It appeared. Any of her hesitation slid away, and in its place was the same need that was inside of me. I couldn’t wait any longer after that.
I became lost in her touch as my mouth bent down to hers. Her scent, how soft her skin was, how she felt beneath me while writhing for more—it would all become burned in my memory. I never wanted to forget this.
I was hers. Whether she realized it or not, I was giving all of myself to her right now.
As I slid inside her, I watched how she reveled in the sensations. I’d thought she would close her eyes, but she didn’t. She looked up at me. There were no walls between us. I let mine down.
I was a bad guy. I had done bad things but never to her. I wanted her to know that. She was the exception. She was the one, the only one, my soul would uphold above all else.
When she found out how bad of a guy I was, I only hoped she wouldn’t leave me. Though, if she did, I wouldn’t stop her.
Being with Kian changed everything.
My fingers curled into my thigh. After last night, I couldn’t leave him. I had so many emotions about being with him, but they’d have to be processed later. All I knew was that I couldn’t go away or hide anymore. That meant I would have to fight. And that meant I would have to face this storm on my own two feet, but Kian’s team wasn’t my team. I needed my own—Erica and Wanker.
I glanced down at Kian, who was sleeping next to me. His delicious long body was curved slightly toward me. The sheet snuck down, so it was barely covering his hips, and his arm was lifted, lying on the pillow, cushioning his head.
Holy crap. He’s gorgeous.
In the early morning, light was starting to creep through the window. The curtains were pulled shut but not completely. A small crack allowed the light through. It wasn’t a lot. It was still too early in the morning, but it was enough where I could see his arm tattoos. His arm was full of them. The arm that had been resting on my own arm was lying on the bed now between us.
I moved a little bit as I made a mental note to ask him about the meanings behind his tattoos, each and every one of them. A tribal tattoo merged with a wolf. A gun was pointed toward his hand.
Kian wouldn’t have those tattoos unless they meant something deeper, and one day—My eyes jerked to his lips. I was suddenly hungry to hear their meanings. I wanted to know everything about him. I wanted to understand everything about him. But first, I started edging off the bed. I had a friend whom I hoped would still be my friend.
A hand caught mine right before I slipped from the bed. I glanced back.
Kian’s eyes were open, and he was watching me. A small grin lifted his lip as he asked, “Where are you going?”
Oh, boy. Even right there—with how he was watching me, all dark and deadly—that ache that was only for him was acting up again.
I cleared my throat, cooling my loins, and grabbed the bedsheet that had been kicked into a ball at the bottom of the bed. I wrapped it around me, making sure my girls were nice and tight, before I stood. “Uh…”
I needed a lie.
I saw my phone was flashing from a text. After grabbing it, I read it out loud, “Everything is out of your apartment. Call me for storage information. Your key was slipped underneath the hotel door. Snark.”
“That went off without a hitch.” Kian sat up. His flat stomach bending seamlessly, his muscles gliding underneath his skin.
I averted my eyes. “Yeah.” That wasn’t helping my getaway at all.
“Where were you going to go when I woke up? Tell the truth,” he said.
I looked back at him and saw the knowing look from him. “I have to go make things right with Erica.” I needed to know if she hated me or if I could trust her. I couldn’t turn my back on her until I knew for sure. “We’ve been friends for the past two years. I have to try.”
His eyebrow lifted as his hand rubbed at his jaw. “Now?” He started to get up and glanced at the clock.
It was 5:24 in the morning.
My head bobbed up and down. “Yep. No time like the present.”
His grin went up a notch. “You want to get there before my team arrives?”
“Yeah.” I nodded again.
He stood and reached for his jeans. “Okay. Hold on. I’m coming with you.” He disappeared into the bathroom but popped his head back out a second later. His eyes pinned me down. “Do not leave. I mean it.”