So she let herself melt, because what else was there to do? The past week was over, and now all that mattered was the hard weight of Dag’s body pinning her to the mattress, and the soft, hungry pressure of his mouth on hers.
Maybe it was the impression left by his last kiss, but Kylie had expected that if they ever came together it would be the same, fast and angry and almost violent, all need and speed. But this felt like something else all together. For the first time in her life, she felt entirely seduced, literally led away from all of her objections and hesitations and second thoughts. Every shift of his lips on hers, every stroke of his tongue, every nibble and nuzzle led her further and further down the path to surrender, and she felt nothing but peace with the process.
Well, peace and eagerness and searing, mind-numbing heat, because while Dag used none of the speed or force demonstrated in their previous encounter, his touch still made her burn.
She felt him in every cell of her body, from the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes, because every inch of her felt alive and alert in a way she had never experienced. When she gave in and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingertips tingled as they sifted through his short-cropped, dark hair. She could feel the tightening in her chest as she breathed in his earthy, stony scent and the race of sensation that started between her thighs and shot up to dance across the back of her throat.
A groan escaped her, cutting through the quiet, and it took her a minute to realize she had made that tense, needy sound. Color flooded her cheeks and she tried to turn away from the kiss. Obligingly, Dag released her lips only to trail kisses over her jaw and down the sensitive line of her throat until she felt her eyes roll back into her head. That was not what she had intended.
Pressing her hands against his shoulders, she tried to shift him, but it was like trying to move a mountain. There wasn’t a crowbar on earth big enough to shift a Guardian from where he wanted to be, but Dag pulled back to stare down at her, his black eyes burning with inner fire. It was like seeing the light of a hundred flickering candles reflected in a pool of black water, and she found herself hypnotized by it. The words of protest she had meant to utter fluttered away on a puff of air.
When she didn’t speak, Dag shifted his gaze from her wide-eyed stare, over her flushed cheeks, and down to where she knew he had to see her racing pulse throbbing against the hollow of her throat. One huge hand came up, brushing the hair back from her face and then burrowing into the thick, dark waves to cup the back of her head.
“You’re so tiny,” he murmured, leaning close so that his breath caressed her cheek with warmth. “I forget how small your body is because the rest of you is so very large. Sweet little human, I don’t want to hurt you.”
And just like that, her hesitation melted away and her sense of Kylie came rushing back. He was right; no matter what her physical size, Kylie Kramer was a big girl, and she could take whatever Fate and a certain gargoyle decided to dish out to her.
Heck, if she liked the taste, she might even ask for seconds.
Feeling her lips curve into a smile, Kylie gripped his shoulders with small, strong fingers and tugged to bring him closer. “Don’t worry, Rocky. I promise not to hurt you, either,” she purred, and reached up to press her lips once more against his.
*
Dag felt the change in her, even if he didn’t know what to attribute it to. In the end, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that the woman who had frustrated, teased, sassed, and aroused him for the last seven days was in his arms and returning his embraces with a fervor that matched his own.
What more could a Guardian ask for?
Skin, the voice inside him immediately replied. Lots of warm, bare, creamy skin. Dag saw no reason to argue with that kind of logic.
He held the kiss, savoring the way Kylie had taken control. Her tiny, white teeth nipped and nibbled at his lips, her tongue soothing the sensitized flesh with soft, fleeting strokes before darting within to tangle with his. Meanwhile, his hands slipped under the hem of her shirt, pushing the cotton fabric up to reveal the smooth, soft skin of her abdomen. As much as he wanted the garment off, the feel of her distracted him, and his fingers traced random patterns for several minutes before they could drag themselves back to the task at hand.
Her breath sped up, and he felt the tremor in her muscles as he skimmed his hands higher, dragging the shirt up and over her head before casting it carelessly aside. Then he couldn’t help himself. He had to pull away so he could see what he had revealed.