Awakening Kiss (Watcher's Kiss Book 4) (12 page)

“You never know, maybe you can.”

“Hmm. I’ve never even thought of purposely affecting electricity.” She let out a slow breath as a mix of new and old buildings flashed by. In minutes, they were outside her apartment. She unclicked her seat belt and faced him as another question loomed. “That night, if you hadn’t grabbed me, would I have ended up in The Arboretum alone?”

“Yeah. Or maybe one of the elves would have followed you in, if Brenin and I hadn’t stopped them first.” He scowled and threw the car into park. “It would be better to end up there alone than with one of those assholes.”

“I’m glad it was you,” she whispered, tracing tentative fingers up his forearm. “Even though I was scared.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you might be a full Deserati at first. Most are on our side, but a few are rogue, so I couldn’t risk you slicing me open.”

“Eew.” She scrunched her nose at the potential dangerous reality of his work, something she hadn’t considered.
This isn’t all about you.
“My god. Is that what you have to deal with on a regular basis?”

“Yeah.” He shrugged. “It’s all good. Part of the job. Plus,” he leaned closer, “I met you in the process.”

Despite her insane circumstances, Enza felt a smile pull at her lips. He was glad he met her. This tall ripped guy with the body of a fighter and the face of a model wanted to spend time with her. His eyes were molten in the dark of the car, lit by a street light down the road.

She raised her hand to his jaw, tracing the stubbled edge. He tilted his head toward her and she swore he gritted his teeth. “This is so much to take in,” she said softly. “Everything you’ve told me.”

He grabbed her hand and set it on his broad shoulder. “You’re doing great so far.” His voice was rumbly and rough.

Her extraordinary sense of smell picked up on everything male about him: his cologne, his soap, the clean scent of sweat…and a hint of gelato. Something entrenched in her psyche sprang to life, recognizing in him an element unfamiliar yet totally necessary. Her attraction to him was spiraling out of control and right now, in this car, it was just the two of them.

No flirting, ogling women, either human or nymph. No scary alleys. No death-defying portals. Just Rhys, looking at her like she was the only girl in the world. God. Desire bloomed low in her belly as the dashboard lights flickered. Without stopping to think about it, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his.

In a heartbeat, his hand threaded into her hair and fisted her locks as he devoured her mouth. She gasped at his intensity, arching her back to get closer. His other hand went to her lower back and held her as close as possible over the damn center console.

She clutched his shoulders and let him kiss her senseless. It was like they hadn’t kissed at all in the park earlier tonight. No, this kiss was hungry and primal and her body ramped into overdrive. A whimper escaped her lips as his tongue delved deeper, swirling against hers with a dizzying pressure.

She opened wide, sliding her hand up to his scalp and scraping with her fingernails. He made a noise that sounded a lot like a growl—
growl?
—and in a split second she was whisked right over the console and onto his lap.

She gasped again as she straddled him and felt the enormous erection straining his jeans. Oh my god, he wanted her.
Bad.

With a flick of some lever, his seat tilted back and she pressed her hips down, needing contact and friction. He made that same deep, sexy noise in response, hands cupping her ass.

Focusing on the corded muscles of his neck, she bent her head to kiss him there. Loving the salty taste of his skin, loving the roughness of stubble under her tongue. She dotted kisses up to his ear, where she licked his earlobe into her mouth and held it gently between her teeth. She’d never done that to a guy before, but with Rhys, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

One hand smacked her bottom and he flexed up into her. She moaned as a fresh burst of desire hit her hard, and then his hands were skimming up her stomach under her T-shirt. His fingers on her skin ignited a powerful wave of lust.

“Rhys, please,” she whispered, caught in a whirlwind of desire that was quickly drowning out her rational thoughts.

“Please, what?” His hands stopped short of her breasts, teasing sensual lines along her ribs.

“Please touch me.” She grabbed one hand and guided it up.

