Dark Stranger Revealed (The Children Of The Gods Paranormal Romance Series Book 2)

by I. T. Lucas

  Everyone around her was talking about hookups and booty calls, instead of dates and relationships. People treated sex as casually as going to the movies or out for a drink. In this uninspiring, emotionally disconnected landscape, the pursuit of sexual gratification was the norm, and the rare relationship an exception. An oddity.

  Still, she wondered if all these people were deluding themselves into accepting this sorry state of affairs as gratifying. Perhaps they were just desperately reaching out for any kind of connection, hoping something real would sprout from all that carnality.

  She couldn’t see herself living that way. Maybe she was old fashioned, or just naive, but she needed at least the illusion of a relationship, if not the real thing, to get all hot and sweaty with a guy.

  Oh, but Kian… He was like an addiction, an obsession, calling to her, drawing her in like a moth to a flame. She knew she was going to burn, but at this point she didn’t care.

  She was going to do it, had to…

  Catching her panicky reflection staring back at her from the mist-covered mirror, her hand flew to her chest.

  Oh, God! She wasn’t ready!

  It had been so long since her last time, Syssi felt like a virgin all over again; nervous, insecure, frightened. So okay, it probably wasn’t going to hurt like the first time had—thank heavens for small favors—but she felt anxious nonetheless.

  What if she fell short of Kian’s expectations, what if he found her unexciting… lacking…

  What if, what if… stop it! She ordered the self-disparaging internal monolog to cease.

  Rubbing lotion onto her hands, she decided a whole body rub would help with her jitters. Squirting a generous dollop of the stuff, she slathered it all over, watching her skin turn slick and soft.

  She took a little longer than necessary to work it into the soft skin of her breasts, running her thumbs over her sensitive nipples and tweaking them lightly till they tightened into hard little knobs. It felt nice but didn’t come close to the kind of fire Kian’s touch had ignited in her dream.

  Would reality be as amazing as that fantasy? How would his hands feel? His lips? She closed her eyes, imagining, and as the slow simmer of arousal flared into searing heat, a quiet moan escaped her throat.

  What am I doing? Syssi sneaked an embarrassed glance at the mirror as if catching herself red handed. Grimacing, she shook her head; how pathetic was it for someone her age to be so reserved. After all, she was by herself with no one to judge her one way or another, but she still felt uncomfortable touching herself with the lights on and in the vicinity of a mirror.

  With a sigh, she wiped her moist hands on the towel and began blowdrying her hair. Once she was done, she was ready to head out when a faint bang sounded from behind the closed door.

  Cautiously, she opened it a crack.

  It was dark, and coming from the brightly illuminated bathroom, it took a moment for her pupils to dilate enough to make out the large shape lying on her bed. As her eyes fully adjusted to the dim light, Kian’s handsome but brooding features became clear.

  He looks like the big bad wolf about to devour Little Red Riding Hood… Me. Syssi chuckled nervously.

  “Oh, my! What a big, strong body you have, Grandma!” Purring seductively, she sauntered into the room. But as Kian’s expression turned from brooding to menacing, she chickened out, and cursing her inability to put a muzzle on her stupid mischievous streak, she turned to flee into the walk-in closet.

  “All the better to pounce on you, my dear!” Kian took to the role play with gusto and leaping off the bed with the swiftness and grace of a jungle cat caught her from behind before she managed to reach the closet. Holding her back against his chest, he lifted her up.

  She jackknifed, kicking her legs and trying to get away while laughing nervously and clawing at the strong fingers clutching hers on the towel.

  It was futile.

  In one swift move he swung and tossed her on the bed, then pounced, looming above her as he caged her between his thighs and outstretched arms. Still panting from the laughter and exertion of her failed escape attempt, she couldn’t fill her lungs.

  Or maybe her shortness of breath had nothing to do with exertion and everything to do with Kian. The long strands of his wavy hair falling around his angular features, he was insanely beautiful…

  And terrifying.

