I let out a long breath. "The braids can wait for another day."
"Yes."
"The movies can wait too."
"Of course." His thumb traced my cheekbone. "So, you're going to give me your day?"
I looked at this man—this dangerous, powerful, terrifying man who was choosing me over his empire within a war, even if only for an afternoon. "Yes. I'm yours."
He kissed me—his mouth hot against mine, his hand sliding into my hair, his body pressing me back until I felt the doorframe solid behind me.
He kissed me like he'd been waiting all day for permission.
Like he'd been holding himself together with fraying thread and I'd just cut it loose.
And I kissed him back.
Tasted his tongue.
Let the fire of his mouth burn away some of the ash still coating the inside of my throat.
When he pulled back, we were both breathing hard. “Hmmm.”
I quirked my brows. “What?”
“You smell like my brother.”
“He hugged me. That’s probably why.”
"No. I saw the hug. Too short to leave that much of him on you."
“There was another hug earlier. He was comforting me.”
Kenji frowned. “Hmmm.”
I rolled my eyes. “And then of course there was the moment when we were passionately making out in the kitchen.”
“Aww. That must be it.”
“Yeah.”
“Then, I’ll make sure I put torturing him on my list for this evening.” He smirked. “But until then. . .”
I grinned.
He licked his lips. "I'll seeyousoon."
"Where?"
A dangerous smile spread across his face. "You'll see."
His hand found my jaw and tilted my face up, but his fingers didn't stay there. They drifted lower. Down the side of my neck. Slow. Like he had nowhere else to be. And stopped right where his teeth always went.
I shivered.
His thumb pressed into the bite mark.
Gentle at first.
