Okay.
A warm washcloth starts cleaning my face, erasing the makeup and tears.
“Open.”
Okay.
I drink the water he pours into my mouth.
When I open my eyes again, Killian’s looking down at me with a soft smile.
“There she is.”
“Killian?”
“Yeah?”
“What are you doing?”
“I wanted to help you. Is that okay?”
“I’m tired, Killian.”
“I know, pretty girl. What can I do?”
“I don’t—” I shake my head, because I don’t know what I want. Except for this night to be over. “Is it stupid if I want to ask you to stay?”
“No, sweetheart, that’s not stupid. I don’t know what happened, but I think my mom would disown me if you asked me to stay and I said no with you feeling like this. Do you want me to stay?” I look up at him from where I’m sitting on my bed, and he starts undoing the pins in my hair. He pulls them out one by one with single-minded focus as I watch. When he finds all of them, he runs his fingers along my scalp and I rest my head against his taut stomach, moaning in relief.
He gently pulls my hair back and cups my cheek. “Do you want me to stay?” he whispers, looking down at me.
I nod.
“Okay.” He slowly undoes the cufflinks on each sleeve and untucks his dress shirt from his waistband, watching me watch him as he undoes every button until it slides off his bare chest and on to the floor.
I reach out and lightly run my fingers down his muscled stomach, leaving goosebumps in my wake. “How are you even real?” I whisper, and he chuckles under his breath.
“Is this okay?” I nod. When his hands move to undo his belt, I notice the growing bulge beneath his slacks. Hypnotized, unable to look away when he pulls his zipper down, revealing his black boxer briefs underneath.
“Is this okay?” I nod. His pants drop to the floor and he slips his shoes off, stepping out of them, standing there, waiting for me.
“What do you need, Nyx?”
I look at him, looming over me. I need to forget what happened tonight. I need to be held. I need so many, many things.
“You,” I whisper.
“How do you need me?” he asks quietly, and my eyes flutter shut at the heat in his deep voice.
When I open my eyes again, his are almost completely black. “I need you to make it better.”
“Okay.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
“Okay,” I whisper, crawling backwards. We move in sync as he follows, pressing me into the bed with his hips between my legs. Gently, he brings his hand to cup my chin and tilts my head back. When our lips meet, it awakens the urgent, undeniable need to be touched with a fury I didn’t think was possible, at least not tonight. I thread my fingers through his hair and pull him into me, deepening our kiss at the same time as I wrap my legs around his waist.
