Darkest Flame (17 page)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Denae wanted to push him away. She wanted to turn her head. But she couldn’t. Because she was getting what she had wanted since the first moment she’d laid eyes on Kellan—and let him into her head.

Her body melted against his, her lips eagerly parting for his kiss. His hard body trapped her against the wall while he deepened the kiss.

It was fevered, frenzied. He stole her breath the same time his kisses aroused and enthralled. Denae dug her fingers into his shoulders to remain upright.

Her world was spinning out of control, and at the center was Kellan—steady and solid.

Never had a kiss been such sweet seduction, such tantalizing persuasion … such enticing inducement. All that potent virility about Kellan was unleashed fully upon her. She was no match for his commanding potency, his masterful touch.

Her chest heaved when he lifted his head and his celadon gaze speared hers. No longer were his pale green eyes cold and devoid of emotion. They burned with desire, scorched her with the intensity of the need he let her see.

Chills raced over her skin, but it didn’t frighten her. It only made her passion rise higher.

He confused and confounded her. He made her long for his touch, crave his kisses. He made her ache for something she didn’t dare voice, something she thought could never be hers.

Denae couldn’t keep her hands off him. She traced the hard line of his jaw and his square chin. And, finally, she gave into the need and slid her fingers into the cool strands of his long, caramel-colored hair.

There were no words between them.

There was no need.

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.

It wasn’t until that moment that she knew she had been searching for just such a look in men’s eyes before. Always she had come away feeling a little let down. But not now, not when she had Kellan.

Her breath caught in her chest when his fingers slid between her pants and her skin. With their gazes locked and the flames of desire growing with each heartbeat, he gradually pulled her yoga pants over her hips and down her legs until they pooled at her feet. He grasped one leg at a time and lifted her out of the pants, which joined their shirts on the chair.

When he straightened, she rose up on her toes and kissed him. His arms were like bands of steel as they came around her, locking her against him.

His arousal was pressed against her stomach, causing desire to pool between her legs. An urgency filled her, a hunger to have him inside her that instant.

But Kellan held her back.

She tore her mouth from his and gasped for air as she leaned back against the wall. When she opened her eyes, he had somehow taken off his boots without her knowing it.

Denae’s hands shook when she grasped the waist of his jeans again. This time, he didn’t stop her when she unbuttoned them. She pushed the opening wider and caught a glimpse of his rod. Somehow she wasn’t surprised he didn’t wear anything beneath his jeans. She found it sexy, a turn-on that had her pushing his jeans down.

Soon he was completely nude and she stood in her underwear and cami. He reached up and pulled out the band holding her braid. Using as much care as he had in undressing her, he loosened her hair until it hung about her shoulders.

With her heart pounding in her chest, his hand slid around her neck and dragged her to him for another fiery kiss.

No longer was he patient and calm in undressing her. Her cami was quickly removed, their kiss interrupted only when the shirt was pulled over her head.

The longer they kissed, the fiercer their passion became. He bent his legs and tightened his arms around her as he lifted her and walked them to the bed.

She expected to be tossed down. She should’ve known better. He gently lowered her onto the bed, never breaking their kiss.

Kellan couldn’t remember ever being so consumed by a woman. He couldn’t get enough of Denae’s delightful lips, her sweet taste, and most assuredly her passionate responses.

She was all fire and softness in his arms. Her feminine curves pleasing, as was the toned muscle he could feel beneath her silky skin.

He rocked his hips against her, and moaned at the exquisite feel. His body demanded instant release, but he wanted to take his time with Denae and savor her. He wasn’t sure why, nor did he want to look deeper into himself and find out.

Her short nails dug into his back as she opened her legs so he was cushioned against her core. Kellan could feel her heat and wetness through the thin panties.

Need, craving … hunger slammed into him. It rode him hard, urging him to rip off her panties and fill her again and again until she screamed in fulfillment.

