7. Chapter 7
7
Nelle
I returned to my mother’s favorite room and headed straight for the patio, snagging a glass of wine on the way.
I rarely drank. But tonight— hells yes!
By the time I reached the French doors, I’d downed half my drink.
Well, this will never do.
Spinning on a heel, I marched for the wet bar and snatched up a bottle. Whatever kind of red wine it was—I didn’t care.
Evvie and Sage entered the room. My nostrils twitched as my wraith-wolf bound up with the rank smell of rotting chicken carcass wafting from his panting breath. Leaning down, I tickled him under the chin as he nudged into my side. I should have called Sage the moment Graysen kissed me and ordered the beast to bite his stupidly beautiful face off.
Evvie instantly knew I was upset, and concern lined her features as she threaded through the Pellans toward me.
But Corné waved out at her.
Well, it was more like an arrogant snap of his fingers.
I snarled in his direction.
Indecision made Evvie still. Her gaze flitted between us.
She hitched a shoulder as her hands twined together in apology .
We were sisters and I could read her body language as easily as if she spoke aloud the word —Sorry.
I shrugged, scrunching my nose— It’s okay.
Besides, I wanted to be alone.
My heels clipped over smooth flagstone pavers as I walked through the French doors and out onto the patio. Like my mother’s room, the outdoor space was intimate and graceful, but with wrought-iron furniture and lush lilac bushes. I refilled my glass, left the bottle on the table, and wandered over to the fence enclosing the patio to look out over the lawns. Gripping the cool stone railing with a hand, I took a generous sip of wine. A few contractors finished delivering the last of the cargo containers and were leaving. Their trucks’ headlights swept across the lawn as they rumbled away.
Storm clouds hovered low against a darkening sky. The atmosphere felt damp, helping to douse the heat burning inside my body. I rubbed my forehead with my inner wrist.
What the hells happened?
There’d always been something that charged the air whenever Graysen and I were in each other’s presence. I never understood it. Not since I saw Graysen for the first time when we were children and experienced the odd sensation. He was messing around with his brothers at a House gathering. I couldn’t remember what we were all there for—I only remembered finding myself watching him and catching him watching me back. And it had been the same every single time we encountered one another.
Now we were older, our awareness of the other hadn’t changed. It only became more intense. I wasn’t sure he’d ever acknowledge it. But he must feel it like I did. Surely?
For the first time ever, we’d touched!
He’d been pissed, wanting to smear residue from the chili juice I’d spiked his drink with on my mouth. But, hells, the moment his calloused fingers wrapped around my arm, every single nerve ending caught fire. I’d become a living sparkler, fizzing and crackling.
Blowing out a pent-up breath, I jittered from foot to foot, trying to tease out the remnants of that touch still scorching through me.
I turned to lean my back against the railing and stare through the windows at the Pellans and my family gathered inside. The sound of chatter and music seeped outside—a welcome distraction from the thoughts tumbling through my mind.
Except I couldn’t stop thinking about what happened.
A prickling sensation had my glance swinging wide to peer through the French doors. I tipped my head back, groaning, before swallowing another mouthful of wine. Sure enough, it was him strolling through the room with that godsdamn arrogant swagger, blatantly ignoring the outstretched hand of one of the younger Pellan brothers wanting to greet him .
Graysen had removed his jacket and slung it over his arm. He’d also rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt and my gaze slipped all over the ink coiling down his veiny forearm. He looked divine in a suit, but I preferred him in tight t-shirts and jeans that hugged his ass just right.
Desire pooled low in my belly, and I loathed myself for being attracted to him. The man was mean more often than not.
My attention snagged on the three women swiping appreciative gazes all over Graysen as he moved through the room. I could feel my ire rising at Carola, her younger sister, and the ogling brunette. My gaze sharpened on the sleek, dark-haired woman. I wasn’t sure where she fitted in with the Pellans. She wasn’t a cousin. Perhaps she was Carola’s assistant or even a friend?
Whatever, they were welcome to him.
Ugh, why am I lying to myself?
I shifted to the cluster of ornate chairs and a pretty loveseat in the gloomy corner of the patio with palm fronds dipping overhead. A good place to hide in the shadows. I sank into the soft cushions and touched my lips, which were still swollen and throbbing from the feel of his mouth on mine.
