Smiling, I kissed her again. The moment she let go of the blanket, letting it slip to her bare hips, I faltered.
I gently guided her onto her back, and she wrapped her arms around me. Time sped up and slowed down as we kissed. There was nothing else but us in this room, experiencing what we were sharing. There was no place for anything else. The blanket was pushed aside, and her legs were curled around mine. We moved and twisted against each other. My arms shook; my hands trembled against her flushed skin as she arched her back. I explored her, paying extra attention to the faint scar so close to her heart, tracing the tiny mark with my finger, then my mouth, and finally my tongue.
Lifting my head, I pressed my cheek to hers. My voice felt raw and scratchy when I spoke. “Tell me to stop and I will.”
Instead of saying no, she looped her arms around my neck, and she tugged me back down for another scorching kiss. I settled over her, not quite touching at first. Static built between us, filling the air with electricity. She pulled me closer, sweeping her thumb over my lower lip, and then she slid her hands down to my chest. I trembled and closed my eyes.
Kat’s slightest touch could do that to me.
And then her hands were moving again, over my lower abs and down to the button on my jeans. My eyes snapped open. Heat rolled off me as I sat up, pulling her into my lap. Our hearts pounded in unison as my hands cradled her hips, tugging her as close as I could get her. Her soft moans were a symphony, a prayer, and I wanted this to last. It had to last. I laid her back down, marveled at her beauty, at the fact that she was choosing me—had chosen me.
I didn’t want to rush a moment of this.
Even as she pressed against me, her hips twisting and her nails digging into my skin, I wanted to savor every damn second. I kissed her skin, blazing a path down the column of her throat and then lower…and then lower again. I didn’t speed it up, not even when I started to lose the hold on my human form. Light flickered, fading in and out.
When I made a trail all the way back to her mouth, she whispered against my lips, and she tugged on my hair. Message received, loud and clear.
Damn, girl.
Rising off her, I shucked my pants, and I grabbed protection. Then our bodies were flush, hard against soft. Our hands were everywhere—hers and then mine. There wasn’t a part of me she didn’t touch. There wasn’t a square inch of her I didn’t familiarize myself with. I slowed it down, kissing and nipping, touching softly and holding her until neither of us wanted to wait a heartbeat longer.
I hated that moment of pain, the way her entire body tensed, and I did everything I knew, and then I got creative, to take away that pain. And I washed it away, as if it were never there, but that was nothing compared to what she did to me. She twisted me up into knots, so tight I thought I would snap apart, and she did—I did.
Our breaths slackened. Our racing hearts and pounding pulses slowed. I was shaken, blown apart and stitched back together. What we’d done, what we shared…nothing had ever felt like that. Sounded so freaking cornball, but it was true and it was so right, so damn perfect that there was that thickness in my throat again.
Dragging my hand to her cheek, I kissed her softly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m perfect.”
And then Kat yawned, right in my face.
I busted into laughter. Damn. Kat turned her cheek into her pillow, trying to hide, but I wouldn’t let her. I chased after, kissing her once more. Rolling onto my side, I pulled her with me, situating her so we were face to face.
Damn, I was full—my heart was full. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
I trailed my fingers over her arm, smiling when she shivered. “For everything.”
Chapter 22
Silvery moonlight streamed through the bedroom window, shining enough light for me to see what I was doing. I should be asleep. Tuesday morning, and school was going to come soon enough, and I should be exhausted after messing around with onyx all evening, but I wanted to get this done before I forgot.
I carefully wrapped the white rope around the center of the piece of opal. The rope was thin, leaving most of the stone bare. It would work, at least temporarily. Kat would be able to wear it under her shirt.
Most likely, she was going to fight me on the opal, but that was one battle I wasn’t going to lose. Speaking of Kat…
Lifting my chin as I felt the warm tingle along the back of my neck, I smiled as I placed the opal and the white rope into my desk drawer. I turned toward the bedroom a second before the door cracked open. Slim fingers curled around the door.
“Kitten…” I chuckled. “Breaking and entering again?”
“I didn’t break anything. I let myself in.” There was a moment, and then Kat poked her head in, brow furrowed. “You’re awake,” she whispered.
“Uh-huh.”
Her frown increased. “You were supposed to be asleep.”