Page 60 of Vow of Revenge
Syrah lunged into my arms. “His parents arrive tomorrow afternoon,” she whispered.
Inhaling her signature floral fragrance, I held her tight. “You’re a Beaumont. They’ll love you. But no one will love you as much I do.” I kissed her cheek, feeling sentimental and clingy.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Her fingers pinched both of my cheeks like she was talking to a kid. “Watch out for paintings, they have real eyes that follow you.”
“That’s just mean.” I swatted off her hands. “And for the record, even if I was scared, I’m eternally grateful that our rooms are wings apart. You groan like an over excited mule.”
Syrah wrapped me in a tight hug, her laugh muffled in my neck. “I love you. Good night.”
“Make sure you give me the best riffle in Hanley, Kaleb. I’m very competitive.” Wait, what… “Sorry, I meant, Brett.” I gulped back the embarrassment of my obvious obsession and turned away quickly.
“I’ll give you mine, Freya.” Brett shouted after me, pretending my faux pas hadn’t blushed my cheeks or found its way out of my mouth.
Wandering through the dim corridors, I followed the staircase back up to my room, trailing my fingertips on the thick wooden banister. Over the years its glossy surface had felt the touch from each family member, servant and guest who spent time here, but mostly, it was once blessed with the warmth of Kaleb’s youthful touch.
Did the connection between us stem from our ghosts, from the death of loved ones? Were those ghosts stitched into the fibre of his dark soul, reaching out to mine with understanding and longing? It didn’t matter, he was a shell of a man, a monster with no heart. His game of cat and mouse was over.
Slipping away from the wooden clad corridor, I entered my room, lit only by the soft glow of a bedside lamp. The covers had been turned down with a petite gold foil chocolate left on the pillow and a bottle of water on the nightstand. The heavy lined curtains were drawn, keeping the moon out and the heat in.
A wave of prickles scattered my spine. Suddenly, I wasn’t quite sure if the ancestors really did haunt Hanley Hall. Needing to release the breath held in my lungs, I pulled the curtains wide and stood in the silvery glow of the moon that hung low in the sky, watching the world with a sigh.
Large hands snaked my waist. A hard body pressed against my back. Warm breath agitated my hair. The familiar heady smell of my secret visitor overwhelmed my senses like the most powerful aphrodisiac.
“We can never be friends.” Kaleb’s voice was deep and gravelly.
Instantly the valves in my heart tightened under the pressure of blood pumping at high speed. My breathing became erratic, but I couldn’t move. He had me locked tight, held to his body, both of us rooted in front of the night sky.
His lungs expanded, inhaling deeply through his nostrils at the crown of my head. My hands caressed his muscular forearms, sinking deeper into his hold.
“Why can’t we?” My voice spliced the thick heated air.
“Because I can’t deal with the fucked-up feelings I have for you,” he growled, spinning me around, slamming me into his powerful chest.
I looked up into his glacial eyes, watching helplessly as they stared right at me. “I have them too,” I whispered, hating myself for gifting him a glimpse of my truth.
“These feelings are wrong. They’re so wrong.” His mouth was inches from mine, teasing me.
My chest pressed into his, intensifying our connection. “Tell me why? How can they be wrong?”
His sigh caressed, but his words tore me apart. “Because, I can never love you. It will never work.”
I gasped, feeling my heartbeat stutter. “I don’t understand?”
“You never will. No one will ever understand.”
“I’m not asking for your love. I just want you to…” My words trailed off.
The sweet smell of musk drew me ever closer. My palms pressed his heart, feeling its erratic rhythm pulsating from his chest to mine. Together our hearts undertook their own secret mission to break free from restraints and beat as one. I felt dizzy and scared, broken and thrilled. He was here with me, but so far away.
In a flash, his lips swooped down, crushing mine with fierceness like he’d been holding back for too long. I breathed him into my soul, our lips fused together, tongues teasing and teeth nibbling. Hungry hands cupped my ass, pulling my body upwards so my legs could wrap his hips. My fingers tore open his shirt, popping the buttons off to reveal his sculpted physique, the same defined muscles that could bring me to my knees. His musky scent laced my tongue as I licked his sinewy neck.
Suddenly I was flying, landing on my back on the rich quilt. I yanked off my jumper, frantically tugging at my jeans while he shoved down his trousers, releasing his thick shaft. His body was finally before me, after days of wishing I could have him. I spent hours thinking about him, days yearning for his firm touch. I hated how he consumed me, the reality made me want to fight him for making me feel so vulnerable, but right now, he was mine and I was his. He drove for miles just to be with me.
“I want you so fucking much that it hurts.” He thumbed my mouth, dragging my lower lip down and wetting his fingers with my saliva. “I can’t control this anymore.”
“Then have me.” I offered myself to him, like a fool.
“It won’t end well.” His voice rumbled through my core as his mouth blazed a path along my belly.
