Kale tugged her to a stop. Leaning his back against a tree, he maneuvered until she leaned her weight against him. His arms wrapped tight about her waist and he rested his chin on her shoulder. “You’re different from other women I’ve been with.”
The low murmur tickled the skin at her nape. “How so?”
“Never mind.” She sensed more than felt his mental shrug.
Carolyn parted her lips to question, but the touch of his moist mouth at the juncture of her shoulder sent a shiver dancing down her spine. She tried to turn to face him, but Kale’s hands at her hips locked her in place. Teeth and lips nibbled their way up her neck.
Jeezus. Carolyn’s knees went weak and only Kale’s quick arm about her waist kept her upright. A timely placed kiss had her moaning aloud.
“W-we should...head back. Um...yesss.” The last ended on a whimper.
“I’m quite comfortable here.” Kale licked her ear and Carolyn gave up any attempt at propriety.
Kale loosened his left hand and eased it between her thighs. He palmed her mound through the dress and pressed his heel down. She arched up on a cry, hands flying behind her for balance. She twined her fingers about his neck.
“Are you aroused, Carolyn?” Came the husky mutter.
Heat blasted from her core. Couldn’t he tell? Why ask when his hand was right there? Her legs shifted, spread wide in a soundless demand for more. Kale clamped one firm thigh about hers, stilling the motion.
“Answer me.” His whisper stirred her hair at the roots.
“Yes! Damn you!”
“Mmm. Show me.”
Carolyn’s breath stuttered. Did he mean what she thought? She twisted her head about. His features were darkened, cheeks stained and his eyes glowed. Kale curled his fingers in the material of her dress. “Show me how wet you are, sweet Carolyn.”
He voiced the demand again in a low, husky tone. Her hips rocked. Her panties weren’t wet. They were soaked. She bit her lip and glanced around. Nothing and no one about.
“You’re safe with me,” Kale added and stroked her torso with his right hand.
“Right. Okay.” Carolyn trusted Kale like she’d trusted no other. Giving in to the sensuous air he created, she lowered her arms and raised the hem of the skirt, revealing her thighs. The lace of her black underwear appeared next.
Kale groaned. His left hand immediately came back over the front panel of her panties. “Take these off.”
Carolyn swallowed. He was slowly killing her. She hooked her thumbs in the side bands and wiggled because he refused to move or help. The strength of his possession sent another shiver racing up her spine as she kicked the underwear from her ankle.
“Hold this for me why don’t you?” He fisted part of her skirt.
Carolyn blindly obeyed, fingers twisting the material high. Her privates were displayed for his hungry gaze. He groaned and nipped at her shoulder. “Fucking sexy, sweetling.”
Oh, God, oh, God, she mentally chanted. Her heart drummed a determined beat in her chest, thighs slick with the arousal he created. His hand resumed its position on her mound. Without hesitation his thick middle finger parted her folds and slid in.
Carolyn jolted from the penetration, her inner walls convulsed to lock the digit in place. Sensations sparked her nerves all over. “Kale.”
“Right here. So soft. Wet. All for me.”
She rocked her hips, allowing her eyes to fall close. What he was doing as his finger dipped in and out felt too good. “All for you, Kale.”
Another finger joined, adding to the fullness. His thumb tapped her clit in its own pulsing beat.
Carolyn’s head lolled back on his chest, moaning. She was going to die. In the woods.
From an orgasm.
“You’re not going to die.” Kale’s voice rolled over her, filled with humor.
Apparently, she’d spoken aloud. And he was right.
She didn’t die, but it certainly felt like it.
Chapter 13
The walk refreshed Carolyn. Or the make out session in the forest floor did. Whichever it was, she felt like she could walk on air. She performed a small pirouette in the uber kitchen. Not as grand as the one at Kale’s estate, but it still contained top of the line appliances and fixtures. She expected no less from the man who was slowly capturing her heart.
Warm arms wrapped around her from behind. A solid chest braced against her back. Kale leaned down and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Light puffs of air danced across her skin each time he breathed.
