Dae #2
He smiled and took Lizzy's hand, and they walked down to their room. Slowly, so Wiggles could keep up.
Kenya caught me in the hallway.
"You look disgusting," she said. "Happy. It's gross."
"You're jealous."
"Pfft." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "You know that's not true. Alex is already in bed, waiting for me. But I've been waiting to ask you something and I'm going to do it now while I've got you cornered."
"Ask."
"You asked me the other day how I do it. How you love somebody with all that darkness in them." Her eyes were bright behind the lenses. "Did you ever find your answer?"
I thought about everything Alice and I had been through the last few weeks.
"No," I said. "But even knowing what's inside of her…I'd still pick her every single time."
Kenya smiled.
"Good answer," she said, and left.
Alice was in my room when I got there. Her gorgeous hair was down and her shoes were off, and she was standing at the window, looking out over the courtyard.
Quietly, I shut the door, trying not to disturb her thoughts.
But she heard me anyway. She turned and smiled when she saw me.
"It's cleaner than I expected," she said with a glance around the room.
"I'm a very tidy male."
"You have a stack of foodie magazines on the dresser as tall as my arm."
"That's an archive. And I like to cook even though I don't eat anymore."
She made a sound of surprise, and the sound of it went through me like heat through a wire.
Then her smile faded, and neither of us moved. I took her in. The beauty of her. The gentleness. The sweetness of her scent. Even after everything, she was still a ray of sunshine. Lighting up my life. "You should try to sleep," I told her. "I know you're exhausted."
"I'm not tired," Alice said softly.
She crossed the room toward me, and I stayed exactly where I was, my back pressed against the door, watching her approach. My heart kicked against my ribs and my mouth watered with the need to taste her.
The bond was still there. I felt it. I did. Didn't I? Fear ran its icy fingers down my spine. "Alice—"
"I need to feel you." She stopped in front of me, close enough that I could smell the vanilla in her hair and the sweet scent of her blood.
I parted my lips as my fangs extended, aching to pierce her veins.
"I need to feel you without him watching. Without wondering if what I'm feeling is my reality or his." Her hands came up to rest on my chest, and I felt the warmth of them through my shirt. "I need to know it's still ours."
My hands found her waist. Held on. "It's ours," I promised. "It was always ours, yeobo. Even when he was there."
Her eyes dropped to my chest. "Are you telling me no?" she asked in a small voice.
I nearly laughed out loud. "How could I ever tell you no when the only thing I want right now is to feel your skin against mine and hear the little sounds you make when I'm inside of you?"
Her heart sped up, her blood rushing through her veins, rising closer to the surface to warm her skin.
With a groan, I kissed her.
Not the desperate, claiming kiss from before.
Not the kind meant to drive Marcus out or stake my claim.
This was different. Slower. Reverent. I cradled her face in my hands and kissed her like I had all the time in the world to learn the shape of her mouth, the taste of her tongue, the small sounds she made in the back of her throat when I angled her head just right.
I wanted to memorize every single inch of her. Taste every inch of her.
Her fingers twisted in my shirt, pulling me closer, and I smiled. Always my impatient lady.
I walked her backward toward the bed, taking my time. Savoring every step. There was no need to rush. We had time now.
We had all the time in the world.
When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, I eased her down and followed her, covering her body with mine, careful not to crush her with my weight.
"Dae," she whispered.
"I'm here." I brushed my lips over her jaw, her throat, the rapid pulse beating beneath her skin. "I'm right here, Alice."
She arched beneath me, and I took my time undressing her, every piece of fabric removed with careful attention.
I wanted to memorize every second of this.
The way she looked up at me with those brown eyes shot through with gold.
The freckles across her nose and shoulders.
The softness of her skin under my hands.
The weight of her breasts. The curve of her calves and thighs and ass.
The graceful line of her back. The wet heat between her legs.
When she was bare beneath me, I sat back on my heels, unable to tear my eyes away from the perfection of her.
"?? ?????," I murmured. So beautiful.
Color bloomed in her cheeks. "I don't know what that means."
I leaned down and pressed my lips to the hollow of her throat. "Maybe someday I'll tell you."
Her laugh turned into a gasp when my mouth moved lower.
I took my time exploring every inch of her, learning what made her breath catch, what made her fingers dig into my shoulders.
By the time I finally stripped off my own clothes and settled between her thighs, she was trembling beneath me and moaning my name.
"Please," she whispered.
I slid inside her slowly and with a hiss of agonizing pleasure, watching her face as her lips parted and her eyes went wide. The bond between us flared bright and warm, and I felt her pleasure echo through it like a bell.
And it was only us.
I stilled, letting her adjust to me, letting us both feel the completeness of it. "Okay?" I asked.
"Perfect." Her legs wrapped around my waist, and she rocked her hips. "Don't stop."
I moved with her, our bodies finding a softer rhythm. Gentler. Each thrust deliberate. Each touch meant to worship rather than claim.
She pulled me down for a kiss, and I felt her magic rise beneath her skin. It sang along the bond, harmonizing with my own energy.