waist.
“You better hurry. They’ll be here soon.”
He was right. I had to get my brain off of standby. “Thanks. I think.”
Kai shifted toward the wall and backed out through the Jack-and-Jill bathroom. The door I’d forgotten to lock while we’d been going at it like animals.
Seconds later, someone knocked on the bedroom door.
“Nellie? You in there?”
I sank down on my haunches and then slid into a seated position on the floor. “Yes,” I grunted. “I’ll be out in a bit.”
“You’re going to miss breakfast!” Nolan exclaimed. When he spoke again his voice was clearer, his face pressed to the door. “There’s eggs with cream cheese. Your favorite. What are you doing?”
How should I know? “I’m…changing. I spilled coffee on myself. Give me a minute.”
“Okay, but hurry up. I want to tell you about this killer dream I had.”
“Sure, fine.”
“Have you seen Kai?”
Oh, shit. “Nope, haven’t seen him. I can’t keep track of your friends.”
I heard Nolan walk away, and I listened to the echo of his footsteps until they disappeared. Alone, I struggled to get up, adjusting my shirt to cover the girls. They’d retreated to their hidey hole, with nipples jutting out painfully in the cold.
I sucked in a single wheezing breath, then another, while I tried to order my body to move. It didn’t want to. My knees clacked together and my ankles twisted.
Weak.
I managed to stagger a few steps before I had no choice but to lean against the wall until I got my bearings. Why was it so difficult to draw air into my lungs?
Kai was harmless? Yeah, sure. Harmless as a vat of acid.
When had my life gone from zero to sixty? Normal was better. I’d lived normal for all my adult years, hadn’t I? I mean, comparatively speaking. For a decade I’d blocked it all away, only to find it seeping through the cracks once more. If I didn’t do what I could to shore up the breaks, I’d be in a world of trouble.
I remembered Peter.
Weak.
Here I was, thrown back into childhood, with a man on one side and a pushy mother on the other. When I rose, my knees were shaky. I walked into the bathroom. There was the generous tub my brother and I shared once upon a time. Windows without shades or curtains, to let the sunshine in. The pedestal sink, the black-and-white checkered floor. Through the connecting door, one I’d forgotten to lock, would be Nolan’s old room. Left cozy and ready for whenever he decided to come home.
I would not think about Peter. I would not think about Peter.
Weak.
And all work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy. Mantras didn’t work.
I glanced in the mirror and was horrified at my reflection. What I wouldn’t give to be prettier. Leda-style pretty, blond hair with wide eyes in a crazy shade of green. Instead, I was brown-on-brown. Mud-colored hair and mud-colored eyes. My features were even, reasonable, nothing there to stand and shout look at me! Why the hell was Kai so persistent in his pursuit?
Especially given the coffee-breath and greasy hair.
“If the shoe fits…” I muttered to myself.
I tried to pull myself together. One change of clothes and a whore’s bath later, I made my way back downstairs. How nice it would be to linger, to lock myself away for an hour of silence, instead of tracking my progress down each step and dreading what I would find.
Jeez, it wasn’t ten o’clock yet.
I peeked around the corner to the dining room. The long table was cleared from the previous night and each seat tucked beneath the wood in preparation for the big day. There were candles, and small bowls of decorative stones. Rose quartz. Fr
esh herbs, rosemary, and lavender sprays were arranged in glass vases wrapped with large canvas bows.
The plot thickened.
By the time I made it to the living room, I was determined to brush off my morning activities and act like nothing had happened. It was the only reasonable way to preserve my sanity.
Nolan glanced up from the couch, balancing a plate of scrambled eggs on his chest. Sleep had made a rat’s nest of his hair. “You got a late start today! I’m never up before you,” he said around a mouth full of food.
I ran my tongue along my teeth, feeling slobbish. “Yeah, my get-up-and-go left without me.”
A bite of muffin went into his mouth and he pointed to the clock on the mantel. A deliberate tease.
“I know what time it is, dude, thanks.” My stomach protested when I glanced at his plate, the muffin looking like a boulder and the eggs a puddle of goop. “Where is everyone?” We hadn’t been upstairs for long. Where had they gone?
“In the kitchen planning our activities for the day.” Nolan rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to think about what horrors await. What happened to snoozing until noon? Or binge-watching movies and stuffing our faces with pizza? Real vacation stuff.”
“Yawn.” I crossed the room, plopping down on the opposite side of the couch and sliding my cold feet underneath him. He didn’t complain.
“There’s hardly any breakfast left for you. I wonder how you’re going to make it the rest of the day without eating.” He laughed through a mouthful of food, crumbs making a break for it and tumbling toward his belly button.
“If it’s too late for me to eat then it’s past time for you to scold me.” I reached across and grabbed Nolan’s cup from the coffee table. Winced when I took my first sip and it wasn’t what I was expecting. “How are you drinking this?” I fought against the urge to gag.
His eyes widened. Innocent. “What?” he asked. “Hot chocolate is the perfect thing for a cold day.”
“I forgot about your sweet tooth. Yuck.” I replaced the cup and hooked my hands in the pockets of my sweater. “Remind me to keep to my own mugs after this.”