Carolyn allowed her weight to relax, secure in the knowledge he’d catch her. The hands at her waist tightened, his hips snuggled up to her behind. The persistent throb of his arousal acted as an unnecessary reminder that she’d teased him without mercy in the woods.
“What are you doing?” His voice was a husky murmur that left her shivering.
Carolyn took a moment to compose herself. “I’m fixing us a quick lunch.”
“I can feed you.”
One arm moved from her waist, but Carolyn caught it.
“No magic. No floating,” she emphasized. “I’m just making a salad. Easy and simple.” She wanted to do something for him.
“I’m not hungry for food.” He nuzzled her nape. Sniffing her?
Carolyn clamped her jean clad thighs together. “Well, I need sustenance.”
And while she liked to believe she could live on sex alone, it just wasn’t true. Her stomach agreed. Kale kissed her on the ear and stepped back.
Carolyn glanced over her shoulder, surprised at his acquiescence. With his elbows propped on the counter behind him and legs crossed at the ankle, he could have been any man in the kitchen watching a woman cook.
But Kale was so much more. The slash of his brows, the glowing gold eyes and the rough edge that vibrated on the air around him all spoke of a man not to anger. Despite the kindness he’d shown her. The tenderness. He was a very dangerous and powerful lover. She’d be a fool to forget.
“What are you thinking?” The very same gold eyes narrowed.
Carolyn forced herself to turn back toward the head of lettuce and solitary tomato. A search in the walnut cabinets above the sink produced a beautiful glass bowl with painted flowers almost too beautiful to eat from.
“Carolyn?” His voice lowered to a rumble.
And damn if she didn’t get wet. Double damn. Carolyn ruthlessly shredded the lettuce. “You’re a dangerous man.”
“Yes.” Succinct.
She glanced over her shoulder to see he watched her with his unnerving stare. “Not a slight hesitation in there, huh?”
His brow rose. “Why would I? Lies serve no purpose between us, Carolyn.”
He was right, of course. Doubts flickered. She faced forward and tossed the lettuce in the bowl. “You sure you don’t want anything to eat?”
“I told you I don’t eat much.”
Because he was djinn. Aside from what he’d shared with her, what she knew of his kind came from stories. Fairy tales. Stories of men stuck in bottles forced to grant wishes. She wondered if he ever did it for fun.
“Do you grant wishes for people?”
“No.”
He sounded so serious she decided to tease a little. “Would you for me?”
As soon as she asked the question, Carolyn wanted to take it back. Only Kale continued to stare at her, one brow quirked, still maintaining his pose. “Do you have a wish?”
“Of course not.”
His stare made her want to run screaming back to the room they’d shared earlier. Carolyn shifted on her feet but his gaze never left hers. Sweat dotted her upper lip. The air changed. Became taught with menace. Her pulse sped up and she found herself tugging on the edge of her shirt, not knowing why her skin felt too tight.
She’d said something drastically wrong. Felt it in her bones.
When his mouth curved, Carolyn snapped. “Stop!”
“I haven’t done anything.”
Jerk. She spun a
round and grabbed the knife to dice her tomato. Still the feeling of dread followed. Her shoulders tensed until the tops touched her ears. The hair on the nape of her neck tingled. He was doing something. Something with the intent to harm her on purpose.
“Kale, please.” Carolyn didn’t know what she begged for. Anything to end the awful feeling flooding the kitchen.
Whispers echoed around her. Dark, taunting whispers followed by an eerie laugh. Her heart thumped in her chest. Carolyn chopped faster. Her finger burned an instant later. She shrieked at the sizzling pain.
“Fuck.” Kale was at her side and pulled her away from the counter. He ripped the knife from her clenched fingers and tossed it in the sink. Blood dripped on the granite to mingle with the pulp of the tomato she’d demolished.
Tears welled but Carolyn blinked them away and jerked from his touch.
“Carolyn.”
She ignored the bite in his voice when he called her name. Her steps quickened toward the doorway. All she wanted to do was get out of the kitchen. Away from him.