Rhys’s mind melted at Enza’s sweet, shy, urgent request. Having her soft body wriggling on top of his made him insane with need, and knowing she felt the same way, he was having a hard time not stripping her naked right then and there.

But it was too soon. He’d revealed a shit ton of information tonight, and he thanked the gods she handled it as well as she did.

No, he’d wait for her cues. And right now, she was breathless and begging him to play with her tits. So he gave in to his base nature and cupped the soft mounds over her silky bra.

She moaned and raised her head from his neck, breathing hard. Her beautiful gaze shone with so much urgency he nearly roared with satisfaction—then she sucked in a breath.

“Your eyes!” she gasped. “Wh-what are they doing?”

“They glow in times of intense emotion.” He jacked his hips against hers. “Like lust.”

“Oh my gosh.” Her words were breathy, delighted, and curious. “Are mine doing that?”

“Nah, it’s a Lash demon trait.” He played with her firm curves, stroking lightly over the silk barrier in his way.

“Oh. Well, if mine could, they would be. God, Rhys.” Raw feminine need radiated from her, and the scent of her arousal filled the car. He popped the front clasp of her bra.

She sighed in pleasure as he caressed her lush breasts, sliding over pebbled nipples and to the sides and all around. He memorized their fullness, squeezed their weight and found the tips again, tugging them between his thumb and first finger. She ground her heat against him, face flushed, eyes closed. Lost to lust.

Her hair cascaded around his face, releasing more of her sugary scent. Dark silken strands tickled his jaw, and he was slammed with a visual of her hair, tousled and spread on his pillow. Her hair, brushing against his thighs as she sucked his cock. Fuck. A rumble stirred in his chest as he fought to rein in the need that had exploded like a nuclear bomb.

He licked her neck. She shivered and angled her head to grant him full access. He kissed and tasted his way up, pulling her delicate skin between his teeth but careful not to leave marks. He reached her ear and bit gently on her lobe. At the same time he gave her nipples a gentle pinch, seeing if she liked it.

“Rhys.” Her voice was a call, a plea, a sound so full of passion that he knew—yeah, she liked that. She rocked against him in an urgent rhythm.

He moved back down to her neck, swirling and teasing her dewy skin. His cock strained against his zipper. Each movement from her was delicious agony. Fuck, he needed to bury himself in her tight body.

A new, fervent mewl broke free from her lips. Her eyes slid closed. “Oh. God.” Her brows knit.

“I got you. Let it go.” He cupped one breast, skimmed a hand down to her ass, and thrust up, hard.

“Rhys!” she whisper-shrieked, as her body shook. She rolled her hips, grinding, gasping, riding out the waves of her orgasm with her head thrown back.

Rhys held her, loving the way she came apart, vowing to keep gaining her trust so that once she knew everything about him, she would still be as unguarded as she was now.

Panting, she laid her head on his chest and curled one knee up. He tucked his arms around her, absorbing her warmth and taking satisfaction—though it was also part torture—at the scent of sex filling his car.

She raised her head, a sheepish look on her face. “I, uh, didn’t mean to…”

He stopped her with a kiss. “Hey. None of that. You’re fucking sexy when you come.”

She ducked her head. “Oh my god, things just…”

“Shh.” He smoothed a dark curl away from her face. “It’s natural and you…” he kissed her again. “Are beautiful.”

“Do you want to come inside?” Her voice was husky with a mix of satisfaction and promise.

“No.” Damn it to fucking hell. He could imagine how hot and tight she would be.

“But you didn’t…” she bit her lip and started to drag her hand down his abdomen.

He stopped her before she got to his aching shaft. “I’m good,” he lied.

She frowned. “Don’t you want to?”

He groaned. God, her words and sexy body were making this difficult. “Hell, yes. But not now. It’s too soon.”

She stroked his jaw with a slender finger. “I guess I got carried away. I’m not usually aggressive with guys.”

