Deceiver's Bond: Book Two of A Clairvoyant's Complicated Life (46 page)

He uttered my name on a gasp, and the roughness in his voice half drove me out of my mind. When he buried his face into the curve of my neck, I shivered in the wake of his heated breath buffeting my skin. At that moment, there was little doubt in my mind that he wanted me as much as I wanted him.

I nipped at the underside of his jaw. “I have a confession to make.”

“Do you?” he murmured against the top of my head. He’d slid his hands to my sides. His thumbs traced slow, deliberate circles over my ribs, just shy of my bra’s bottom band.

I nodded. My words spilled from my mouth in a hoarse, breathy gush. “If you test me with your glamour, I’ll fail. I want you too much.”

He grunted his acknowledgment, and there was no disguising the testosterone-charged vindication in that sound. He leaned in to rest his forehead against mine and looked into my eyes. “That is a problem,” he said. His smile canted into a wicked slant, and he blinked lazily. “Perhaps, together, we might … find a remedy.”

I couldn’t have hid my own crooked grin if I’d tried. “Yeah? And, by any chance, does this
remedy
entail the removal of clothing and lots of heavy breathing?”

He dipped his head to rub the tip of his nose alongside mine before pulling away. “And a great deal of pleasure. Yes.”

The way he said ‘pleasure’ made my insides go wobbly. If I hadn’t been pressed against him, my knees probably would have knocked together.

“I like the sound of that,” I admitted.

He wove his fingers into my hair to cup the back of my head, angled his mouth over mine, and kissed me. I smiled against his lips. I guess he liked the sound of it too.

Before his ravenous mouth and wandering hands short-circuited the last of my functioning brain cells, I levitated us to my bedroom. Somehow I managed to get us through the doorway with all of our limbs intact.

At Kieran’s insistence, we undressed slowly, any self-conscious fears driven away by the surety of the other’s fierce desire, until we stood facing each other, next to my bed, nothing between us except a few inches of empty air.

I could scarcely breathe at the sight of him—eyelids at half-mast, eyes smoldering, his body all golden skin and carved muscle—he was, quite simply, the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

My skin tingled, each miniscule jolt of electricity demanding his contact. I dug my teeth into my lower lip and fought to hold on to my fraying self-control.

His heated gaze raked over me. “I wish to draw this moment out, to savor you, but …”

The tremor in his voice was my final undoing. I dove at him, grasping his hips and sliding my body against his as he surrounded me within his hungry embrace. For many seconds, I lost myself in the sublime feel of his skin against mine, our touching thighs, his possessive hands, the tantalizing heat of his erection, my breasts skimming his ribs.

God.
I’d forgotten how utterly erotic it all felt—everything so warm and deliciously tactile without a skin-suit to keep us apart.

Trembling, I skated my lips over his heated skin, stopping at the shallow dip between his defined pectorals to take in his heady scent—so distinctively Kieran. I couldn’t get enough. I barely restrained myself from rubbing the side of my face over the entirety of his perfectly formed chest.

I planted my forehead against his breastbone and fought for control. Presumably not many sidhe women could be mistaken for a cat in heat.

Between ardent breaths and a frustrated groan, I blurted, “I’m sorry. It’s been such a long time for me and I—” I shook my head against him, struggling to find the right words if they’d only get out of the way of each other. I finally just resigned myself to letting my fears pour out in a ridiculous sputter. “The thing is … I, um … I don’t have much experience, okay? I’ve not had many lovers … and I … I want to be good for you.” I tightened my arms around him, tense all over again, and had to remind myself to settle down. “If there’s something you want me to do that I’m not doing, you’ll … just have to tell me. Show me.”

Maybe if I concentrated hard enough, the floor would swallow me.

He stroked the back of my head. “My bìdteine,” he said softly. “Look at me.”

What had he called me? It sounded like an endearment. I hoped it wasn’t something embarrassing, like ‘silly ingénue’ or ‘little dork.’

I pulled away from the warmth and safety of his chest to gaze up at him.

His expression held only tenderness and the fervor of desire. He cupped my chin and swept the pad of his thumb over my lower lip. “The number of our past lovers or the extent of our experience is irrelevant. You are as new to me as I am to you. We’ll teach each other. The joy is in the learning.”

