Chapter 38 Unravel #2
He takes the book from my hand with lazy confidence, sets it on the table, and leans against the shelf across from me, with his arms folded over his broad chest. His eyes hold a spark of challenge that makes my pulse race all over again.
“Was that so hard?”
I fold my arms, arching a brow. “Why do you keep calling me Princess?”
“Because you like pretending you’re untouchable. It’s cute.”
My jaw tightens, and heat flares in my chest as I take a step closer. I tilt my chin to meet his infuriatingly steady gaze, and tell him exactly what I think about that. “The only thing cute here is your inflated ego. Although, even I can admit, tonight you’ve been rather charming.”
His grin is entirely too confident. “Admit that you like it.”
“I’d rather choke,” I snap, but my voice betrays me.
Kane pushes off the shelf, closing the distance in two slow strides. He’s so close now, I can feel the heat radiating off him, his presence swallowing up all the air in the room.
“You keep looking at me like that, and I might think you’re asking for trouble.”
I swallow hard. My heart is pounding so loudly I’m sure he can hear it.
“Maybe I am.” The words slip out before I can stop them, and his predatory grin sharpens.
His hand comes up and his fingers brush along my jaw before tilting my chin up. I suck in a breath as his thumb skims the corner of my mouth. “You’re playing a dangerous game, Princess.”
“And what if I like danger?” I challenge, but my voice is barely more than a whisper.
His eyes darken, the teasing edge vanishing, replaced by raw intent. “Then you’d better be ready to lose.”
I stare at him, thinking of some way to respond, but I don't get the chance. His lips are on mine, and the kiss is rough and consuming. His hands grip my waist, pulling me against him, and my body arches instinctively as heat floods through me.
My fingers tangle in his shirt, pulling him closer as his tongue slides against mine. This kiss is consuming and I feel like I’m drowning in him.
Kane doesn't hesitate. His hands slip lower, gripping my thighs as he lifts me effortlessly onto the edge of the table. His movement is so fluid, it leaves me breathless.
His hands skim up the side of my legs, bunching the fabric of my dress as he steps between my thighs. His mouth doesn’t leave mine, not even for a second. His grip tightens, and his fingers dig into my skin in a way that’s more intoxicating than it should be.
I gasp against his lips as his teeth graze my bottom lip. The slight sting sends sparks shooting down my spine. I tighten my legs, locking him into place so he can’t pull away this time. His touch is rough and unapologetic, and I need him. Everywhere.
The sound of a book sliding off the table brings me back to reality for half a second, but it doesn’t break the hold he has on me. I pull back just enough to catch my breath and my forehead presses against his as I struggle to steady myself.
“This is insane,” I whisper. I can hear the tremble in my voice, along with a mixture of adrenaline and want.
“Completely,” he agrees. His voice is a low rumble that wraps around me like a vice. When his lips curve into a grin, it makes me realize I’m completely fucked.
“But you started it.”
“Are you going to finish it?” I challenge.
“Eventually.”
His lips claim mine again with renewed urgency, leaving no room for argument.
The world narrows to the heat of his body, the relentless feel of his mouth, and the thunder of my own heart.
I tilt my head, deepening the kiss, and a faint groan rumbles from his chest. It feels like a shockwave vibrating through me, igniting every nerve in its wake.
His hands side up my waist, pulling me closer until there’s nothing left between us but the thin barrier of fabric and air. His palm drifts lower, pressing firmly against the small of my back, molding me to him as if daring me to break away.
God, how does he make breathing optional? His lips move with a deliberate slowness, savoring every second like he’s got all the time in the world.
His tongue teases against my lips, and when a small, involuntary gasp escapes me, his control unravels just enough to send a rush of heat straight to my pussy.
This is just a kiss, for fuck’s sake. Yeah, a kiss that’s making me forget how to breathe.
His mouth curves against mine, and I can practically feel the smirk that follows. He knows exactly what he’s doing. That bastard. His hands tighten on my hips, and my body reacts on instinct, arching closer, craving more.
Another low groan vibrates from his chest, and the sound of it unlocks something wild and reckless in me. My fingers dig into his shoulders, pulling him closer, feeling the solid strength of him beneath my hands.
Time slows, and the world dissolves to nothing but the relentless heat of his body and the fire winding tighter inside me. Just as my eyes flutter shut, a sudden flash of light sears against my vision, cutting through the haze.
