by Kai Leakes
His large hand surrounded her own smaller hands, and she jumped. He felt good, and why she knew that by just a brush of his fingers, she had no idea. Yet this man seemed to melt away the pain she was currently feeling from the budding migraine and seizure ready to tear her mind apart.
While he studied her calmly, his eyes sensually held her attention. “I’m glad to meet you finally and not in a hospital. I’m Khamun.”
Met her? This gorgeous specimen of Mount Fine-as-wine had met her in the hospital? Oh, no, sir and no, ma’am. Who the hell was mister sexy, and how had he seen her in her worst? She was embarrassed beyond words.
Using her cup as a means of distraction, Sanna slowly sipped her tea and stared at its caramel creamy-colored surface. “That is really, really good. I mean, just right. Mine doesn’t come out this good. What did you do?”
Khamun chuckled and grinned, his own eyes taking in Sanna’s flush at meeting him while she enjoyed his tea. He couldn’t blame her. It was like his world had stopped the moment he landed in her zone. He had been watching her, hidden for hours, as she worked throughout the restaurant.
Dealing with all that crap at the Council meeting had stressed him out, and he knew he had to check on his Oracle-Vessel. When he decided it was time to finally meet the woman he had desired for years in the flesh without any distractions. He meant it and nothing was going to stop him from doing his job and meeting her at the same time.
Smoothing a hand down his work suit, he inwardly laughed while trying to slyly adjust himself from the heat building within. He had to clamp down his need to walk around her in circles, slowly stalking her, seeing how close he could get to seducing her. She had no clue that her mind was open like a book to him, and every time he tried to close it out of respect, it seemed to flip back open.
She wanted to taste his mouth. He wanted her to taste it. She wanted see what his skin felt like, running over his abs. He wanted her to do so, and that had his manhood so hard, he knew if he stood any closer to her, she would feel it jumping just for her attention.
Using the art of discussion to distract himself, he dropped into a meditation breathing ritual, something he always practiced when he was near her. He calmly spoke, his voice rough with the edges of lust. “I didn’t do anything. Just added what you like.”
Slightly turning in her seat, she had to keep herself from glancing at the bulge in his work suit. The little glimpse had her almost falling out of her chair. The man was dangerous, and that swell seemed to keep growing. She wanted to cry at the assumptions of what his member would feel like within her untouched body, and she shakily exhaled.
“Oh. And how would you know that, Mr. Khamun what?” Who the hell is this man?
He held out his hand again, bracing himself for that sensual spark with just the touch of her skin. He licked his lips as he took her in, inhaling her sweet, intoxicating scent, and he felt her pulse quicken.
She was dressed is a black pencil skirt with a lilac blouse that gave a hint of her ample crème brulé breasts. He shifted himself again as he realized she had asked him a question.
“Cross. Khamun Cross.” He had to quickly think of something smooth where it didn’t tip her off that he’d been watching her since she’d made it on the Society grid and he was assigned to her when he was a teen. Basically, he had to remind himself that right now she was just looking at a mortal man who knew nothing about her and her special DNA.
“Oh. Wasn’t hard to figure out, since I’ve been here for some time inspecting my crew and making sure they hold up to your designs.”
“Oh, really?” Sanna was scrapping her mind, panning back and forth, combing through her memory. How had she missed seeing this delicious man? How had she not seen him? She had been slyly admiring many of the men working on her restaurant, yet she had bypassed a man such as him?
She remembered him from the hospital. When she saw him at the hospital, his very presence had her almost falling out her wheelchair. She knew if in that moment that she had a heart monitor on at that time, that bitch would have blown up. Yet today she had bypassed him in the restaurant? No way. Maybe he was here on the days Kyo was supervising the build? Maybe he . . . well, anyway, somehow he’d evaded her, but right now he was standing comfortably in front of her.
She did recall who he was. This was Calvin’s frat brother, and now he was working in her restaurant, employed by her? She couldn’t help but smile as she looked him over again.
Her mind was poetically beautiful, even throughout the rambles of fear and confusion. It was something he wanted to paint. Something he was painting in the murals for her restaurant. He couldn’t help but read her expression as he softly smiled. He liked her style. She wasn’t one to be played a fool for, so he decided to ease her mind.
“I had a couple of my staff with me, touring your property, showing the reins. Then I was busy working on a little something for you, Miss Steele.”
