Page 31

‘It’s been a while. Defences have weakened.’

‘Sometimes a little more poison’s the antidote. You know. “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”.’

‘Not sure that’s true, but I’m ready to die finding out.’ Malakai’s smile melts off his face as I unbuckle his trousers, lifting up slightly so he can push them down, along with his boxers. His dick springs out, proud, as impressive as ever, and I wonder briefly if it’s weird to say I’ve missed his dick– I decide that it probably is, but the truth is I have. I want to lick it, reacquaint myself with the essence of his taste, so sweet to me, but I control myself. I need to limit my dose of Malakai– just enough will grant me immunity, too much may kill me. I give him a firm pump over the hot velvet steel. Malakai groans and his hand wraps round the back of my neck.

‘Shit. Be careful. I don’t think you know what kind of power you have.’

I lick my palm and Malakai’s eyes become black blades at the sight. He’s lost the last of his mind. I smile and kiss his neck as I stroke along the firm length, a thrill running through me.

‘No, I know. I just wanna make sure you don’t forget.’

‘That was never a possibility.’

Something in my chest flickers again at the rough whisper, but I ignore it, palming his sensitive tip so he hisses.

‘Kiki, you gotta go slower– you’re gonna make me—’ His voice is a strained rasp, his hands gripping into my thigh, making indents.

I grin as I nibble his neck, enjoying my revenge. ‘If you wanna be inside me, Malakai, you gotta say please.’

Malakai’s eyes flash dangerously in a way that lets me know I’m going to pay for this next time. A sharp thrum of anticipation runs through me before screeching to a halt. There will be no next time. This is the only time. Thelasttime.

‘Please,Kiki.’ His hand glides up my belly, gently rests on my breast as he brushes his thumb across my nipple, before squeezing. ‘Let me make you feel good inside. Let me do that for you. I know you can take it.’ He flips it, transforming the begging into him doing us both a favour– I marvel at the Malakai-Alchemy. It works immediately, I’m now near aching for him.

‘Where are your condoms?’

‘Front compartment of my carry-on.’

I arch a brow. ‘Your carry-on.Really,bro?’

Malakai shrugs, his smile faint. ‘Always be prepared. Easily accessible. And look how it came in handy?’

I roll my eyes and scramble off him, grab them and rip a packet open, kissing him as I work it over his thick length.

Malakai holds my face, his eyes hazy. ‘Kiki. You sure, yeah?’

I baulk at the gentleness with which he holds my chin. This isn’t aboutgentle.This isn’t about soft. This is biological. I’m sure I want to have wild sex with Malakai Korede right now. I amnotsure that it’s a wise decision. I’mverysure that I couldn’t give a solitary fuck. In reply, I hoist myself above him, guiding his tip into me as I slowly lower myself back down. We both hiss, gasp at the exquisite sting of him stretching me, as I gently work myself down his length, reacquainting myself with the sharp, tight, indulgent feeling.

Any semblance of composure Malakai has is completely lost. ‘Kiki, you feel so good – it don’t make sense . . .fuck,’ and he’s right, it doesn’t make sense, because it feels like all the sense in the universe. It shouldn’t feel so good after all this time. It shouldn’t feel like we’re picking up where we left off. The newness shouldn’t feel so warm, so right, but instead of thinking about that I stop thinking altogether as Malakai rasps, ‘Ride me, Kiki.’

I do as told, feeling the sweet ache, lifting myself up and down the length, with Malakai’s assist, his hands spreading across my ass, pushing me up and hauling me back on him with a satisfying slap of skin as we rediscover our rhythm. He angles his hips and I release a sharp cry as he hits me in the spot that he knows drives me crazy and drips become a deluge, wet sounds mingling with my cries, his sighs, to form a sonata I thought I’d never hear again.

‘Right there, Malakai. Hold it right there—’

I look down at his face and regret it. It’s exquisite. He’s lost in this moment, maybe found in this moment, focused on me, in this. It’s tacky with a quicksand made from the grains of my desire. It’s also the face that broke my heart. It’s also the face that walked out on me. A world I knew crumbled around that face. And it’s a face that wantsthis, but not necessarily me. So I look back up, straight ahead, to the bed that I deliberately avoided, and the pleasure rackets up my body, making me bounce harder as he fucks me back harder. It feels deliriously wonderful, but I’m too aware to come this way, right now, with my guards creaking their way up in self-defence. It feels dangerously safe, my body sinking so easily into the delight. I bend forward, and bite and suckle on Malakai’s throat. I know I’m cheating, knowing that’s his spot, knowing it’s what makes him unravel quickly while he’s inside me. I need this over. The risk has got too steep, and I miscalculated.

Like I knew it would, Malakai’s thrusting increases in pace, frantic, his fingers digging into my thighs as he calls my name. My heart seizes because I like it, because I need it like air. My heart starts pumping again. Then my heart seizes because I like it, because I need it like air. When he comes, we collapse against each other, slick with sweat, breath spurting out in ragged gusts.

He drops a kiss on my shoulder. ‘Damn. That was. . .’

I still can’t look at him. It’s too expensive, and all my emotional energy is spent. My head rests on his shoulder as I catch escaped breath. ‘Yeah. It was.’

Malakai gently pushes me up so I have to meet his gaze. He brushes the braids away, holds my face while scanning it. ‘Hey. You good?’ His eyes are gentle with genuine care, soft enough to sink into.

This close up, I notice the slight bags under his eyes. Without thinking, I stroke the thin skin there with my thumb. Surprise flickers across Malakai’s face, but he doesn’t move as I sweep across his cheek gingerly. It could just be travel– with the flight and the time difference he must be exhausted– but concern pricks at my gut.Ishe good? I know his work schedule is crazy, and he’d lost so much before he went to the States– more than just us. His family are mostly in London and I know he has a cousin in upstate New York, but his world was here. Was he loved on there? Did he have somewhere he could feel safe there? Why does that matter so much to me? Is he happy?

‘I am,’ I reply. ‘Are you?’

Malakai smiles, somehow both filthily and sweetly. He stops the circuit of my thumb by grabbing my wrist, kissing my palm. ‘How could I not be, Scotch?’