Kiss Me (Promise Me Book 3)

by Brea Viragh

  “Faster,” I urged.

  I needed the speed, the reckless pounding until I couldn’t remember my own name, couldn’t remember his. My legs opened wider to accommodate the startling girth. Larger than I expected for a man of his stature, although his height should have tipped me off as to the surprise below.

  I wanted to form words and found I’d lost the ability. Somewhere along the line Kai took hold of me, our tongues and breath mingling until I forgot where he ended and I began. The words I wanted to say, the pleas for more, were lost until I focused solely on the feel of him. He was hard. Powerful.

  “Come,” I begged hoarsely. “I want to watch you.”

  “You get off on that?”

  “Just. Let. Me. Watch.” Each syllable punctuated with a slap of slick, sweaty skin.

  His jaw tightened in answer and I knew he was close. He was holding back, waiting for more, wanting everything.

  We rode together in a race toward the finish. The sweet sensation of release loomed ahead and my nerves screamed at the pressure. My head dropped to his shoulder, yards of hair obscuring my vision when the wave crested and catapulted me into oblivion. Kai tensed and followed close behind. The tips of his fingers bit into my hips as he drew me closer still and he held me in place, cock twitching.

  I realized the ramifications of his orgasm in the dim recesses of my mind—and our total lack of protection. God, lust makes people stupid.

  “I’m sorry.” His voice was muffled against my neck, the impressive rugged vibrato strained. “I should have stopped.”

  “I’m on birth control.” I’d remembered my pills this week, right? Frazzled, I ran my tongue up his throat to his chin. The rest of me refused to move and it was all I could do to remain upright.

  Kai chuckled. “I have no doubt. I’ve been tested. No issues.”

  “Good.” I nuzzled against him. “I must admit, I have no plans to release you tonight. There are many other ways I can show you my…appreciation.”

  If I was going to spend my night with someone, he damn well better be hot. Sweaty. And ready for more. The way I liked them. I’d been missing sex—missing the men that came with the act. I hadn’t been starved for affection, but I’d been in a place where the slightest hint of a smile flicked in my direction sent me tumbling. I had been lonely, which was confusing because everything else in my life was satisfying. Luckily, Kai turned out to be as delicious as advertised. I liked how he made me feel on a primal level. The way he responded to my body. I loved the way I made him hard.

  “Appreciation for what?”

  “Agreeing to come home with a stranger from the bar.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” He laughed, the sound pleasant. The kind of laugh that echoes across a room and grabs attention. “You caught my interest the second I walked through the door. It would have been against my moral code to say no to you. For anything you want.”

  “Mmmm. I’m glad.”

  “Although how about you let me do the pounding next time?”

  “If you think you have the stamina to go again,” I teased.

  My muscles were loose and limp. Wonderfully sore in all the right ways. I shifted to stretch, still feeling him against me.

  “Sweetheart, I’ll show you how a real man does it.” Kai’s biceps bunched when he wrapped an arm around my waist and reversed our positions yet again. “Why don’t you let me try, and see which one of us comes out on top at the end?”

  Our eyes locked and a grin played around my lips. “You got a deal.”

  This time he pressed me down into the couch cushions. The glint of his earring and soft spikes of his bangs obscured everything else.

  Reality blurred, but he was crystal clear.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Morning came the next day with a dazzling flash of color and a cool wind seeping through the seams of the apartment. I snuggled deeper into bed, unwilling to rise and greet the day. Though some preferred the night, I was a habitual early riser despite staying up late. No matter what time I dragged myself into bed, when six a.m. came, I was up.

  Today I wanted to ignore the sun and the clock.

  The body next to mine was a surprise. My heart slammed against my ribs at the realization and I sat up, clutching the pillow. Somewhere along the line, in the midst of our marathon sex session, I’d invited Kai to stay. Which was definitely not the norm for me.

  More shocking? He was still here.

  And the man put off enough heat to rival a furnace. I’d have to wake him soon and send him packing.

