His amber eyes met hers, understanding lit there. “You don’t have to do this, Liz,” he murmured, an honest sincerity in his voice that broke her heart.
Right now, they didn’t have any time to argue. She didn’t have time to hide behind the walls she’d built after a lifetime of loneliness. Only the earnest truth would convince him to go, because the stubborn ass would sacrifice himself rather than pushing her toward anything she didn’t want.
“I want to.” The words came out in a quiet murmur, but his eyes widened. At that, arguments dried, and she tightened her grip on him as they cut a path away from the Lotus Garden.
Chapter Sixteen
Fuck. Kieran’s chest squeezed with pain at every breath, and as the spins hit him again, his foot rolled to the side, causing another halt in their progress. Liz didn’t complain once, just readjusted their stance as they staggered down another alley farther away from the casino. He tried to steer his focus ahead, but with the way he leaked blood, he barely noticed where he stepped let alone what street they might be on.
The boggart had leapt in, hell bent on sinking those claws into Trevor, but his best friend had been through far too much. Kieran didn’t hesitate to jump in the way. His throat tightened, his body screaming out in pain. The stark vulnerability in her words struck him speechless, something he’d never expected from Liz. Not from the woman who never let those iron gates fall.
With the way the world spun around him, it took several seconds to realize they’d stopped. Before he asked, Liz lowered to the ground and took him with her. He stared at the night sky, seeing the glistening stars through the slit between buildings, which made it clear they’d slipped into an alley. His back scraped against the bricks of the wall behind him, even though he barely felt the sensation compared to the mixture of numb and raw emanating from his shoulder. He winced, because every motion sent another agonizing sweep of pain shuddering through him.
Until her lips pressed on his.
He leaned into the kiss, tasting the nectar sweetness as it rolled through him like a balm. Despite the way his shoulder pulsed and leaked more dampness, the tentative scrape of her lips scourged his mind of everything but her nearness and the sharp citrus scent coiling around him. The heat surging through him every time their gazes met returned full force, as if he hadn’t been wounded in the middle of a fight. Because right now, his world consisted of Liz O’Brien kissing him in this alley, and he wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Her thighs pressed against his on either side as she crouched on her knees in front of him, so close he couldn’t stop his length from turning rock hard. She braced one of her hands against the wall while she tilted his chin up with the other to direct him. As much as he wanted to sweep her off her feet and slam her into the wall, right now he had a hard time getting his legs to cooperate. Yet as she swept the hot tip of her tongue in to explore his mouth further, tingling returned to his limbs while her chi flooded through him, healing him.
He leaned into the kiss as he began to regain strength, urged by the strokes of her tongue against his and how heat bloomed in the air between them. Despite the metallic stench of his blood and the cool mildew of the surrounding alley, Liz’s clean citrus scent ignited his veins. She was steel tempered in fire, unafraid to lend her strength. As much as Kieran wanted to be unique to her and wanted to share the intense pull of admiration and awe that swept through him any time they neared, if this was the closest he got, he’d take the memory. He’d treasure it.
She continued kissing him until she broke away to press those swollen lips against his jaw, then his neck, the subtle sweeps making him strain his jeans. All those careful movements to make sure she didn’t hurt him further after the number those claws had done. Screw that. He wanted her unrestrained and wild.
His hands circled around her waist, finding her waistband as he slipped his thumbs between the elastic of her panties, skating along her smooth as sin skin. She let out a low moan against his lips at the sensation, which encouraged him to go further. Her hoodie curved around those full breasts so perfectly he couldn’t wait to peel it off her body. If he had his way, she’d be panting and undone in a matter of minutes. At least if his damned shoulder would cooperate.
The more energy flowed between them, the more the blood stopped pouring out and the wound began to knit up and heal. He drew in the thick, oil-slick sheen as the chi between them multiplied by the second. Every time her lips touched his, the numbness and pain faded away until he became present in each time their skin grazed. Heat pooled between her legs as she pressed her body against his. He placed a hand on her shoulder to brace himself before tugging his shredded shirt up. She yanked it the rest of the way, tossing it onto the ground beside them.