He pierced me with a meaningful look. “And I hope to be learning what pleases you for a very long time.” He stressed the word ‘very’ and I shivered.

“Do you trust me?” he asked.

I bit my lip and nodded. He wouldn’t hurt me, not deliberately. That I knew.

He trailed his index finger down the side of my neck. “Then trust me when I say there is nothing you might do, or not do, that will disappoint me. Just taking me into your arms and kissing me is a gift, one I do not take lightly.”

Was this for real? I considered pinching myself.

Instead, I mustered a tentative smile and said, “Okay … good.” I tried to avoid ducking my shoulders and added, “I’m glad.”

Jeez. Not again.
I’d lost count of the number of times he’d said something that left me looking and sounding like a complete goof.

He grasped my chin and stared hard into my eyes, clearly searching for something, but I wasn’t sure what. His free arm clamped around me, pressing me even closer to his body. He issued a breathy curse before he marveled, “You have no idea. Do you?”

Instead of explaining or even waiting for an answer, his mouth crashed against mine, sealing off any response I might have made. He kissed me, all fire and passion, his mouth and dexterous tongue working me as though my lips offered his last chance at salvation after a lifetime of sin. His fervor burned through me, and when his expert fingers found some of my more tender places, the hungry moan that tore from me was only partially muffled by his mouth.

Right then, I couldn’t have cared less about my lack of experience, never mind frivolous things like murderous telepaths, outcast decrees, or a soon-to-be-arriving henchman. There was only Kieran. This kiss—
this moment
. Nothing mattered but his lips on mine, his touch, and the divine heat that roared through my body. Incited by our shared desire, we consumed each other, each caress, kiss, and tongue flick mutually choreographed and thoroughly relished.

“
Kieran,” I gasped out, “please … I want you.”

He didn’t need to be told twice. He gently pushed me against the bed and followed me on all fours until he hovered over me, his forearms braced on either side of my shoulders. As he positioned his hips between my thighs, there was no way he could have missed how ready he’d made me. His long hair slipped over his shoulders to caress my chest as he dipped his head to trace his tongue over my breasts. When he pulled my nipple into the warmth of his mouth, the immediate jolt of pleasure resonated through my body, stealing my breath. It was almost more than I could handle.

“Please, baby,” I begged, digging my fingers into the taut muscles of his back.

He made a primal, deeply arousing sound in his throat and then expertly thrust into me.

We both gasped. I kissed his neck, his throat, and stroked my hands over every inch of skin I could reach. I relished the feel of his muscles rippling under my palms as our bodies moved, each stroke building into a magnificent rhythm.

“Love, look at me,” he said, voice low and suffused with need. He slowed his movements to press deep and cupped his left hand against the side of my face.

Swimming up through the deluge of rousing sensations, I blinked and my focus immediately locked on the intensity of his gaze. I had to remember to breathe. He looked down at me as though I was the only thing that mattered, like I was someone he cherished above all else. Emotions, complex and baffling, bubbled through me to wedge in my throat.

“I want to see your eyes,” he rasped.

I caressed his cheek and wrapped my legs around his working hips, holding him close, loving how he filled me, wishing we could stay this way forever.

“Kieran.” His name slid past my lips, soft as a caress. “God, baby. I’ll never get enough of you. You’re so incredibly
beautiful
.” I placed a hand over his heart. “Right here. Where it matters most.”

Surprise, followed by something dark and fleeting, crossed his expression, but before I could decipher it, he gave a subtle shake of his head. “You shine so brightly, Lire. What you see is merely a reflection of yourself.” He leaned closer and said hoarsely against my lips, “Your light hides even the worst of my shadows,” and then he smothered all my rational thought with a fiery kiss.

He redoubled his delicious assault on my body. For countless minutes, I lost myself in the exquisite glide of skin against skin, until the aching need inside of me coiled near to the point of pain.

Kieran groaned, his face a mask of shattered control. “Bìdteine, I am lost. Come with me. Come for me,” he uttered and skillfully shifted his body. The decisive move catapulted me over the edge, just as he succumbed to his own ardent release.

His cry mingled with mine before he collapsed on top of me, our bodies unified in delicious aftershocks.

