should’ve pitied the shame pouring from him. But nothing made her more furious. Like a lit match, catching across her skin.
“I don’t care about your name, Demarco. I never did.” Kallia snapped. “I don’t care if you were a god or a king before any of this. None of that has ever mattered to me.”
The tension in his face dropped. “It didn’t?”
The hope she found there stirred something inside her. Memories, shaken loose. Jack, opening a door with only the jut of his chin. Him, adjusting the lights of the club to her routine with the wave of his palm. Him, waiting in her dressing room with another pouch of seeds to grow, and a bouquet of wildflowers still blooming and unfurling before her. Power, forever at his fingertips, had always been something to give, to glory in and share.
And her first flower from Demarco: a broken rose he’d caught that had fallen from her hand. Not even the greenhouse, but that limp stem, petals falling off. It had even died, shortly after.
It took her by surprise, how every flower she’d ever known paled in comparison.
To keep steady, standing, Kallia gripped the edge of the table until her fingers went stiff. “Why are you telling me this, now?” She nodded down at the papers. “Why show me all of this?”
Silence stretched between them, before he stepped forward. “You would’ve heard my story from someone else eventually. I wanted you to hear it from me.”
“Why?”
A lump formed in her throat the closer he drew.
“Because even if you didn’t believe me, I knew you would listen.”
Kallia pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him.
“Because I wanted to give you something true. For once.”
“Please.” Kallia said it more to herself, not realizing how much her hands had been shaking until his wrapped around hers, stilling them. She never thought he would get this close to her again, never realized how much the distance ate at her.
His voice went thick. “Do you want me to stop?”
He would, if she told him. He would pull away without another word, because he listened.
Wordlessly, she lifted his hand to the side of her neck, watching his expression. Uncertain, but patient. Burning, as he touched only where she guided his hands—one at her hip, while the other at her neck rose to her jaw. His fingers tangled into her hair, the pins she’d speared through starting to snag back, undone.
“What do you want, Kallia?”
Even in doubt she knew. And without another thought, she pressed her lips to his.
She wanted him to stop watching her like a stranger. She wanted him to stop looking at her like she would disappear. She wanted him safe. She wanted his hands on her. His laughter in her ears. She wanted them for more than a moment. She wanted more time.
He kissed her back readily, relief slamming through them both. Warming her eyes, catching in their breaths.
He held tighter as she gripped the back of his neck, pulling him close. As close as possible. The backs of her thighs met the corner of the table in a light hiss of pain that startled her, yet she didn’t break away. With a heated curse, Demarco lifted her by the waist and set her on the edge.
Her thoughts swam as he kissed her jaw. “Wait, the newspapers…”
Demarco gave a gruff hum against her skin as he dragged her to him with one hand, before his other swept behind her to the crash of papery stacks hitting the floor.
Every nerve under Kallia’s skin lit on fire. She wanted to do away with her coat, her boots, every article of clothing so she could breathe.
Every breath was torture, not enough air.
Not enough.
She began unbuttoning his coat instead. He shouldered it off as she went to work on the collar of his shirt while his palms rubbed along her thighs—
“Hold on.” He stopped short, panting. “We should talk first.”
Kallia’s gaze fell back on his reddened mouth. “We have been talking.”
“And it was a lot. I just want to be sure.”
“You’re so honorable, it makes me sick sometimes.”
His smile curled deeper, changing his face entirely. The most relaxed and patient she’d ever seen it. Like he didn’t want to waste a single moment, staring at her just like this.
“I only want to know where your thoughts are. If they’re in the same place as mine.” He placed a small kiss on her mouth. “Because tomorrow morning.…” Another kiss. “I don’t want you to shut me out like last time.”