Page 39

She felt his gaze on her, scrutinizing, waiting for her to take the words back.

But only silence and beating hearts hung between them.

Part of her wasn’t sure she evenwantedto take the words back.

Khalani half-expected Takeshi to scoff at her suggestion and leave her in the dark. But one moment she was lying next to him, and the next, Takeshi had her hips in his grasp, pulling her on top of him so she was straddling his waist. She gasped at the swift movement.

Takeshi narrowed his eyes in challenge, like his only goal was to intimidate her into retreating, fully expecting Khalani to end the charade and pull away.

But if he was waiting for her to be the rational one, they were screwed.

She was desperate to feel something other than pain, and Khalani didn’t care that it would inevitably return with a swift vengeance come morning.

The moon could tell the sun all about her bad decisions later.

She shifted against him and felt Takeshi harden beneath her, and like the rest of him, he wasn’t lacking in any area.

Emboldened, she moved forward another inch, causing a delicious wave of friction, and his fingers bit into her hips as he hissed. But instead of shoving her off, he pulled her closer, rubbing her core against him.

Warmth pooled low in her stomach and she felt her body respond as he got harder,somehow.

No inch separated them except for the clothes they still wore. She felt naked, exposed, and with the way Takeshi’s eyes roamed over her, she felt like the only woman left on the surface.

Her heart pounded against her chest and she was certain he could hear the palpitations.

He stared up at her like he was ready to slice her throat in one breath and bend her backward to feast like a man starved the next.

Khalani wasn’t a virgin.

The first man she’d been physically close with was a coworker at the Food Distribution Center of Apollo. He was handsome enough, flirting with her constantly. And she was miserable enough to settle for his intentions, hoping to experience something different for a change.

It hurt the first time. A lot. Nothing like she thought it’d be.

But then again, life wasn’t what she thought it’d be.

She returned to his bed a few more times, but each encounter left her decidedly colder afterward. He never ignited her body with fire. Never made her feelseen. Never made her feel like she’d unravel from the pure feral possession in his gaze.

Takeshi’s fingers slid from her hips up her stomach, undoing the buttons of her shirt as he went. He never once looked away from her face, cataloging every response. She licked her lips, and his eyes tracked the movement like a predator.

There was only one button left. Khalani closed her eyes, ready to expose herself. But his hands halted.

“Undo the last button,” he commanded.

She opened her eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly. “Why did you stop?”

“Because I’ll take many things, Kanes, but never your choice. If you want to surrender to me for just this one night, then undo the last button. If not, you should stand and walk back to the others.”

He was going to be her undoing.

With his silky black locks falling over his face and his shadowy eyes glinting in the moonlight, he’d never looked more handsome or destructive.

Takeshi never hid his darkness. He embraced it.

To him, hell wasn’t a path to avoid but a space to conquer.

Takeshi waited patiently for her to make the next move, his hands clenched at his sides. He raised an eyebrow when she hesitated, as if he knew they wouldn’t continue.

Khalani chewed her bottom lip, and Takeshi’s luminous eyes flickered to her mouth. He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable.