Everything could be felt, sensed … and shared.
She instinctively knew the flare of attraction, of undeniable longing between them was rare and special. Whatever gripped them, held them was both wonderful and frightening.
Her stomach quivered in anticipation when his gaze dropped to her mouth. But he didn’t kiss her again. Instead, he ran his fingers over her bare shoulder where her wide-necked shirt had fallen.
His caress was tender and possessive, gentle and sensual. Her eyes slid closed when his hand traveled across her chest and then down between her breasts to her waist.
A moan pulled from her as his lips found her neck. Denae turned her head to the side to give him access. While his lips worked their magic, his hands had taken her wrists and pinned them above her head.
Her lids lifted and she breathed in the scent of him—a heady combination of spices, rain, and danger. He held her wrists as he lifted his head and gave them a slight squeeze.
Then, slowly, he ran his hands down her arms to the hem of her oversized shirt. Denae’s body was primed for him. She was about to yank the shirt off herself, but she kept her arms above her, impatiently waiting.
He didn’t jerk off her shirt. That wasn’t Kellan’s style. He slid his hands beneath the hem and rested them on either side of her waist on top of her cami. With her oversized shirt gathered at his wrists, he leisurely ran his hands up her sides.
Denae sucked in a breath when he paused to rub his thumbs at the undersides of her breasts. A small smile played at his lips, but it was the darkening of his eyes that made her knees weak.
He continued upward, his hands sliding over her breasts in a frustratingly slow movement. Denae bit her lip and groaned when he passed over her nipples.
They were instantly hard, her breasts swelling and aching for more of his touch. He persisted in his unhurried removal of her outer shirt until his hands reached her shoulders, moving up her raised arms and past her hands.
Her shirt was casually dropped in a nearby chair. And his gaze lowered to her breasts, where he could see the outline of her turgid nipples.
She lowered her arms and gripped the wall with her hands as he moved one finger around her nipples, but never touching them, teasing her mercilessly.
Her breathing was harsh, even to her own ears. She was quickly becoming a puddle of need, and she hadn’t even gotten to touch him as she longed to do.
With that in mind, Denae grabbed the hem of his shirt. Kellan’s eyes crinkled at the corners as if daring her. She laid both hands flat on the warm skin of his waist. There was steel beneath her fingertips, and she wanted a good look at it.
Denae wasn’t as slow in her removal of his shirt. She pushed it up to his shoulders and then over his head as quickly as she could. His shirt remained in her hand as she let her gaze wander over his chest and the impressive, unique dragon tattoo that met her.
She absently tossed his shirt as she glanced at his face. He was watching her intently, waiting to see what she would do.
There was really only one thing to do. She reached out with her right hand and placed it over his heart, on the dragon’s large head where its mouth sat open as if on a roar.
Her other hand flattened against the hard muscle of his chest while her right hand followed the rare mix of black and red ink over the tat. She frowned as she swore that the image moved beneath her hand.
Denae took in the whole of the tattoo. It was situated more on his left side, with only half the body of the dragon visible on Kellan’s abdomen. The other half was inked on Kellan’s left side.
However, it was the dragon’s wings that were astounding. They were spread open wide with one covering the entire right side of his chest and the other extending onto his left arm so that when his arms were by his side, it looked to be a seamless image.
She had never seen anything so striking, so amazing before. Denae was torn between studying the tat more, or studying him more. It didn’t take long for her to choose.
While her hands caressed him, she could feel every tremor, every twitch that went through his muscles. Just as she reached for the button of his jeans, he kissed her again and again, until she could barely remain standing.
Only then did he kneel before her and remove her shoes and socks. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. No man—mortal or immortal—had ever shown her such care, such attention as Kellan.
She smoothed back a lock of his wavy hair that had fallen into his eyes. A smile pulled at her lips when he neatly set aside her shoes and socks before he looked up at her. The fire in his eyes hadn’t diminished. In his gaze, she felt beautiful and … wanted.