Page 34 of Fault Line

That is, I’ve always taken notice of Kaia.

I can remember the first time I ever laid eyes on her. It was freshman year on the first day of our Organic Chem lab. She had longer hair then, but it was pulled into a loose bun, her hazel eyes piercing even through those ugly lab goggles.

And when she first met my gaze, there was an instant spark of attraction between us. I swear she felt it, too.

But then, in walked Elio. The smug bastard. I didn’t even know who he was at the time, but there was something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. I had no claim on Kaia, I know that, but I was pissed to find out she was taken.

Later that semester, when I finally got the chance to talk to her, I said something that unintentionally offended her. For me, it was a throwaway comment, but for her, it set a precedent. Since then, we’ve been playing a dangerous game.

She lobs a few insults my way, I tease her right back, and then the cycle continues.

I never thought I had a real shot at spending a night with her, other than in my wildest dreams. In my mind, she’s always been taken. This forbidden fruit—just something pretty to look at, pine over, and then forget about. But ever since I found out the truth, it’s like a switch flipped inside my brain.

Now, I feel like I have to have her.

Just one fucking night together.

That’s all it’ll take. We’ll both get this out of our systems, use each other for a few hours, and then we’ll go back to how things have always been.

As I follow her up to her apartment, there’s a charged silence that fills the air. Pushing inside, she slowly takes off her shoes at the entryway, and I follow suit. It’s like I’m a teenager again, awkward and juvenile, with no fucking clue what to do with his hands.

Shaking my head clear, I grasp her wrist, pulling her against me. Then, without another word between us, my lips come crashing into hers. I walk her backward until we hit the back of the couch.

“Not here,” she whispers, lacing our fingers together, guiding me down the hallway to her room.

Once we’re tucked inside, she rushes toward me, and our lips lock in a desperate, frenzied kiss. It’s electric, the way our bodies fit together, and I feel myself growing harder with every passing moment.

I need her. I need her so badly that it hurts.

With a sense of urgency, I guide her toward the edge of the bed, pushing her down onto the soft sheets. I drop to my knees in front of her, gazing up at her with a hunger that’s impossible to control.

She’s drop-dead gorgeous, and the sight of her lying there, vulnerable and exposed, sends a shiver down my spine.

I trace the length of her leg with my fingertips, and her body quivers, trembles beneath my touch.

“It’s been a long time since anyone’s touched me,” she whispers, her voice laced with vulnerability.

“Don’t worry, baby,” I murmur, sliding my hands up her firm thighs. “I’ll be so fucking good to you.”

I plant a soft kiss against her there, savoring the feel of her skin against my lips. Slowly, I work my way up her leg, inching closer and closer to the tiny scrap of lace that’s separating me from her pussy.

“Tell me, Karras. Do you like to be the one in control here?” I ask, watching her carefully.

She meets my gaze, her eyes dark with desire. “You don’t, do you?” I continue, a chuckle escaping me. “Everywhere else, you’re in charge. But in here, when you’re like this—” I graze my teeth against the soft flesh of her inner thigh, earning myself a tiny whimper. “—you like to let yourself go.”

“Mhm,” she murmurs, the sound sending a rush of heat through my body.

“Then take off your shirt.”

She unbuttons her blouse, revealing her perfect breasts spilling out from the top of lacy, lavender cups. I watch, transfixed, as she unhooks the clasp behind her back, letting the fabric slide down her arms and drop to the floor.

She’s bare to me now, except for her stockings and panties, and the sight of her takes my breath away. I take her hand in mine and place a soft kiss on each knuckle. “My turn.”

With a sense of purpose, I slide my hands to the top of her hips, hooking my thumbs under the thin elastic of her thong. Slowly, I slide it down her legs, revealing the slick, wet folds of her pussy.

Still on my knees in front of her, I lower my mouth to her stomach, savoring the way her skin feels against my lips. I circle her nipples with my fingertips as she squirms beneath me, desperate for more.

“Please, just make me come already,” she whines, her voice full of need. It’s intoxicating—the way she wants this so fucking badly.

---