speechlessness must have transferred to me, because I was now utterly unable to form words. I’d expected maybe an “oh” or a “don’t we look silly.” But I never could have imagined Killian putting himself at my mercy like this. It went against everything he was, everything he was expected to be.
And I loved him even more for it. If he could go against his nature and beg for forgiveness, who was I to withhold it from him?
I dropped to my knees in front of him and settled my hands along his jawline, stroking a thumb over the dimple in his chin. His face was beyond precious to me, made more so by its weariness. I wanted to strip all of his suffering away and fling it into the next kingdom.
Since I couldn’t do that, I leaned forward and brushed my mouth over his. I had no idea if the kiss would be welcome, but I found that I didn’t care. I had to provide comfort, and right now, this was the only way I knew how.
When Killian didn’t respond to my touch, I withdrew and attempted to hide my disappointment. He was staring at me, his lips parted and eyes round with shock.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
He cut off my apology by wrapping his arms around my back and yanking me to him. In the next second, he didn’t just fasten his lips to mine. He claimed them.
There was nothing slow or sweet about the kiss. It was demanding and desperate. He was telling me with every touch that he needed me as much as I wanted him.
And I did want him...in a way I’d never experienced before. I wanted to feel his body moving against mine. I wanted him to ease the ache that was growing at my core. I wanted to receive pleasure and give it in return.
Slipping my hands up his neck, I tangled my fingers in his wavy hair and fully opened to him. He seductively swirled his tongue over and around mine and sucked lightly on the tip. I moaned, not fully understanding the feelings building in me but basking in them all the same.
“We should stop,” he spoke against my lips, still not releasing me.
“Why?”
Finally drawing back, he looked at me, his eyes now pure, molten gold. “Because you’re so sweet and innocent, and I don’t deserve—”
I pressed my fingers over his mouth. “I’m more than my innocence, Killian. I’m a grown woman, and I know what I want.”
Even as I saw the war going on inside his head, he stroked my back and hips, his need to touch me evident. “Are you sure?”
Was I? I gave myself a moment to think about it, but a moment was all I needed.
“Maybe it’s because of our expanded lifetimes, or maybe mortals are the same way, but we always think we have all the time in the world. And, if the last year has taught me anything, it’s that we never know when our lives will be turned upside down. Time is, in fact, precious, and I don’t want to waste a moment of it.” I pressed a kiss to his chin. “I’m sure.”
Before my last words were out, he was lifting us both to our feet. Suddenly remembering where we were, I twisted my head, seeking out Flynn and Ronan. When I saw that Killian and I were alone, I relaxed. How had I totally forgotten about the other brothers’ presence?
“I asked them to give us some privacy before anything happened,” Killian said with a small grin.
“Thank the gods for that.”
He glanced at his bed and then back to me. “Stay here for a minute.”
Not sure what was going on, I watched him disappear, shutting the door behind him. The scent of bad magic inundated my senses again, and I walked to the window, opening it slightly to inhale fresh, cool air. It felt good on my skin, which I could have sworn was buzzing with its own kind of magic.
Given this slight reprieve from Killian’s overwhelming presence, I waited for anxiety or reservations to overtake me. But that didn’t happen. I was nervous, sure, but it was the good kind of nervous. The exciting kind. The kind that told me good things were finally happening for me.
The door reopened, and Killian beckoned to me, his smile wide. Following him back to the gathering area, I gasped. The large room was shrouded in darkness but lit with what had to be a hundred candles.