Chapter 18
Tori
The power went out with a loud pop, making me freeze. One second, the hum of the fridge and the overhead lights had filled the air. Next, total darkness was swallowing the living room whole.
“Seriously?” I flicked the light switch on and off, as if it would make a difference.
Nothing. Not even a flicker. The entire street was out — porch lights, streetlamps, everything.
I knew I’d paid the damn electricity bill, so why the hell was the freaking power off?
Then, as if answering my question, the silence was broken by a clap of thunder, making me turn my head to peer out of the window. The inky sky was briefly illuminated by a bright bolt of lightning; the flickering light threw my surroundings into sharp relief.
The storm they’d been warning us about all week had arrived and had possibly knocked down a power line or blew a transformer. Great.
Gran was on a church retreat, thank God. She wasn’t even religious, she just went for the gossip … and to terrorize the pastor. Nevertheless, I was glad to not have her underfoot while the power was out. Events like this tended to escalate her shenanigans.
I grabbed my phone to turn the flashlight on, just as it buzzed in my hand.
Power go out for you too?
What do you think?
…are you hiding under a blanket?
I’m not scared of the dark.
You are
I literally fight people for fun.
Fair enough
Can't really punch a thunderstorm tho
Haha
That was sarcasm in case it didn’t land
I paused and looked up from the lit screen, narrowing my eyes. Something had just creaked on the porch.
Straining my ears, I locked my phone, plunging the room into darkness again. There it was again — a slow thud. Something heavy making the porch creak, barely audible under the steady drumbeat of rain hammering against the roof.
Without my permission, my pulse started racing and my heart threatened to leap out of my chest. I wasn’t actually scared, but I couldn’t stop the adrenaline from setting in.
Either this was who I thought it was, playing with me, or it was someone who was going to learn a very painful lesson today.
“Tori…” A voice called from outside. It was low and amused, fully aware of its effect. “You know when the lights went out, I couldn’t help but think…” There was a louder thud, followed by the unmistakable sound of a big hand slapping against the front door. “Perfect hunting weather.”
I backed up instinctively. “Don’t you dare.”
The silence that followed was electrifying, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. Despite my muscles trembling with anticipation, I forced myself to stay in place and considered my options.
Then the front door handle jiggled.
I sucked in a breath. “Kai! Stop it, you psycho—”
The door swung open and I crouched down, instinctively adopting a defensive stance. A huge, shadowy figure loomed in the doorway, right as the next rumble of thunder rolled in.
Kai didn’t move. He didn’t speak. Then another bolt of lightning lit up the night, illuminating his face. A slow grin curled the corners of his mouth before he took one heavy, menacing step inside the house.
“Oh hell no,” I whispered, spinning on the spot.
His dark, delighted laugh followed me.
“Better run.”
I bolted for the stairs. Footsteps thundered behind me, faster than mine by a mile. Curse his abnormally long legs. It was just fucking unfair. I hit the stairs two at a time, scrambling like a feral raccoon trying to escape a trash can.
Halfway up a hand wrapped around my ankle. I yelped and kicked back, managing to slip free through a combination of panic and luck.
“Dirty move,” he called up.
“You grabbed my leg like some kind of cryptid!”
I darted into the hallway, down the hallway to my room, slammed the door shut, and dove behind the dresser. I pressed a hand over my mouth, my body vibrating with adrenaline and something way more dangerous than fear.
Silence. Then silence again, even more charged this time. My breath came in fast pants behind my hand.
Where was he?
A floorboard creaked just outside the door.
“Tori…” He sounded close. Too close. It was a warning and a promise all wrapped in one.
The door eased open and I held my breath. Why had I never noticed before how loud my breathing was? This was ridiculous, I sounded like a goddamn locomotive.
Another heavy step. And another. He should be right next to the bed now, right?
My quads were trembling, and I made the split-second decision to spring up and hope I was fast enough to dart past him and out of the door.
But before I had even made it halfway, his big arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me clear off the floor.
Goddamn it. Guess I underestimated his reflexes.
I squeaked in surprise and Kai chuckled darkly, the delight unmistakable.
I twisted in his grip, shoving my shoulder under his arm and dropping my weight, my muscle memory kicking in. He stumbled just long enough for me to throw him off balance, flipping us over so his back hit the carpet with a thud.
“Didn’t think it would be this easy, did you?” I panted.