He reached down to pop the button on her cargoes, enjoying the way black lace peeked out as the pants slipped down her hips. She kicked them off behind her, baring the silken skin of her legs apart from her Keds. His balls ached over how many times he’d gotten off to the sight of her in those tight shorts she wore around the RV and how his temperature spiked every time she flirted with him.
“God you’re gorgeous,” he purred in her ear, loving how she shivered against him.
“No need to sweet talk me, rockstar, I’m already there,” she murmured, thrusting her lace-clad core against him.
He swept his thumb over her sweet spot, feeling her wetness soak through her panties. “Well maybe I want you begging,” he whispered in her ear, leaning in to bite the lobe.
“Fat chance.” Her gaze glinted with wicked promises as she teased him.
In retaliation, Kieran dipped his fingers past her panties and found her tender clit. The smooth, steady strokes he applied had her breaths hot and heavy against his cheek until she plunged her tongue into his mouth to muffle the sound of her moans. He increased the tempo as she squirmed on top of him, arching her back. Wild strands of hair tumbled past her shoulders.
He’d forgotten all the pain from moments before at this point, focusing on the sheen of her lips, the flush of pleasure in her cheeks, and the way her body responded to his touch.
“You’ve got the control here, babe. I’ll stop as soon as you beg for it.” His grin widened, knowing the exact response he’d get. His girl was a fighter.
“Fuck off,” she ground out. Her words were cut off by her sharp moan as he plunged his fingers inside of her. Her body bucked against him, making his balls tighter and his dick harder. The urge to claim her rose with every heartbeat, but he fought it down. He wanted this time between them to be as unforgettable for her as it would be for him.
“I can go at this for hours,” he teased, moving his fingers in her faster as he began stroking her clit with his thumb. She shot him a glare as she fought the moans slipping past her and arched her back in response. Her slick pussy tightened around his fingers, signaling she was close to spilling over the edge. Her hands wandered down until she fumbled with the zipper of his pants, determination in her hot gaze.
In response, Kieran worked her faster, disrupting her focus. She managed to pull the zipper, shifting down his jeans, but once his erection popped free, a low groan slipped from her lips. Her breaths hitched, and her nails dug into his shoulders as she came, her pussy tightening around his fingers with her climax. The glow of her hazel eyes as she looked at him and the way her cheeks were flush with pleasure branded into his mind, amplifying the desire to bury into her.
Her lips descended on his with a languid enjoyment as she radiated from her orgasm. He removed his fingers to grab the zipper on her hoodie, tugging down. She shrugged it off her shoulders as his hands went for the tank she wore, doing away with that and snapping her bra open next. Rather than helping him, she went straight for his jeans, tugging them farther down his legs. The moment she pressed her hot, wet core against his shaft, his balls squeezed tight, and he needed to restrain himself.
“Sorry, rockstar, this girl doesn’t beg.” She’d tossed the kid gloves away, not afraid of him tee
tering on the edge anymore. Her eyes glinted with ferocity, one strengthening his need for her. Her hands clapped on his shoulders, and without hesitation, she lowered herself onto him.
He plunged into the hot heat of her with a slick glide. He’d fantasized over this for so long, and yet none of those imaginings came close to the real thing. To the sweat rolling down his arms as he thrusted into her, to the thick tension in the air between them, and even to the harsh scrape of the asphalt and brick behind him, keeping him present. Liz’s breasts bounced with the movement, the creamy skin so enticing. Kieran leaned up, cupping one and squeezing tight before grazing the pebbled tip of her nipple with his teeth.
Another moan slipped past her lips, the bliss clear on her face as she closed her eyes and sank into the undulating motion of their bodies crashing together. His energy returned to him in a fierce way, flooding through with renewed intensity. He slid his hands along her hourglass waist, gripping her hips before he cupped her ass. Her eyes fluttered open in surprise as he clenched her tight to him while buried into her and lifted them both off the ground, rising to his feet.
