Page 54 of Thane's Demon
Then another.
And before I could understand what was happening, his hands were on me again, gripping my waist with a firmness that stole my breath. Especially when he suddenly pushed me back against the shelves. The books rattled behind me, my breath hitching as his body pressed close. His large frame was crowding me in a way that should have been frightening, but instead, only made my chest tighten with anticipation.
“Thane,”I whispered, barely more than a breath.
He didn’t answer.
No, instead he…
He kissed me.
Only, unlike mine, this kiss was not a soft meeting of lips, nor was it the hesitant or uncertain attempt I had made. No, now he was kissing me with a hunger that stole the ground from beneath my feet. With a heat that unraveled every thought I had ever had about him. With a desperation that felt like he had been holding himself back for far too long. His mouth claimed mine in a way that made my knees go weak, and as if he knew, his hand slid up my side to hold me still, as if he was terrified I might vanish any second.
There was nothing hesitant in him now.
No restraint.
No distance.
Only fire.
He kissed me like this was something he had needed, something he had craved, something he had denied himself too many times. And in that moment, everything I feared shattered. Because he was kissing me like he had been waiting for this since the moment he first met me.
My hands tangled in his shirt before I even knew I had moved, pulling him closer, afraid the moment would break if I let it. His breath mixed with mine, heat and urgency and something achingly sacred. I felt his heart pounding against my chest, wild and fast, as if he was no longer in control of it. It was as if his lips were trying to brand the feel of them to my own so that I would never forget this moment. His addictive taste burst across my tongue as he continued to explore me. The rumble of a possessive growl only fed my desire for him. All of this combined made it near impossible for me to stop, but stop it did, and far too soon.
However, when he finally broke the kiss, it was only to rest his forehead against mine. His breath unsteady, his voice rough with confession.
“You have no idea…”he murmured, every word thick with truth, “…just how long I have wanted to do that.How much I have craved to.”
My eyes fluttered shut as an overwhelming warmth rushed through me so fast it almost hurt.
“Me too,”I whispered quietly, unsure whether he would hear it, but his lips brushed my cheek in answer, soft and reverent, as if my words had undone him.
The library alcove felt impossibly small around us, the shelves towering like silent witnesses as he stepped back just enough to take my hand. His fingers laced through mine with a certainty that stole my breath. He tugged gently, guiding me forward.
“Come with me…now,”he said, voice low but authoritative.
I blinked up at him, still dazed from the kiss.
“Where?”
“Somewhere safe.” His expression hardened then, not with rejection this time, but with determination. “You can’t stay here.”
“But my father…” I began, the old fear rising again.
Thane actually grinned at that. A real one this time. Not a smirk, not a fleeting quirk of his lips, but a full, bright grin that transformed his entire face. One that softened the hardness and enhanced the beauty, stealing the air from my lungs. I had never seen anything so breathtaking in my life.
“Screw the rules,” he said, eyes glowing with something dangerously close to joy. “You’re coming with me.”
I barely had time to process his words before he was already guiding me out of the alcove, his hand tight around mine as if letting go was no longer an option he was willing to consider. The moment we stepped into the open aisles of the library, I felt his body shift, the tension returning to him like a coiled wire pulled taut beneath his skin.
His eyes scanned every direction, sharp and assessing, the softness of our kiss already folding itself away beneath something fierce and protective. I stayed close, matching his pace, letting the gravel of his breath and the slight squeeze of his hand anchor me.
We reached the doors, and the sudden wash of outside air cooled my fevered cheeks. That kiss still playing heavily on my mind, making me wonder when the next one would be and hoping it would be soon.
Thane stepped deliberately in front of me as we exited the building, his presence a barrier, his large frame shielding mine without him having to think about it. I felt the weight of his awareness settle around us both, the air almost humming with the intensity of it. I parted my lips to speak, to ask what was happening and why he looked ready to fight the entire world for me. But the words died on my tongue the moment my gaze followed his.
It was the man from earlier.
