Chapter Ten #3
She stepped forward, not sure what to say to such a confession, or if it even was a confession, but he shook his head.
Without a word he slipped past her, yanked open the door, and fled.
Sera stared into the empty room. Body heated, knees weak.
She should be scared. Terrified. His anger alone should have made her cower. He’d just confirmed that their biggest asset in keeping her alive might be out of commission. But fear was not the emotion cascading through her like an avalanche.
And a few days ago, his words would have terrified her.
A few weeks ago, and she would be packing her bags and slipping out in the night.
But now, she simply could not stop smiling.
Kieran halted just outside his office. He desperately wanted to be alone, to find somewhere he could think and process in private.
He closed his eyes briefly, ignoring the few passing stares in his direction.
“North?”
Gods, Willa had found him.
“Damn, I was hoping I’d have to go through your secretary first. Oh well. We need your confirmation about the Divinity meeting. Took ages to get all the schedules aligned.”
Kieran wiped his face of any emotion and greeted her initial question with a simple nod. Too much was slipping his attention. And figuring out an official stance on this lethal drug was important. He searched his memory for Sera’s rundown of messages. “Yes. A week from today, three. I’ll be there.”
“Great, so no schedule conflicts?”
He set his arms behind his back, grabbing one wrist with the other as he took a very careful breath. “No. My apologies, but I was just heading out for the night, if there’s nothing else?”
Her cheek quirked in a sort of questioning look. “Heading out? You? It’s barely after four.”
“The workday ends at four,” he iterated.
She chuckled. “I end my day at four, typically, but the others were all whining about yours being the last confirmation we needed, and I drew the short straw. You, however, have never left this office before me.”
“Is there a point to these profound observations? Unless you have a work-related query, I mean to head home.” He paused, intending to take a step toward the stairs, but then, he couldn’t leave Sera in his office.
He couldn’t go home without her and he had no desire to make fleeing into the night a habit.
Unwelcome this whole affair may be, hiding from it had done him little good.
“Where’s your secretary?” Willa continued, undeterred by his icy tone. Kieran did not normally indulge in the rumors about him, they were all built on very shallow observation of his character, but, occasionally, a frosty tone often served to end a conversation more quickly than manners.
“I am not her keeper. Perhaps she left early.”
Willa raised an eyebrow and sniffed at the air. “Wait.” She leaned toward him and Kieran fought the impulse to move out of reach as she sniffed again. “Is that perfume? And almonds?”
His gaze was intended to be fiercely intimidating. It had no effect.
Willa looked at his office door then clasped a hand over her mouth. “I don’t believe it.”
“The theatrics are unnecessary,” he said smoothly, because if her wide eyes and giddy smile were any indication of her assumptions, then she was probably not far off.
“I am so glad I picked the small straw,” she said with a voice several octaves higher than her normal tone.
He stared straight ahead, waiting for her to cease jumping in place.
“But even I haven’t in my office… oh wait, yes I have.
But that’s me.” She squealed. This would be all over the office now.
Whispers of the cold-hearted alderman fooling around with his secretary like some sort of rake.
“Brilliant choice, too. She is absolutely delectable. And I’m not at all surprised to find your life’s ambition for an inclusive Unity would extend to your romantic choices. ”
The words ‘absolutely delectable’ had alighted a blind sort of fury for half a second before his focus shifted to the rest of her statement. “This is not a romance.”
“A casual fling?” Willa raised her eyebrows suggestively. “Did not expect that from you, but if it loosens that stick up your ass, I’m all for it.”
He took a deep breath. This situation required calm, though Willa’s words were churning emotions like a hurricane. When he spoke, he barely managed to keep his tone civil. “Your discretion here would be appreciated.”
Willa glared at him, and he knew the odds of having her keep something this scandal worthy a secret. In fact, he would not have bothered asking at all, if not to protect Sera.
