Page 30 of The Never List
My eyes flash toward the massive bed. “Will you be staying with me?” I finally ask.
He grins softly as he walks toward me, his long stride eating up the space between us in a single breath. I don’t back away, don’t retreat. I feel no need to; no instincts flare within me. For whatever reason, call it fate or bad luck, I’m in this for the long haul. May as well start now.
“Not tonight,” he says, and my chest deflates with…disappointment? Except his stunning blue eyes dance as he reaches for me. “May I?” he asks, his fingertips brushing the delicate fabric of my mask.
I nod because I can’t speak. My heart is in my throat, his scent of the sun and lemon verbena swirling around me. I can feel the heat from his body, can see the muscles straining beneath his suit. More than that, he’s been so kind, so aware of my needs the entire evening. I want him. There is no denying it.
A breath shudders from my lips as he slides off the mask and cool air brushes my oversensitive skin. Or maybe it’s from the graze of his skin against mine. Just the brief, innocent touch feels intimate.
He gently lays the mask on the table near us, his eyes never leaving mine.
“Stunning,” he says, smoothing his hands over my cheeks, cupping my face. “Absolutely stunning.”
I’m trembling now; his touch is like a flame against my skin. I’m aching in all the right places, need making me breathless as he slides a hand into my hair, gently tipping my head back.
He draws us together until our bodies are flush. His body is hard against mine, nothing but muscle and powerradiating against me. He holds me there, watching my reaction, as if he has all the time in the world to do so.
“Rylee.” He breathes my name, and I nearly whimper. Forget the Choosing, forget that he’s royalty and I’m ash. My need tugs and yanks and begs. “May I?” he asks again, his eyes flicking to my lips.
He’s asking permission despite already having it. Where is the ruthless Legend I’ve heard of? Where is the royal prince who works people to the bone in his precious Ruby Aire? Maybe the rumors aren’t true. Maybe the people have it wrong.
Maybe I no longer give a shit.
“Yes,” I whisper, and then his lips are on mine.
I gasp at the way his mouth presses against mine, all warmth and sunshine and sparks. Goddess, he kisses like a dream, parting my lips and sliding his tongue between them, rubbing against mine in expert flicks that make my hand close around his suit jacket, desperate to draw him closer.
The doors are wide open behind us; anyone could walk by and see what we’re doing, but not an ounce of shame creeps inside me. In fact, a thrill of delight shivers through me at the idea of being caught like this. If I had to bet, I’d say Kal likes the idea, too.
He snakes his arms around my back, lifting me off my feet with an effortless grace that doesn’t break our kiss. In the dress, I can’t wrap my legs around his waist like I desperately want to, but he doesn’t seem to care. He keeps kissing me, keeps claiming my mouth in deep strokes that have me trembling against him, have me whimpering with each teasing caress. I slide my arms up and wrap them around him, tangling my fingers in the hair at the base of his neck,giving back all he’s taking as I lose myself in this moment.
Kal breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on mine, holding me against him. He smiles, his eyes hooded and churning with desire. His immense power swirls around me, and without the others in the room, I can finally feel the depths of it. The Dreamer is a god—only half of one, yet his power makes mine feel like a drop in a vast ocean.
Slowly, Kal lets me slide down his body until my feet touch the floor again, eliciting warm chills everywhere we connect. Almost reluctantly, he releases me, stepping away enough that I feel cold where I’d just been burning.
“Tomorrow,” he says, still backing away, grinning in a way I haven’t seen yet tonight. It’s hopeful, just like his eyes, and it makes my heart clench. “I’ll take you home.” He reaches the open doors, licking his lips like he can still taste my kiss there. “Sleep well, Rylee Gray.”
And then he’s gone, disappearing in a blur of movement so fast, my eyes can’t follow.
It takes me five whole minutes to catch my breath and shut the doors.
In a daze from the kiss and exhaustion and the events of the night, I shed my dress, drape it on one of the chairs, and grab the first thing I see in the wardrobe. I sigh in relief at the feel of the loose cotton tunic and fall into the oversize bed.
My skin is ultrasensitive, every nerve pricked to awareness, begging and searching for more of a touch that isn’t there. I blow out a breath, sinking deeper into the luxurious mattress, hiking the fluffy blankets over my bare legs. Tomorrow, the game will resume, and I hope I’m smart enough to survive it.
11
Rylee
“How are you still in bed?” A sharp, feminine voice jolts me awake, accompanied by the jostle of curtains being drawn from the windows. Light spills into the room, and I shield my eyes, my brow pinching. It takes me a few seconds to remember where I am.
The Choosing.
The kings and the Legends.
Kal’s kiss.
Fuck. My lips tingle with the memory, but the pleasure is quickly washed away by exhaustion. I slept a couple of hours at most.
