Diane’s hand grazed his naked skin, and all Celise could do was stare. It mesmerized her, almost made her feel as if she was part of a striptease.
She wanted to touch him like that, too. She wanted to lean against him, feel the warmth of his skin against her cheek, and inhale his masculine scent.
Celise had a small glimpse of him yesterday when he’d thrown off his shirt during the examination. He’d done that plenty of times before, but she’d never dared to take a good look.
But she looked now …
It was impossible to tear her gaze away.
She wanted so badly to touch him, and shock rolled over her when Diane gave her an encouraging smile.
Calmness followed. She was finally allowed to touch the man she loved. Her whole body yearned for it.
Her hands reached for him as if in a trance. Celise stepped behind him, placing her fingers on his back, slowly guiding them around toward his hairless chest.
His muscles tensed when she made contact with his naked skin, and he inhaled deeply again. His skin was warm and soft over the fit muscles that made her fantasies go wild.
Wind groaned, and it filled her with hope as the temperature in her body rose. The bond didn’t seem to be objecting.
She took her time, slowly getting used to the feel of him. She could do this all day. She’d never grow tired of touching him.
Diane was watching her.
She looked away, and embarrassment flooded her, making her suddenly very aware of what she was doing, but the more time passed, the less she cared. Arousal made her burn like never before.
Celise wanted to take the next step and kiss him, but she didn’t dare. She didn’t want to risk hurting him again. Instead, she took a deep breath to gather courage and moved in front of Wind.
He remained still when she placed herself between his legs and wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes. She inhaled his amazing scent, allowing it to soothe her senses like a perfect perfume would do.
Wind didn’t hesitate and wrapped his arms around her, too.
Her heart clenched. Did he know it was her, or was he hoping she was Diane?
She opened her eyes when Diane tapped her arm. Reality slapped her in the face. This was not what they were supposed to be doing. She gave Diane a shy smile and moved away.
The understanding in Diane’s eyes never went away. She moved in front of Wind and leaned closer, her lips almost touching his.
Wind reacted to her presence. A gentle grin played on his lips, and his curiosity was unmistakable.
Diane leaned even closer but stopped. She seemed to hesitate as if she was nervous. When she finally kissed him, she only pressed her lips against his for a short second, and then stepped back.
Surprise filled Celise, but then it hit her. Diane had tried to fool the bond into thinking she was her.
Celise swallowed, realizing it was her turn.
She placed herself between Wind’s legs again, looking at his attractive face, but the growing fear refused to go away.
Would her kiss hurt him again? That was the last thing she wanted, but there was only one way to find out.
He seemed to get even more eager, as his grin widened. He searched for her hand.
She gave it to him, and he pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, giving her no other choice but to press her chest against his.
Her emotions went crazy from being this close to him. To feel his warm body and strong arms around her was like a drug. Without it, she longed for it, but with it, satisfaction followed, at least for a short while.
Celise tensed when he moved in for a kiss. He wasn’t able to see her. She had to meet him halfway, but she hesitated again. In her mind, she relived him writhing in pain, but his inviting lips were too tempting to resist.
She took a deep breath and prepared for the worst as she pressed her lips to his. The softness of them ignited her undying fire, but she didn’t dare to do more. Instead, she waited for the groan of pain she’d heard too many times by now, but seconds ticked by … and nothing.
Wind opened his mouth and deepened the kiss. The heat between her legs intensified when his tongue touched hers. The kiss was slow, gentle, but passionate like never before. It made her tingle all over.
Her throat tightened, made it difficult to breathe, but Celise didn’t mind. As long as he kept doing what he was doing, she’d be fine.
The haze his kiss pulled her into once again made her forget her shyness. Eagerness awakened within her instead. With each touch, with each gentle bite, or lick with his tongue, it became more and more difficult to stop.
She pressed herself so close to him as she possibly could, and he seemed just as unwilling to stop.
He pulled back and let out a deep groan that sent pleasure sweeping through her whole body.
Diane stood by Wind’s side, and Celise didn’t miss what she was doing. She touched him wherever she could reach, and when her hand moved to the inside of his thigh, he took a deep breath and shifted on the stool.
It made Celise look down. She gulped when she noticed his pants were strained from the temptation they were hiding. The sight sent her into a new level of arousal, especially when Diane grazed his sex with slow and sensual caresses.
Wind let out a shaky breath and parted his legs more to make it easier to be touched. His eagerness was difficult to miss when he clenched and unclenched his hands.
Celise hadn’t expected Diane to do that, especially not in front of her, and Wind’s reaction didn’t make it easier. Her sex clenched painfully, and her nipples hardened against the bra.
Before she was able to shake the surprise off, he was kissing her again. This time, the kiss was deeper, more intense, and filled with desire.
She couldn’t hold back her moan. Her hands grabbed Wind’s arms, gently squeezing his biceps to stop herself from jumping on his lap. It was becoming too much.
Wind’s hands explored her body, making skin contact wherever he could touch without undressing her. He made her feel like he actually wanted her, as if it was her who was turning him on.