My skin itched. And not in a bad way. In a way that said I hadn’t rid myself of his electric touch, my body remembering what it felt like pressed against him.
I’d always been curious to know what he’d feel like.
Heated silk and hard-packed muscle.
Sublime .
And then he kissed me.
Stop it, stop it now!
My frazzled nerves became too much for me.
I jumped up.
I sat back down.
Got back up again.
I couldn’t get myself together, nor stop thinking about that damned kiss.
It wasn’t a godsdamned kiss—he said so himself.
My skirt flared as I paced, and with every sip of wine, my steps became a little more unstable.
I had no idea what Graysen intended to do when he’d thrust me against the wall, pressing his hard body against my own. I’d parted my lips to let loose a string of curses and he’d kissed me.
I was so surprised by it all, I couldn’t do anything. While his harsh lips had moved over mine and his tongue invaded my mouth, I froze, shocked into submission, feeling and trying to catalog all the new sensations exploding inside me as he plundered. My entire body had strangely felt taut and loose all at once.
And the power lurking beneath my skin had slipped from its leash and seeped outward. The charged air pulsed in time with my pounding heart and even the wall he’d pinned me against vibrated as the creature purred, rumbling in delight that we were finally giving in to whatever bound us together.
I didn’t think Graysen had noticed. But this was dangerous. I couldn’t let him kiss me again.
Shit, shit, shit—
“Sage,” I groaned, weaving my fingers through his cool wisps of misty fur, “what have I done?”
That kiss meant nothing to him. But to me…it had made things confusing.
It had been brutal and not kind. Nothing at all like I’d daydreamed about.
I may have liked it far too much.
Godsdammit!
I took another gulp of wine. Warmth spilled down my throat and warmed my belly with a tingling sensation that wasn’t so much about Graysen, but more about the alcohol heating my blood. I rubbed my silky skirt against my thighs, feeling a little better. Even so, an exasperated sigh escaped me. Didn’t I want sweet and gentle? Didn’t I want someone to kiss me tenderly?
No, I didn’t.
I’m wild, just like him.
I didn’t like him.
Well, that wasn’t exactly true.
However, I knew he despised me, yet he’d liked me enough to kiss me.
And why was I now wondering if he’d kiss me again, this time properly?
No, I wasn’t wondering—I was hoping.
Ah, godsdammit!
I flopped back down onto the pretty seat, putting my drink down on the side table to lean forward and knead my forehead with the heels of my palms. Sage was curled up by my feet, his head resting on his paws, huffing. My groan was a loud, tortured sound.
How could my first kiss be with Graysen Crowther?
I was too busy debating with myself to realize I wasn’t alone.
The loveseat cushions dipped as someone sat down beside me. I peeked sideways and vexation struck like a bolt of lightning.
I straightened and folded my arms across my chest, glaring at Graysen. What was this? We go from spending all those days together barely speaking to this? I couldn’t get away from him. He was every- fucking -where.
Graysen’s cheeks rounded with a smug smile. “Still thinking about that kiss, little bird?”
My mouth fell open. “You said it wasn’t a kiss.”
“I’ve changed my mind.” His gaze dipped to my lips, lingering there. “I can give you another if you like.”
“I don’t like.”
“Liar.” His heated look danced all over me. “How innocent are we talking here?”
Confessing I’ve never been kissed should have given him an idea. I don’t know why he was asking. Probably to mess with me.
His curiosity only got more intense as his gaze slid slowly from my mouth to glide along my jawline and down my throat.
A flush of heat licked up my neck under his interest. I mean, I knew things, read about them, and watched them in films. I just hadn’t ever experienced anything. But Graysen didn’t need to know that. I lifted my chin defiantly. “I am not talking about my sexual experiences here, and certainly not with you.”
Rising, I snatched my wine glass from the side table.
He stood too and tossed his jacket across the back of an elegant chair. He watched as I took a mouthful of fruity liquid before becoming thoughtful. “I’ve never seen you drink before.”
I arched a defiant look— And, so?
