Page 172 of Powerless

I look away from his burning gaze, shaking my head as I mutter, “Kai, I—”

“Paedyn.”

I still. I shiver. He says my name like it’s sacred, like it’s an oath he’s swearing.

He tilts his head to the side, eyes roaming over my face. “Tell me,” he murmurs, “what do you want me to call you?”

My eyes slowly meet his, confused by his question. “What doyouwant to call me?”

“I want to call youmine.”

We stare at each other. Both of us breathing hard, both of us taking in the other. The rain is still splattering Kai, clinging to his thick lashes and dripping from his jaw.

“I know you feel it too,” he says quietly.

“Feel what?”

“Feel alive. Feel on fire.Feel.” There is an intensity in his eyes, his voice, that makes my heart race even faster. He looks away, cursing under his breath before his gaze crashes back into mine. “Pae, when I look at you...I’m devastated. I’m drowning. I’m dying to catch my breath.”

The air leaves my lungs and now my blinking has nothing to do with the rain. His next words are nearly a whisper. “Look at me and tell me you don’t feel the same.”

Silence. And then—

“I don’t feel the same, Kai.”

Lies. Lies.Liar.

He ducks his head, and when he lifts it to look at me again, his smile is crooked. Then he slowly lowers the coat shielding me from the rain and wraps it around my shoulders, fingers lingering against my bare collarbones and sending a jolt through me.

It’s far too big, and his hands curl around the fabric before he tugs, pulling me so close that my body is pressed against his. He is still clutching the front of the coat, knuckles brushing my bare skin before his lips are against the shell of my ear.

“Now answer again,” his murmur is amused, “but without tapping your left foot this time.”

My mouth falls open.

His lips are smiling against my ear, and I’m trying not to focus on the feel of it. “I...I don’t—”

His deep chuckle cuts me off. “God, you’re stunning.” Rough fingers have never felt so gentle against my skin as he brushes a strand of wet hair out of my eyes. “But so damn stubborn.”

I can’t do this anymore. I can’tnotgive in to the temptation that is him. I’m suddenly unable to think of a single reason why I’m fighting this, why I shouldn’t close the gap between us right now. I want to—

His lips meet mine.

Barely.

It’s the whisper of a kiss, a promise of passion. And yet, I nearly melt at the contact. His hand is cupping my face, thumb stroking my cheekbone and then—

Nothing.

He pulls back.

I nearly gasp, wanting to grab him, pull him closer, press my lips to his. And I’m about to do just that when I suddenly remember a time when our roles were reversed. When I was the one teasing him with touches.

Now I understand exactly how affected Kai was by the lack of my touch during our game of archery and distraction. The feel of something and then nothing is a cruel thing to bestow upon someone, and he’s left me burning because of it.

His other hand has found its way around my waist under his large jacket, and the heat of his palm through my corset is a brand. He tilts his head, studying me with a small smile.

He knows exactly what he’s doing.

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