Without warning, Wind ripped off the blindfold. Passion was written all over his face. Desire shone strongly in his gaze. “I knew it was you. I felt no pain or discomfort.” He kissed her again. He took control and demanded more, pushing his tongue into her mouth, and she felt him smile against her lips.
It filled her with joy.
Her happiness didn’t last long.
Wind suddenly pushed her away as if she’d burnt him. He groaned and flew off the stool. He bent over, supporting himself against the bed frame.
Diane was instantly by his side. “Wind?” Worry was written all over her face.
He raised a hand. “Give me a minute.” His voice sounded strained.
Neither Diane or Celise dared to move as he slowly recovered.
After a while, he exhaled audibly and straightened his back. Confusion sang in his eyes as he looked at Celise. “I don’t understand. I knew I was kissing you. Your touch felt different from Diane’s. I was turned on the way Diane’s touch turns me on.”
Disappointment filled Celise, but at the same time, she felt joy. It had worked, to a certain point.
“Do you want to try again? I’ll kiss you first, and we’ll see what will happen,” Diane said.
Wind hesitated, but after a short moment, he took a deep breath and nodded. “All right.” He sat on the stool and rewrapped the cloth around his head.
Diane moved closer and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was gentle and slow, filled with obvious sensual emotions that made Wind relax.
Celise tried to stay calm. The knowledge she’d caused him pain lingered in the back of her mind. They all had to go through this to save Wind, though. She had to forget it and move on. They had to try again … no matter what.
The feeling of awkwardness slowly washed away. In the past, when she’d seen them holding hands or kiss, an intense ache had filled her heart. Now, when she watc
hed them, she felt something completely different.
Arousal.
Wind’s hands lay on Diane’s hips as their tongues met in a kiss filled with love and devotion.
Celise could only imagine how difficult this had to be for them. She stared as the kiss grew deeper. She bit her lip; didn’t want to remind them of what Jade had told them about touching each other like this.
Diane eventually pulled away, with a hazy gaze and flushed cheeks. “Your turn.”
Celise swallowed and approached Wind.
His cheeks were flushed, too. His chest heaved as he breathed hard, and the arousal in his body was impossible to miss.
The shyness made her look away, but all she wanted was to touch him. There was so much of him to explore.
As he reached for her, his chest muscles worked. The appealing view made it almost impossible to keep her hands in check and not strip him in seconds.
He wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her against him. A gentle but tense smile played on his full lips as he waited.
Celise slightly pulled away. “Wind …”
His grip on her tightened. “Don’t worry. I’ll be all right shortly after if it doesn’t work.”
Celise nodded even if he couldn’t see it. She said a silent pray and pressed her lips against his, hoping for the best.
The first few seconds were nerve-wracking, but when Wind didn’t jerk away, hope awakened within her. Would it work this time?
He smiled against her lips as his arms pulled her closer. He wanted more, and she wanted to give him more, but if she deepened the kiss, things could turn bad again. Even if it was the last thing she wanted, she eventually pulled away.
Wind removed the cloth. “That went well.”
“Kiss him now, without the blindfold,” Diane said.
He tensed, and his smile faded. “Do it,” he encouraged, but his expression only tightened even more.
Celise hesitated. She didn’t like the apprehension in his eyes, but there was no other option. She braced herself and crushed her lips against Wind’s. A second later, she jumped back and stared at him, waiting for his pain.
Wind groaned and leaned forward, remaining like that for a while.
His pain filled her heart. She’d hurt him again. She hated it. She hated being the cause of his agony … over and over again. “I’m so sorry, Wind.”
He gave her a smile after righting himself. “It’s not your fault, Celise. Don’t ever think that. It’s just my bond that’s unwilling to let you in … yet.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him again, closing his arms around her. “But I can do this now.”
The deep gaze he gave her awakened butterflies in her stomach.
He caressed her hair as if to comfort her. “I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.”
CHAPTER 12
Celise entered the bedroom with a pounding heart. Wind walked in after her and closed the door. The sound made her jump.
They were alone now.
“Did you enjoy dinner?” he asked as he came closer.
Celise turned around and looked at him. “Yes. Diane is a good cook.”
He smiled. “Yes, she is. She enjoys cooking.”
“Do you?”
Wind shrugged. “I don’t mind it, but I can’t say it’s one of my favorite things to do.”
Celise gazed at the bed. She couldn’t help but notice that Wind was looking at it as well.
A gentle smile decorated his face, a smile that made her nerves grow.
It’d been a strange day. After the kissing game, they’d taken a break and had spent a few hours together, all three of them. They’d talked, laughed, and eaten as if nothing serious was going on. It had made them all relax, but night had finally fallen, and with it, the tension returned.
She’d brushed her teeth and taken care of her needs, and now, as she stood in front of him, the reality of what was about to happen sank in.
Her body trembled. She’d never touched him like that before. What they’d done earlier was nothing compared to what they would try to do now. “Do you really believe Diane is all right with this?”
“She is because she has to be.”
