Page 15 of Blue Embers
I backed toward the door, taking a deep breath after my word vomit had made its way into the chamber.
“Thank you for the food,” I said as I spun on my heels and headed out, no doubt leaving Killian thinking he never wanted to spend time alone with me ever again.
6
Persephone
. . .
When the door closed behind me and its echo carried through the dark, lonely hall, I started to imagine what I was going to do once I got home. I would lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling and thinking about all the things that were wrong. All the things I couldn’t fix with my sister. Unwelcome thoughts would keep me awake like nagging mosquitos in my ears and I’d be alone, unable to turn my brain off.
I stopped halfway down the hall, my steps reverberating off the walls of the hollow passage. Hell, I was feeling stupid and reckless and yes, slightly desperate. Behind me, still inside the exhibit room, was Killian. Gorgeous and a known seducer of women. A Draak. All the things I typically didn’t pursue because those traits were complicated.
I laughed silently at myself, shaking my head. Complicated was the result of something meaningful. I didn’t want meaningful. I wanted simple and temporary. I wanted distraction and exhilaration for a night. I turned, already humiliated over something I hadn’t done yet, and marched back toward the exhibit hall. Stepping through the doors, I saw Killian still by the stairs, leaning up against the railing as if he was drifting into thought. He looked up at me when I returned, unsurprised. My heart suddenly began to sprint. I slowly stepped further into the room until I was by the table again, only a few steps from Killian.
“Going home would mean I’d be alone,” I said softly.
“I’d rather not go home myself,” Killian said, standing off the railing with the slight traces of a smile on his lips. “I’m in a mood to avoid my responsibilities tonight.”
Unsure what else to say, I remained silent as Killian watched my discomfort multiply. I wanted to just rush in and rip his clothes off, but the idea shamed me. I couldn’t. I couldn’t just tell him what I wanted either. I was terrified he’d think less of me or think I was just another woman who fell all over him out of weakness or cheap desire. Shit, maybe I was.
“I’m not usually like this,” I said.
“You said that already and yet you haven’t told me what ‘this’ is.”
“This. I’m nervous and uncertain. I just want to make sure you know before…”
I cut myself off before I could say something stupid and watched Killian’s expression to be certain he didn’t already think less of me. Even in my state, I wanted to have his respect as my boss. If I threw myself at him, I was sure I’d lose it and I’d drop down into the same category as every one of his other flings. He took a step forward, holding me firmly with his eyes.
“Before what?” he grinned lightly.
Well...my pride leapt out the window at that moment when his lips flashed that handsome smile. He stared at me like I was already naked and suddenly I wanted to be. I breathed in, waking up a more spontaneous side of myself, and walked briskly forward.
Fuck it all, I thought.
I’d had a horrible day and Killian was a warm body I couldn’t imagine would be unwilling. Reaching him, I stretched up on my toes and pressed my lips firmly against his. He didn’t resist, but he barely kissed me back and just like that, my confidence was shattered. I drew away, having tested the water and finding it was cold. Killian gave me no readable expression to go off of at that point.
Embarrassed and in need of a cliff to jump off of, I covered my mouth with one hand and spun swiftly to retreat. I’d managed to get to the door before I heard Killian’s footsteps advancing behind me. No matter. I was red in the face now and barely in a mood to escape into some erotic fantasy anymore. I just wanted to escape in general.
I reached for the door handle, twisted, and pulled the door ajar only to feel it rip from my hand and shut again with an echoing slam. Looking up, Killian’s hand was beside my head, pressed against the door and preventing my departure. I jumped, a bit startled, and turned around to see caging me in. His shadow loomed over me, his eyes glowing with a warm, silver hue now and an orange, fiery ring around his pupil. My heart fluttered into nervous action, beating loud against my chest.
“Well,” Killian said in a casual manner, bobbing one shoulder. “This could get complicated. If you let it, that is.”
I pushed against Killian’s abdomen, trying to free myself from his grasp.
“I didn’t mean to...” I started to speak.
Killian caught my waist, pushing me back against the door just hard enough to be decisive without scaring me. I was suddenly aroused by his dominance and welcomed the demanding, deep kiss that followed. His lips moved freely against mine, his tongue claiming my mouth as his body pressed into me.
Wasting no time, Killian grabbed hold of my thighs and lifted me off the ground, spreading my legs around him. I was wet with need almost immediately, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as we continued our vigorous kiss. Hell, in that moment I wasn’t thinking about a single thing but the way he was making my body feel. He was strong, holding me to him like I weighed barely an ounce. I could feel him pressed between my legs, a hard, protruding erection making me realize how real things were about to get. Still, there was nowhere else I wanted to be. His kiss alone was proof that he was the escape I needed.
Killian and I were both panting when he moved from the door and walked me toward the table. As he laid me down on my back, the containers of food toppled onto the floor, but neither of us paid attention to the mess. I was far too consumed by the burning desire that swelled inside me when I felt Killian’s hands slide beneath my dress. He leaned over me, still kissing me as his fingers found their way around the lace panties I was wearing. I had barely noticed his hand tucking beneath them as our tongues tangled together.
When I felt Killian touch me, I sucked in a gasp. It had been awhile since any man had explored my body. Even if it hadn’t been awhile, Killian’s touch was entirely different from anyone else’s and I didn’t know how to explain why. My body amplified the brush of his fingers along my skin. The beat of his heart pounding against his chest vibrated through me.
Killian’s lips traveled down along my jaw, toward my neck, and over the tops of my breasts before I felt him slipping my panties off my legs. Reality struck and I found myself dizzy with shallow excitement at the idea of Killian being inside me.
When Killian stepped between my legs again, there was nothing dividing us. He’d moved his pants down off his hardened cock and nuzzled it against my sex, teasing me as he planted another, sensual kiss on my lips. I felt his hand slip down between my legs and stroke me up and down, testing my willingness. I writhed beneath him, bringing my hips up to meet him as he guided himself into position.
