Page 139 of Velvet Corruption

“No,” I said, hoping it sounded convincing to her ears. “No. I can take care of myself.”

Chapter Thirty-One: Kieran

The first thing I registered was warmth. Softness.

The rise and fall of her breath.

My arm was draped over her waist, my fingers curled against her stomach, the faint rhythm of her heartbeat pulsing under my palm. She was still asleep.

For a moment, I just watched her. Her lashes fanned against her cheeks, her lips parted slightly, her breath soft.

The bruises on her throat had darkened overnight, ugly reminders of what she’d been through.

What she’d survived. What I’d helped her survive.

But that wasn’t what I was thinking about now.

Now, I was thinking about how fucking beautiful she looked first thing in the morning.

I pressed my lips to the curve of her shoulder. Once. Twice.

Let my mouth trail down her back, along the dip of her spine. She shifted, mumbling something in her sleep, but she didn’t wake up.

Not yet. She would soon.

I slid lower. The sheets tangled around our legs, warm with the heat of our bodies.

She was still bare beneath them, and my palm followed the curve of her thigh, squeezing just enough to feel the way her muscles tensed under my touch. Still, she didn’t wake.

Not until I parted her legs.

Her breath hitched. I could feel the way her body responded before she even opened her eyes—the sharp inhale, the way her back arched just a little.

She was already wet.

That sent a jolt of possessiveness through me, an overwhelming desire to claim her, make her mine.

I kissed the inside of her thigh, dragging my lips slowly over her skin. She stirred, exhaling softly, still somewhere between sleep and waking.

I wanted to see the moment she realized…I wanted that sound she made when she gave in to pleasure before she even knew what was happening.

I nipped at the sensitive skin just above her knee, and she twitched.

Then—her fingers curled into the sheets. Her breath caught. And when I ran my tongue along the seam of her pussy, her whole body shuddered.

That was what woke her up.

Her hips shifted, pressing into my mouth before she even opened her eyes. All pure instinct.

“Kieran,” she mumbled, still groggy, still trying to figure out what was happening. I hummed against her, my hands gripping her thighs, spreading her wider.

Holding her there.

She gasped.

Fuck, she was sensitive like this. Sleepy and soft and melting under my tongue. I licked into her, slow and deep, savoring the taste of her, the way her body responded.

She was still half-asleep, but her legs were already wrapping around my shoulders, already tilting toward me, already soaking my mouth.