“Pretty sure that will never be a problem for me. And it’s probably your demon side. Maybe it’s responding to me.” He patted her ass.

“Does that happen?” She righted her bra and pulled her T-shirt back down. “If I’m around other non humans?”

“Not necessarily, but it’s possible.” He paused, devouring the way she adjusted her clothing and shook out her hair. Her demon side could respond to him, but likely only in two situations.

If he’d threatened her life…or if she was destined to become his mate.

Holy shit. It was way too soon to put her name and that word in the same sentence. What was wrong with him? He cleared his throat. “Time to get inside.”

He opened his door, keeping one hand around her waist so she wouldn’t tumble off his lap. She scooted off, grazing his engorged cock and he stifled a groan. He grabbed her hand and walked her up to the front door, under that same brightly glaring bulb.

She skated her hands up his chest to link them behind his neck. “Thanks for tonight.”

“It was my pleasure.” He dipped his head to breathe in the scent of her hair one more time.

“So…let me know, when’s a good time to meet your friend?”

“Yeah. Tomorrow?”

“I work in the morning. And then I have dinner with my family at night. But I’m off Monday.”

He nodded. “Monday, then. It would be best to meet up at my place. Miranda can join us there. We have a lot of room.”

“Okay. Text me the address.” She leaned forward, leaving a fraction of space between their mouths. So damn tempting.

“I’ll pick you up.” He skimmed his hands up her sides.

“You don’t have to. It’s just a short bus ride—”

“I’ll pick you up.” He silenced any further protest with a swift kiss.

She melted into him and let him bend her backward like he’d done in the park. She ignited a need in him that intensified with every kiss and soft touch. What the hell?

With effort, he tore himself away and pulled her upright, before they ended up inside after all. “Goodnight, Enza.”

“Night.” She ducked in and he stood there, listening as her light footsteps ascended the stairs.

She was so open, so beautiful and sexy. And she still had more to learn. He vowed to guide her through the process as best he could, and make sure that when everything was on the table, she’d feel the same urgency toward him that he felt for her.

C
HAPTER
13

T
HE NEXT DAY,
E
NZA OPENED THE
door of her childhood home and was enveloped with the familiar smells of growing up within these walls. Food, of course, but also her mom’s perfume, the fresh scent of laundry, and the pine cleanser she used on the wood floor.

“
Ciao, nonno.
” She spotted her grandfather leaving the kitchen with a glass of red wine and gave him a hug, careful of his drink and the box of homemade cannoli she carried.

“
Ciao, Enza. I’ve been shooed out of the kitchen.
” Looking none-too-bothered by that, he shuffled to the couch.

Enza watched the one man who’d been a constant in her life, a man who loved her selflessly. “I’m going to shoo
nonna
out too. Do you need anything?”

“No. Not when I’m with the three loveliest ladies in the city.” He winked.

“Well, you’re in luck, then. I’ll help Mom with the food.” She headed to the kitchen, drawn by the aromas of tomato, onion, and garlic. She passed curio cabinets filled with figurines of children and animals, and a bookcase still holding her framed school photos from years ago. On the wall hung a large painting of Italy’s Lake Como, serene azure water dotted with boats. The surrounding homes boasted stone balustrades and porches with brightly colored flowering plants. Enza had never been there, but it was on her bucket list.

The kitchen smelled amazing, as it always did when her mom or
nonna
cooked. Enza walked in to find her grandma rinsing spinach leaves. “
Nonna
, you go sit. I’ll do this.” She hugged her grandma, absorbing the powdery floral fragrance of her perfume. Enza swore her grandma had worn the same scent forever.

“Pfft, I like to keep busy.”
Nonna’s
eyes twinkled, bright and sharp as ever.

Enza washed her hands. “Yes, but I want to help.”

“All right, then. Don’t let the spinach get too wilted, and you should be fine with the onion. I brought a yellow one so you won’t cry.”