He faced her directly, standing so that she could no longer look through him. “Miss Blair has gone through considerable trials that I do not wish to add to. Rumors of this nature floating around the office will be damaging.”
Willa huffed.
“If it helps, your silence will not benefit me,” he offered.
“As soon as my agreement with Miss Blair ends, you may tell whoever you wish.” The words were hollow as he said them, the idea of an end to their association did not sit well.
But Wraith had provided that end. It was only a matter of time.
“Agreement? What sort of agreement do you two have?” Willa leaned in, eyes wide with curiosity.
“Do not push it.”
“Ugh. Fine,” she relented, but her mood had soured considerably, “I won’t say a word. On my honor.”
Willa left and Kieran hovered a minute before breathing out and heading back inside his office.
And there was Sera, smiling at nothing.
Kieran shut the door. He intended to ask if she was ready to head home, but the sight of her had altered all intention.
Did he continue on like nothing had happened?
Like there wasn’t a greater than likely chance his Sense was already blind to her?
Had his feeble gift already detected that his attachment to her was greater than he had assumed?
And why in the realm was she grinning at the empty room?
What could possibly be funny about the appearance of Wraith in his office, all but threatening them should he not uncover sufficient evidence to credit their claims?
Or was she smiling because she was still thinking about the very unfinished nature of their Game?
The memory did not conjure a smile for him.
More like a carnal snarl desperate to finish what they had started.
His eyes drifted from her to the door, the scene of his unraveling.
He had not intended to let her catch him off guard.
Initiating the Game had been a means to end his fixation on her, either in her denial or her acceptance.
Then he’d lost himself to suppressed memories and the neglected emotions that came with them.
He’d blindly allowed her to undo his pants, tease with bold ministrations of her hands until no amount of practice could have prevented him from surrendering control.
But descending into a mind-numbing frenzy had not been his aim.
He’d meant to touch her, allow himself that one indulgence at his own pace. But he had become someone else. Someone who nearly lets a woman stroke him fully clothed, in his place of work, while suppressing every groan and intake of breath as she’d alighted sensations he’d not felt in too long.
It also was not in his plans to pin her to the door. It was quite a different person that had hefted up all those layers of skirts, that intended to drive her into carnal delirium more intense than what plagued him. He wasn’t so green as to not remember how to use his hands to elicit pleasure.
She’d melted against him, spurring him on, further clouding all coherent thought as his fingers slipped into her.
Feeding on the sensations, so pure and exhilarating.
It took everything not to open his mouth on her skin, to draw his tongue up her throat.
He felt each clench and spasm as she fought in vain to hide her desire, to stifle her moans.
It was obvious enough in the squirming movement of her neck as she struggled, but the added sensations of her pulsing to the measured rhythm of his fingers created a complicated line between her seduction and his arousal.
Without question, he should have stopped before he started. Her struggle to contain her ardor should not have fueled the blaze in his veins. The blaze that insisted he not stop until he felt her release and test just how much her control would hold when pulsing with bliss.
These were all thoughts that did him no good now, as the deed was done. Or, rather, started. She hadn’t finished.
The damage might very well be done and it was unlikely to be altered by her climax.
What more did he have to lose?
Not prudent, but then this was one temptation he was losing the will to fight. He let the idea settle, not realizing that he had fixed his gaze quite intently on Sera.
“Are… we going to go home?” she asked.
Home indeed. Where they could be alone. Where it didn’t matter what state of dress they remained in or how loud. With proper beds or upright against the wall, or maybe they could work their way through every surface in his house to determine which was best suited for pleasure.
What harm was there, truly, in continuing where they had left off?
Kieran regained his composure, setting a hand on the door handle without turning it. “I’d prefer to return somewhere we won’t be interrupted.”
Her lips fell open, shoulders rising with an intake of breath. “Oh.”
“After you, Seraphina.” He opened the door and extended his arm as he spoke.
“You, wait. So…” She started to walk, stopping as she passed to spear him with large, curious eyes.