Page 29 of Fractured Loyalties
“So, you’re surviving this place, yeah?” Kade slips his hand onto my bare thigh, his touch warm to my skin.
“Yeah, something like that,” I laugh, and my head buzzes, the room tilting pleasantly. I down the rest of my drink and, whenI set the glass down, I notice he’s watching my mouth as if it’s something precious.
“I can’t believe you already finished that,” he laughs, shaking his head at me. “We just sat down. I didn’t peg you for a drinker.”
“Me either,” I giggle, my stomach warm. “But it’s nice to let loose. I haven’t done that since…” My voice trails off as something dark fills my peripheral.
And there, filling the doorframe of the library out of the corner of my eye…Roman.
He glares at me, his eyes a deep shade of steel that sends a chill down my spine. I can’t break eye contact, though, drawn into them as if he’s the devil, luring me straight to hell in the guise of something irresistible.
“Ah,” Kade hums, his tone dropping an octave. “I guess your brother is a little protective.”
I barely hear him, but I don’t miss the smirk tugging at Roman’s lips.
I hate it. “I think I’ll have another drink.”
“Um, yeah, okay.” Kade’s voice remains cautious as he stands, and he goes over to the bar to pour me a repeat of whatever I just had.
Roman watches me the entire time, never faltering, and his eyes never leave mine.
What does he want?
Part of me wants to go and ask him, but the other part tells me to stay put, and that to approach him might be walking into a trap.
“Ignore him,” Kade whispers in my ear, setting the drink in my hand. “He’s got a few screws loose. He won’t bother us. He knows the trouble that would cause.”
That pulls my attention away, if only out of curiosity.
“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to play coy as I take a sip of the new drink, which seems to be stronger than the last.
“It’s just something I heard through the grapevine,” Kade says quickly, his hand returning to my thigh, a little higher this time. He leans in, his lips catching the tip of my ear. “But I know a place we can go to get away from him.”
“Okay.” I nod, and then Kade is pulling me through the maze of shelves before I ever realize what’s happening. I down the rest of my drink and drop it off somewhere along the way, my heart pounding in my chest.
This ispreciselywhat I need.
Twelve
IVY
Kade leadsme to literally the darkest corner of the library, lit only by a sliver of moonlight that breaks through the curtains. He tucks a piece of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing my cheek.
“You’re so beautiful, Ivy,” he says, his voice slightly slurred. Then he leans in, slow and gentle, and kisses me.
It’s not the best kiss I’ve ever had, but it’s soft, warm, and it sends a shiver of excitement down my spine. I lean into him, my hands clutching at his suit jacket, my body pulsing with want and anticipation and something else.
His fingers find the hem of my dress, and he tugs it upward. “Will you let me?” he breathes, his mouth almost on mine.
“Yes,” I say, my voice thick with something that isn’t quite want but isn’t denial either. My mind races to the last time I touched myself—to thoughts of Roman.
I grab for Kade then, and pull his lips to mine in a mess of needing to erase the scenery in my head. Kade leans into my mouth, and the kiss isn’t slow at all. It’s fast and hungry, his tongue bruising my teeth. I taste whiskey and mint, with a hint of something sweeter, possibly orange liqueur.
Given the way my head is spinning, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep up… His hands are everywhere at once. They’re on my hips, my ass, and the tiny clasp at the back of my neck. I let him pull me closer, let the world shrink to the heat of his chest and the scrape of his stubble on my jaw.
I want to enjoy it. I want to be the kind of girl who says yes and means it, who doesn’t count the seconds between each new touch. But there’s a flicker at the back of my skull, like a warning siren I can’t quite hear.
What is wrong with me?
