on the pillow, the soft curve of her hip covered by a thin, white sheet silhouetted in shadow and that gray moonlight; the edges of her sleep shirt lifted at the waist so he spotted the dips of her hip and the low curl of black ink that disappeared under her shirt and along her spine.
He could remember clearly how she tasted, how she moved against him that night on his balcony; how Gia seemed to want him, seemed eager for him. Kai had spent night after night recalling the exact feel of her body, how soft she was, how tight, how anxious she made him, how much she made him smile, how powerful she was, how fearless—everything about her made him want her more, made him want to just be near her.
And now? Tonight? This week?
She held him up, just by the sheer force of her will. When he had no strength for anyone, least of all himself, Gia was there, right next to him, giving him some of her.
Christ, how he wanted her.
How he needed her.
Kai turned, stuffing the pillow under his chin, debating the wisdom of reaching out just to lay against her. He wondered how closely she’d fit against him. He wondered if that sparking connection he’d felt a hundred times between them would fire up and ignite if he curled his arm around her waist or moved over her and kissed her neck.
Gia inhaled, her entire body moving in one solid movement as Kai watched her, then she turned onto her back, shifting to face him and he forgot how to breathe when she blinked once, those beautiful, round eyes trained on his face.
He didn’t know what to say. Kai thought of begging to kiss her, just once, but then Gia took all hesitation from him when she reached up to touch his face, moving her body so close that their thighs pressed together.
“This might not be…”
He covered her mouth with a kiss, taking the excuse from her before she made it. “I’m not looking for your sympathy right now,” he told her, his heart thudding when Gia slipped her nails under his shirt.
“Then what do you want from me?”
“What I’ve always wanted, ku'uipo …” He took her face, kissing her so hard Gia dug her nails in deep, making Kai groan against that sweet, stinging sensation. “I…I want everything you have.”
Wordless, Gia pressed against him like she’d always wanted him, had never stopped once, but it wasn’t some wild, eager thing that drove them to the brink. This was a small surrender that was part longing, part solace and Kai didn’t want to rush either. He wasn’t sure of anything but how much he loved the taste of her tongue in his mouth and how grateful he was when Gia gave back every kiss he offered like she couldn’t get enough of him.
She pushed him back, moving over him, coming closer, deepening her kiss, inhaling as he responded. He’d wanted her for so long. He needed her now and Kai would take all she offered.
When Gia brushed against him and her breast connected with his chest, her legs angling around him, Kai responded, holding her around the middle, using his hand to press them closer together. Their bodies were hot, still mildly damp by the rain and the frantic breaths that connected when that kissed continued.
God, he could feel her everywhere, the stroke of her nails against his scalp, the impression of her breast as she leaned into him, the slide of her legs when she moved against him. She didn’t speak when she broke away. Gia only looked over his face, waiting for him to stop her, give her back the distance from earlier. But Kai wouldn’t stop her. Not when she had become someone he found it wasn’t easy to walk away from and still remain sane.
Without uttering a sound, Gia leaned back, tearing off her sleep shirt, her round, perfect breasts bouncing in the low light. He could only make out the shape of her body in the darkness and hint of her soap when she brushed her hair off her shoulder. She chewed on her bottom lip before gripping the hem of his shirt to yank it over his head, her fingers greedy, running over his skin like she couldn’t believe how much of it there was. Kai thought this moment was like walking on a cloud, seeing her like this, watching the confident woman he knew, the woman who’d