Firm hands came down on her shoulders, halting her exit and turning her around.
“I’m sorry.”
She punched on his chest with her undamaged hand. Kale yanked her tight. Her face was pressed into the clean smelling cotton of his tee shirt. He ran his hand over her hair. “So fucking sorry.”
Kale continued to make soothing sounds as he held her in his arms and rocked gently.
Carolyn sniffed, uncaring that she left damp patches on his shirt as well as a few blood stains. “Why’d you do that? You scared me.”
His chest rose and fell beneath her cheek. When he leaned back, she tipped her head up. Kale touched his lips to hers. “I was angry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
His hand traced down her arm until he held her right hand between them. He pursed his lips and blew a stream of air. The blood running down her wrist disappeared. The small cut on her pointer finger mended until there was nothing left. The pain of the small wound faded.
Kale let her hand go and placed his mouth on her forehead. His lips moved but she couldn’t make out the words.
Her skin tingled. As soon as he released her, Carolyn scratched her inner elbow. “What’d you do?”
“A small protection spell.” He grasped her hand and studied it a moment longer. His lips placed a final kiss on her now healed finger.
“What does it do?”
His warm chuckle poured over her. Kale stepped away and with a hand at the small of her back, directed her towards the sofa. “Exactly what it says. It’s to protect you from small hurts. I don’t like to see you hurt, Carolyn.”
His tone was dead serious, golden eyes ablaze with possession.
“You have a funny way of showing it.”
Kale’s mouth turned down in the corners. “Isolde used to ask me to grant her wishes all the time. I would have done anything to make her happy.”
Carolyn couldn’t imagine. “What happened to her? How did she die?”
“Her husband killed her.”
Her breath caught. Kale used his finger to knuckle her chin. “This bothers you.”
Well, kinda. Then again, maybe she deserved killing. After all, she’d sold Kale into a form of slavery. “I can see how it wouldn’t have made you sympathetic toward her.”
Kale heaved a sigh and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “She cheated on him and he caught her in bed with another man. He strangled her. I must have been blind to her faults. She slept with plenty of men but I had no idea. She took great pleasure in enlightening me right before I was trapped in that ring. I’m not that same gullible young man any more.”
Carolyn sucked her teeth. What did she really know about Kale Serano? He’d whisked her away to a romantic hideaway. She was a fool for believing it was more.
“You’re not a fool.”
Carolyn gasped. “You read minds?”
“No. You have an expressive face.”
He tugged her to sit by him on the sofa. Carolyn gave in. Kale stretched out on the cushions and pulled until her back nestled along his chest.
“I told you earlier that I feel...feel something for you. Something I haven’t felt for a woman in years. Centuries. I want you to the point of obsession. You, a mere human.”
“Thank you very much.”
He smirked and twined a strand of her hair around his finger. “Your question combined with this new emotion caused me to react badly. Accept my apology?”
She turned over her shoulder to study his expression. It was the gruffest, most sincere apology Carolyn had ever received. “Accepted. But don’t do it again,” she warned.
Gold eyes blazed. “I will never hurt you again, Carolyn. You have my promise.”
A promise from this man was weighty.
“If you don’t want to see me hurt, why don’t I warrant a big protection spell?” To lessen the intensity of the moment, she spread her arms as far apart as possible. “I’d like to request a protection spell at least this big, please.”
When his lips curved up in a small smile her heart nearly burst from her chest. Who was she kidding? It was too late to save herself. She loved him so much it was almost a physical ache.
“You don’t tolerate my magic very well.”
What? Her hands dropped as he pulled her to the side of him so they lay facing one another. Now she didn’t have to crane her neck. “What do you mean I don’t tolerate your magic? I ate the breakfast you magically cooked. I wore that dress you magically brought from the house.”
A beautiful dress too. Her cheeks burned when she thought about the reason why he’d had to replace the clothes she’d worn earlier.
