Page 74 of Bind Me

His lips are on mine again, and I kiss him hungrily, my body flushed with emotions, with desire, with confusion. Yet I don’t pull away. I can’t because, for those few moments, I let myself believe that this is a perfect world where I have no past, where time stands still, and where all my worries have vanished. Where it’s Kaden and me, and nothing else matters.

He gives a low grunt as his tentacles wrap tighter around me, as though he can’t get close enough to me.

I absolutely adore that feeling of being wanted. Letting myself relax completely, I push aside those nagging thoughts that I’m making a mistake.

He’s encasing me completely, those suckers pulling at my skin as if he’s trying to drag me under the surface—something I’m not resisting because I wanted this. I sink into cracks in my mind where I’m broken, and with his kisses sailing to my neck, his breath whispering in my ear like a breeze out at sea, I feel whole.

I close my eyes, clinging to him as his mouth traces the curve of my neck. My body shudders with primal desperation, my thighs clenching tightly. In those few moments where I only inhale him, I swear I’m out in the middle of the ocean.

Free.

His arms and tentacles move over my body like the embrace of the sea. It’s as if nothing else exists. The world and all its chaos fade away, leaving just the two of us.

Kaden’s touch sends ripples of warmth through me. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating, like diving into the deep without knowing what lies beneath.

Those tempting lips travel along my skin, and I’m floating, suspended in this perfect moment.

His gaze searches mine. “I’ve got you,” he whispers.

I moan in response, barely able to take a breath from the emotions he’s stirring within me.

“You’re every fucking thing I crave,” he continues.

I see his smile as he pulls back, our faces still close. It’s hard not to fall head over heels when he’s the most beautiful man in the world. His features are sharp and defined, like a marble statue, and there’s sin in his expression when he studies me. Those vibrant blue eyes remind me of lapping waters on the shore in a tropical ocean… where I want to lose myself.

“You know your eye color changes in various blues,” I say, breathless, still caught in his arms, my heart skipping a beat as his tentacles roam over me. “Or am I imagining things?”

Two of his limbs swoop beneath my ass, lifting me off my feet to meet him face to face. My hands are plastered to his rock-hard chest. His eyes glimmer as he leans forward, brushing his lips across mine.

“They follow my mood. The happier I am, the lighter they get. You can see for yourself what you do to me, the sheer amount of joy you’ve brought me.”

“I guess it will show me when you’re in a dark mood, too, then?”

He grins ominously. And instead of drawing away, he runs his tongue over the seam of my mouth in a dominating, claiming move.

I’m trembling from his earlier words, from the thrill of his commanding actions—a confident man who takes exactly what he wants… Me.

“Come, my little mermaid,” he purrs, a seductive whisper that sends a hungry tremble down my back. “Let me show you how it feels to be loved by a kraken.”

Before I can respond, he pulls me tighter against him, his arms and tentacles cradling me. My body tenses up, then, in one swift motion, we’re both under the surface, and he’s charging through the water to somewhere behind me, carrying us both.

Panic flares in my chest, and I try to wriggle free. It’s not the water—I can breathe just fine. But Kaden has a way of always pushing the boundaries, and as much as I try to stay in control, the unknown terrifies me. His presence is overwhelming, and every instinct tells me to fight, even though I know I’m safe.

We’re deep under now, his movements fluid as he propels us to the darker part of the pool. Yet I can still see him clearly, the smile on his lips, the flow of his chestnut hair in the water.

At the bottom of the pool, I find myself beneath him, him leaning over me, his mouth savagely at my neck, licking, nipping, leaving me shuddering for more.

When he reaches my mouth, I kiss him back because I’m helpless around him. His tentacles curl between my legs, spreading them, others glide around my breasts, his large palms holding me prisoner.

I kiss him just as deeply, and the world disappears. It’s just us.

His passion is fierce and demanding.

Surrendering to him is a dizzying rush, and I can’t deny how right it feels.

He’s in control, how he always demands every situation. I clasp the back of his neck with my arms, my legs held wide as his hands slide down to my waist. Something light brushes across my needy clit… something that feels very much like one of his tentacles.

Pulling from our kiss, he makes a growling sound, smiling at me.

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