by R. Lynn
“Yeah,” Iresh said as he rolled his eyes and walked away. “That’s not just serious, that’s weird.”
Kai watched him leave, wondering when the world would be balanced by Iresh finding love. When Iresh was out of sight, Kai went to his room and grabbed his guitar. Then went to find Sollara, knowing exactly where she would be. The library. She was so excited when she discovered that there were more books in existence than she had read. Any spare moment when they were not training, and Andrew was not showing her movies, she spent in the library.
He turned down the dark hallway leading to the library and his heart began to quicken. A smile made its way to his face and he shook his head. Will he ever be able to control his body when he was near her?
The night they had spent lying in each other's arms on the beach was almost always at the forefront of his mind. Every night he felt a void having to sleep alone. But tonight, tonight his arms would not ache to hold her. Tonight they would finally be able to relive that glorious night.
He turned the corner to the library and saw Sollara and Josiah sitting on the couch together. They were both looking at the same book. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. That guy never seemed to leave her alone. Almost every time that Kai saw Josiah it was in the presence of Sollara. His jealousy came out of check, and he forced himself to take three deep breaths before entering the library.
“Hey Baby,” Sollara greeted. When she noticed his tense demeanor, she shook her head and smiled.
“Hi Sollara. Hi Josiah,” He glared at the guy and crossed his arms.
The tone of Kai’s voice made Josiah suddenly aware of how close he was sitting to Sollara, and he quickly scooted to the opposite side of the couch.
“Hey Kai, we were just going over some rugby plays. Sollara had some good pointers for me.” He rushed his words, feeling the need to explain himself and did so in a pleading sort of way. “She uh, studied war, or something, and the strategy is similar to the game plays,” he tried to further explain.
Kai realized he was being foolish and softened his stance, allowing Josiah to relax as well.
“What's the guitar for?” Sollara asked, cheeky girl trying to change the subject.
“I have a surprise for you.”
Before he could blink she was by his side, saying goodbye to Josiah and pulling him out of the library. At the end of the hall she pushed him into a dark door arch and kissed him. He could feel his blood rise in temperature from her touch. A burning desire grew deep within his chest as her kiss hypnotized him. He was unconditionally, irrevocably in love with Sollara. He tried to focus on controlling his hands, but his passion outweighed his ability, and he found himself grabbing her bottom and pulling her close.
“Hey, keep that up and you will get us in trouble,” she managed to get out between labored breaths.
Watching her react to him made him feel whole. He smiled and kissed her blushed cheek. Her heartbeat rose, and breathing came harder. In turn, she managed to heighten his senses. Kai’s stomach flipped at the thought of making love to this flawless creature. Would he be able to stand the heat of such perfect ecstasy if her kiss alone weakened him so?
His blood was now at a boil, and he wanted her, badly. With every ounce of strength he had left, Kai pushed her away from him. She grinned at his weakness toward her.
“So what was the surprise you had for me?” she whispered seductively in his ear. Her sweet breath tickled his cheek and weakened his resolve. He couldn’t wait any longer so he grabbed her arm and pulled her after him to the room.
When they got to her room, he paused in front of the door blocking it from her view. Knowing he was up to something, she smiled and pushed him trying to get him to move. When he did she saw a hand made sign taped to the door that read: If I kiss the ground you walk on and shower you with roses, will you love me forever?
After reading it she turned to him offering a look of intrigue before pushing open the door to the room. She stopped when she saw the dozens of red roses hanging from the ceiling and foil-wrapped Kiss candies that covered the floor.
“Oh Kai, it’s so beautiful! You did all this for me? No one has ever done something like this for me before.” Tears quickly appeared.
“Sollara, I didn't mean to make you cry.”
She pulled back and put her finger on his lips. “I love it, silly.”
Her gentle laugh brought back a smile to his face. Picking up his guitar, he threw the strap over his shoulder and started playing her a song. He was nervous to sing the words, but his desire to please her took over. As his fingers slid over the frets of the guitar, he started to sing. Together the guitar and Kai performed the most sacred song in his world. A song for Sollara.
She closed her eyes and layback on her bed, listening to him play and sing. She pressed him to continue. The sweet smell of the roses somehow acted as harmony to his words.
When he finished, he put the guitar down and watched her face.
“Did you write that for me?” she asked.
He nodded in confirmation.
“I recognize the melody. I have heard you sing it before, haven't I?”
“I wrote it when I saw you in the field with Sugoi. You were so beautiful you took my breath away. I couldn't get you off my mind. That's why I had to find you no matter what, hence my coming to visit you as a lark,” he admitted.
She got up off the bed and walked over to the door. She gently closed it and turned to face him, back pressed to the door and looking at the floor. She bit her bottom lip and slowly raised her eyes to meet his.
The intensity of her gaze made Kai’s legs feel weak. He was afraid they wouldn’t hold his weight so he struggled to sit down, never taking his eyes off of Sollara.
“You are beautiful,” he announced, as his desire for her rose.