My eyelids fly open, and I catch the faintest glow from where my hands press against his chest. I blink, and then it's gone.
The air around us shifts, charged with a strange energy that wasn’t there a minute ago. I take a deep breath and the warmth in my palms flares hotter, buzzing like static under my skin.
I blink a few more times as I try to make sense of the lingering feeling still tingling through my fingers. “What the hell…”
His eyes flicker with something unreadable as he watches me, his breathing ragged. “Raven?”
I swallow hard, flexing my fingers against the heat radiating from my palms. I part my lips to say something, but before the words can form, I catch the hesitation shadowing his features. And it threatens to unravel me completely.
He starts to pull away, but my fingers move on instinct, curling around the back of his neck and anchoring him to me. I can feel his muscles tense under my touch, and whatever is going on between us feels like a flame begging to consume me.
“Not sorry,” I whisper, breathlessly.
His grin returns, and his eyes drop to my lips. “Good. Because I’m not done with you.”
There’s no restraint this time, just a pure, reckless need.
His hands slide into my hair, pulling me against him. Every inch of him presses into me, his arousal impossible to ignore. My hands grip his shirt tighter, holding onto him like he’s the only thing keeping me upright. Which right now, is true.
My body arches against him, and I’m drowning.
Somewhere in the haze, the faint glow beneath my skin flares again, but I can’t bring myself to care. All that matters is his touch, his heat, and his lips claiming mine with unrelenting purpose. I know exactly where this is going, and I'm not going to stop him.
I wrap my hand around him, stroking once, and he hisses—a rough sound that sparks low in my body. His teeth catch on my bottom lip, and the sting is sharp enough to make me tremble with need.
When he finally pulls back, it’s with a ragged breath. He presses his forehead to mine. “You’re playing with fire.”
He looms over me, his presence is consuming, and there's nowhere to go.
“Now,” he murmurs, his voice low and commanding. “You’re going to sit right there.”
He gently guides me down onto the table. “And you’re going to let me worship you. Understand?”
His words ripple through me, igniting something deep and raw that I can’t name. Whatever it is, it’s hot as fuck, and I feel my chest rise and fall as I stare up at him. My heart pounds a wild rhythm against my ribs. My lips part, but all I manage is a nod.
He leans close, and his gaze pins me in place. "I need to hear you say it." The words drop rough, a warning wrapped in velvet.
I roll my eyes, but there’s no denying the thrill his tone sends coursing through me. “Yes.”
I watch his eyes darken with satisfaction, and a slow, predatory smile tugs at his lips. The way he towers over me, consuming every inch of space, is making me dizzy.
“Good girl.”
Did he just…? Oh fuck me. Good girl? Finally. Apparently, I'm that girl. And I'll be thinking about that for the rest of forever.
His hand finds my jaw, tilting my chin up to meet his stare. “Eyes on me.”
His tone leaves no room for argument. As if I could look anywhere else. His intensity keeps me in place, dragging me deeper until I can’t think of anything but him.
I watch as he kneels in front of me, while his hands slide down the length of my thighs, sending sparks skittering across my skin. He’s not rushing, and that deliberate control only makes me want him more.
His gaze holds mine, and for a minute I think he’s going to pull me back into another kiss. But instead, he traces his fingers along the edge of my dress, leaving fire in its wake.
The sensation is intoxicating. It’s as if he’s writing a story across my skin, a story only he understands.
“You like this,” he murmurs, his lips curling into a wicked grin as he presses a kiss to my overly sensitive skin. “Don't even try to hide it, Princess.”
A shiver races through me at his words, but it's the dark confidence in his tone that gets me. “You’re awfully smug for a man who’s just getting started.”
“You have no idea what I’m capable of.” He leans in, grazing my neck with his teeth, sending a shockwave of pleasure straight through me. “But you will.”
His hands slide down my sides with calculated precision. When he nips at the tender spot just below my ear, a soft moan escapes before I can stop it. The sound seems to fuel him, because his grip tightens just enough to hold me exactly where he wants me.
I want to touch him, but as my fingers reach for him, he freezes, lips hovering above my skin.
“Don’t.” His command is velvet-wrapped steel, leaving no room for argument.
“You’ve got to be kidding,” I whisper. My hands hover, shaking with the need to touch him.
His eyes lock onto mine. “If you touch me, I won't be able to do this. And right now, I want to take my time.”