  There was no humor in that hard beauty, only hunger.

  Caught in the intense glow of Kian’s eyes, she was trapped like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming car. And as fear trickled down to her core in liquid drops of fire, she felt herself run wet between her legs.

  He caressed her cheek then kissed the hollow of her neck, gently soothing her before bringing his palm to rest over her fisted hand. “Let go of the towel, Syssi,” he whispered. Except, coming through his clenched teeth, his words sounded hissed, rough and demanding.

  Not ready to let go yet, Syssi shook her head.

  He kept at it, stroking her straining knuckles with his thumb, until gently, one at a time, she let him pry her fingers open.

  Gazing into his hungry eyes, she was still apprehensive but didn’t resist when he entwined their fingers and stretched her arms over her head, holding them there as he brought his face down to shower her with feather-light kisses.

  He kissed her eyelids, her eyebrows, her cheeks, her nose, the hollows at the sides of her neck. He kept kissing her like that until she began to relax; her body growing slack. Only then, he released his hold on her hands and leaned back on his haunches to stare hungrily at her body.

  Under Kian’s searing gaze, laid out like a bounty before him, Syssi stretched out ready to be unveiled; waiting. There were no more thoughts, no more hesitation, only a burning desire.

  Slowly, carefully, as if unwrapping a precious gift, Kian peeled away one side of the towel and then the other.

  “Damn! Just look at you… perfection.” He swallowed as he gazed at her body with admiration.

  As his eyes lingered on her breasts, watching them heave with her shallow, panting breaths, Syssi felt her nipples stiffen. And when his tongue darted to his lip, her breath caught as she imagined him licking, sucking. Instead, he continued his tour of her body, his eyes traveling down until coming to a halt at her bare mound.

  “Beautiful. All of you.” He cupped her center.

  With a strangled moan, her lids dropped over her eyes.

  “Perfect,” he whispered, bending to lightly kiss one turgid peak. “Magnificent.” He kissed the other, then waited until she opened her eyes and looked at him.

  “I want you so badly, I’m going to burst in flames if you won’t have me,” he breathed. Running his hands along her outstretched arms, he reached her hands and entangled their fingers. His face a scant inch from hers, he searched her wide open eyes.

  Gazing up at his beautiful face, she saw her own raging need reflected in his eyes. “I want you, Kian, so much that it hurts,” she whispered.

  Kian closed his eyes in relief, but only for a brief moment. Then with a measuring look, he asked again. “Are you sure you’re fully onboard with this?”

  She must’ve seemed shell shocked to him, laying underneath his big body with her eyes opened wide, panting.

  And in truth, she was.

  Still, she needed this like she needed to take her next breath.

  “I need you,” she whispered.

  The change in his expression was lightning fast. Sure of his welcome, Kian’s last vestiges of restraint shattered, and he descended upon her like a hungry beast; smashing her lips with his mouth, thrusting his tongue in and out, and growling as he nipped at her lips.

  Swept in the torrent of his ferocity, Syssi arched her back, aching to feel the length of his body pressed against hers—to feel his weight on top of her.

  Except, he remained propped on his shins, his bowed arms supporting the weight of his chest, their bodies barely touching.

  But with her mouth under attack and her arms
pinned, there was little she could do about it besides moan and whimper.

  Kian’s mouth trailed south, kissing and nipping every spot along her jawline and down her neck to her collarbone, then licking and kissing the small hurts away.

  She panted in breathless anticipation, her painfully stiff nipples desperate for his hands, his lips…

  “Please…” she whispered, her need stronger than her pride.

  He lifted his head, the hunger in his eyes belying his teasing mouth. “Tell me what you need, beautiful.” He let go of one of her hands to caress her cheek, extending his thumb to rub over her swollen lips before pressing it into her mouth.

  She sucked it in, swirling her tongue around it until he pulled it out to rub the moisture over her dry lips.

  With the hand he had freed, she cupped Kian’s lightly stubbled cheek, letting the last of her shields drop and allowing him to see in her unguarded expression all of the desire and adoration she felt for him.