She stood pressed against the door biting on the tip of her finger inviting him to join her with her eyes. He rose from the chair, but his legs threatened to give out again. For moments they stood across the room from each other, gazing upon the other’s form. Taking small steps, closing the distance, his breathing was labored. Each step closer his desire grew. When his need for her finally took over, he grabbed her in his arms and carried her to the bed.
-43-
He wanted to explore her body, needed to. But he cared more about her than his need. Knowing he had to find a way to cool down, he focused his powers to create a ball of ice in his palm. She laughed when she realized what he was doing and placed her hand on top of his. She guided the ice over her exposed arm.
Suddenly, he could sense every inch of exposed flesh. Try as he might, he was failing miserably to focus his attention away from his burning desire. Instead, he set to observing how the water trickled over her as the heat of her skin melted the ice. When he traced the exposed flesh of her abdomen, she moaned and arched her back, pressing deeper into his icy touch.
As her need for him grew, she grabbed his neck, pulling his head down so their mouths could meet. His heart felt as though it stopped as her tongue demanded entry to his mouth. He was too weak to fight it and parted his lips, letting her run her tongue across his teeth. She withdrew it as he matched her need with his tongue.
A feeling, so deep it was beyond love, beyond passion, overtook him and he pulled her closer to him. White flames engulfed their bodies as they held each other. He drew further in, pushing her up against the headboard. Her legs wrapped around his torso. She arched her back, pressing her chest against his. Then she said the three words he had waited a lifetime to hear.
“I love you.”
He pulled his head back so he could see her face, gaze on her red hair.
“I love you too, Sollara.”
His words brought joyful tears. He used his cheek to wipe them off. She shuddered at his touch.
Her movements under him conjured intense emotions. After he dragged his tongue over her ear, he nibbled down her neck. With one hand he explored her stomach, and his other wrapped around her w
aist pulling her closer into him.
In soft-circled motions, his fingertips caressed her flesh moving ever downward as their lips met again for another embrace. His fingers came to rest on the top of her pants and then slipped underneath. But before he could go further she stopped him.
“Wait Kai… please... trust me I want this…but I want to do it the right way....” she managed through heavy breaths.
He rolled back from her and pressed his body against the side of the bed. “Of course Sollara. I’m so sorry. I’m an idiot! I told myself I want to do the right thing and respect you. But you have me so turned on that I let that get the best of me.” He slammed his palm against his forehead to punish himself for being stupid and putting his fleshly needs above what was best for her.
“I can tell,” she giggled.
His blue eyes locked with hers, grateful that she was lightening the tension with a joke. “That's it!” he retorted as he dove atop her and tickled her while simultaneously flipping her on to him.
They laughed and kissed and held each other far into the night. When they finally came to rest, their legs entangled and her head lay on his chest. Her hand traced the contours of his muscles, and he trailed his fingers over the warm soft skin of her lower back. Soon the white flames dwindled and sleep and contentment found them.
…“That nap was perfect,” Sollara moaned as she stretched her arms and yawned. Her body still tingled at the thought of his icy touch. Kai dramatically flopped his arm over her and pulled her back down to him. A smile came to her face as she watched him pretend to sleep. He was perfect, and wonderful. Because of that is had been so hard to stop him from advancing their physical relationship. She still couldn’t figure out why she asked him to stop, as her body wanted it to happen.
The only thing she could guess was, she felt the need to respect him, too. It was hard for her to describe, but he was not just an amazingly handsome man. He was the most caring, considerate, protective, generous person she had ever known. She laughed when she remembered the times when she didn’t trust him, and when she thought he was a liar and a jerk. How silly those assumptions seemed now.
Being with him, being held in his arms. Listening to his heartbeat, feeling his chest rise and fall under her head. All this made her forget about the many hurts and losses in her life. Such things like not knowing her parents, her neglected upbringing, and the death of her closest friend, Asima. Now the only thing that brought her any pain was the thought of losing him.
“Hey baby,” he whispered in her ear, his voice still groggy from being asleep.
She smiled at him and watched as he opened his eyes. They were so bright and alive, bluer than she had ever seen them.
“Morning,” she blushed. Just looking at him made her temperature rise. He was striking.
“Let’s get something to eat and go to the Library. You can read me a book that you like before we have to go to training,” he suggested.
“That sounds perfect.”
She surveyed his features as he hopped out of bed: bronze skin, golden hair, chiseled muscles, tight behind. She giggled to herself.
“What's so funny?” he asked.
“I was just thinking it was funny that I can appreciate someone's bottom so much.”
“Hey, no fair!” he said as he jumped around turning his backside from her and exposing his front. Her eyes widened at the new focal point and a blush made its way to her cheeks. He pursed his lips and made a noise indicating she was being naughty. Then picked up a pillow and held it in front of his pants.
“Phew, that was a close one!” she said.
He cocked an eyebrow as if to ask what she was talking about.
“It was getting hard to not jump the hot guy standing in front of me,” she teased.
He looked at her and gave a mischievous smile before pretending to pull his pants off. She jumped out of bed and slapped him on the butt as she hurried past him to the bathroom to get changed.
