Chapter 40 #4
After what he’d revealed about Akira, I didn’t want to bother him—I sensed he needed some space to recover. But there I was, in the hallway, afraid and not knowing what to do.
When I finally gave up on the idea, the door opened and he appeared shirtless, wearing only those damned pajama pants.
“Why all this commotion at my door?” he asked, looking me up and down. “If you’re scared, just knock and call me.”
The harsh way he spoke made me step back and turn up my nose.
“And who’s scared? I’m just getting some air.”
Zion tilted his head back slightly and raised one eyebrow, looking at me as if daring me to keep up the lie. I took a step back, not knowing what to say. I thought about going back to my room and curling up with Kiara, but as I turned toward my bed, I saw Zion stepping aside from his doorway.
“You don’t have to be ashamed of it. Everyone’s afraid of something,” he said, his amusement fading.
Maybe he’d noticed I wasn’t in the mood for jokes. My eyes shifted from him to the lit room and then to the dark stairs. Without hesitation, I slipped into his room and nestled into the spacious bed.
He closed the door, satisfied.
“I disagree. You don’t seem to fear anything. You’re the general of Interion—you’ve faced chimeras, lamias, and even Serguei himself. You’re immune to fear,” I said as he lay down beside me and turned off the light.
Zion didn’t object, but I already knew him well enough to know he was dissecting every word I’d said.
As I snuggled into the pillow, I grew nervous about how close we were—I’d never been in his bed before.
It was a new and intriguing experience, and breathing in so much of his scent did strange things to my body, flooding my mind with heated, uncontrolled thoughts.
Liquid euphoria pulsed through my bloodstream, and if it had been hard to sleep before, now it would be impossible.
Zion, still mulling over what I’d said, opened his arms toward me.
“Maybe you’d like to lie closer—it might help you feel better. Your heart rate isn’t normal,” he offered, sounding a bit uncertain.
Little did he know that my racing heart had nothing to do with fear.
“Don't worry, I'm fine here,” I found myself saying, but my heart only raced faster at the thought of nestling against his chest.
“Liar. I won't be able to sleep like this,” he replied, concerned. “This is my final offer, Kay.”
I watched him in the dark; he seemed set on his decision. So I got up on all fours and crawled into his arms. I heard him swallow hard when I rested my head on his chest and nestled against his side, stiff as a statue.
“Better?” he asked.
“It'll do,” I replied with my cheek pressed against his warm skin.
This was the first time I'd been awake and this close to his body. It felt like a dream too good to be true, yet my heart rate kept spiking with each passing second.
“Don't be afraid, I'm here, nothing bad will happen,” Zion said in my ear.
Every hair on my body must have stood on end.
“I know. Don't worry, I'm fine.”
“Then why...”
I interrupted him.
“Zion. Everything. Is. Fine.”
Something must have clicked in his mind, and then a suppressed laugh echoed through the dark room. If I looked up, I'd surely see a smug smile aimed at the ceiling.
“Tell your heart I'm flattered.”
“Shut up,” I hissed, blushing in several different shades of red.
“Flattered and wondering if I should keep the spray by the bed.” I immediately tried to pull away, growling like an angry cat, but Zion held me tight in his arms, blocking any escape. “Okay! Okay! I'll shut up.”
“Arrogant jerk.”
He laughed, a husky, provocative sound.
“You're stunning when you're irritated.”
Once he was sure I wouldn't flee, his body relaxed, making room for me on his chest. I stayed motionless for a while, just feeling his breathing and his warm summer-night scent.
I mentally begged my heart to slow down, but the stubborn thing wouldn't give me peace anytime soon.
Zion seemed still too, as we got used to each other.
There was electricity in the air, something dense and heavy that kept stretching tighter, waiting for a chance to snap.
It was dangerous in a tempting way. It kept building, pulsing to the rhythm of my heart.
There was an urgency in my body that was almost unbearable, and I didn't know what to do to relieve it.
Either I did something about this, or I'd leave his room.
With my heart racing, I slid my hand up beside my head and let it hover over his skin, undecided what to do.
My breathing grew heavy. I broke into a cold sweat, my stomach clenching.
Damn! It was just a touch, an exploratory caress—it wasn't like I was harassing him.
But with so much adrenaline coursing through me, it might as well have been.