20. Kirin #2
“I thought you didn’t date during your season,” Violet said as if Rose didn’t exist and he wasn’t actively pulling Rose tighter against him. She kept looking between them like she wasn’t sure what she was seeing. Her brows pulled closer together again. “Or ever.”
“Things changed when I met Rose,” Kirin explained, earning a glare from Violet. But he knew she wasn’t interested in him as a person. She just wanted to be on his arm, and the hurt was a reaction to her pride being wounded more than being upset he’d picked another girl.
“Well, if wannabe centerfolds are your type right now,” Violet looked over Rose, her lips twisting in an unimpressed sneer that had Rose stiffening. He rubbed a hand over her side, pressing a kiss to her temple. “When you get bored with your little experiment, give me a call.”
“Lose my number, Violet,” Kirin answered, the dismissal clear as he nuzzled Rose’s neck, grinning against her skin when she shivered.
After a second, Violet seemed to catch the dismissal.
She huffed as she spun on her heel and stomped away.
The partygoers around them split, opening a walkway for the dance captain as she no doubt swung her hips in a last-ditch effort to gain some positive attention.
He didn’t look away from the line of Rose’s jaw.
“Let’s get you a drink,” Kirin said, laying a line of kisses along her shoulder, over the soft fabric of her shirt.
He wasn’t expecting Rose to grab his jaw, turning in his embrace so her back was to the larger part of the room. The ink he now knew lived beneath the thin fabric under his hand flashed through his mind, and he slid his hand along the length of her spine, smoothing down her shirt.
Rose’s whisper barely broke through the singular focus his brain was in the middle of. “Is she still watching?”
Kirin shifted his attention from her face to find Violet shooting daggers in their direction from the other side of the house, talking to another dance team member.
He confirmed with a hum, and her resulting grin lit up her eyes, mesmerizing him once again.
There was little hope that he’d get that look back in her eyes once he told her about the photos.
“Should we drive it home that you’re off-limits, Daddy?” She purred that mocking pet name, and he groaned as he lifted his hand to cradle her neck, his thumb brushing over the erratic pulse that matched his own.
“That damn pet name,” he growled and tilted her head just enough to align their lips when he whispered, “You need to pick another one for me. I’m begging.”
She scrunched her nose and pursed her lips; her gaze darted between his mouth and his eyes as she seemed to consider his request. “Nah, I like it when you beg.”
Kirin pressed his free hand into her lower back, pressing hard enough that there was no way for him to hide his body’s reaction to her.
Her eyes widened. That beautiful mouth opened to comment, probably another salacious jab, or maybe just to exclaim “daddy” for shits and giggles.
Unwilling to risk it, he silenced her preemptively, slanting his lips over hers.
Her response died when his tongue slid into her mouth.
White heat exploded behind his eyelids while he explored her mouth before biting her lip and sucking.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, beyond the deafening pulsing of his blood and blaring white noise, he heard the whoops and hollers around them.
He didn’t know who it was and didn’t care.
Not when Rose was leaning further into him, her arms wrapping easily around his neck as she tugged him down to her height.
She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged gently, holding his mouth against hers as he groaned.
Needing more, to touch her and know she was his, to stake that claim like a damned Neanderthal, he dragged his hand over her lower back, then down to the curve of her ass.
She groaned into his mouth when he took a handful, and his hand tightened in response.
“Flower,” he moaned when he dragged his mouth and teeth over the perfume-scented flesh of her neck. His eyes nearly rolled back in his head when her grip tightened in his hair.
If there were any doubt left in his mind, it was blown to hell now.
He needed more of this woman. It would light his world on fire in the best way to know her and to spend the time figuring out how to get more of those breathy moans out of her.
But with fire came the possibility of being burned, and if she didn’t want more, if she rejected him, he might not survive it.
Being invested wasn’t something Kirin did anymore.
Definitely not since he started college.
Violet had nailed that on the head. But the thought of never watching Rose struggle to understand the thought processes of reality show contestants or seeing the absolute manic note-taking she did with that blue pen left a void in his brain.
“I think…” Rose breathed through a sigh when he sucked on her earlobe. Her nails dragged along his scalp as she uncoiled her fingers from his hair. “We sold it.”
“One second,” he murmured and kissed her again. His blood zinged with the feel of her tongue gliding against his until Robbie cleared his throat. Kirin pulled back enough to meet her heavy-lidded eyes. “I think a triple chocolate malt is calling your name.”
Kirin located her hand and tugged her after him.
Their goal of getting some attention was definitely achieved, and he couldn’t care less.
He wanted to spend the next few hours kissing her and memorizing how she tasted on his tongue.
Unfortunately, losing himself in her wasn’t an option tonight, not when he had bad news to impart.