He fisted a hand in the blanket and fought to rein in the insistent need. But it had been so very long since he’d felt a woman’s sheath around him, felt her slick heat.

Kellan ended the kiss and rose up on his hands, his arms straightening until he loomed over her. She blinked up at him with half-closed eyes and kiss-swollen lips.

He looked down her body to see firm breasts, a perfect handful, and dark pink–tipped nipples. They were too much to resist.

Bending his arms, he flicked a tongue over one hard peak and heard Denae moan. He settled between her legs and latched onto one nipple with his lips while he teased the other with his fingers.

Her hips rubbed against him in time with his suckling, causing a sheen of sweat to break out over his skin as she fought giving in to his desires.

He moved from one breast to the other, teasing, fondling, and licking each nipple until small cries fell from Denae’s lips.

Kellan kissed the valley between her breasts and moved down her stomach to her hips. He looked up and caught her gaze as he grasped her panties in each hand.

He knelt on the floor and slowly pulled the thin cotton over her flared hips until a thatch of dark curls could be seen. His brow rose as he noticed the curls had not only been trimmed but shaped into a narrow strip.

Such a thing hadn’t existed the last time he had taken a female, and he found the sight … exciting and titillating. As he pulled her panties down her thighs he smelled her arousal and it caused his already aching cock to jump in expectation.

Kellan removed her panties and ran his hands back up her shapely legs, pushing them farther apart as he did. Then he gently tugged her to the edge of the bed so that her sex, which glistened with desire, was near his mouth.

He leaned close and licked her, causing a low moan to fill the room. That one taste wouldn’t be nearly enough. He knew the taste of her kisses. He wanted to know the taste of her essence now.

Running his thumbs in a light caress at the juncture of her thighs, he found her clitoris and began to slowly roll his tongue around it.

Denae’s hips bucked against him, her soft cries turning to shouts of pleasure as he licked and laved at her swollen clit. When she was writhing on the bed, her head thrashing from side to side, he slid a finger inside her.

She came apart with a scream.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Denae was sailing, floating, soaring on a cloud of incomparable bliss.

Radiant, luminous rapture took her.

Brilliant, gleaming euphoria seized her.

White-hot, incandescent ecstasy entranced her.

With her body still in the throes of her climax, she felt Kellan rise over her. She reached for him, needing to feel his weight atop her.

As soon as her hands met his skin, she opened her eyes. His face was breaths from hers, stark with raw, visceral need. She urged him to her and gasped when his cock grazed her swollen, sensitive flesh.

His jaw clenched when the thick head of his arousal found her entrance. Denae’s back arched as he slowly slid inside her, filling her, stretching her. She bit her lip when he pulled out, only to plunge inside her once more—harder, deeper.

She was soon rocking against him, their bodies moving together in a dance as old as time. Sweat glistened over their skin as the rhythm increased.

Denae never let go of him. She was descending into a chasm of desire she knew would change her forever. In the middle of the storm was Kellan.

He was all that held her steady, all that kept her anchored.

And she never wanted to relinquish her hold, as unsure and unsteady as it was.

The familiar ache settled low in her stomach, tightening, constricting as the passion built with each thrust of his hips, each plunge of his shaft.

Her legs wrapped around him. One of his hands slid beneath her buttocks and angled her hips higher. As soon as he did, he drove inside her, filling her deeper than before.

Denae cried out from the exquisite feel of him within her, as if she was finally complete, finally whole. Their gazes clashed, held as his hips pumped savagely, relentlessly.

And then he kissed her.

She wound her arms around his neck while his unyielding body filled her again and again, each stroke taking her closer and closer to another climax.

As if knowing she was close, Kellan ended the kiss and looked at her. Denae was unable to look away, even as her body stiffened and the orgasm began.

She shouted his name, her nails digging into his flesh as she was taken higher, swept further than before.

Kellan was enthralled as he watched the pleasure fill her eyes and face, felt her body clamping around his cock. There was no holding back his own climax, not after seeing—and feeling—her peak twice.