-44-
Laora had been watching Sollara for many days now, learning what she did and whom she did it with. What she saw of Sollara’s boyfriend she really liked. She would enjoy Mari’s orders more than she had thought.
She sat behind a bookcase in the Library watching Sollara chat with her mouth-watering man.
“He has to like you. Why else is he always around?” Kai asked.
“Sweetheart, Josiah does not like me. He is madly in love with Hannah. Everyone knows it but Hannah and apparently you. Stop being so jealous.”
Laora hated watching the crab Sollara talk so rudely to her scrumptious man. She hated even more watching her tickle his side. But watch she did, until Sollara and Kai left the library in different directions with an agreement to meet at training. Laora had been wracking her brain, trying to think of a way to infiltrate and get Sollara. And after watching them at the library, a plan started to form. She hurried out in search of Josiah.
When she saw him coming down the hall, she slipped into a side room and took the form of Hannah. “Hey Josiah,” she squealed, in the most Hannah-like tone she could muster.
“Hey Hannah, how are you today? I didn't know you’d returned from the party already. I thought you stayed with the other guys,” he replied as he leaned against a wall to talk to her.
She mentally kicked herself for not finding out what Hannah had been up to before taking her form. Now she had to think of something on the spot.
“Uh, I took a cab home early. I was tired.” She pressed her arms together trying to expose as much cleavage as she could.
“Ah,” he laughed, as he tried to be respectful and not look anywhere but her eyes. Laora could tell he really liked Hannah. In fact, she would even guess he loved Hannahhis eyes seemed to overflow with love the way he looked at her.
“Hey listen Josiah, I want you to go to Kai and tell him to wait for Sollara in her car. Tell him she told you that she changed her mind and doesn't want to wait,” she said as she ran her fingers over his chest.
“Why wouldn't Sollara tell him herself? Why does she need us?” Josiah asked, his voice and breathing reflecting his building excitement.
“Because she told me she was hoping that if the two of us helped them in their romance, that maybe it will help us in getting a romance of our own.” At that she leaned forward and gently kissed his lips. He stood frozen in shock and did not return the kiss. Laora knew she would have to do something extreme so she grabbed his hand and led him into a broom closet.
Laora did things in the closet that even she was not proud of. The whole time, she didn't let him kiss her. Instead, she pleasured him in many other ways. Her next kiss was being saved for Sollara’s mouth-watering man.
“Hannah, I had no idea you felt this way about me. I have liked you for years,” he confessed as he gently stroked her face.
Laora cringedshe knew what men did after being pleasured. It was the time when they spilled their deepest secrets, and she really didn’t care to hear how much Josiah loved Hannah. So she tuned him out and plastered a fake smile on her face.
When he finally finished, she made sure he would do what she had asked. “So can you tell Kai what I asked you? And if you are a good boy, I will come to you again tonight.” That was all she needed to say. Josiah had taken the bait. He quickly pulled himself together and left to find Kai.
Now all Laora had to do was distract Sollara. She stayed as Hannah and went out to find Sollara.
“Hey Hannah,” Sollara said as Laora entered the room.
“Hey Sollara, I found this note from Kai. It tells you to go to Phoebe’s office. Something about he had to go away, but he couldn’t explain any more than that. But being with Phoebe should help you. He also says he doesn't know when or if he will come back.” Laora worked to hold back her smile as she watched Sollara’s face drop. She snatched the note out of Laora’s hand to see for herself.
“Why? Why would he do this now? I just don't get it….” Sollara murmured to herself as she headed to
Phoebe’s office.
Laora’s plan was fast in motion. It had been easier than she had expected to convince Sollara that Kai didn’t want her and that he had left her. Laora went upstairs to change into something sexy and wash Josiah's smell off of her. She wanted to smell fresh for Kai. When she finished getting ready, she hurried to where she had left him to wait. When she was out of distance of the school, and of Kai, she changed into the form of Sollara.
Sollara’s car was parked in a hidden cleft in the side of a hill. It was the perfect place for Laora to seduce Kai. When he saw her coming his face lit up. Good little boy waiting exactly where she had instructed Josiah to tell him.
“Hey, what made you change your mind?” he asked, his voice so full of love.
“Your hot body, what else!” she snickered.
He looked at her as though he didn't understand, confusion displayed prominently across his face. She didn't waste anytime, knowing she had to distract him from those thoughts before he figured something was different about Sollara.
Laora climbed into the car next to him and started undressing him. Her hands eagerly worked away until his delicious form sat exposed next to her.
He couldn’t be sure, but he thought her eyes looked different. There was intensity in them that he had never seen before. Her voice sounded deeper, darker. Maybe it was just the lust filled passion changing her, but for some reason he didn't feel comfortable.
“Sollara, are you sure you want to do this? What happened to waiting for the right time?” he asked, as he grabbed her hands and held them still.
“Kai, who knows what tomorrow brings. What if Mari kills one of us and we never get to experience the deepest passion? I decided why wait when we can be together now.” She knew he would take any excuse to hold her in his arms. She crawled up into his lap and started to undress. As she did, he gently kissed her exposed flesh.