  The rhythmic rise and fall of his chest assured me he remained asleep. Unwilling to disturb his slumber, I pushed the covers aside and immediately regretted the decision to rise. The inside of the apartment was chilly despite the heat set to sixty-nine degrees. A way to save on the electric bill, yeah, but not so good with laminate floors.

  My toes touched the ground and I withdrew to the sanctuary of the bed, hissing. If I could avoid the awkwardness of a first morning, considering he was virtually a stranger to me, then I would. A stranger with carnal knowledge of my inner workings.

  Oh boy.

  The growling of my stomach urged me forward and, braving the cold, I threw back the sheets once more and padded across the room to the dresser. I was still naked, muscles shivering from the change in temperature. Grabbing the nearest shirt, I hurried down the short hallway into the kitchen.

  The results of the previous evening’s botched dinner waited for me in the sink. There was a bevy of pans with burned remains clinging tightly to the bottom. I liked to fancy myself a woman with a taste for adventure. I’d not yet given up on my love for cooking despite the fact that my food had the potential to kill the entire town.

  No matter what I tried I never failed to miss a step along the way. Resulting in a trash can filled with failure and all the local restaurants in the area knowing me by name. At least I managed to make a good glass of orange juice—from a carton.

  I poured a glass now and added a granola bar for breakfast. I’d just peeled open the wrapper when I caught the soft thud of bare feet.

  “You’re supposed to be asleep,” I said, turning away from the window to face Kai. And stifling a groan.

  How was it possible for daylight to make Kai sexier? Like a kind of instant rejuvenation? Didn’t most one-night stands look worse the next morning? Tousled hair and heavy-lidded eyes caught my attention a split second before my gaze fell south. He’d left the clothes off, and the result was an impressive morning wood waving hello.

  Kai rubbed his eyes, and the muscles in his arms tightened with the movement. His cock bobbed. “You didn’t have to make breakfast. You’re sweet.” He grabbed the granola bar from my hand.

  I watched him chew and kept my voice light. “It wasn’t for you, Mister College Smartypants.”

  “You missed one important thing,” Kai said around the food. “I’m not wearing any pants.”

  Yeah, I can see that. “I appreciate your candidness, considering the hour. And the lack of rest.” I staved off a yawn. “You definitely made good on the stamina promise.”

  “I aim to please.”

  “Is it a pattern with you or did I get lucky?”

  Kai leaned against the counter with his proudly swaying erection. “I’d like to think we both got lucky last night.”

  I cocked my hip in a conscious echo of his posture. “I’m asking if six times in a single evening is a fluke, Kai. Pay attention.”

  “I haven’t had a woman as sexy as you in my bed in a long time,” he responded playfully. “I was making up for the lack. It helps to have such an eager partner.”

  “Then I’ll consider myself a winner. I was going to ask you to leave. You’re about to overstay your welcome.” I reached out to trail my nails along his arm, his skin supple and overheated.

  “And without breakfast, too.” Kai shook his head and dropped the rest of the uneaten bar on the Formica counter. “What a world we live in.”

  It almost felt l
ike a date. I hated the word, but there was no other term to describe the sensation. Mind you, I hadn’t been on a real, honest to goodness date in a long time, but I remembered the glow. The feeling it brought and the happiness in my chest. Those were the good times, when the fellow brought chocolate, held doors open for you, and walked you to the car with his hand in yours. There were other, less romantic dates I’d endured in the past. But oh, I remembered the good ones. Before I swore off relationships.

  Now the feeling of those times came back to me with an adamant tap. Perhaps it was because Kai paid attention. It tickled me when he listened to what I said, how his smile curved when I managed a witty retort.

  “It’s a shame.”

  “What?”

  “That this,” he shook the unfinished breakfast bar, “is the only food I’ll get for my hard work.”

  “There’s a diner down the street. They make a mean sausage gravy and biscuit.”

  “I’d rather eat something else…”

  Tipping my head, I said, “I bet you would.”

