Caroline #2
I don’t hear the rest of what he says because I drag him onto the dance floor and his words are swallowed by the rhythm of the music. Throwing my arms over his shoulders, I press my body against his.
One of my favorite things about Killian is quickly turning out to be the fact that he doesn’t hesitate to put his hands on my body. If his words aren’t enough of a confirmation, his actions tell me how much he wants me. It’s not an experience I’ve ever had before.
I don’t doubt that Killian wants me as much as he wants my body. He listens to me talk about my doubts and fears almost as eagerly as his hands trail over me.
His hands grip my hips as we move to the rhythm of the music. Grabbing his shirt collar, I pull him down until our mouths meet. I don’t kiss him, just breathe the same air as him.
“Caroline,” he growls.
My name in his gruff voice vibrates through me. My breasts grow heavy, pulse pounding between my legs and I rub my thighs together to create some friction. Killian squeezes my waist, fingers digging into my flesh.
“Killian, please,” I whisper in his ear. I’m not sure if he can hear me over the sound of the music, but he does.
“Please what, butterfly? Please make you come?”
I can’t see his eyes in the darkness of the club, but I can feel his heated gaze on me.
“Yes,” I breathe out.
I’ve never been so aching and desperate in my life. I feel like if he doesn’t make me come, I’m going to pass out, which might be the alcohol talking.
“Not here, baby,” he says. “You’re all mine and I’m never going to let anyone watch as you come for me.”
I whimper with need. I’m not sure I can make it all the way home.
“Come home with me now and I’ll make you come before I put you to bed,” he whispers his dark promise in my ear.
I don’t want to leave, but I give into his seduction. Once he finds Eve and Lilith and tells them we’re leaving, he keeps a hold of my hand as we walk out of the club. Eve and Lilith didn’t want to come with us.
The fresh air outside cools my heated skin, and I finally feel like I can breathe and think straight. It’s rained since we were inside and the scent of petrichor hangs in the air.
I’ll lean back into Killian as he stands behind me and hails a cab.
“This was the best night,” I say. “I haven’t had so much fun in a long time, maybe ever.”
When the cab stops in front of us, Killian ushers me inside before getting in behind me and closing the door.
He keeps an arm wrapped around my shoulders and I snuggle in next to him because apparently, I’m a needy drunk.
I need to touch him, I need him to touch me, and I need there to be zero distance between us.
The only reason I’m not undressing him is because he’s keeping a hold of my hands, which is incredibly unfair.
“Can you open your shirt just a little?” I whisper. With the way the cab driver glances in the mirror, I doubt my whisper was quiet.
“Not right now, I can’t,” Killian says in amusement.
“Why not?” I pout.
“I’m shy.”
I snort, and then giggle at that. I throw one leg over both of his, practically climbing onto his lap as I bury my face against his neck.
I’m half asleep by the time we get home, and Killian has to carry me up to the apartment. I kick off my heels as soon as we walk in and toss them in a corner.
Grabbing Killian’s neck, I pull him down to give him a sloppy kiss. “Why do you have to be so tall?” I grumble. “It’s like climbing a tree anytime I have to kiss you.”
“Why do you have to be so short?”
“I’m not short, I’m average height for a woman.”
Instead of leading me to the room and taking all my clothes off me, he takes me to the bathroom and puts toothpaste on my brush before handing it to me. I take it obediently and start brushing my teeth while Killian stands behind me and watches me carefully.
I spit the toothpaste in the sink and straighten up to look at him in the mirror. “Has anyone told you you’re incredibly hot? Like I find it difficult to think straight when I’m around you sometimes.”
His eyebrows shoot up that. “Uh, no. You’re the first one to tell me that.”
I nod, rinsing out my mouth. I drop the toothbrush back in its spot and look at myself in the mirror. “I should probably clean my face.”
“Let me help.” Killian steps forward and grabs my container of make-up remover balm, slowly rubbing it between his hands before cleansing my face. His face is full of concentration.
“Close your eyes,” he says. I slam my eyelids close and let him clean the make-up. Once satisfied the makeup has melted off, he grabs a towel and runs water over it before cleaning the balm off my face.
“What’s next?”
A point at the facial cleanser and we follow the same process again. Once my face is clean and moisturized, Killian grabs my hairbrush and slowly brushes the tangles out of my hair. He surprises me by gently braiding it.
The action causes my throat to clog up and my eyes to fill with tears. I sniffle quietly and it finally causes Killian to look up from my hair. His eyes widen as he sees the tears streaking down my face.
“Baby, what’s wrong?”
I shake my head because I’m not sure it’s a feeling I can put into words. I’ve always been expected to look after myself or have a housekeeper or a maid look after me. Affection was nonexistent in the Sinclair household.
I grew up believing that my troubles should be kept to myself because they would bother other people. I learned to be quiet and to be invisible. I learned to not expect love and care. I learned to keep quiet on my aches and pains to earn me their love.
Killian releases my hair and turns me, pulling me in against his chest. I bury my face against him, letting my tears fall freely. Killian rubs my back, making soft shushing noises.
“You’re the strongest person I know,” Killian says.
I laugh wetly against his chest. “I think you have me confused with someone else.”
