Page 56 of Ink & Stardust

“How do you feel?” he asks, palming my bare bottom in a way that makes me want to go for another round.

“Alive.”

The smile that graces his face could light up the darkest of rooms.

“And hungry,” I quickly add, leaning down to brush my mouth against his.

He catches me before I can pull away, capturing my lips in a world-bending kiss. I swear, I could kiss this man forever. Feelthe gruffness of his stubble against my face. Feel the tenderness of his lips. The firmness of his hands. The hardness of his...

I pout when he breaks the kiss, never wanting it to end.

“What do you say we get some food to go and spend the rest of the day at my place instead?” he suggests, and excitement blooms in my belly.

“I think I could get on board with that plan,” I tell him, moving in for another kiss because I simply cannot help myself.

“Keep kissing me like that and we won’t make it out of this parking lot,” he warns, his words vibrating against my lips.

“That could be okay, too.” I slide my tongue along his.

“Not when I want you spread bare in front of me so I can taste every inch of you.”

My body hums in anticipation.

“When you put it like that.” I reluctantly pull away.

Kai helps me off his lap. It takes more effort than it should to get my pants back on and then my shoes, but Kai stops me before I can tie them. Pulling my feet into his lap, he ties one shoe and then the other.

I’m taken by how sweet the gesture is. By how gentle he is when everything about him screams anything but. I’m starting to think maybe we were both wrong about each other. Maybe I’m exactly what he said—a caged animal begging to be set free. But maybe there’s more to him too. Something he keeps hidden beneath that tough exterior of his. Something he doesn’t want people to see.

But I see him... Even if he doesn’t realize it yet.

“Can I ask you a question?” I nuzzle into Kai’s side, having now been fed and very well satisfied in other ways. And by other ways, I mean having spent the last four hours screwing on basically every surface of his apartment to the point that my body couldn’t go again if I wanted to. And trust me, I wanted to. Correction, Iwantto.

I don’t know how to describe the desire Kai pulls out of me. It’s something so new to me that I still haven’t fully digested it. The way he makes me feel... The pleasure... Two days ago, it was unimaginable. Now that I know this kind of pure ecstasy exists, I’ll never be able to go back.

Kai Elliot has ruined me. Plain and simple.

“Mm-hmm.” He hums, his fingers drawing lazy circles on my back the same way he did last night.

“What happened the day you broke your phone?”

“What made you think of that?” He looks down at me at the same time I look up at him, completely taken by how incredible he looks right now. Naked. Hair a mess. Looking so content it’s almost enough for a girl to hope for...

Nope, not going there.

“I don’t know. I’ve just been curious. I mean, considering you did almost take off my nose.” I smile so he knows I’m teasing.

“Just something with my grandmother.”

“You were yelling about medication.” I pry for more information. After what Maisie told me last night, I find myself almost desperate to know more. To knowhim.

He blows out a hard breath.

“My grandma is... Well, she’s got a lot of mental health issues. Because I can’t physically be with her to make sure she takes her meds, I hired an in-home nursing company to send someone out every day. Only, they are shit at getting her to take them. She’s pretty stubborn that one.” A smile touches his lips.

“What happens if she doesn’t take them?”

“The day you’re asking about, she stole the neighbor’s dog and took it for a walk.”

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