Celt. (Den of Mercenaries #2)(45)

He hadn’t listened.



* * *



“Oh, Jesus.”

Kyrnon was torn from his ramblings of a past that was always hovering in the back of his mind by the sound of Amber’s soft words. That had been the easiest, he thought as he took another swig of the alcohol. He hadn’t told her what all he suffered at their hands—not that he really needed to.

She could see the evidence forever marked in his flesh.

Looking back at her, he shook his head. “Probably best we leave it at that.”

He thought maybe she would, that the story he told her would be enough to appease whatever curiosity she had about him, but she surprised him as she slid off the couch and joined him on the floor. Taking the bottle from his slack grip, she took a drink of her own before handing it back.

“Go on.”

Kyrnon was tempted to tell her everything in that moment, anything she wanted to know if she stayed there beside him—but as that thought hit, he set the bottle of whiskey down, figuring he’d had enough.

“There’s not much more to tell. I paid off my debt by fighting. Simple as that.”

“Didn’t your family ever look for you?” Amber asked, her gaze searching his.

“O’course they did, lovie. They just couldn’t find me.”

That was only partially true.

Sometimes, in the middle of the night, he could have sworn he’d heard his name being called—had even thought he spotted one of his cousins outside the grimy window of the prison he was in, but there was nothing that could be found—not when the man that had taken him hadn’t wanted him to be found.

“Then how did you get back to them?”

He hadn’t.

It took years and the happenstance of Z popping into that town for something else for him to get free of that place.

But he wouldn’t tell her that.

“I got out,” he said instead, “and made a new life.”

Her face fell, but he reached for her, smoothing his thumb over her lips. “Don’t make that face. You have a very kind smile—lights up my day. Let’s see it.”

She shook her head, and if he wasn’t mistaken, he thought he saw tears in her eyes. “I’m sor—”

“Don’t apologize,” he said quickly, sitting up. “It wasn’t your doing—you have nothing to be sorry about.”

“I’m sorry that it happened to you. You didn’t deserve that.” She tucked curly strands of hair behind her ear. “And I’m sorry that it still keeps you up at night.”

“You help me sleep,” he confessed, drawing her into his embrace. “When you’re lying there beside me, I don’t disappear into my head like I usually do. You bring me peace, Amber, so wipe that sadness off your face. I don’t like seeing it.”

His words cut through her sadness quick enough.

Straddling his lap, she cupped his face, leaning down to kiss him, putting everything she felt—anger, sadness, and another that she didn’t want to contemplate—into it. Not even a second passed before he was kissing her back, taking everything she had to give.

Just a simple kiss was enough to change the dynamic in the room.



* * *



His expression had shifted, and there was no mistaking that he was no longer thinking about the story he had just shared with her, but rather how quickly he could get her undressed.

That had always been one of his favorite parts, she thought, him taking her clothes off. He always dragged it out, removing piece by piece until she was bare beneath his gaze.

Now he made quick work of getting her shirt off, tossing it to the side as he hooked his fingers in the lacy edges of her panties and tugging them down her legs. The sensation made her tremble, but it was the expression on his face that captivated her more.

Only once he had her bra off, and she could no longer hide from his gaze, did that lust in his eyes sharpen.

Nothing felt more satisfying than seeing the barely controlled restraint in him as he resisted the urge to just f*ck her the way he wanted. Yet, Kyrnon was incredibly patient, and despite the thick length of his cock pressed against his jeans, he made no move to ease himself.

But she wanted to.

Amber wanted nothing more than to please him, to make him feel even half of what he made her feel every day.

"Can I?" She asked already reaching for his zipper, feeling a thrill in just how tightly wound he was.

But no matter his baser needs, he was still in control of himself—at least for now.

"Take me out," he urged giving her a helping hand with the button.

She could just see the trail of hair growing thicker with each inch she gained by tugging the zipper down. Beneath his jeans, he wore nothing, giving her the perfect, delectable view of the base of his cock.

He groaned, a harsh, but sexy sound that made her feel powerful, arousal rushing through her. With other partners, she had never felt that all-consuming desire to do whatever they asked, but with Kyrnon, she wanted to be good for him.

She wanted to be everything he wanted.

And as he looked down at her, eyes slightly dazed as though he were still not used to the sight of her naked before him, he looked captivated.

Grabbing hold of her hand, he placed it on his throbbing length, wrapping her fingers around it. She had learned rather quickly what he liked, and made sure she gripped him accordingly. Waiting until he gave that first grunt of pleasure before she started stroking him, taking her time, reveling in the feel as his big body quaked with the effort to remain still.