  I gave his arm a squeeze, staring down at my hand. Soft and small against the hard planes of his muscles. Nothing about him made me want to behave. Would it be wrong to let him stay, just this once?

  “This makes me think I should change my mind,” I murmured.

  He quirked his head to the side. “What does?”

  “This.”

  I stepped forward to grab him and cup his erection with my palm. His eyes darkened, the member in my hand pulsating. “And the verdict?” he managed.

  Instead of answering, I leaned forward and pressed my mouth to his. Warmth rose in a snap and I forgot about everything I’d planned to do today. All the chores and items to check off my to-do list before Thanksgiving obligations took me under. I gleefully threw them out the window in favor of the electricity crackling between us.

  My God, I couldn’t remember a time when I’d been so completely and utterly aroused by a man. There was something about Kai that had my motor humming.

  He pressed me against the counter and made my morning that much better. I’m not sure what I did to deserve the treatment, whatever karma I’d accrued, but I was glad for the change. It had only been a couple of hours since our last sexual interlude but Kai was already raring. We’d slept a grand total of three hours yet he slid over me with renewed vigor.

  Later, a strange numbness settled in my legs while we curled up on the couch. I was a lucky girl. Cat-with-her-cream indulgent. I listened to the easy rhythm of Kai’s voice for hours while conversation flowed. It might have been the lack of sleep, the physical exhaustion, or the shock of wanting Kai to stay around longer. I wasn’t sure.

  “You really are a total geek, aren’t you?” I shot a quick glance at his face, pleased when his eyes rounded.

  “Yeah, I guess I am.” He leaned back to consider me. “Does it bother you?”

  “No. Geeks can be pretty sexy. Tell me, do you tickle the computer keyboard the same way you do a woman?”

  “No, my keyboard shorts out if I’m too rough.”

  “And here I thought you were just right.” The Goldilocks of sex.

  He wiggled his open palm. “These fingers are used to putting in long hours. I’d be happy to show you my special moves.”

  “Sure, Mr. Geek. I’ve always thought nerds wore glasses and high-waisted pants. You’ve destroyed that image forever,” I told him.

  “What, the earring and hair don’t scream nerd? What if I told you I’m the admin on a Dr. Who fandom page?”

  “Ah, yes. Now I understand. Still sexy, though.”

  Kai laced his arms above his head. “Mmm, sure. If you say so. At least I found a way to unite my need for solitude with a passion for development.”

  I ran my hands along his chest, a curious exploration. I’d always admired the sternum and collar bone on men. The protrusions made me want to bite. Hard. “Sounds like you’re one of the lucky ones. You found something you love that also makes you the money you need to survive.”

  “Absolutely.” Kai nuzzled my earlobe. “I don’t know for sure how long I’ll be in town, but I hope we can do this again.”

  I stiffened, fearing the sudden turn this was taking. “Why are you still here?”

  “Loaded question, Nell,” he said.

  I studied him for a moment. “No, it’s not.”

  “Yeah, it is. I can tell.”

  “What?”

  “You’re trying to be coy, since we just had sex, but you want me to stay.”

  “I want you to leave. There’s a vast difference.” I pointed to his head. “You’re the one who’s overstayed his welcome.”

  He leaned back. “Then I look forward to next time.”

  I raised a brow. “Oh yeah? Who said you deserve a next time?”

  “Hopefully I’ve been a good boy.”

  “Ah.” I liked chatting with him, how he responded and made me laugh. I wanted to talk to him for hours, listen to his retorts and have his deep, rasping words whispering to me at night. “We had a good run of it,” I said instead, clearing my throat. “I know I’m rough around the edges. Not the kind of person to let you stay over and make you a pancake breakfast in the morning.”

  “It’s fine. You leave the cooking to me.” Kai shot me a crooked grin. The hint of a dimple appeared in his cheek. “I know how to scrounge for ingredients and make the most of them.”

