15. You’re It
SOUNDTRACK: If it Doesn’t Hurt by Nothing More
~ GRACE ~
The moment he leaped from the bushes, I shrieked and darted away—just in time.
His fingers brushed my upper arm when I dodged.
I needed to stop laughing, but struggled, gasping and sniggering as I sprinted away, his curses of frustration peppering the air behind me.
And it brought such a rush of joy, tears pricked my eyes.
He’d been pursuing me for minutes, but that was the first time he’d gotten that close.
My blood thrilled in my veins—nerves, but the excited kind, fluttering in my belly. He was incredibly skilled at remaining invisible in these shadows. If it weren’t for the bond, I wouldn’t know he was near. But I could feel him, and sometimes sense his direction.
I kept running, panting, laughing, shaking my head.
But a handful of minutes later, there was no sign of him.
And though the bond was warm—a sense of his smile, and the burning hot glow of his need—turning in circles told me nothing.
No matter where I looked, I could only feel him near. Not his direction.
How did he do that?
I frowned into the dark and crouched.
The sunlight had almost disappeared. In these shadows, we ran in the dark, among the black silhouettes of trees.
But the anticipation made my hands shake.
I knew he was here, watching me. It was only a matter of time before he’d come for me.
My hackles rose because I could feel him preparing to launch again.
But I couldn’t figure out where he’d hidden.
To move at all was just as much a risk of moving toward him, as away, so I remained still, keeping my mouth open and breathing as silent as possible, while I slowly turned a circle, ears perked, straining to hear over the thundering of my pulse in my head.
I looked over my shoulder but only saw darkness and trees.
I turned back just in time to see the shadow separate from the tree and fall upon me.
Desperate, laughing like a loon, I turned on my heel and tried to run, stumbling over a tree-root and laughing harder when thick arms circled me, and a deep, ragged voice graveled, “Mine.”
The earth rushed to meet me as we tumbled and I shrieked. But one of those arms looped up and over my head, his body curled around mine, and as we plummeted to earth, he rolled, taking our weight and turning me, rolling over, and over, until we came to rest a few feet away.
My ears rang with the pounding of my pulse. My heart thrummed. My laughter breathless.
The feeling of him holding me, the low rumble in his chest as he pressed his lips to my ear and whispered, “Got you,” was exhilarating.
I tried to roll further, out of his arms, to get to my feet, but he tsked, and held me more tightly, clasping me to his chest.
I might have protested, but now that he touched me, the bond glowed—I could feel him, thrilled. So alive!
“You make me feel alive,” he rasped in my ear, his breath fluttering against my neck and sending goosebumps washing down my arm. “I am dark and cold inside, Grace—you light me up.”
He panted heavily—as much with desire as the exertion of the chase. For a moment, I stopped trying to free myself, and just let myself savor those words.
You make me feel alive.
Unable to resist, I reached up and back, cupping my hand to the back of his neck and holding him to me as I arched my back—rubbing my behind on the hardness of him that made me smile.
He hissed.
“That’s not an invitation to test me,” he growled.
I spluttered a laugh and did it again. Voski cursed and rolled me over again—the world tilted and whirled, then I was on my back, pinned by his weight, gasping as he stared, lips peeled back from his teeth, his hair falling over those black eyes, fixed on me.
He straddled my thighs. But I could feel him. Ready.
With a grin, I bucked, rubbing him with my body, and he cursed again, grappling to get each of my wrists in one of his fists, then pressing them to the ground, over my shoulders.
I struggled, but was weak, still laughing. Yet, I used the battle to bump my hips as much as I could.
“Grace,” he growled.
“What?” I whispered. Koa screamed in the distance, and I smiled, then arched as high as I could and managed to nip his stubbled chin with my teeth.
He hissed, yanked my hands up so my arms were extended well above my head, and my body strung tight with virtually no room to move, while he bridged himself over me, staring down, his eyes dancing in the dark.
I continued to struggle, but got nowhere. He was far too strong.
When I paused, panting, he leaned down until his lips brushed the corner of my jaw when he spoke. “Remember what I said?” he croaked.
“Which part?”
“Listen… and obey.”
My heart flipped in my chest. “You haven’t given any instructions yet.”
His grin flashed. But his eyes gleamed. “Then here is your first: Stop struggling, and take instruction. Or I will do this here—and I won’t be gentle.”
Desire exploded in my belly. “Do you give your word?”
“Grace,” he growled, no longer smiling.
“I want you, Voski,” I rasped, trying to raise my hips. “I want you to show me all the ways.”
A shudder rocked through him, and his lips went tight. “Do you remember the safe words?” he rasped.
Tend the fire.
Douse the flame.
I nodded quickly, my heart racing.
“If anything hurts, or you grow afraid—”
“I’ll tell you,” I rushed to reassure him, nodding, my ears rubbing the insides of my arms because he had my hands pinned over my head. “I promise.”
“Grace…” he growled, dropping down so we were eye to eye. “Are you certain?”
I nodded, then on a flash of inspiration, pushed up the bare inch available to me, and kissed him.
And he erupted.