“Caroline, the one thing I can never do is confuse you with someone else.” His arms tighten around me.
“Only someone strong can have the patience that you do. Make the choices that you made. Just because they were good at manipulating you doesn’t make you weak because in the end you chose yourself. You didn’t let them win.”
I pull back slightly to look up at him. When his eyes meet mine, I see no lies. He sees something in me that I don’t see in myself. Pushing up onto my toes I press a soft kiss against his lips.
“Come on, let’s go to bed.”
When he pulls me towards the stairs instead of taking me towards my bedroom, I don’t argue.
“Are you going to take advantage of me?” I ask, as he pushes open his bedroom door.
“I’m going to take advantage of the fact that you’re finally quiet and I’m gonna put you to bed.”
I’m not sure what I’m expecting in his room, but it’s surprisingly him.
The dresser against the wall with knickknacks on it.
The lights are off, except for the lamp on the nightstand, casting a soft glow around the room.
His bed is large and neatly made, the sheets gray and navy blue.
The bed is the focal point of the room and there’s nothing here which shouldn’t be here.
Killian opens the top dresser drawer and pulls out a T-shirt, which he hands to me. The material is soft and warm in my hands.
“Why don’t you change and I’m going to get you a painkiller and a glass of water?” Placing a soft kiss on my cheek, he walks out and closes the door behind him.
I eye the bed as I remove my pants and top, signing with relief as I remove the sticky bra I was wearing under. I put my clothes on the chair by the window and pull on his shirt, which is soft and well worn. It settles around my thighs.
The window in his room overlooks the bridge and river, unlike my room, which overlooks the back street. At this time of night even the bridge is quiet, few cars traveling back-and-forth between Manhattan and Brooklyn.
I wonder if it’s strange that I don’t miss my home as much as I should. How does someone get to their late twenties without forming some attachments?
The door opens behind me, but I don’t turn around.
“You’re not in bed,” Killian says.
I hum quietly. “Felt a bit weird to get in your bed without you.”
He comes to stand next to me, and hands me the painkiller and a glass of water.
“The last time we did this, you had quite the revelation for me,” he says.
I swallow the pill and empty the glass of water before handing it back to him. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I say, “The last time we did this, you were a tease.”
He tucks a stray strand of hair behind my ear, watching me with gentle eyes. “Do you want to go downstairs to your room?”
A frown up at him unhappily. “I never said that.”
“Then get your cute little ass bed.”
Sticking my tongue out at him I walk to his bed and throw the covers down. I stick my cute little ass out as I climb into the bed. Behind me, I have the satisfaction of hearing Killian’s groan. With a quiet giggle, I settle into bed and pull the comforter over me.
“Happy?” I ask, looking at him.
His eyes roam over me, lying in his bed, wearing his T-shirt. “You have no idea.”
“Don’t think I don’t know you’ve manipulated me into getting in bed with you,” I say.
“You figured out my master plan,” he says with a laugh. I watch him walk across the room to the dresser and pull out a pair of sweats.
“Where are you going? Change here,” I say, leaning up onto my elbow.
“You just want me to take my clothes off.”
“Give me a little show,” I coax.
I don’t expect him to give in. With a smirk on his face, he slowly pulls his T-shirt up his body and over his head.
If I drool a little, it’s not my fault. His torso is lean and muscular, tattoos covering his arms and a few over his ribcage.
The soft glow of the lamp makes his body look bronzed like a Greek god.
He tosses the T-shirt aside over my clothes before his hands drop to the button of his jeans. I let my eyes drop, licking my lips as I wait with anticipation.
“Stop looking at me like that, butterfly,” he commands.
“What’s the harm when you’re not going to do anything about it because I had a few drinks?”
“When I caught you, you were holding an almost empty bottle of tequila,” he says with amusement.
“I didn’t finish all of it by myself,” I say. “Now, please continue with the show.” I lean across the bed, closer to him so I don’t miss anything.
Killian pops the button of his jeans and unzips, lowering them to reveal his black boxer briefs which he fills out to perfection, the bulge drawing my attention. My eyes widen and I press my thighs together to dull the ache between them.
“Caroline.”
My mouth parts as my breathing grows shallow. Killian is walking towards me, placing one knee on the bed as he leans towards me. Grabbing my chin, he tilts my head back and seals his mouth over mine in a ferocious, heated kiss that I feel all the way to my toes.
“One day soon I’m going to fuck this pretty, delicious mouth of yours,” he growls. “I can’t wait to see your lips wrapped around my cock.”
I shift restlessly under the covers. “I promise I’ll be a good girl and swallow.”
With a growl, Killian kisses me again, harsher and with more force, as if he’s sealing the promise of our words onto my lips. He pulls away just as quickly and stands back to don his sweats, which feel more like a safety measure than a necessity at this point.
Getting into bed, he turns me so I’m facing the window and settles in behind me, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me against him. Our bodies fit together perfectly. I’ve never slept with someone in the same bed before and it feels nice. Safe. Comforting.
Kilian presses a soft kiss on my neck.
“Go to sleep, butterfly.”
My brain isn’t tired, but I still close my eyes and succumb to sleep with the sound of Killian’s breath in my ear and his arm securely wrapped around my waist.