Chapter 30
Revelry
Kane
Every part of me is still wired and on edge. I'm one breath away from dragging her into the nearest room and finishing what she started. My jaw ticks as I force down the urge, reminding myself that before I take her, there are things she needs to know.
I at least owe her that much.
I glance down at her, and her big eyes are pinned to me, waiting.
I can see that she doesn’t understand why I’m pulling away, but when every instinct in my body is screaming at me to sink my teeth into her soft, sensitive skin and make her remember exactly who had her falling apart moments ago…I know I need to stop.
I can see the confusion in her eyes. And something dangerously close to hurt.
Fuck.
“I can’t stay in here with you,” my voice is strained. “Because if I do, I'll ruin your dress.”
Her brows shoot up, and her gaze darts away so fast I almost smile.
The blush creeps in, blooming across her cheeks, and she bites her lip like she’s already remembering the way I had her coming undone with my tongue.
“Besides,” I add, holding out my hand. “There’s something I want to show you.”
She hesitates for half a second, eyes narrowing in suspicion, but that mouth curves into a slow grin. “Does the no touching rule apply if we’re in a different room?” She pauses, tilting her head. “What’s so important?”
I roll my eyes.
“If I told you, I’d ruin the surprise. And we both know you love surprises,” I give her hand a slight tug. “Come on.”
Even though she follows, I feel the hesitation in her steps. I can see the questions stirring behind those calculating eyes of hers.
I shut the greenhouse door behind us, looking down the hallway, making sure no one’s watching as I lead her deeper into the castle. The last thing I need is someone recognizing me.
She’s still searching my face for something I’m not ready to give her, but we keep walking.
“Should we go find the others? The ball is probably over.” There’s a false lightness to her tone.
I shake my head. “Cam’s got it handled.”
Her lips part, like she’s about to argue, but she stops herself. Instead, she lets out a soft laugh, but I can hear the thread of nerves beneath it.
“If I’m honest, I’m more worried about Cam.” She pauses, then stops walking. “Are we not going to talk about what just happened?”
My steps slow.
Her words hit like the sharp crack of a whip across my already fraying restraint. No, I can't talk about it.
I can't talk about how she's all I think about. How I haven’t stopped thinking about her.
She moaned my name like a goddamn prayer, and it took everything in me to stop. I look at her, and the slight flush still lingering on her skin, taking in the way she’s biting her lip like she’s still feeling me between her thighs.
“Not unless you want it to happen again,” I whisper, heavy with something unspoken. “Right here. In the hallway.”
Her eyes flash with that challenge again. “You wouldn’t dare.” But I catch the way her pulse picks up, like that’s exactly what she wants.
I tilt my head, closing the distance to the point she has to tilt her head up. “Wouldn’t I?”
Her eyes shoot straight to my mouth, and something inside me snaps.
I’m moving before I think, closing the space in seconds.
Her back meets the wall with a soft thud and her breath catches as I tilt her chin up, forcing her to look at me.
Her lips are soft and flushed, and fucking begging to be ruined.
The second my mouth claims hers, any pretense of restraint shatters.
She gasps into the kiss, and her hands grip my shirt like she needs something to hold onto. I feel her surrender instantly. And fuck, the soft, breathless moan that comes out of her is like gasoline on a fucking wildfire.
I need to stop. I need to tell her before this goes any further.
Instead, my grip tightens at her waist and my hands drag down, pinning her to the wall as I devour her. She’s trembling. I can feel her nails digging into my shoulders like she’s waiting for me to keep my promise.
My self-control is slipping. Fast.
I tear back only far enough to breathe, raking a hand through my hair. Her wide hazel eyes are locked on me, and her chest is heaving. Her lips are red and ruined from my mouth. She doesn't even know what I'll do her.
“Don’t start something you’re not ready to finish.” I warn.
Her throat bobs as she swallows, and her eyes betray her. She’s trying to gather herself, and pretend she’s unaffected, but I see it. I almost laugh. If I don’t get us out of here, I will ruin that dress.
I grab her hand, guiding her quickly down the hallway. My office isn’t far, but the sound of footsteps has me thinking twice. We need to stay out of sight.
Without a word, I press her against the wall again, covering her mouth with my hand as I tuck us into the shadows. Her breath speeds up and I press against her, brushing the shell of her ear with my lips. “Scared?”