Kai looked up at me, his expression half-hidden by the shadows. It was an expression that absolutely should not have made my knees weak in the dark.
“Good.” His chest was heaving beneath me. “Fight back. You know I like it.”
Before I could react, he surged up, using his strength to flip our positions.
He ended up above me, one hand braced beside my head and the other pinning both my wrists firmly to the carpet.
Thunder clapped once more and the sound of the rain picking up drowned out all other sounds except our own harsh, uneven breathing.
“Look at me,” he commanded softly.
I obeyed and my lungs forgot how to function.
“You can’t hide from me.” He snapped his hips forward, his already hard length grinding against my clit. “I’ll always find you.”
Why did the idea make me so hot?
We locked gazes and he tilted his head to the side in question. I knew what he wanted, so I nodded.
Yeah, I’m absolutely okay with how this is going down. Please continue ravishing me.
Pinned under him, breathless and trembling with adrenaline, I realized two terrifying yet exhilarating truths.
I’d underestimated Kai. He wasn’t a pushover.
And … this was as much a game to him as it wasn’t.
“Maybe…”
His nose brushed my cheek slowly and deliberately.
“Nah. Nothing uncertain about that. I will.”
The air between us grew hot and charged with electricity. He leaned in, his mouth hovering a breath away from mine, before diving for my neck and sinking his teeth into my flesh.
“Fuck you!” I shrieked. The marks from last time had just started to fade.
“I intend to, Love,” he rasped against my skin, licking a long, hot, wet stripe up the column of my neck.
“You psycho motherfucker!” I growled, bucking my hips to throw him off.
Kai tutted, shaking his head mockingly. “You know … that’s not a nice thing to say.” He sighed, cupping my jaw in his hand. “But it does kind of get me going. Kind of fucked up, hey?”
So fucked up. But not more fucked up than what we’d already done … what we were doing right now.
I glared up at him, trying not to notice how goddamn handsome he looked when the inky strands were falling into his eyes this way. Planting my feet on the ground, I tried to bridge my hips up but failed once more.
He was just too fucking heavy. My nipples tightened and heat rushed to my core at the way he dominated me so effortlessly. Guess I liked my men big enough to manhandle the fuck out of me.
“Then again,” he mused, “you like it when I call you my little slut and throw you around. So maybe you’re just as fucked up as I am.”
The tips of his fingers were now digging into my cheeks and I opened my mouth in surprise.
“Good girl.”
I froze in confusion, but then he puckered his lips and his spit hit my tongue. My eyes widened and, for a moment, I was frozen, unsure what to do.
“Now swallow.”
I sucked in a breath as heat coursed through my veins and my pussy clenched desperately. Then I obeyed, watching the smug smile on his face grow wider as his breath hitched.
Oh fuck, I‘m in sooo much trouble. He might be perfect.
Claiming me in a brutal, punishing kiss, he plunged his tongue in my mouth. I matched him stroke for stroke, moaning into his mouth.
My breath came in fast pants as he straightened up and rose to his knees.
“If you don’t want me to tear these clothes off you,” he purred, plucking at the hem of my shirt, “I suggest you get rid of them and get your pretty little ass on the bed.”
In one fluid motion, he was on his feet again.
Seriously, it shouldn’t have been possible for him to move this fast given how big he was.
When I didn’t move, Kai extended a hand. I tried to ignore how delicious the veins running along his muscular forearms looked as I gripped his palm.
My hand looked positively tiny, clutched between his calloused fingers, and he yanked me up with so much ease, it was laughable.
Why was that so fucking hot?
The pulse in my neck pounded a frantic beat all the way down to my pussy. My walls were clenching desperately, and I was feeling achy and … needy.
Not that I’d ever admit it. I was almost glad he was making me take my own clothes off, because I was pretty sure my panties were embarrassingly soaked.
“You got about five seconds before I start undressing you my way, Love,” he drawled, giving me a hungry once-over.
I scoffed and took a few steps backwards until the backs of my knees touched the edge of the bed. “Making me do all the work, huh?”
“Nah. Just making sure you’re not going to have my ass later for destroying your cute little outfit.” He snorted.
“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” I tugged my top over my head, enjoying the way his eyes immediately glued themselves to my breasts.
I couldn’t help but smirk. Men really were all the same.
His breathing picked up, his nostrils flaring as he watched me shimmy out of my comfy pants and soaked underwear. He gripped the back of his shirt and tugged it over his head in one swift movement.