Page 9 of The Caress

I push Keir away. He resists for a second, kissing me harder. But when I break away and move off his lap, he looks at me. He wipes his lip, his eyes dark with desire. I’ve seen it before.

It’s the expression of a sleek panther who is enjoying playing with his meal before he devours it whole.

Gulping, I take a couple of steps back. My pulse is racing. A part of me wants to beg him to touch me, to kiss me. To make me forget the man that tried to kill us.

But I swear to myself that I can be strong. Just this once, I can tell Keir no.

“I have a headache,” I blurt out. I flush. “I’m going to… uh… go deal with it.”

Turning, I practically flee toward the back of the plane.

CHAPTERFIVE

ELLA

“Am I intruding?”

I look up from scrolling through my phone to find Keir darkening the doorway to the plane’s bedroom. Earlier, I retreated here because it was the only place that seemed far enough away from Keir for my own safety. It even has a door that I could close if I really needed.

But now it looks like my choice to be in the bedroom might be sending mixed signals.

I sit up on the bed, clearing my throat. “What’s going on?”

Keir leans in the doorway, just two feet away from me. I could almost reach my arm out and trail it down his muscular chest. I gulp and keep my eyes steady on his.

“Ella.” The way he says my name makes it sound like a command. “I think you should ask me to comfort you, sweetheart. I can tell that you want me to.”

My eyes widen. My heart jumps into my throat. Still, I hesitate.

What exactly will having sex with him mean?

Keir takes a step toward me, eating up the space between us. Reaching down to cup my jaw, he tilts my face upward. “Say yes, Ella.”

I stare at him, tongue tied, the words already on the tip of my tongue. I’m mesmerized by him. Always have been.

“Yes,” I rasp.

He smiles wickedly. “There’s a good girl.”

Keir steps in the small compartment and closes the door behind him. The door has an ornate mirror on the back that he turns to check out. I can see his face tighten and then smooth out as he makes plans very quickly.

When he turns back to me, he steps to the side, showing me my own reflection.

“Show me how good you are, Ella. Take your dress off,” he says, his voice inviting. “I want to see what’s underneath.”

I flush. “Are you sure that this is a good idea?”

“A good idea?” he repeats. He sticks a finger under his tie and begins to loosen it. “I think I’ll die if I don’t get you naked soon.”

My hands shake. My tongue feels like lead. But there is so much excitement in Keir’s eyes that I start to pull my dress over my head. My body feels wooden, almost like it isn’t my own. I feel like I'm exposing much more than my skin to him.

I drop my dress to the floor, feeling disconnected from my body. Soon I'm left with nothing but a lacy white thong and a matching bra. Keir draws closer, his eyes hardening as he looks approvingly at my body.

“God, you are so fucking beautiful.” He shakes his head, as though he had forgotten until this moment how I look. For a moment, he chews his bottom lip. "Now take off your bra for me, sweetheart. I need more."

He gestures with a flick of his fingertips.

My heart begins to pound. I can't bear looking at him right now, so I sweep my hair back and turn away. It only takes a few seconds to unhook my bra and drag it down my arms. He uses the gentlest, lightest touch on my arms to maneuver me before the mirror.

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