Page 116 of Celestial Combat

Pouty lips. Messy hair. White lingerie. Bedroom eyes.

All for me.

TheSUV’s tires whispered against the polished concrete as I eased into my private garage. The overhead lights flickered to life, casting a cool, soft glow over the space. The engine’s hum faded into silence, leaving only the heavy breathing of both Kali and I.

I re-adjusted my position, pressing my hand down to try lessen the hard-on in my pants.

Kali opened her door without a word, stepping out with a grace that ignored the tension between us. My eyes followed her – naked;so naked. Her bare shoulders caught the light – a stark contrast against the grey walls – almost making me groan in restraint at the sight of hergorgeous,smooth,dark,goldenskin…

She didn’t glance back as she walked toward the private elevator, the sway of her hips a silent challenge.

White lingerie. White heels. Black dress in one hand.

I readjusted my pants again.

Her hand came up, pulling the black curls over her shoulder, exposing her back and the story inked into her skin – cherry blossoms, calligraphy, a dragon –the invitation clear.

Rubbing a hand over my mouth,I watched her disappear, my other hand gripping the steering wheel until myknuckles whitened. The air inside the car was thick with the remnants of her presence – jasmine and something wilder.

I closed my eyes, inhaling deeply, trying to steady the storm she left me with. And waited until the hard-on in my pants went away.

Minutes passed. I lost track, anchored only by the rhythmic thud of my heartbeat. When I finally stepped out, the cool air did little to quell the heat simmering beneath my skin.

The elevator ride was silent, the soft hum of its ascent a sharp contrast to the inferno inside me. The loft greeted me with its usual stillness – floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the city’s twinkling skyline, minimalist decor bathed in moonlight.

Despite my best judgement,I climbed the stairs to the bedroom, each step a deliberate act of control, making sure my footsteps were audible.

Then, there she was, in my bed, the white sheets a canvas for the golden-brown skin I was dying to sink my teeth into.

She laid on her stomach, curls splayed across the pillow, the curve of her naked back rising and falling with each breath – the white sheets only covering her breasts and waist down.

I approached quietly, the soft thud of my footsteps the only sound.

She smelled like me.

I’d taken so long to make it upstairs, she’d washed the night off with my soap, left the violence downstairs and brought only divinity into my sheets.

Her skin was still warm from the shower, catching the faintest sheen where the soft city lights kissed her shoulders. Dark curls, still slightly damp, splayed across my pillow like ink spilled by a graceful hand.

Her face was turned away from me, lips parted in the gentlest breath, lashes resting like shadows on her high cheekbones. There was something painfully soft about her inthat moment – no armor, no walls. Just complete, unapologetic peace. It hit me right in the chest. I wasn’t used to beauty being quiet. I wasn’t used to softness surviving this long.

Lips pouted, the small frown between her brows – like she was still mad I didn’t kiss her that night on the fire escape.

I stood there, heart slow and heavy, wondering how someone so dangerous could look like a poem in the dark.

Suddenly, I hated her serenity. How could she be so calm after she’d just knocked out all the sense and logic out of me?

Leaning down, I brought my lips close to her ear, my voice a low, rough murmur.

“If it was my hand fucking you… You wouldn’t have been able to walk it off.”

Her fingers tightened imperceptibly around the sheet clutched to her chest.

A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth.

Satisfied, I straightened and walked awaywithout another word, descending the stairs to the couch below.

The leather was cold against my back, extinguishing the warmth she’d left behind. The city’s glow cast shifting patterns across the room.