Page 43 of Kai
"Not ominous," he said, his tone thoughtful. "Intriguing. You carry yourself like someone who's been through storms, yet here you are, luminous and unbroken. It's rare, and beautiful."
Her chest tightened at his words, a mixture of vulnerability and comfort washing over her. She wasn't used to being seen like this--whole, despite her cracks. She shifted slightly, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips, her gratitude unspoken but palpable.
The moonlight spilled through the treated glass above, casting a soft glow over them, as if the universe itself had conspired to cradle this moment in delicate hands. Neither spoke for a long while, content to bask in the silence filled with unspoken promises and the quiet hum of possibilities.
He pondered in the lull of silence for a few more minutes, fingers trailing up and down her arm. It felt right. She fitted him perfectly, the curves of her body as familiar to him as his own. The taste of her lingered on his lips. The texture of her skin, the feel of her nipples branding his chest. It all felt right. He wantedto feel all of it for the rest of his life, and he had been a bloody fool. What was stopping him from offering her marriage? He already knew he could not spend the rest of his life without her. He wanted her bearing his name and carrying his seed.
With the decision burning inside his heart, he only regretted doing this without a ring. He had insulted her by asking her to move in with him. Shifting, he tucked two fingers under her chin and tilted her face up.
She caught the intensity in his expression and tensed.
"Marry me." The two words she had waited to hear for two years tumbled into her brain and flooded her body--and had her staring at him in shock. A smile touched his lips as she continued to stare at him. "Marry me darling. Now--this weekend or two weeks from now. I do not want to spend another moment without you in my life."
Her heart thudded, and she felt the heat flooding her body. "We can't," she finally croaked.
A frown creased his brow as her refusal lanced through him. "Why the bloody hell not?"
Ignoring the bite of anger, she placed a hand on his chest, feeling the warmth of skin and the slightly uneven beat of his heart. "I am still yet to meet your family."
The frown disappeared as he was reminded of that lack. "You're right." The decision came immediately. Once the words were out, there was no way he was going to allow anything to stand in the way of making her completely his.
Glancing at the bedside clock, he reached for the phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling my mother to set up a meeting."
Panic blew through her and she lunged for the phone. Evading her easily, he called up the number and as he suspected, his mother was still up.
She listened in horror as he explained the situation to her and asked if dinner tomorrow would be possible.
Hanging up the phone, he put it away and smiled at her. "Problem solved. Mother has agreed to have us over for dinner tomorrow at seven. She's looking forward to meeting you. In the morning, I will contact my uncles."
"You can't--damn you Kai!" She sputtered. "This is crazy. You cannot ask me to marry you in two weeks and then call your mother up at--" She sucked in a breath. "Eleven at night. Are you insane? What must she be thinking?"
"That I am crazy about you." He clamped a hand around her waist before she could charge off the bed and held her effortlessly. "And you haven't answered my proposal."
Her eyes sparkled dangerously, and she gave up the failed effort of getting free. Ramming her hands flat on his chest, she used her words instead to hammer at him.
"You arrogant, insufferable--" The rest of the words became tangled down her throat when he bruised her lips with his. She fought him, fingers digging into his flesh, but still he continued to kiss her. Suddenly the rhythm changed and became more persuasive. His lips softened, tongue teasing and soothing where he had bruised and sent her already battered heart plunging. She could have continued to fight him--fueled by anger, but this gentle approach made her weak with need. The fingers that had been digging--now spread over his chest and made their way around his shoulders to hold and knead the skin. Her body became pliant as he dipped his tongue into her mouth, his breath tangling with hers. She could feel the evidence of his rigid arousal against her thighs. The man made her crazy in more ways than one, but she could not deny the incredible power he had over her.
It had been that way since the first day she met him and was even more so now. Her body melted against his and her own nipples were aching with the need to feel his mouth there. The anger and panic that had bloomed inside her chest became a thing of the past.
She could not think. Her thoughts became muddled, and it felt as if everything was centered around him. The feel and taste. His masculine cologne, the muscles bunching and flexing beneath her fingers. With his hands clamped around her waist, she barely noticed when he swung her on top of him. Over him. Kai felt the surge of pure animal desire surging through his own body. When he lifted her up so he could slide into her wet slickness, he was already maddened with intense passion.
He swallowed her moans, or was it his? It did not matter. He had stopped trying to comprehend what she did to him. All he could do was feel and it was heady, like he had been drinking steadily from his favorite bottle of scotch. He moved, slowly, inching in, going in deep, the potent feel of her wrapped around him sending him to the edge of the cliff. But he did not want to take flight just yet. He would hang on as long as he could and hold her there with him, even though the madness was already taking over.
Chapter 14
He surfaced the next morning to find the spot beside him empty. For one panicked moment, he feared she had left. The argument had not been resolved but simply shelved since he had stopped it entirely by making love to her twice. Before she could start up again, she had fallen into a sex-induced sleep on his chest.
His heart quieted down as reason prevailed. Sitting up against the massive headboard, he recalled that he had set the code—one she would not have been able to bypass in order to get through the front door.
With a sigh of immense relief, he climbed off the bed and went to search the other rooms, thinking she might be in one of them. His search turned up a damp towel and the scent of pine and citrus from his body wash. A damp towel was folded neatly over the hamper.
Snagging a robe, he shrugged it on and made his way downstairs. The scent of coffee hit him. Smiling widely, he bounded down the stairs and followed his nose into the huge kitchen.
She was flipping eggs for what looked like an omelet. A cup of coffee was on the counter next to the stove, and she was wearing one of his t-shirts.
