Page 31 of Slightly Married
My hands explored the softness of skin I’d only admired from afar. I was drawn into a fire, and I had no intention of escaping it. The passion between us built into something impossible to retreat from.
I removed the bonnet from her head, releasing her braids to cascade around her shoulders. I wrapped my fingers through them, using the gentle pressure to bring her even closer.
Kayla let out a soft grunt but didn’t resist as I pushed down the straps of her gown, cupping her breast and teasing her nipple. Despite my desire to taste her skin, I couldn’t break away from the kiss. It was unlike anything I’d experienced before.
She shifted, straddling me, continuing to move against me. I was at her mercy, and I didn’t mind one bit.
Finally, she broke the kiss, pushing her lovely breasts towards me. I drew a nipple between my lips, savoring the salt of her skin, the way she shuddered when I used my teeth.
Her taste was intoxicating. She moaned, fingers tangled in my hair, keeping me anchored against her heart.
“Michaila.” My voice emerged unrecognizable, stripped raw with need, my control hanging by a thread. “If we don’t stop now, I won’t be able to.” I gripped her hips hard enough to leave marks. “Period or not, I’ll fuck you in this chair, then against the wall, and on your bed until neither of us remembers where you end and I begin.”
Her body stiffened. She pulled away, avoiding my gaze as she fixed her gown. “I’ll go to bed now,” she murmured, gnawing on her lower lip.
With considerable effort, I stood as well, painfully conscious of my body’s state of arousal. I raked my hand through my hair and took several steps backward.
What kind of man was I becoming? I had given Stella my word, had promised to honor our engagement once this arrangement with Kayla concluded. My word had always been my bond, unbreakable.
But standing here, watching Kayla’s lips still flushed from my kiss, I faced an uncomfortable truth.
I wasn’t certain I could keep my promise. The foundation of my identity was fracturing under the weight of these unexpected feelings.
“I’ll be out of the country for a few days,” I said, fighting to regain my composure. “Call me if you need anything.”
Distance was necessary. I needed to remember my obligations to regain a steady footing.
Stella had saved my life and put up with my changing moods for months after. She deserved my loyalty.
And yet, each step away from Kayla required more self-control than the last.
11
When I woke up the next morning, my head was still floating somewhere between dreams and reality. The tingle on my lips from Konstantin’s kiss hadn’t faded, and my nipples were still traitorously sensitive.
“Ugh, get it together,” I muttered, kicking off the covers.
What possessed me to kiss him like that? Talk about adding fuel to an already complicated dumpster fire.
Needing a reality check, I video called Lauren after a quick time-zone calculation. It would be mid-afternoon in New York.
“I kissed him,” I blurted the second her face appeared on screen.
“Who?” Her blonde brows shot up in confusion.
“Konstantin!” I rolled my eyes. “Who else would I be kissing?”
“Yiorgos?”
I wrinkled my nose. “He’s my boss!”
“Stop playing, that man is foine, too! Was it bad?” Her Texas drawl stretched the question, despite years of New York living.
Bad? Try earth-shattering. But admitting that to Lauren meant enduring her ‘I-told-you-so’ smirk for the rest of eternity.
Lauren’s knowing laugh cut through my hesitation. “Must have been great if you’re tongue-tied over a simple question.”
“I am not tongue-tied,” I protested, fluffing my pillow. “He is a good kisser. Happy?”
