“I think I already know the answer, but have you done this before?” he asked, hands bringing the towel up around my hips.
I knew he didn’t meanthis—the whole his face between my legs thing—because I most definitely had done this before. Withhim. No, he was talking about sex. He didn’t seem the type to get jealous about my previous experience, but I was still nervous when I looked down at him and answered.
“Once.”
He nodded, like he assumed as much, and stood. The towel came with him until it was draped around my shoulders like a cape. Kai pulled the two ends together and wrapped one over the other until I was bundled in the warm cotton. He then reached over to grab a second one hanging on the rack and wrapped it around his waist.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He prowled forward and planted his arms on either side of my head, caging me against the wall with a smirk.
“Taking care of you,” he breathed and then kissed the tip of my nose. “Go lay down on the bed, I’ll be out in a second.”
The room was dimly lit. Light from outside fought hard to break in, but only the thin lines around the window shades succeeded. It lent a romantic ambiance to the small space and allowed me to see just enough without taking away the mystery of the shadows. Time stood frozen as I dropped the towel and crawled to the middle of the bed.
This was it. Gods, I really hoped I didn’t screw this up somehow. Kai didn’t seem to mind my inexperience, but I wanted everything to be perfect. What if I didn’t move right or panicked in the middle of everything? I wrung my hands against my lower stomach, then quickly moved them to my sides and grabbed the blankets so I wouldn’t look nervous. But a couple minutes of laying like that, and I thought I might look stupid, so they ended up clasped on my stomach again.
“Hey.” I jumped at the sound of him so close. How long had he been standing there?
His eyes creased in concern, and I felt him gently probe at my swirling emotions. I tried and failed to lock them down.
“Talk to me?” he asked, stepping closer so I could see him better. His silhouette hovered at the end of the bed, looking down at me and all my exposed skin until goosebumps rose. His warm hand made soothing passes up and down my calf, connecting us and offering me someplace secure to anchor myself.
“I’m fine,” I fibbed, and then my legs shook. Traitors.
Kai’s hand paused at my ankle as he stared at me. “No, you’re not.” He bit his lip, “But that’s okay.”
Up and down my legs, his palms eased the tension from my locked muscles. He seemed perfectly content to stand there and touch me. Just like this. His fingers dug into small knots, breaking them apart before they could truly form, and all the while a steady stream of satisfaction thrummed from his side of the bond. I wasn’t sure how much time passed like this, but eventually, my tension eased. Embarrassment quickly filled the silence.
“I don’t know why I’m so nervous,” I whispered. If he could see my face, it would be unrecognizable in its color. Cherry red. Gods, I really had issues, didn’t I?
I spent so long avoiding this moment while also secretly dreaming about it, that now I didn’t actually know what to do. How did I handle this nerve-bending tension and excitement all at once? Kai’s palms pressed into the mattress beside my head as he crawled over me. He kept his body safely hovering over mine, only the faint brush of his towel touching my skin.
“It's because you know that once we do this, there’s no going back. You’re mine.” His eyes softened. “Just as I’ll be yours.”
I nodded, my gaze fixed on his. Yes. That. Belonging tohim. Us belonging to each other. All of it. The thought sent a thrill down my spine, and I wiggled. Kai smirked, like he could feel my need finally pushing ahead of my apprehension.
“Do you want this?” he asked. It was an olive branch. A get out of jail free card, if I needed it.
I nodded again, and he tsked, “Say the words, so there’s no confusion.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “I want this.”
He inhaled and ran his nose up the length of my neck. “The things I’m going to do to you, princess.”
Promises, promises.
But then he stepped away and cool air replaced where he once was. Returning to the foot of the bed, he dropped his towel and stood before me, unashamed and utterly delicious.
“Take a deep breath,” he commanded. “And when you’re ready, just nod. I’ll handle the rest.”
I did as he said. One focused breath, then two. I wanted to do this. I was ready. I gave a subtle, but sure nod, and a ghostly touch wrapped around my ankles. Kai’s shadows brushed cool kisses over my skin, gently nudging the inside of my legs. I frowned and looked away from them to see Kai holding back a grin.
He raised a brow, and his shadows tapped on me again. Ah. I got the message. With a shy grin, I slowly spread my legs apart, stopping when I thought my feet were far enough. My knees still touched, and a thick sliver of shadows played a game of peek-a-boo over them. Peering at me one minute, then diving down to tickle my skin the next.
“A little more,” Kai encouraged.
I opened them an inch. “There?” He shook his head, and my knees separated just enough to see him standing between them. “How about there?”