  He leaned into her tender touch. “My sweet, precious girl,” he whispered, covering her hand with his own.

  Holding her palm to his lips, he kissed its center before returning it to where it was before. “I like the way you look with your arms outstretched, surrendering to me, trusting me with your pleasure.”

  Hooded with desire, his eyes were pleading with her to give him that, promising only pleasure if she would.

  Syssi felt powerless to deny him anything. Without a word she complied, stretching her arms and grabbing onto the headboard’s metal frame.

  How did he do that, she wondered, setting her body on fire—knowing what she needed better than she did herself.

  To hell with precaution and consequences, she was done being careful. No more almosts, no more only ifs, no more maybe-next-time’s, this was it.

  With Kian, she had finally glimpsed the path to the elusive bliss. And the only way she could traverse that road, was with him in the driver seat. She needed to cede control to him. And to do that, she needed to trust him… which was terrifying.

  It wasn’t that she feared he’d hurt her physically, she knew he wouldn’t. But to trust that he would not exploit the tremendous emotional vulnerability she would have to expose; that took real courage.

  Or stupidity.

  Still, she knew it was her one and only chance to take the plunge because there was no doubt in her mind that she would never even consider this with anyone but Kian.

  Releasing a shuddering breath, she gazed into his eyes, and the way he looked at her, waiting breathlessly for her acquiescence, gave her the last push.

  She took the plunge.

  “I don’t know why I feel this way with you, trusting you to take control of my pleasure, but I do. I crave it,” Syssi whispered, a rush of pure lust sweeping through her with the admission.

  CHAPTER 5: KIAN

  Kian groaned. “Do you have any idea how perfect you are? How much your trust means to me?” He dipped his head, pouring his gratitude and appreciation into a tender kiss.

  Well aware that lovely, sweet Syssi was nothing like what he was accustomed to, and the set of rules she played by was different than his, he had to make sure she understood the rules of this new game he was introducing her to. But now that she had given him the green light, he was in serious trouble because there was nothing holding him back, and his damned instincts were screaming for him to rip off his pants, plunge all the way into her, and sink his fangs into her neck while he was at it.

  Not going to happen. Kian took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing the beast to back the hell off.

  First, he would make sure to take care of her pleasure.

  Kissing and licking the column of her throat, he needed at least a moment between her thighs, even if only to feel her through the fabric of his pants. Pushing her knees apart, he aligned his erection with her sex, careful not to scrape her with his zipper as he rubbed against her.

  Fuck, it felt good.

  With a groan, he slid further down her body until his face was level with her stiff peaks. For a moment, he just looked at their sculpted perfection, watching them heave with each of her breaths. Until he heard her whimper.

  Only then, he took one tip between his lips. He pulled on it gently, twirling his tongue round and round while lightly pinching its twin between his thumb and forefinger and tugging on it in sync with his suckling.

  As he kept alternating between the sensitive nubs, suckling them harder and grazing them lightly with his teeth, Syssi’s moans and whimpers were getting louder and more desperate.

  She was loving it. Her hips circling under the weight of him, she held on to the headboard with a white-knuckled grip.

  Kian eased up, giving her a small reprieve. “Ask me to make you come, baby,” he breathed around her wet nipple, lifting his eyes to her sweat-misted face.

  “Please…” she whimpered.

  “That’s not good enough… You can do better than that…”

  Syssi arched her back, and as she turned her desperate eyes up to her tight grip on the headboard, he felt an outpour of wetness slid down her thigh.

  “Oh, God! Yes! Please… Please make me come… Kian.”

  As his blunt front teeth carefully closed around one nipple, and his fingers around the other, Syssi erupted. And as he kept increasing the pressure, turning the slight ache into what must’ve been an almost unbearable hurt, her climax continued rippling through her—her beautiful body quaking with the aftershocks as she wailed until her voice turned hoarse.

  That was it for him.