Kale threw his arm along the back of the sofa and settled her between his legs with the other. When he leaned back, her weight nestled perfectly against his large chest. She loved when he snuggled with her.
“Not all the time.” His left hand tugged on her arm, his fingers gliding over her skin to rest on the dip between her elbow. “When I use my magic on you directly, I noticed you develop a rash. Like this.”
His thumb brushed over the small red spot she’d scratched earlier. He placed her arm on the top of his thigh but his hand continued on until his warm palm rested on her belly. “Sometimes it makes your stomach queasy. Here.”
Carolyn stiffened. Like when he’d lifted her in the air and twirled her. She’d thought it was dizziness. “What does that mean?”
His hand drifted down her torso, fingers teasing the waist of her pants. “That I need to be careful with you and magic.”
Oh. Well if that was all, she wasn’t that worried.
He kissed the top of her head. “I’d like to make it up to you.”
“Okay.” Her agreement didn’t require a lot of thought. Carolyn snagged the remote and turned on the huge flat screen TV.
“We’re watching the television, I assume.”
Carolyn ducked her head to hide her grin. “Mmm.”
“And what exactly are we watching?”
It was a heady feeling to have this powerful man indebted to her. Carolyn focused on the guide channel and made her selection. Her all time favorite movie was just starting.
Kale inhaled deeply behind her. “Fuck. Are you serious?”
His tone made no effort to hide how appalled he was. Carolyn loved romance movies. The sappier the better. This one was the sappiest. She settled in, fully prepared to enjoy. “You wanted to make up for your earlier nastiness. We’re watching my favorite movie. Together.”
***
Kale had other plans. With utmost control he stopped the groan from escaping when she chose the movie. A weak story of love. As if he’d watch such nonsense. His hand dipped beneath her jeans. Skimmed the front edge of her panties.
She jerked but her eyes stayed glued to the screen.
Fine. He’d play. Djinn loved playing games. Especially games of chicken to see who’d crack first.
His mouth planted a kiss on the swirl of her
ear. Kale kept his mouth open slightly so she’d feel each breath he took.
Goosebumps broke out on her shoulder.
“Are you getting wet, Carolyn?” She was drenched. He could smell her essence.
“N-not at all. I like this part.” The hand holding the remote shook until she had to sit it on the cushions by his thigh.
Kale stifled his laughter. He undid the button beneath his fingers and eased her zipper down. More room to play.
“Look, Sara’s about to kiss Mike for the first time.”
Kale mouth curved upward, not interested in the least. His fingers stroked. “I like this part too,” he murmured leaving no doubt to what part he referred as his finger swiped through her dampness.
Kale gave her credit. She focused on the movie as if she’d never seen it before. The truth however was in her body’s reaction. Physically he had every bit of her attention. At first, it was subtle, the rocking of her hips. Then slight whimpers slid from her parted lips.
“Are you alright, Carolyn?”
She shivered in his arms. What a true delight. Kale penetrated her with one finger. Then another. She clamped down tight and this time he clearly heard the moan she couldn’t hold back.
“Kaaale, th-this is a good movie.”
“Mmm,” he hummed under his breath and gave up all pretense. An easy flip had their positions reversed. Carolyn under him, her curves molding to his hard frame above her. Her lids were half lowered. Her cheeks flushed a rosy red. Even her parted lips drew him.
Desire surged. Unlike earlier, the intensity shook him.
He pushed up and balanced his weight on his forearms. Power swelled beneath his skin. His very nature demanded he take her. Ruthlessly. All consuming.
Take her in a way no other man could ever replace him.
Carolyn cupped his jaw, her look one of tenderness. “What is it, Kale?”
The djinn in him needed to claim her. Mark her as his. How did he explain the raw need driving him to make her his? “I want you. What I’m feeling is—”
He didn’t finish. How to put in words the possessive need riding him? She brushed the hair from his forehead. “It’s okay. You won’t hurt me.”
Kale thrust roughly and her thighs tightened at his waist. “I want to make you mind. I don’t want another to even look at you.”
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