She twined her legs around his waist once he lifted them off the ground, her heels digging into his ass. Kieran spun her around to slam her against the brick wall before thrusting into her all over again. She let out a surprised squeak that elicited a smile from Kieran. The wildness she stirred in him unleashed as he plunged into her, again, and again, and again. Liz leaned up, her lips meeting his in desperation as she clenched tighter around his length. The way she squeezed around him drove him crazy, closer to the brink.
She scored his back with her nails and scraped his lower lip with teeth as she bit down, the gleam in her eyes playful and fierce. He could do this dance with her forever. He got drunk on the heady air between them and the ecstasy that surged through his body every time he crashed into her. She stirred an intoxicating frenzy of emotions inside him. He cupped her ass, gripping onto her as he quickened his pace. Her pussy pulsed as she neared her climax, and his balls tightened again so close to spilling into her.
Her lips grazed his neck while his buried into her glossy chestnut locks. Sweat rolled down his back, drops prickling along his arms. She tilted her hips up as a scream ripped from her throat—her pussy squeezing his length when she climaxed again. The sound of her calling out his name pushed him over. The hot stream spurted from him with an urgency he couldn’t halt as he emptied into her. After the first wave, several aftershocks rocked through him to the point his nails dug into her ass while he leaned against her body, keeping them upright.
Liz twined her arms around his neck, and she sank against him to deliver a long, lingering kiss while they both shuddered in the aftermath, sweat slicked and messy. He sank into the kiss, savoring the honey of her lips and the slight metallic tinge from where she’d drawn blood. Pressed against her like this in the softness of what culminated between them, Kieran didn’t want to pull away. Didn’t want the moment to break.
Liz slid out of his grip first, landing on her feet with the thud of her Keds he’d never removed. She sagged against the brick wall with a small smile as she tugged her panties up and began zipping her cargoes back on. Kieran ran a hand through his hair, because it was either that or run his hands along her exposed breasts to her hips and take her all over again. And Winter’s breath, he wanted to. The way her hazel eyes glowed with satisfaction set his chest thrumming with pride and revved his engine in the perfect way.
Except this hadn’t been about the dawning of something breathtaking between them. He’d gotten fucked up by a boggart at the club, and Liz bit the bullet to heal him. Nothing like a pity fuck to throw a bucket of ice on the afterglow.
“How’re you feeling?” Liz asked as she zipped her hoodie up. “Is your wound all healed now?”
Yeah, that sliced straight into the ego. This back alley heat had been a quick-fix, nothing more. When it came to Liz, he did the chasing and always would. No matter how much he fabricated something real and lasting, they had a lot of lust percolating, and she’d thrown him a bone.
“Just dandy.” He slipped his bloodied shirt on and wrinkled his nose at the mess the asshole boggart made of his favorite leather. “Thanks for your civic duty, Florence Nightingale.”
Her eyes narrowed as she slipped her hands into her pockets, the hunch to her shoulders signaling her defenses were back in place. “You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Besides, we were both overdue for a bit of fun.” Liz’s voice took on the too calm tone she got when she glided in superficial mode, where she shielded herself from the rest of the world, which happened to be most cases. And right now, it set his blood boiling.
“Can’t have anyone thinking you’ve got real emotions, can you.” He regretted the words once they came out, but he couldn’t help himself. Right now, he wanted to cross the space between them, throw his arms around her, and kiss her senseless, but even he felt the distance she’d placed between them the second they finished. Every time he got a glimpse of the real girl behind all the calm coolness, she locked her doors tight.
“Fuck you,” she said, her gaze flashing as she stormed out of the alley.
“Goddamnit.” Kieran trailed off, leaning against the brick wall they’d been slamming against moments before in the exact passion he’d longed for. Well, he’d wanted an emotional response—he’d gotten it.