Leaning down, I scooped up the bottle. I refilled my glass, watching the red liquid pouring into the crystal while fighting the urge to fill it to the brim.
“I just thought you didn’t drink.”
“I needed something to cleanse the taste of you away. Sterilize my mouth.”
My eyes narrowed. There it was again—he’d flashed a sudden, delighted grin. For some strange reason, he loved my bite.
As I moved to the railing, I stumbled. Whoops! I flung a hand out to steady myself. Things were getting a little messy. But the warmth of the wine was nice, like a cuddly blanket.
“Shit, how much have you had to drink?”
“Not nearly enough,” I tossed back, not bothering to look his way. I gazed out over the lawns, at the mini-city of containers, shooting my line-of-sight to the woodland. Normally I could see the details of individual leaves, but I didn’t have night vision like Graysen. And—
Hang on, everything was getting blurry .
Ooooh, maybe I have had a bit too much to drink. Oh, well—
And I took another long, long, long sip.
I heard him walking up behind me and felt his body heat warming my back a second later as he crowded me against the fence, bracing a hand on either side of me.
“It was awful,” I airily declared, drumming an angry beat on the railing with my fingers. “Just awful.”
Spiteful liar— the creature inside me rumbled.
Yes, I am— I replied.
I turned around and found myself caged in by his broad body. I had to crane my neck— hells, he was tall.
He raised an eyebrow, looking at me down the length of his nose. He knew exactly what I was referring to.
“I’m surprised you have the reputation you do with a gods-awful kiss like that.” I swilled another generous sip of wine, wiping away the beads of liquid from my lips with the back of my hand. It wasn’t, perhaps, my classiest move.
“Reputation?” His smile got broader, a challenge glinting in his dark eyes. “Oh do tell, little bird.”
I frowned. He wanted me to spell it out for him? I made a disgusted noise at the back of my throat, instead replying, “You pretty much smeared your tongue and saliva all over my mouth.”
He lifted a shoulder in the way of apology. “It wasn’t my finest kiss. I simply wanted a little bit of payback.”
I snorted.
“You spiked my drink with chili,” he growled. But there was something else shimmering in those black eyes. A pinch of respect. A dash of admiration.
I grinned, “I did, didn’t I,” doing a squiggle with my shoulders. Ha-ha, gotcha, Crowther! “And you didn’t see it coming.” With the alcohol fizzing in my blood and muddling my thoughts, maybe that’s why I tapped him playfully on the nose. He batted my hand away, but he was smiling. It was a little dark, that smile, a little intense, and—
Shit, why is he staring at my mouth like that?
My heart stumbled a beat.
A bolt of arousal razed down my spine, straight to my core.
The golden light spilling from the lanterns set up around the patio gilded his features, the planes of his cheekbones, and his sharp jaw. Mischief danced in his eyes, still lingering on my lips before snapping back up to my open gaze .
He angled his head, silently asking— What?
“You do realize how stupidly beautiful you are?”
Shit, did I say that out loud?
“Stupidly beautiful?” he echoed, his thick brows slashing upward in surprise.
“ Yeeeeaaah beautiful stupid,” I drawled. I pointed a finger at his face, using the hand holding the glass, and drew it around in a wobbly circle. He pulled back a bit. Fair enough—the wine was sloshing about and spilling droplets over my dress. Godsdammit. “All that stupid hair.” I squinted, rising on a tippy-toe to tug the hank of black strands hanging over his forehead. “Do you wake up like that or do you spend foreveeerrr getting it tousled just right?”
He huffed a laugh.
I tapped his lips. “And that stupid mouth.” I pinched his lips between my thumb and finger. “Stupid beautiful mouth.”
That stupid hair and that stupid mouth and those stupid eyes. I blew out a breath, my lips vibrating with the gesture. I lay my palm flat on his cheek and shoved his face aside. “Stupid beautiful Crowther.”
Swaying on my high heels, I lost my balance and staggered sideways. He lunged forward, grabbed hold of my waist, and righted me.
“I’m fine—I got this,” I slurred, pushing his hands off.
“Fuck, Wychthorn. Enough.” He snagged my wine glass.
“Hey!” I protested, trying to grab it back, glaring as he stepped away.