  “You planning on moving in or something?”

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered. “I’m not good at this.”

  “At what? Fooling around?”

  He wrapped his arms around my waist and plucked me up, my legs automatically settling around his waist. “In a manner of speaking,” he continued. “I’ve only had a handful of relationships, and a single one-night stand.”

  I ground gleefully against him. “Then let’s get to practicing.”

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you’re telling me to keep my mouth shut.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.”

  It was better to focus on the physical, I determined when his hands went to work on me. Better than acknowledging how I wanted him to stay. Or the tiny twist in my heart at the thought of him cooking me breakfast. Those were the kinds of things that got you into trouble. They made you lose your footing.

  I wanted to focus on pure lust instead of something much worse. Otherwise I wouldn’t find a way back to where I needed to be.

  It was well after lunchtime and my body was deliciously sore in all the right places when Kai finally left. I peeled myself off the couch and made my way back to the bedroom, taking a minute to kick the soiled sheet and duvet into a pile on the floor. Bushed, I flopped down to catch my breath.

  “Damn!” I couldn’t help the expletive.

  My hands traveled along my breasts and down the length of my torso to explore the places Kai had touched. A secret smile formed. Yes, I may have gone out looking for trouble but I’d found something better. A night of passion like I hadn’t experienced since those heady days when my hormones did the talking and certain older, more distinguished boys in the nursing program caught my attention. I could have been a teenager again for the giddy thrill my night with Kai had provided.

  “College boys,” I said on an exhale. “Nothing better.”

  It was a struggle to rise from the mattress, where our combined heat kept the sheets toasty warm. My stomach snarled in a clear plea for food. Something other than a breakfast bar. I’d pushed my own stamina to the limits, I saw, when my knees quaked upon standing.

  I admonished myself on the way to the kitchen. No more late nights like this. They’re fun, but the old legs aren’t what they used to be.

  The approach to thirty weighed on me more and more. On any given day I wasn’t the type of woman to bemoan my age or the fact that I could no longer eat an entire bag of Cheetos without feeling the effects the next day. My thirtieth birthday was around the corner, and with the added weight of Thanksgiving, I couldn’t help
but think about my life status.

  I shook my head to clear it and succeeded in giving myself a neck ache. Vertebrae clacked together when I stretched to relieve the tension. Ugh, I was getting a little over the hill for the overnight powwows. Still, I thought about Kai when I went to work, browsing through patients’ charts and recording vital signs. I thought about the highlights in his dark hair, the richness of his voice. Something about him cycled through my brain on repeat…though I couldn’t tell what it was.

  I knew these thoughts were dangerous. I knew the electricity we had together could only lead to a dead end. I knew I’d touched him, tasted him, and that was where we ended.

  The memories had to be enough for me, because otherwise I’d open myself to pain.

  And I knew I was not going there. Never again.

  That’s what I knew.

  **

  I spent the next night lounging on my couch with my best girlfriend, watching movies and eating snacks she’d made and I could only dream of concocting. Mere hours before I faced the firing squad that was Thanksgiving with my family.

  We stood in the kitchen together with a bright colorful salad between us, waiting for consumption.

  “Do I need to tell you what you told me?” Leda Cox took an indulgent sip of her tea, staring at me over the rim after I’d brought her up to speed on my whirlwind romance. “Think of what the people in town will say! They’ll be gossiping about this until spring thaw. It’s bad enough they see you out every Friday night trolling for men.”

  I collided against her and sent her knocking into the counter by accident. “I heard you the first time. Was I this annoying during your sexual rendezvous?”

  I was, in a word, “blunt.” Which could be taken several different ways, anywhere from strong-willed to asshole. I moved between the two extremes and tried my best to temper them with humility. Though I wouldn’t say I was good at it.

  Either way, Leda handled me at my best and my worst. If I could walk her through the mess of a relationship she’d had five months ago, where she’d come out with the hunky man of her dreams and a new job to boot, she could certainly help me now.