Page 20 of Corrupted Tyrant

Groaning into her mouth, I realize if we don’t shut this down now, it will become impossible. Each brush of her fingers sends jolting shockwaves through me. My desire is dizzying. But I remind myself it’s just… one… kiss.

Reluctantly, I break the kiss and pull back, breathing heavily. Candy’s eyes are half-lidded with lust. She pants softly, looking up at me with desire in her emerald depths. Her gaze collides with mine, a confused, accusing look in their depths until she manages to banish it. She’s as affected by this as I am.

Her trembling hands trail up to cup my cheeks once more, her fingertips grazing the trimmed beard at my jawline. The soft rustling of our clothes is like the gentle brushing of leaves in a breeze, as our bodies sway and press against each other with unspoken desire.

I may have stopped the kiss, but I let her see how wrecked I am that I had to force myself to pull away.

She swallows hard before she speaks, her voice husky. “That was…”

As she casts about for the perfect way to end her sentence, words pinball through my mind as I fill in the blank for her: amazing, overwhelming, life-altering…

“My worst idea ever, Courage.” Perhaps she sees my eyes blaze with disappointment because she hurries to add, “One kiss? How did I ever think we could stop after a kiss so… perfect?”

“I agree. It was madness. Which is why I’m not going to offer you to spend the night in my bed, although I imagine you would feel safer with my arms around you.”

“You’re right.” Her voice is laced with reluctance. “Safe is the last way to describe what would happen if we shared this bed. I fear we’d set the sheets on fire.”

Chapter Fourteen

Courage

Our kiss the other night seems like a distant memory as the Mega Cavern looms before us, a gaping hole in the earth that promises adventure and excitement. As we step into the cool, damp air, Candy’s eyes sparkle with anticipation, her hand finding mine in a gesture that sends a jolt of electricity through my veins.

I’m glad we had a relatively uneventful day yesterday, if you can call putting hundreds of miles on the van uneventful. The driving was tedious, although Candy knows a hundred ways to have fun in a moving vehicle—sadly none of them involved kissing. At least we didn’t receive any pressure-filled calls from Eleanor Baker, or any threats from the network.

“Ready to take on the underworld, bodyguard?” Candy’s grin is infectious, her enthusiasm palpable.

I squeeze her hand, my excitement building. “Lead the way, rock star.”

We descend into the depths, the temperature dropping and humidity rising with each step. The cavern is vast, the ceiling soaring overhead, the walls glistening with moisture. It’s like stepping into another world, a hidden realm beneath the surface.

“This is incredible,” Candy breathes, her voice echoing off the stone. “I can’t believe this was once a mine.”

“And now it’s an adventure park.” I tug her closer, my arm slipping around her waist as though it belongs there. “Looks like we picked the right place to blow off some steam.”

She leans into me, her body fitting perfectly against mine as she says one simple word. “Steam.”

How can she do that? With that one word, laced with sexual innuendo, she sent my heart rate skyrocketing and woke up my cock, which is now jerking against my zipper.

“Careful, Candy,” I growl playfully. “Keep that up and you might summon a different kind of beast in this cave.”

She arches an eyebrow, a wicked smile playing on her lips. “Oh? And here I thought I was with the big bad wolf already.”

“Trust me, rock star,” I murmur, my voice low and husky, “you haven’t seen ‘bad’ yet.”

Candy’s eyes darken with desire. “Is that a promise, wolven?”

I pull her closer, my breath hot against her ear and then clamp my teeth together and use all my self-control not to say what I’m thinking: More like a guarantee.

After a wordless conversation passes between us, I try to be the bigger person by pulling away and announcing, “We’re burning daylight.”

We make our way deeper into the cavern, following the signs to the zipline course. With each step, the anticipation builds, excitement careening through my body. By the time we reach the launch platform, we’re both grinning like kids on a day off from school.

“I hope you’re not afraid of heights,” I tease, as we strap into our harnesses.

Candy scoffs, tossing her pink hair over her shoulder. “Please. I eat danger for breakfast. This is nothing.”

“Impressive.” I arch an eyebrow, my gaze raking over her lithe form. “But let’s see if you can keep up with a Wolven Warrior.”

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