He leaned over to snatch up the wine bottle and handed everything to a servant passing the open doorway of the patio. “You’ve had way too much,” he replied, swiveling around and striding closer.
“Not fair,” I pouted, popping a hand on my hip. That was my choice to have too much. “I can drink if I want. And I want.”
He moved toward me with a predatory gait.
I swallowed hard. I suddenly felt like prey.
He bent, cupping my ass, and lifted me onto the railing. “What are you doing?” I squawked, a hand instinctively gripping his shoulder to steady myself. The stone was cold beneath me.
His palms slowly slid up my thighs, easing my legs apart, and the silky fabric rode upwards.
My eyes fluttered shut briefly at the exquisite sensation. Gods that felt good, those calloused fingers on my thighs, warm and rough and strong. And I did. I really did try to bat his hands away. “Get off—”
But he’d already stilled because he’d come across something hard and sharp that shouldn’t be there. His forehead creased with perplexion as he shoved my skirt further upwards to reveal—
“A dagger?”
Not even my father knew I strapped a blade to my thigh. It was insurance should the dark power that lurked beneath my skin fail me and Crowther ever tried anything.
I smiled, tapping his chest. “That’s to plunge into your cold black heart the first chance I get.”
Graysen laughed in delight, the sound rippling around us. He tipped his head to the side with a half-smile. “I have no heart. There’s only ash in the space where it should be.”
This time, it was my turn to laugh. “And you call me a liar, Graysen Crowther.” I splayed my fingers across his chest, right over his heart, where I could feel the raised flesh of the branded wyrm beneath his black shirt. The pulse of his heart, thudding in my ears, picked up along with my own. I wiggled my brows and shot back a smug smile. “Whenever we’re together, your heartbeat syncs with mine.”
He froze, and I watched a dark emotion war all over his features as his lips slightly parted in surprise.
Oh…he didn’t know that, did he?
A noise behind us. Footsteps. Male laughter.
“Leave,” he growled, not tearing his gaze from mine.
Whoever it was hastily retreated inside.
“That wasn’t very nice,” I frowned.
“I’m not nice.”
I made a pffting noise, rolling my eyes. “Don’t I fucking know it?”
The change in him came in slow increments. The harsh look he’d pinned me with melted away under the heat of his smoldering lust.
My heart stuttered.
My blood thrummed.
The thing inside of me stirred.
A hot wind, at odds with the storm sweeping in, ruffled my hair.
I couldn’t hold his intense stare, so I dipped my gaze to his mouth, but that was even worse. His tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip before straight, white teeth raked at the soft flesh. I couldn’t tear my eyes from his stupidly beautiful mouth as his sensual lips parted. “I think right this moment, you want me to kiss you again.” His hand suddenly snapped out and ensnared the vulnerable spot around my throat .
“Holy shit, Crowther,” I gasped, every nerve-ending sparking at his wicked hold.
Even if he hadn’t fixed me in place, there was no way I could have moved away. I didn’t want to move away.
A rough fingertip tapped the blade of my collarbone. “I think I’m under your skin and I’ve been there since we met and you can’t get me out of your head. I’ve taken up residence. And you want me, little bird. Badly.”
For a long moment, I could only gape at him as his finger stroked my flesh.
Get it together, Wychthorn!
I snorted, narrowing my eyes as I shook my head from side to side in a deliberately slow movement. “ Uh-uh nope.”
Shit, he was right, though. Damn it.
He smiled as if he didn’t believe me.
I needed to shove him away. But my body didn’t respond. My mind did, but my body didn’t. It hummed, delighting in the heat swirling between us.
“Gods, your ego. I feel nothing for you.” Even I was impressed with how coldly I delivered the words.
His laughter rumbled from his throat. He canted forward, bowing his head to get right into my face, and murmured, “I can taste your lies. They taste sweet, like honey.” Cupping my chin with a hand, he tilted my face upward. My eyes startled wide as his thumb brushed over my lower lip, back and forth in lazy, seductive strokes, the roughness of its pad tugging at the soft flesh.
I stopped breathing.
What is he doing?