  Unable to hold it off anymore, he came hard, erupting spasmodically inside his pants. Except, it did nothing to soften his erection, he was still as hard as before.

  Releasing some of the pressure took the edge off, though. Now, with the wild beast raging inside him contained for a little longer, he could watch Syssi climax again and again.

  He would never tire of seeing her like that. Her dazed, blissed out expression suffusing him with tenderness.

  My beautiful, passionate girl.

  Cupping her breasts with his palms, he soothed her tender nubs, waiting for them to soften under the warmth of his touch.

  As her ragged breathing slowed down, Syssi mouthed, “Wow!” her cheeks flaming.

  Kian smiled, peering at her from between the hands he had cupped over her ample breasts.

  Releasing her hold on the metal frame, she took his cheeks between her palms and pulled him up for a kiss.

  “Did I give you permission to bring your arms down, sweet girl?” he said before sealing his lips over hers. He then traced the line of her jaw with kisses and nibbles, all the way up to her earlobe, catching the soft tissue between his teeth.

  Syssi squirmed. “No…,” she said in a small voice, caressing his stubble with her thumbs. “My hands have a mind of their own. I just had to touch you.” She pouted, pretending contrition.

  “Be a good girl and put your hands back up, or I’ll have to flip you over and spank that sweet little bottom of yours.” He tweaked her nipple and smirked, watching her eyelids flutter as a shiver of desire swept through her.

  “Is that a promise?” Syssi taunted, whispering breathlessly as she lifted and tightened the aforementioned body part and pressed her pelvis up to his belly. Still, she hastened to obey his command, and stretching her arms, returned her hands to the headboard.

  The hint of trepidation in her eyes hadn’t been lost on him, though. Syssi wasn’t sure if he was just teasing or intended to make good on that threat…

  “Could you be any more perfect for me?” Kian said, shaking his head. “My little minx has some naughty fantasies I would be more than happy to fulfill. I promise. If you ask really nicely… or behave really badly, you can bet your sweet bottom on it.” He winked, and with a surge, dived down and pressed an open-mouthed kiss to her wet folds.

  Syssi squeaked, lifting and pulling away from him, but Kian gripped her hips and pulled her back down. Sliding both hands under her botto
m, he lifted her pelvis up to his mouth and licked her wet slit from top to bottom and then back up, all along growling like a beast.

  At first, she stiffened. But Kian kept at it even though he knew she felt scandalized. This was such an intimate act, demanding a level of trust and familiarity that must’ve been difficult for her. After all, he had her spread out naked, her sex soaking wet from her earlier climax, licking and feasting on it while he was still fully dressed.

  He was pushing her, testing her limits, thrilled that, despite her initial reluctance, she was letting him have his way.

  He loved that ceding control to him turned her on. The more he demanded, the more he pushed, the more she responded with wild abandon, rewarding him with her moans and whimpers and more of her sweet nectar pouring onto his greedy tongue.

  He could go on like that for hours, savoring and exulting in the pleasure he was wringing out of her.

  He wasn’t being selfless, though. The only way he could stay in control was to leave his pants on and not allow her to touch him. His hunger for sex, for her, was so intense, he was afraid of what he’d do to her otherwise.

  The beast in him wanted to impale her sex with his shaft and sink his fangs into her neck in one brutal move. And then go on fucking her for hours, biting her and coming inside her over and over again. Rutting on her like the animal it was.

  Traumatizing her.

  It was true that she would have climaxed every time he would have sunk his fangs into her neck… or her breast… or the juncture of her thigh. The aphrodisiac in his venom would’ve made sure of that. And yes, her pain and bruising would’ve faded from its healing properties. And after he was done, he could easily thrall the nasty memory away.

  Except, he was neither a sadist nor a mindless beast… well… not entirely, and not as long as he remained in control.

  He cared too much for this girl to let go—even a little.

  He would make sure she was properly pleasured, sated, and soaking wet from multiple orgasms before he slaked his need. And even then, he wouldn’t let loose the monster lurking inside him.