Celise could only nod, but the feeling that she was intruding refused to go away.
“Should we try to get some sleep?”
She tensed. “Just sleep, right?”
Excitement flashed in his eyes, and Celise could swear Wind had changed since yesterday.
He’d gone from being completely uninterested in a relationship with her, to not having anything against her touch. Was he starting to feel things for her? Like now, when she looked into his marvelous, aluminum-colored, shining eyes, she couldn’t help but wonder.
There was … something.
“Is that all you want?” he asked.
Celise held her breath. “Um … I don’t know. I mean … you’re not ready yet … are you?”
“We won’t know unless we try.”
She’d imagined many times what it’d be like to sleep with Wind, and now, the time had finally come. It felt surreal, and in her mind, Wind still belonged to Diane. Getting pass that was not easy.
He grabbed her shirt.
Celise jerked away. “What are you doing?”
“Undressing you.”
“What for?”
He chuckled. “So that we can … sleep.”
Heat traveled to her cheeks. “Oh.”
Wind moved closer, invading her personal space. “You’re so nervous. Are you afraid of me?”
She shook her head and swallowed. “No, it’s not that.”
“Please, tell me.”
His gentle voice was like the sweetest honey, caressing her chaotic emotions, calming her.
“Being this close to you—” Her words didn’t come easy. “What happened today is more than I could’ve ever asked for.”
He nodded. “Being finally touched by the one you love after so many years must be overwhelming.”
She cleared her throat. “You can say that.”
He studied her for a while without a word. He was thinking. About what, she couldn’t guess. “I have no idea how far we can take this, but let’s try one step at a time, and see where we’ll end up. If it doesn’t work tonight, if my eyes won’t flash, we can always try tomorrow or the day after that.”
Celise blinked. “You’re really willing to go through this, to make me your bound one, aren’t you?”
“Yes. I thought it’d take longer for me to reach this point. I thought it’d take weeks to feel what I feel now, but my bond has been more cooperative than I expected. Maybe it’s because we know each other, and maybe because I’ve kissed you on the cheek a few times in the past.”
Celise inhaled deeply as hope awakened within her. “What does your bond tell you now, compared to yesterday?”
Wind hesitated. “It doesn’t mind me touching you anymore. That’s always something, but kissing you is obviously not okay yet.” He lowered his gaze. “But I also feel like I’m not fair toward Diane. She’s in another room, well aware of what we’re about to do. It’s tearing me apart that she has to go through this even if we all agreed to this.”
Celise’s heart clenched. “I understand.” She looked down.
He put a finger under her chin, making her look at him. “You have the same look in your eyes you had yesterday when you thought I’m doing this only to survive.” He cupped her cheeks. “Please, trust me. That’s all I’m asking.”
She swallowed. “I trust you, I really do, but it’s hard when I know you’d rather be with Diane than me, and I don’t blame you for it.”
Hesitation lingered in his expression. “Something is pulling me to you now, Celise. Don’t you see it? I enjoy looking at you and holding you in my arms.”
She nodded, trying to see the positive in all this. “That sounds promising.”
“It does.” He nodded to the bed. “Shall we?”
Celise stared there again. Heat grew, ma
king her lower parts clench. Her body burned for his touch, but the image of a sad Diane was hard to put aside.
Somehow, she had to.
She wanted Wind badly. He’d been her whole world for so many years. Excitement had filled her every time she’d seen him, making her long for the times when she’d been invited over to examine him. Only then could she touch him, and now, here she was, about to do so much more.
When he grabbed her shirt a second time and stripped it off, she didn’t jerk away, but it made her more nervous than ever before. He draped the shirt on the stool.
Celise covered her breasts with her arms. She felt exposed even if most of her clothing was still on. At first, she didn’t dare to look at Wind. She didn’t want to see the lack of interest in his eyes. What if he didn’t like her body? She was shorter than most women and didn’t have a fit figure like Diane. Instead, she had a few pounds too much. Wasn’t overweight, but it was enough to make her feel uncomfortable.
He gave a reassuring smile before he grabbed her arms and turned her around.
She gasped when his hands went for her bra. Feeling him open it sent a shiver through her. She couldn’t help the squeak that fled her mouth as he tugged it off.
Wind wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. His hands traveled around her stomach and arms, feeling her.
The heat from his warm fingers against her naked skin was beyond amazing. “Shit,” she said, unable to stop herself.
He chuckled. “I’m not going to eat you.” He nipped at her earlobe, making her wince. “Well, maybe a little.”
Celise closed her eyes and rested her head against his shoulder. She loved being touched by him like this. It almost made her forget all her worries.
She allowed herself to drown in everything he was willing to give.
“I actually like this,” Wind said. “You have such soft and pale skin. My bond doesn’t mind at all. Strange, huh? Who would’ve guessed it’d be this easy, this fast.” His right hand went farther, toward the waistband of her black leggings. His fingertips slid in under them. “Do you want to find out if my bond will behave if I touch your pussy?”
Loved Cyborg (Bound by Her Book 2) Page 6