As he slowly traced a line along my jaw, every single insignificant part of me shuddered awake as if roused from a deep sleep.
He closed the gap, settling into the space between my thighs, his mouth hovering so close to my own, his warm breath fanned my cheeks.
Shit, shit, shit—
Sage paced back and forth, conflicted between wanting to protect me or leave me be. Gods, I knew exactly how the wraith-wolf felt. I was torn between pushing Graysen away or pulling him closer.
I can’t, I can’t, I can’t—
I slid my hand between us, pressing my fingertips against his mouth, whispering, “Don’t.”
I couldn’t. I couldn’t let him kiss me.
His lips widened into a devilish smirk .
“Don’t— What? ”
“Don’t kiss me.”
“You want to be kissed.”
No.
Yes.
“Not by you.”
“Such a liar, little bird.”
His tongue darted out to lick the tip of my middle finger. I let out a gasp, instantly wishing I’d bit it back the moment dark intent glittered in the depth of his gaze. My reflection in those black eyes mirrored his desire.
I can’t want him. He’s my enemy!
I moaned as those lips parted and he sucked my finger into his mouth. “ H-holy hellsgate .”
We breathed one another’s air, staring at each other. It was too much, his tongue sensually sliding around my finger, softly sucking, my body desperate for more.
My lips fell apart with a sigh and my eyes fluttered shut.
Anticipation and exhilaration thrummed through me.
He let my finger free—making a wet popping noise—and I grasped his shoulder, my nails digging into his hard muscles. His fingertips brushing down my neck captured my entire focus. There was nothing but my senses, overwhelmed as my body ignited under his caress, the warmth of his breath kissing my lips, his masculine scent, the whispering sound of fabric as he moved closer, the feel of his hard body leaning into mine.
I gasped, shuddering, as something silky brushed against my jawline—his hair, I realized—and he pressed into the sensitive hollow at the base of my throat. It didn’t feel like a fingertip. It was his mouth, a lick of his hot, wet tongue.
His words scorched my flesh. “That doesn’t feel like nothing to me, little bird.”
Cool air swirled between us as he pulled away.
My eyes flashed open, widening to see a smirk of triumph on his face.
This was a joke.
I was just a stupid joke to him.
Hot humiliation heated my cheeks and stung like the embrace of barbed wire. “You asshole!” I struck out, wild and furious. His hand stopped mine mid-motion. His grip around my wrist was painful as we shared each other’s breath.
We remained that way, frozen. A clash of wills.
Why had I let myself give in to him ?
Because I’m a fool.
A stupid, stupid fool.
“Fuck you, Crowther,” I snarled.
“See, that’s all I’ve been trying to get you to do,” he huffed with laughter as he freed my wrist.
Oh, he thought he was so clever with his wordplay!
I kicked out, wanting to drive a sharp heel between his legs and stab him in the balls. But—
Shit. Oh hellsgate!
My arms flailed as I lost balance—
And tipped backward—
I shrieked as I fell off the stone railing.
He lunged, grabbing hold of my waist before I tumbled onto the pavers below.
Admittedly, it wasn’t a great distance to fall, but it would have hurt if my head had cracked upon stone pavers.
Graysen made that tsking sound he was so fond of making as he hauled me over the railing and put me back on my feet.
I twisted around in his grip, still burning inside with the embarrassment of being toyed with. And now the humiliations kept on piling up. Godsdammit.
“No ‘thanks,’ Wychthorn?”
All I could do was shake my head and deliver a scowl that said— Gods, seriously? As if.
And he was still in my space. This time, I shoved hard. Maybe not hard enough to actually push him back, but back he stepped.
“Burn in hells, Crowther!” I snapped, smoothing down my hair, and readjusting my dress.
He chuckled. A deep, rich sound. “Someday, I probably will.”
“Someday soon, I hope.” I warily edged around him and his grin only grew wider. I flung a dark scowl at him and stalked toward the open French doors, cursing myself and the stupid heels I’d been forced to wear tonight. “Gods,” I growled, shaking a foot, trying to kick the heel off. Of course, it wouldn’t come loose. They were buckled on. “Why are they so fucking hard to walk in?!”
Graysen’s laughter only grew more hearty.