Page 79 of Secrets & Lies

“Kitten,” Alek warned.

Flattening my chest to Nik’s, I pulled the material out of the way right before I made contact. Slowly, I rubbed my nipples against his chest, feeling them pebble and grow hard with the friction.

“Fuck,” he groaned, throwing his head back.

I allowed him to peel the shirt away from my body. He ran his hands up and down my back, and goose bumps erupted over my arms. The heat from his body seeped into mine, and I rocked against him.

I heard Alek and Ivan saying something, but I tuned them out. After a minute, he grabbed my upper arms and tried pushing me back. I dug in harder. My fingers tangled in his hair and my lips fell to his ear.

“No touching,” I whispered.

His grip on my arms tightened and then relaxed as I moved back on my own. I stared into his green eyes as he looked intently at my hard nipples. Feeling shy, I went to cover my breasts. Gone was my bravado, and back was modest Kinsley.

“No, I will look at you,” Nikolai ground out, peeling my hands back.

“The card didn’t say anything about looking.” I pushed back against him, feeling the smooth, taut skin of his chest.

Pulling my hair forward so my breasts were covered, I brought his shirt up and yanked it over me inside out. Climbing off his lap, I smiled as he caressed my ass. As I took my seat, the smooth texture of the soft leather couch had a cooling effect on my heated thighs.

I pulled Nik’s T-shirt up to my nose and breathed in his scent, but when I caught his eyes, I had to look away. Stark hunger stared back, and a shiver of fear ran through me. Alek still had a turn to go. I was consumed with a rush of emotions.

Did I seriously let the Blade cut my shirt from me, present myself to the Reaper for inspection, and rub against the Crow? Who is this girl sitting next to Alek on the couch?

Alek picked a card. “I dare you to give the person sitting to the right of you a hickey. What do you say?” His gaze shifted as his blue eyes flicked to my neck first.

Fixating on me, he traced his eyes over the curves of my body with an appreciative hunger. Leaning closer, he brushed his lips against my ear, his warm breath caressing my skin. As he gently intertwined his fingers with mine, a rush of anticipation deepened with every touch.

“I…I teach dance on Monday,” I stammered, remembering the time I had hoped he left one and was disappointed when he hadn’t.

He pulled me to my feet, placing me in front of him. He stared up at me, desire burning in his eyes.

“Alek,” I whispered as he leaned in and pulled up Nik’s shirt a little way.

He kissed my navel, and heat flooded my cheeks. But that was nothing compared to the heat that spread between my legs at the feel of his tongue on me as he licked up my body. My hands gripped his shoulders tightly when his tongue flicked out and over my right nipple. He took it in his mouth and gently sucked on it before pulling it with his teeth.

“Oh my god,” I gasped, my stomach dropping.

He chuckled and moved to the swell of my breasts. Taking the side of one of them in his mouth, he sucked hard. His soft beard tickled my skin, sending shivers through me. After what seemed like forever, he pulled away and eased his finger over the mark.

He pulled the shirt back down and chuckled. “Sit, Kinsley.”

I nodded, completely at a loss for words.

“Let’s all take a break, get something to drink, and recommence,” Nik suggested, standing to stretch.

I turned to Alek. “I’m going to freshen up, fix this shirt so it’s right side up. I’ll be back.”

I didn’t wait for him to respond, just took off down the hall as quickly as I could. I needed a minute to myself. The wooden floor was cool against my bare feet, and the muffled sounds of the group faded as I slipped into my room. I gently closed the door behind me and let out a long breath.

Unable to help myself, I lifted Nik’s shirt and stared down at the mark Alek left on me in wonder. I felt like I had changed in some small way, as silly as that was. Then I realized, I had.

It was baby steps, for sure, but I didn’t feel panicked in any way. I felt stronger. To the outside world, getting a hickey wasn’t even worth mentioning, but I’d done something ordinary girls did every day.

I smiled, feeling bold and, dare I say, happy. I went out on a date, danced with three handsome men, and was enjoying spending time with them all. Maybe not Jenna, but it was great having Sarah here, and she looked like she was having so much fun.

Is this what normal feels like?

Alek wanted to talk later, and I knew I’d have to deal with him. I’d all but outed myself. But he hadn’t carted me off and demanded answers, so there was that. I wasn’t sure what story I’d present—definitely not the truth.

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