Page 26 of Fake Fae-Ancée

She had been sitting on a chaise longue, looking like a collapsed flower, burying her face in her hands to stifle her sobs.

I must have made some noise, because she wheeled around and glared at me.

"Get lost," she had said in a thick voice. But seeing her like that set off a painful twinge in my chest. I had entered and closed the door.

Just about the same as right now…

"Get lost," she had repeated, but lacking her usual venom. And before I could think better of it, I had sat next to her, bent over her and kissed her.

Something stronger had been at work that day. Stronger than her, than me, than everything that had happened. A dark undercurrent pulling me towards her. Laced with an overwhelming need to undo whatever had hurt her, that day. Erase whatever had made her cry. Wipe away all her tears.

And she had grabbed me by the collar and — kissed me back. An angry, desperate kiss, that grew deep and passionate fast. A hungry kiss full of urgency and need. And then I thought nothing at all, because she pulled me closer.

Closer.

No idea how that could have happened. Completely insane…

How she had yanked at my shirt.

How I’d tried to undo that damned mother-of-pearl button on her neck.

The jangling sound as she undid my belt buckle.

Her hot breath on mine.

Her need had been so urgent. I felt like bursting from the inside.

She had gasped when I gripped her thighs, pushed up the cursed dress, literally tearing her panties in two, the ripping echoing through the empty room. I had needed her too, that day. For far too long had I needed her. And I had taken her, right there on that stupid sofa, entering her in one single desperate shove.

"I hate you so much," she had moaned against my temple. And I'd had no answer as she'd arched towards me, mewling in ecstasy, and I'd peeled the dress off her shoulders, only dark creamy skin underneath and nothing else.

"You're killing me..." My words were a distorted whisper, dripping from my lips to hers before she shattered into a thousand pieces beneath me…

The ticking clock catapulted me back into the now.

Kai glared back at me, her eyes almost red-purple with rage, and yanked at her wrist still caught in my clutch. Exactly the same memory had just rushed through her head, I could feel it. And she hated it.

That I had caught her in a weak moment.

"Let. Me. Go," she hissed.

This time I obeyed, my mind still spinning out. She stumbled back a step, holding her wrist. If looks could kill, I would drop dead on the spot.

There was a beat, charged with everything that had gone wrong and everything we could not say to each other.

Before I could think about what I was doing, I grabbed the doorknob, and opened the door wide. Kai shot me another scorching look, then stormed past me.

"McKenn, wait," I called after her, but she ran down the empty hallway, not listening to me, of course. Why should she start obeying now? I rolled my eyes and trudged after her.

"Wait a minute."

"Leave me alone!"

She reached another door at the end of the hallway, yanked it open, marched through, and slammed it shut behind her. The echo reverberated through the hallway like angry thunder.

I was about to go after her when my eyes caught the sign on the door and I stopped dead in my tracks.

LADIES.

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