Page 31 of Bind Me

He’s closer now, his warm breath caressing my face. I inhale deeply, and his crisp ocean and masculine scent encases me—so intoxicating it leaves me wavering on the spot. I feel the hardness of his muscles each time he moves. I crane my neck back to hold his stare. He steps down from the curb, his legs straddling mine, so he comes down in height slightly to meet me.

Hands against his chest, the muscles shift beneath my touch, and I’m beyond mesmerized. I’ve had my share of boyfriends, but none have been as big and built as Kaden. I should be pulling away. Instead, I’m failing spectacularly and peering into his eyes, which swirl like the deepest parts of the ocean, drawing me in.

I can almost believe I’m out in the sea, being this close to him, as though he is the epitome of the great sea itself. I’ve never met anyone with such a powerful connection to the ocean.

“What are you?” I ask, heart racing, my insides tingling. I realize I still have no clue what supernatural creature he is.

His finger gently lifts my chin, tilting my head back, and his lips find mine without hesitation. The world suddenly falls away at his kiss. It crashes over me like waves, taking over my senses, inhaling every inch of me. My toes curl in my boots. The power he expels is intense and impossible to resist. As our lips move in sync, I can’t help but kiss him back with fever. Part of me is surrendering to him, giving in to the pull that I’ve fought so hard to resist.

I run my hands through his hair while his huge arms coil around me, lifting me off my feet, or perhaps it just feels like I’m floating. It’s really hard to tell at this stage, as every fiber of my being is lit up. Fire ignites through me, burning with a blaze between my thighs as our lips are mashed together, kissing as if we’re starved.

He licks my lips before pressing into my mouth, and there’s something so fucking sexy about sucking on his tongue. I moan, softening, and am rewarded with a growl vibrating in his throat, the kind that leaves me utterly hopeless and at his mercy.

He pulls back just enough to gaze into my eyes again, his forehead resting against mine.

“See?” he whispers with that husky voice. “We’re inevitable.”

“I’ve never been kissed like that before.” I shouldn’t have said that part out loud, but I’m still floating, still lost out in his sea. Despite all my fears and doubts, at that moment, I can’t hide from the truth in his words. I barely know the guy, yet right now, it feels as if this is what I’ve been missing in my life. My resistance melts a little more, leaving me wondering if maybe this isn’t such a horrible thing and I should perhaps embrace it.

The loud knock from the car snaps me back to reality. I glance down to see Moore scowling at us from in the car, having clearly used his head to smack into the window. I untangle myself from Kaden, his warmth leaving me just as quickly—and I hate that I miss it already. My heart is racing, that unbelievable kiss leaving me swooning.

“Okay,” I manage, feeling a flush spread across my cheeks. “I gotta take him in. I-I’ll think about what you said.”

That spectacular grin splits his lips, his white teeth flashing, the corners of his eyes crinkling. It’s hard not to fall head over heels when the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen stares at me like that, especially when I can still taste his sweetness on my lips.

“I’ll be seeing you soon, Sasha.” He starts to walk away.

Impulsively, I call after him, “You never answered my question!”

He glances back at me, a sly smile playing on his lips. “I’m surprised you haven’t worked it out yet.”

I give him a deadpan stare, waiting for more.

“I’m your kraken, gorgeous little mermaid,” he says with a wink, then takes off.

I’m left standing there, gaping after him. “Are you kidding me? No… no way in hell,” I mutter under my breath.

My last boyfriend claimed to be a kraken, the beasts of the sea everyone fears, and I stupidly believed him—only to find out he was a mere seahorse shifter. I know the size and type of shifter shouldn’t matter, but I hated that he lied to me. And now this again?

“Kraken?” Is that what all men are using these days as their pickup lines? I shake my head, a sarcastic laugh escaping my throat. “Yeah, right, kraken. Might as well tell me you’re Poseidon next,” I murmur to myself.

Shoving the last of my disbelief aside, I open the car door and slide into the driver’s seat.

From behind me, Moore says, “Nice make-out session with the devil there.”

“Shut it,” I snap, starting the car. The engine roars to life, drowning out any further comments from him. As I pull away, the last traces of Kaden’s scent linger, a reminder of the most beautiful kiss I’ve ever experienced.

Kraken or not, there was no denying something deep and wild had been awakened, but I wasn’t sure if I was ready to dive into those waters just yet.

Especially if I find out he’s lying to me.

Chapter 9

Sasha

Iwoke up with a craving to go for a swim.

Not just any urge—all-consuming, unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Sure, I’ve longed for ice cream and chocolate, especially brownies. Thinking of my favorite thing in the world—fudge brownies—makes me drool. But this desire to swim is intense, and I know it’s the need to be in salt water… just as I’d been in the fjord waters.

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