Page 26

She swallowed hard, the weight of his words settling in her chest. It wasn't just a place he was offering her; it was a piece of his soul. The realization was both overwhelming and comforting, like stepping into a world she hadn't known she needed.

"Kai--"

"I know." Taking her hand, he linked their fingers. "And I will not apologize for doing so."

Kai stopped by the kitchen, its counters gleaming under the soft light. "Hungry?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes still searching hers for some unspoken reassurance. "Or would you rather sit for a while?"

She shook her head, a smile forming at the corner of her lips. "Not hungry," she said softly, stepping closer until there was barely any space between them. "I think I'd rather... stay right here."

His arms wrapped around her without hesitation, pulling her into the warmth of his embrace. For the first time in what felt like forever, she allowed herself to lean into him completely, her walls crumbling under the quiet promise of his presence.

"The view is spectacular," she murmured, leaning against him, eyes dazzled by the brilliant lights of the city. "Close enough to the town, but far away enough to lend an air of privacy."

He could not believe how comfortable he felt with her in his arms. "Within close reach to everything important. The theaters, museum and some of my favorite restaurants. You smell good enough to eat." He sniffed her neck. "What're you wearing?"

She struggled to remember. "I experiment with scents. I think it's called Seductive."

"It's living up to its name," he murmured. He wanted to take a huge bite out of her and devour.

"Kai--" his name was a sigh on her lips as he trailed fiery kisses down her neck.

The sigh became a gasp when he swept her into his arms and up the stairs.

It was several minutes later when she got a chance to look at her surroundings.

The trip upstairs had been a blur of battered senses, with her clinging to him as he kissed her until she was swimming in sensations.

He had undressed her hurriedly and then himself before sliding into a bed big enough to hold a dozen people comfortably and destroyed what was left of her sanity.

Now climbing down from the incredible high, her body cushioned against his lean frame, she opened her eyes to take in the smoke blue décor.

The bedroom was sprawling, with honey gold paneled wood, a soaring ceiling with treated glass that filtered in the light from the moon. She knew vaguely from the strike of his footsteps when they stepped inside, that it was a board floor.

She liked the space and the exquisite décor and the fact that he could so unnerve her, she had not noticed where she was.

She pressed her fingers lightly against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, each beat syncing with her own. The intimacy of the moment wrapped around her like a velvet cloak, and for the first time in years, she felt unmoored, liberated from the weight of the past.

Kai's hand brushed against her cheek, his thumb tracing the edge of her jaw with a tenderness that belied the passion they had just shared. "What are you thinking?" he asked, his voice a low murmur that sent shivers down her spine.

She hesitated, her lips curving into a faint smile. "I was just wondering how someone manages to have a bed big enough for an entire village and yet makes it feel like the smallest, most private corner of the world."

He chuckled, a deep, rich sound that warmed her from the inside out. "It's not the bed," he replied, his fingers trailing lazily down her arm. "It's the company."

Her laugh was soft, a melodic hum in the quiet room. "You have an answer for everything, don't you?"

"Not everything," he admitted, his gaze locking with hers, a quiet intensity simmering beneath the surface. "You, for instance, are a puzzle I haven't quite figured out yet."

She raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "A puzzle? That sounds ominous."

"Not ominous," he said, his tone thoughtful. "Intriguing. You carry yourself like someone who's been through storms, yet here you are, luminous and unbroken. It's rare, and beautiful."

Her chest tightened at his words, a mixture of vulnerability and comfort washing over her. She wasn't used to being seen like this--whole, despite her cracks. She shifted slightly, leaning up to press a gentle kiss to his lips, her gratitude unspoken but palpable.

The moonlight spilled through the treated glass above, casting a soft glow over them, as if the universe itself had conspired to cradle this moment in delicate hands. Neither spoke for a long while, content to bask in the silence filled with unspoken promises and the quiet hum of possibilities.

He pondered in the lull of silence for a few more minutes, fingers trailing up and down her arm.