Her glare is instant. “No, I'm not scared. I just don’t know why you insist on pinning me to walls like some kind of caged animal.” She hisses against my palm.
Then comes the stumble, those sexy boots nearly taking her down, and it drags a smile out of me. I let go of her mouth crouching in front of her before she can protest. “Let’s make sure you don’t trip again.”
I hear her suck in a breath as my hand slides around her calf, lifting her leg to unzip her boot.
“What are you doing?”
I drag the zipper down slowly, brushing against her skin as I slide her boot free. “Testing my sanity.”
She opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Her chest rises and falls quickly now, and I watch her lips part slowly as I move to her other leg, taking my time. I know I'm only torturing myself, but I drag my fingers along her smooth calf, slipping off her boot.
When I stand, her eyes are locked on mine. “Better?”
She doesn’t answer.
I smirk.
She looks away, but it’s useless. She's not very good at hiding it, and even if she was, her body betrays her.
The way she leans into me, the way her pulse flutters at her throat, and the way she licks her lips like she wants something but refuses to ask for it. It all tells me exactly what she wants.
I’m so fucking hard, and holding back is a losing game. My hands slide to her hips, and her eyes snap back to mine, filled with that unmistakable hunger.
“Kane,” she whispers, and just like that, I'm undone.
My mouth is on hers, needing to claim her again. One taste of her isn’t enough.
Of all the things I’ve noticed about Raven, every single one just got bumped to the bottom of the list. Because now, my favorite thing is going to be making her come.
I scoop her up easily, locking my arms around her waist, and her legs wrap around me without hesitation. Her arms go around my neck as I push open the door, stepping inside without missing a beat. Her body molds against mine, and I’m ready to take her against the nearest surface.
That is, until a cough cuts through the air like a bucket of ice water.
“Good evening, sir. This was left for you.”
Robert's voice falters as his eyes land on us.
Raven freezes in my arms for a second before snapping her head toward him.
Her wide eyes betray her shock as she squirms to get down.
With great fucking reluctance, I lower her to the floor.
She steps away quickly, smoothing her dress, as she slips her her mask back into place.
Going from wrecked to unreadable in seconds.
“Thank you, Robert.”
“Is there anything else you need, sir?” He asks, already inching toward the door like he wants to live to see tomorrow.
“No, that will be all.”
He practically sprints out, shutting the door behind him with more speed than grace.
The second we’re alone, Raven turns on me, her eyes blazing. But it’s not desire that's behind them anymore, it's fury. They’re demanding answers I know I can’t delay any longer.
I watch her, catching the confusion swirling behind her eyes as she backs away. Her fingers clutching her necklace.
Thunder rumbles faintly in the distance, echoing the tension thickening in the room.
“Raven, listen—” I take a step closer, but she keeps retreating.
She’s putting distance between us. Physically and emotionally. Her eyes dart around the room, piecing it together faster than I’d like. If I don’t get ahead of this, she’ll come to her own conclusions, and I know they’ll be far worse than anything I could say.
I exhale, dragging a hand through my hair before meeting her stare head-on. “There are things you don’t know.”
A bitter laugh escapes her. “No shit.”
She paces, keeping her jaw clenched tight and her arms folded tightly across her chest like she’s trying to shield herself. She's trying to lock up whatever this is between us before I can touch it again.
Then she stops, hitting me with a look meant to burn me alive. It only makes me want to step closer.
“You have exactly two seconds to start explaining,” she warns, there’s a deadly edge beneath it. “Because right now, it sounds a hell of a lot like you lied to me.”
I didn’t lie. But I’m sure it looks like I did.
I drag in a breath, thinking about where to start.
“I've got history, a life, a past—just like anyone else. At first, I didn’t tell you because, honestly? You were just someone here on vacation. I didn’t think it would matter.
” I pause, clenching my jaw. “And because I didn’t know how you would react. ”
Her arms stay locked over her chest, and her expression stays unreadable. I’m sure she’s waiting to see if she can catch me in something.
“I still don’t understand what exactly you’re trying to say.” She’s holding herself together by a thread. I see it in the flush on her cheeks, the way her fingers tighten against her sides.
I hold her gaze. “For starters… this is my estate.”
Her lips part slightly, and her eyes go wide.