Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy #2)(65)

Once again he broke away, breathing hard, this time finding my eyes as his finger ran along the edge of my shorts, dipping in to touch the sensitive skin of my hips and lower abs. My breath hitched as he undid the button, then the zipper, never taking those blazing eyes from mine, as if memorizing my every reaction.

When my shorts fell, I kicked them aside and felt wildly exposed, even though it was no different from being in my bikini. Kaidan pulled away a few inches and glanced down at my body. Then he shut his eyes tight and lifted his head to the ceiling. His Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed.

With his eyes still closed he muttered a guttural plea. “Let me kiss you.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“No.” His eyes crashed into mine and his hands flattened against the dryer above my shoulders. “I need to kiss your body.”

Oh . . . yesohyesohyes . . .

“Okay,” I managed to say.

“Don’t let any more clothing come off,” he warned me, “under any circumstances.”

“Okay,” I whispered again. Apparently it was the only word I was capable of forming.

“Promise me, Anna.”

“I promise,” I said, though I was feeling extremely weak. I knew I’d have to be the strong one this time. We couldn’t have a repeat of the hotel room incident.

And with that his hands gripped my waist and his hot lips found my shoulder. I gasped as his hands perused the skin of my belly and back, and his mouth began feasting a trail down my torso, waist, and hip, stopping to kiss every freckle along the way until he was on his knees. My hands gripped his strong shoulders.

Staring at the blue heart charm dangling from my belly button, he said, “You are killing me.” I sucked in a breath when he licked a circle around it.

He began kissing the edge of the panty line at my hip, tasting me. I felt his teeth graze my skin, followed by his hot tongue, and my knees almost gave out. His hands still held my waist, steady and firm, and it was a good thing. Because it felt like a tornado of sensory charges was building inside me. I didn’t know how much more I could take. I was breathing as if I’d been sprinting.

One of his hands moved down to the back of my knee and bent it, angling my leg outward so he could kiss my inner thigh. I moaned loud enough to shock myself, and felt his teeth again. My fingers raked into his hair, clutching him as everything inside me tightened.

Suddenly a cold, sobering thought jabbed my mind: the sword. Would it see this moment as some sort of rebellion against my “purity”? Had I gone too far? I had no idea where to draw the line when it came to the sword and its judgment.

“Kai,” I gasped. “I . . . I . . . you have to stop.”

In a heartbeat he was standing, his eyes searching mine. His heated gaze darted around my face, taking in my shallow breaths and flushed skin. With the confidence of a guy who knows how to drive a girl crazy, he pushed his hips against mine and I let my head fall back against the dryer, stifling a groan. The near pleasure was almost painful, but he didn’t pull away. He nibbled my earlobe and I clutched my hands around his back. My body had never felt so desperate.

“Let me touch you,” he whispered. “Just on the outside. Let me make you feel good.”

Oh, my gosh. I had never, ever wanted anything more.

His hand slid down my lower belly. I wanted to cry as I forced my head to shake side to side. “No. No, we can’t.”

“What is it?” He stepped back and a look of panicked regret crossed his face. “I’m sorry, Anna—”

“No.” I bent down and snatched my clothes from the floor, yanking them on. “I don’t want you to be sorry. I’m not sorry.”

I reached out for his hand and pulled us together in a hug. He held me hesitantly, which only made me squeeze him tighter. I pressed my cheek against his bare chest.

“You’re shaking,” he said.

“Yeah, well, my body is pretty angry at me right now,” I admitted with a dry laugh. “But I don’t want to take any chances when it comes to the hilt.”

He froze up at the mention of the sword of righteousness. “You think it’s that sensitive?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “It’s meant for angels, you know?”

The whole “pure of heart” thing still wasn’t 100 percent clear to me. Angels didn’t have bodies, but for Neph and humans the mind and body were linked in many ways, like it or not. The sword seemed pretty strict and I didn’t want to take any chances when it came to getting rid of the Dukes.

“Are you okay?” I asked, tilting my head up to see his face. He rubbed my cheek, still seeming surprised that he could touch me openly with such tenderness.

“Don’t worry about me. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

I put my arms around his neck, looking him straight in the eyes.

“You didn’t. I love you. I want all that with you. Maybe someday?”

His eyes closed and the muscle at his temple flexed; I knew he was afraid to hope. I reached up on my tiptoes and kissed his lips. I wanted to lighten the mood and make him stop feeling bad. And make me stop thinking about his mouth all over me.

“I think I need chocolate,” I said.

That got a laugh out of him.

Then I asked, “Will you make me some brownies?”