Page 130 of Celestial Combat

She felt my heart beating through the palm she laid gently to the center of my chest.

“Kali…” My voice was low, gravel-thick. “We talked about this.”

She tilted her head back slowly, eyes half-lidded under the soft lighting as water dripped from her skin. “No one has to know.”

My jaw clenched.

She leaned in.

The steam thickened around us, the air heavy with jasmine and salt. Her arms circled my neck, pulling herself closer until our noses brushed, her breath brushing against my mouth. Her lips – just inches away.

“Think you could do that, Zane?” she whispered. “Be my dirty, little secret?”

I exhaled hard through my nose. My hands hovered near her waist, fists clenched just beneath the surface of the water. “Kali…”

She moved even closer, her lips nearly touching mine. “I locked the door,” she murmured and I wasn’t sure if that was a threat, or a promise. “It’s just you and me.” Her soft lips brushed mine. “No one else.”

My mouth crushed against hers – rough, full, hungry. Her breath caught in my throat. The feel of her in my arms was soft, but the kiss wasn’t.

It wasn’t slow. It wasn’t sweet. It was months of agony lit like a match to gasoline.

My hands slid to her waist, gripping hard; her skin, smooth and hot under my palms. I pulled her tighter, anchored her to me as if I didn’t trust her not to disappear, and she moaned when she felt the hard muscles in my arms and body.

She gasped against my mouth when my teeth grazed her lower lip, then bit – not hard enough to hurt, just enough to make her feel it. Her fingers knotted in my hair and tugged me closer, and fuck, she tasted divine.

My hand moved up her back, fingers spreading wide across her spine, keeping her flush to my chest as the water flowed around us.

Kissing her felt like heaven.

My other hand came up, brushing against her skin before going into her hair and pulling tight. She moaned into my mouth, her hips rocking slightly and sending heat right to my dick, before I could settle her with the weight of my arm.

Her mouth moved against mine with equal hunger, her hands exploring, her body pressed full against me in the steamed-up silence of the room. I didn’t know where the kiss ended and the need began. I didn’t know who would approve. I didn’t know what this could mean for either of us – punishment, death, suffering.

And for the first time in my life…

I. Didn’t. Care.

I tried to take it further.Just a little.

Just enough to feel more of him…

To finally break whatever line he kept drawing in the sand.

But he stopped me.

Not harshly. Not coldly. Just firm, clear – the way he always was when he was in charge.

He didn’t pull away, though.

He held me tighter.

Pulled my hair harder.

Kissed me deeper – like he was pouring everything he couldn’t say into it.

So I settled for what I could get.

Kissing and as much grinding as I could get away with.

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