Effortless (Thoughtless, #2)(9)

I laughed at the terms that we’d once used to hurt each other with, being used as affectionate phrases now. Things were like that with Kellan.

Cold one minute, red hot the next. Our going slow was how we were working on keeping the relationship even, consistent. Kellan didn’t seem at all worried that we’d burn out, but I sometimes did. After all, he could have anybody. Even if he was experiencing something with me that he’d 24



never had before—a true, deep to his core love—a secret, buried part of me knew that now that he’d been opened up to love, he could find it again with someone else if he wanted to.

God, I hated that thought.

Pushing back my doubts, I instead concentrated on what I had no question about. Right now, Kellan wanted me. Right now, Kellan loved me and only me. And right now, my sister wouldn’t be home for hours.

Dressed only in his worn denims that hugged him so perfectly, his sculpted chest above me as he leaned over my body, Kellan worked his mouth softly against mine as the fingers of his free hand spun around a dark lock of my hair.

My fingers were busy as well. They’d moved up to his wonderfully messy head of hair. It was so much fun to bunch it around my fingers and I couldn’t resist giving him a light tug. He grinned against my lips.

Then my fingers trailed down his neck, enjoying the lean muscles, and the light pulse of his veins under his skin. From there they decided to swoop up and over his shoulder blades, lingering for a moment on the tensing and releasing muscles as he played with my hair. Their only natural course after that was straight down his back. My lucky fingers delighted in the smooth, lean expanse of skin on the way down to his waistband. Of course, halfway there, they decided to head back up to those shoulder blades and retrace the path down to his waist. But this time, I lightly scraped my nails across his flesh instead of the softer, gentler finger pads.

“Don’t tease me,” he muttered as he sucked on my lower lip.

I laughed lightly as I remembered harshly digging through that perfect skin once before…in an espresso stand, no less. I felt my face heat as blood rushed to my cheeks. It was sort of an embarrassing moment for me. Kellan pulled back from our kiss to look over my features, probably noticing my flushed cheeks and understanding my expression. His finger ran along my cheek before sweeping over my lips. “Do you have any idea what that did to me, when you scratched me?” 25



His lip twisted devilishly at the memory while my blush surely deepened. Not being able to speak, I merely shook my head. He smiled wider and leaned over to my ear. “I think that’s what made me come.” My eyes closed for a second at hearing him say it and I chuckled despite myself. “I didn’t realize you were so kinky,” I whispered.

With a smirk he laughed out, “You’re the one that cut me.” I giggled again, feeling my embarrassment slide off of me with the laughter. “You’re the one that liked it.”

He kissed my chin gently before pulling back with a raised eyebrow.

“You didn’t enjoy doing that?”

I bit my lip and looked away from the cocky look of self assurance on his face. Of course I’d like it. It had done as many amazing things to my body as it had done to his. A tiny bit of guilt washed through me. I did feel bad for hurting him, for drawing blood. That was a little more than was called for.

Surprising him, I shoved back his shoulders. He grunted and said,

“Hey,” as he tried to crawl back over to me. Laughing, I kept him away with one hand while I squirmed out from where I was partially entangled in his legs. Before he could complain, or manhandle me back in-to position, I straddled his hips.

As he was facing sideways, he started to flip onto his back, a huge grin lighting his face at my forcefulness in taking the top. I laughed harder as I shoved his shoulder down, keeping his chest on the mattress.

Once I was firmly seated on his lower spine, he twisted his neck to look back at me. “What are you doing?”

My hands played over the expanse of pristine flesh before me while I answered him, a little huskily. “Well, I do feel guilty about hurting you…”

He twisted around more as his lips smirked at me. “I did mention that you made me come, right?”

26



I felt that flush return at hearing him say that word again—come. It wasn’t even a dirty word, really, but hearing it pass his lips reminded me of toe-curling, blood-boiling, life-altering moments of ecstasy. Just hearing him say the word made me want him even more. Smiling, I pushed back that feeling…for now.

“I want to make sure you’re not…damaged.”

I ran my hands up his back, leaning over him so my hair brushed his skin. I delighted when I noticed him shiver when my long locks touched him. His eyes flicked over my face and his voice dropped. “I only have one scar that can be attributed to you.”

His eyes rested on mine and my breath caught at the love I saw in that gaze. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to seeing how much he adored me.

It made all the flirting I’d witnessed earlier irrelevant. None of those fan girls got that look from him. None of those fan girls got to have this level of intimacy with him. Not anymore. Evan was right, he played with them but his heart was mine.

I nodded, surprised at how my eyes were misting. My thoughts tumbled over to the memory he was referring to and I bit my lip. It was a long time ago that he’d taken a knife wound while trying to defend my honor. It was one of the most amazing and horrible things that anyone had ever done for me. Amazing that he’d stood up for me, and horrible that he’d been hurt. My fingers traveled down his ribs, touching the mattress as I curled them around his body. I leaned over and kissed the edge of the scar where I felt the roughness cutting into that once smooth skin.