Page 22 of These Wicked Desires

“I’m a huge fan of these, by the way,” he says, brushing his knuckles against the feathers peeking over my shoulder.

“Mmm. It definitely made things interesting. And I didn’t break your nose.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be the first time you’ve done that. Or the second.”

Heat creeps up my neck. “Hush and cuddle me.”

He chuckles again. “With pleasure, kitten.”

Cade

“You’re still beating yourself up about hurting Ellis, aren’t you?” Kai plops onto the couch next to me causing me to spill my bourbon all over myself.

“Dude! Seriously?” I set my glass down and pull off my shirt, grumbling the entire time about wasting alcohol.

Kai chuckles. “I just wanted you to take off your shirt.”

“You could have asked. Asshole.” I throw the wet shirt at him and he bats it away. “But to answer your question, yes. I am still beating myself up about it. And you would too if it had been you who hurt her.” Looking deep inside of myself, I can barely sense my magic. As soon as it hit Ellis, it recoiled so sharply it hurt my chest, like something was torn from me. If it weren’t for the fact I was able to heal her, I’d be afraid I’d lost it for good.

Ever since I met Ellis, my magic has grown more … intelligent and life-like. Almost as if there is a being living inside of me. Each day is something new, I feel like. It reaches out at random times to caress her or tuck a curl behind her ear without my say so. Now, it’s as if it's sulking inside of me, pissed that I used it to hurt her. Like I did it on purpose. I shudder at the thought. I’d never purposefully hurt her. I’d rip my own heart out before I ever did something like that.

Kai shrugs. “Probably. But if it makes you feel any better she’s up there fucking Sterling right now. So she’s clearly feeling better.”

My gaze snaps to the ceiling like I can see through it to the bedroom and my soul-bonded. “She is?”

“Based on the emotions floating down those stairs—and the sounds—yes. They are most definitely going at it.”

I glance at Kai to see him adjust himself, like he’s picking up things from his empath abilities he can’t contain. “Should we go join them?” I ask slowly.

Kai’s gray eyes study me for a moment, then he leans over and pushes me onto my back. “No, let’s give them some time alone. Sterling has a lot of catching up to do.” He brushes his lips over my neck and I instinctually tilt my head to the side. “Besides, it’s been awhile since it’s just been us.”

I shiver as he lightly trails his fangs over the sensitive skin of my throat. I try to think about the last time we did something just the two of us, but it’s hard with Kai’s weight on top of me. Honestly, I don’t think we’ve been together alone since Ellis came along. And a lot has changed between us in that time.

My heart kicks up at the thought of us messing around just because we want to. Not to help Kai get himself under control. Not because we know Ellis enjoys watching us. But just because we want to. What does that mean for us?

“You’re thinking awfully hard right now,” Kai murmurs, sliding his hands down my chest and abs to the waistband of my joggers.

He’s right, and I need to get out of my head before I start down a path I won’t be able to return from. I lean up, threading my hands into his hair, and kiss him. I’m not an empath like Kai, but I swear I can sense what he’s feeling through this kiss. It hits me deep in my soul and it makes me pull him harder against me.

His hand slips into my pants and he wraps his fingers around my length. I break the kiss and let my head fall back on the cushions as a groan escapes my throat.

Kai leans down and presses his lips to my pulse point. “You are so beautiful, Cade,” he whispers.

My breath catches and I squeeze my eyes shut, still not ready to go down that road. Right? Maybe I am ready. Kai pulls me out of my thoughts again when he stands, taking his little bit of body heat with him. I snap my eyes open, worried he picked up that emotion from me and didn’t like it. But instead of walking away, he’s tugging his clothes off and heading to the bag by the door. The one no one ever unpacked from our night by the lake with Ellis. He fishes out the bottle of lube and returns, raising one brow at me still laying on the couch with my pants on.

I quickly lift my hips to remove them, tossing them to the floor with his clothes. Goosebumps break out over my skin as his heated gaze travels over me. I swear it’s like a brand on my skin everywhere he looks.

“That’s better,” he says, his words a soft growl.

I push up on my elbow and reach for his cock, the piercings on the underside slightly cooler than they would be on a human or shifter. A bead of precum forms on the crown and I lick it away, grinning at the sound that comes from Kai’s mouth. Never breaking eye contact, I suck his length into my mouth. Kai threads his fingers through my hair and grips the strands tightly, using it as leverage to set the pace he wants.

He never looks away from my gaze, and my heart stutters. What the fuck is happening? It’s been easy to push these feelings aside, to look at them from a different vantage point. Yes, I love Kai. I’ve loved Kai for a long time. He’s my brother. My best friend. He’s bonded to Ellis the same as I am.

It’s always been fun and exciting with us. Sometimes hot and steamy. But never emotional. And this feels emotional. The eye contact. The deep look of … adoration. It steals my breath and leaves me feeling like I’m standing on the edge of a precipice.

Kai’s hips slow and his chest rises on a rapid inhale. He pulls out, only to settle on top of me, between my legs. I watch him pour the lube into his palm and slick his hand up and down his length. When his gaze catches mine again, neither of us look away. It’s like I’m trapped under that piercing gray stare. I lift my knees to my chest, and Kai slowly pushes inside, both of us breathing heavily with limbs trembling. He stills once he’s all the way in, fingers digging into my hips hard enough to leave bruises. We stare at each other, lost in the moment and the feelings and the emotions.

“Kai,” I whisper.

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