As I floated in my post-mind-blowing-sex-befuddled haze, I absently thought that it was no wonder Vince had chosen Maeve. If she’d given him even half the pleasure I’d just experienced with Kieran, I didn’t blame him one little bit. Okay, maybe that was a slight exaggeration, but
holy cow
, Kieran had just ruined me for sex with anyone else. I’d never been addicted to anything, but he was now my official drug of choice. One hit. Ruined for life. I pictured myself trailing after him, clothing a shambles, hair a mess, begging him,
Please, just one more time, I swear I can pay you next week.

Kieran stroked the side of my face and smoothed my hair behind my right ear.

Such a tender, sweet gesture.

His beauty was so clear to me. It wasn’t
merely a reflection
. Did he honestly think so little of himself?

Your light hides even the worst of my shadows.

He’d almost sounded … tortured, which bothered me.

I didn’t think inner beauty could be easily faked, especially given the stressful situations we’d faced. On the other hand, there was no denying he’d held some downright contemptuous beliefs about humans. And he’d lived a long time.

But much as I tried, I just couldn’t imagine him doing anything truly evil. Once we’d gotten past the whole judgmental asshole-sidhe thing, he’d treated me with nothing but kindness and respect. And, even before that, I’d pretty much decided he was the staid, responsible type, borderline straight-laced. Which probably explained why seeing (and hearing) cool, composed Kieran shatter a moment ago had been such a complete turn-on. In fact, just thinking of it had my insides tingling in a spectacular manner.
Oh, heck yeah.
No doubt about it. That particular memory was going to be on my replay list for a long, long time.

It finally occurred to me that we hadn’t said a word since … finishing. While I’d been lost in thought, absently biting my lower lip and gliding my palms over his hips and back, he’d been braced on his elbows watching me.

When I met his gaze, his eyes crinkled at their outer corners as he smiled. “Welcome back.”

My cheeks heated, and I fought the urge to look away. I smiled. “Hey.”

His amused smirk broadened into a wide grin. I think he was trying not to laugh, which only made my face grow hotter until I was sure my blush extended all the way to my toes.

He leaned in to rub his nose along the side of mine and then pulled away. He’d done this once before. It was playful and immensely charming, and I liked it a whole heck of a lot. Playful Kieran. Who knew?

“You all right?” he asked.

“Mmm-hmm.” I clamped down on the satisfied grin that wanted to take over my entire face. “More than all right. That was …” I closed my eyes and finished on a throaty exhale, “Amazing.”

He chuckled and nipped at my right earlobe. “Good.”

 I peeked at him from under my lashes. “What about you? Did I …” I glanced away, finding intense interest in his muscular shoulder. “Was it … okay for you … at least?”

He grunted and shook his head. “Bìdteine, when it comes to you, ‘okay’ and ‘at least’ aren’t part of my vocabulary. They aren’t even in the same universe. At the risk of great personal embarrassment, shall I list some others that would be more relevant?”

I laughed at hearing my own words repeated back to me. The fact that he remembered them gave my insides a warm stir. “Great personal embarrassment, huh? Somehow, I just can’t imagine you embarrassed.”

“No?”

“No. But now that you’ve brought it up, it’s definitely made it to my list of ‘Things To See Before I Die.’” I traced my fingertips over his flexed biceps, up to his shoulders. “Kieran embarrassed,” I murmured. “That would be a lovely sight, I think.”

He snorted and looked down his nose at me, amused.

“What do you keep calling me?” I asked. When his brows furrowed, I said, “Bìdteine. What does it mean?”

The left corner of his mouth curved upward. He clutched a handful of my hair, brought it to his face, and inhaled. “Little fire,” he replied and examined me. “If you like.”

I smiled at seeing such a dear expression on his face and committed the moment to memory. Another one to dredge up for later enjoyment. “Yes. I like.”

He leaned in, brushing his lips over mine before flicking the tip of his tongue into my mouth. “My bìdteine, I wish very much to explore you.”

As I writhed under the dexterous pressure of his clever fingers, I felt him stir inside of me and realized we were still joined. I wondered whether this was normal for him but was too bashful to ask. Instead, I gasped at his finger play. “Oh … Kier … that’s … God, yes.”