Chapter Seventeen
The mood at the RV was dismal.
Liz didn’t contribute much to the atmosphere either. After the break in her dry spell and the unforgettable orgasms she had with Kieran, she should’ve been riding the high. However, the moment she’d asked about his wound he’d gotten edgy, and not until after he’d pissed her off to kingdom come did she figure why her inquiry might’ve landed the wrong way. Still, the man ran off at the mouth like such an asshole she wanted to punch him in the face. Even if she figured why he’d gotten pissy, the damage was done, and she’d closed up shop.
Because she didn’t have ‘real emotions.’ Yeah, she kept her shit on lockdown. Yeah, she didn’t air her vulnerabilities to the world. But the bastard didn’t understand how much she’d given to him, those soft moments between them she didn’t offer to anyone. So if he couldn’t take her like this, he could go fall in a ditch.
Kieran hadn’t returned yet, and she and Jett sat on the asphalt of the parking lot in silence while they both sorted out the tangle in their heads, avoiding the obvious emotional minefields of the night. Trevor stormed to his bunk in the back, and no one had the balls to go and drag him out. Even though her insides tingled in the wake of the way she’d crashed together with Kieran, the thought of him made her temper flare all over again. Jett took one look at the storm cloud expression on her face and knew better than to ask, one of the many reasons he was her best friend.
“So Danica headed home?” Liz asked, trying to regain some normalcy as they sat leaning against the huge tires of the RV.
Jett nodded. “And Renn’s out getting a nightcap while he stays visible around Chinatown. He’s been sending me updates.” He rolled his eyes, lifting his phone to pictures of some girl’s tits. “Generous, isn’t he.”
Liz snorted, glad for the distraction from the turmoil brewing inside her. She and Jett were both aboard the Closed Off Express heading to Avoidance Station. Kieran was nothing like them. He epitomized everything she avoided, all his raw, clear emotion exploding out into the stratosphere. And yet, she couldn’t get enough of him. Even as he enraged her, he pushed her past the coolness she’d erected, forcing her to reckon with things out in the open, and after years of stifling and suppressing her feelings, holy hell it was delicious.
“Renn’s not here, pass a cigarette,” Liz said, opening her palm in front of Jett.
He shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Buy a pack of your own for once.” Still, he plucked one from his pack and passed it over, pulling one for himself too. In minutes, embers blazed on the ends of their smokes, and the rush of nicotine hit her s
ystem.
“Can’t buy a pack, I’m quitting.” She smirked, knowing with the way she bummed smokes from the boys she’d fail at the endeavor for the thousandth time. Her gaze traveled the length of the lot, anticipation building in her chest. As much as she didn’t want to admit, she waited for Kieran to come into view, gearing up for the second they’d clash again. She craved his passion as much as these smokes.
After tonight though, she didn’t know where their future lay. All the tension between them, the constant flirting, led to their clashing together in the back alley. If he’d been pursuing her for the thrill of the chase, the fire would soon turn cold and die out. She’d seen the tail end of these sorts of things before and understood the allure of the unobtainable. However, the reverse would prove a hell of a lot deadlier. Because she’d also witnessed the depths of his courage and ferocity toward protecting his friends, and if what blossomed between them warranted even a fraction of that, she was in trouble.
She let out a slow exhale of smoke, watching as it drifted to the skies.
“Did you at least manage to get some information from anyone there?” Jett asked. “We’ve been pulling nothing but dead ends with this mess.”
Liz sucked in another drag from the cigarette to curb her bitterness. “Nada. We’d started talking with the dealer when the fight broke out. And you can sure as hell guarantee we won’t be welcomed back there any time soon.”
“Joy.” Jett slammed his fist to thump against the RV. “How’re you and Ky?” he asked, keeping his focus on the parking lot ahead of them since he knew the territory he skated.
“How are we ever?” Liz let out a sharp laugh. “At each other’s throats one way or another.”
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