It felt right. She fitted him perfectly, the curves of her body as familiar to him as his own.

The taste of her lingered on his lips. The texture of her skin, the feel of her nipples branding his chest. It all felt right.

He wanted to feel all of it for the rest of his life, and he had been a bloody fool.

What was stopping him from offering her marriage?

He already knew he could not spend the rest of his life without her.

He wanted her bearing his name and carrying his seed.

With the decision burning inside his heart, he only regretted doing this without a ring. He had insulted her by asking her to move in with him. Shifting, he tucked two fingers under her chin and tilted her face up.

She caught the intensity in his expression and tensed.

"Marry me." The two words she had waited to hear for two years tumbled into her brain and flooded her body--and had her staring at him in shock.

A smile touched his lips as she continued to stare at him.

"Marry me darling. Now--this weekend or two weeks from now.

I do not want to spend another moment without you in my life. "

Her heart thudded, and she felt the heat flooding her body. "We can't," she finally croaked.

A frown creased his brow as her refusal lanced through him. "Why the bloody hell not?"

Ignoring the bite of anger, she placed a hand on his chest, feeling the warmth of skin and the slightly uneven beat of his heart. "I am still yet to meet your family."

The frown disappeared as he was reminded of that lack. "You're right." The decision came immediately. Once the words were out, there was no way he was going to allow anything to stand in the way of making her completely his.

Glancing at the bedside clock, he reached for the phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling my mother to set up a meeting."

Panic blew through her and she lunged for the phone. Evading her easily, he called up the number and as he suspected, his mother was still up.

She listened in horror as he explained the situation to her and asked if dinner tomorrow would be possible.

Hanging up the phone, he put it away and smiled at her. "Problem solved. Mother has agreed to have us over for dinner tomorrow at seven. She's looking forward to meeting you. In the morning, I will contact my uncles."

"You can't--damn you Kai!" She sputtered. "This is crazy. You cannot ask me to marry you in two weeks and then call your mother up at--" She sucked in a breath. "Eleven at night. Are you insane? What must she be thinking?"

"That I am crazy about you." He clamped a hand around her waist before she could charge off the bed and held her effortlessly. "And you haven't answered my proposal."

Her eyes sparkled dangerously, and she gave up the failed effort of getting free. Ramming her hands flat on his chest, she used her words instead to hammer at him.

"You arrogant, insufferable--" The rest of the words became tangled down her throat when he bruised her lips with his.

She fought him, fingers digging into his flesh, but still he continued to kiss her.

Suddenly the rhythm changed and became more persuasive.

His lips softened, tongue teasing and soothing where he had bruised and sent her already battered heart plunging.

She could have continued to fight him--fueled by anger, but this gentle approach made her weak with need.

The fingers that had been digging--now spread over his chest and made their way around his shoulders to hold and knead the skin.

Her body became pliant as he dipped his tongue into her mouth, his breath tangling with hers.

She could feel the evidence of his rigid arousal against her thighs.

The man made her crazy in more ways than one, but she could not deny the incredible power he had over her.

It had been that way since the first day she met him and was even more so now. Her body melted against his and her own nipples were aching with the need to feel his mouth there. The anger and panic that had bloomed inside her chest became a thing of the past.

She could not think. Her thoughts became muddled, and it felt as if everything was centered around him.

The feel and taste. His masculine cologne, the muscles bunching and flexing beneath her fingers.

With his hands clamped around her waist, she barely noticed when he swung her on top of him.

Over him. Kai felt the surge of pure animal desire surging through his own body.

When he lifted her up so he could slide into her wet slickness, he was already maddened with intense passion.

He swallowed her moans, or was it his? It did not matter.

He had stopped trying to comprehend what she did to him.

All he could do was feel and it was heady, like he had been drinking steadily from his favorite bottle of scotch.

He moved, slowly, inching in, going in deep, the potent feel of her wrapped around him sending him to the edge of the cliff.

But he did not want to take flight just yet.

He would hang on as long as he could and hold her there with him, even though the madness was already taking over.