The way he said her last name made her heart do a shimmy. She felt like a piece of art as he spoke to her and watched her. She felt like the finest of silks in Bombay as she inhaled his delicious cologne. Damn! Is this man married? Does he have a team of women? Children? Is he crazy? Is he a loser? Something had to be off about him, because right now, he felt made just for her. She had to get her mind right. No one man should have her ready to strip naked and get her rocks off in front of a staff of workers.
“Oh, and that’s how you knew what I liked in my tea, okay.” Softly smiling, she tried to look everywhere but his face, so she focused on his hands. The man had hands designed for holding a woman’s waist, paint traces splashed along his long fingers.
She licked her lips as she dared to eye him again. She looked around as he quietly watched her, taking her cup and giving her a new one. “What were you—”
“A mural. Oh, I’m sorry.”
She watched him shift as if she was causing discomfort, and she raised an eyebrow. She knew this man could not feel awkward around her. That just didn’t compute for her. Maybe she was staring a little too hard, but damn, he shouldn’t be so fine and standing so close. She knew it had to be something else because the way he looked at her right now had her wishing she could go hide somewhere and spend a little time practicing self-love.
Khamun’s chuckle broke her train of thought as if he was reading her mind, and she blushed a thousand shades of red.
Her sudden butterflies had her taking another big sip of her delicious tea. She sat her cup down then stood. “Um, I’m sorry. Did you need me to sign something or look over something?”
“Actually, no. I wanted to go over what we’ve been working on throughout the day and show you the mural, the little bit I have done.”
Bobbing her head in understanding, she had to run her hands up and down her arms. She almost had asked if he wanted her to run her hands over his body, but of course, that was her aching kitty talking, and she needed Ms. Kitty to cool it right now. But as she watched his rock-solid ass while he walked, she was ready to scream. He was no damn help either! He was so close, smelled so good and how he tilted his head to the side as he spoke to her, assessing her, drinking her in, had her discombobulated.
Anxiety hit her hard as she looked for Kyo. Where in all hell was her partner in crime at? She needed a buffer. Something. Her nipples were so hard right now, they irritated her as they rubbed against her bra. Her breasts felt so tight and heavy, it slightly freaked her out. This wasn’t okay.
“Let me get my co-owner, Kyo Satou.”
“Hey! Oooh! Who is that?” Kyo appeared out of nowhere, startling her and making her jump as she held in her laughter at Kyo’s whisper.
Damn! Sometimes it tripped her out the way her bestie could pop up at any given time, as if she heard her SOS. Chuckling, her godsister was literally circling the man, her multi-toned jade eyes scanning his frame.
Sanna quickly mouthed “Sorry,” and Khamun flashed a lopsided grin.
On a mission to work her magic as a buffer, Kyo s
hoved a hand out. “Hello, I’m Kyo Satou. Excuse me as I get nosy. It’s not often my best friend has a handsome man pour her tea. Very nice of you.”
Khamun chuckled as he assessed Kyo. He made up his mind right there that she was good people and was a great Gargoyle in person, although he had known that already just by watching over the pair previously. He had noticed her approach before Sanna had. Girly was almost stealth-like. If they were in a dark alley somewhere, any demon she stalked would be sorely surprised. Had he been an ordinary human, her movements and approach would not have been detected. The same could be said if he was some ordinary Nephilim, but he wasn’t.
So when she popped up, he knew that Kyo heard her Vessel’s mental SOS, just as clearly as he had heard it. He wasn’t trying to stay in her mind, but he couldn’t help it. It was like her mind demanded that he lock with her, especially now as she stood physically in front of him. He knew that, when another Nephilim female found a mate, a mind-lock would alert her of a partner that was suitable.
Khamun had to rock back and forth on his heels and hide his smirk. The lock was strong. This meant that she hadn’t gone through her Evolution. Nonetheless, he was amused, horny as hell, and very flattered. Taking Kyo’s hand, they both flinched.
At that same moment, Sanna suddenly swayed and caught herself from tipping over.
Power washed over Khamun, and Kyo eyed him instantly as she stepped closer, her eyes flickering that metallic hue her kind is known for. They were awakening, and being near both of the pair had triggered it all.
Kyo let go of Khamun’s hand as she slid a chicken salad sandwich with a cucumber salad to her. “Sanna, sit and eat some lunch.”
“I’m okay. I’m not hungry anyway. Just felt a little lightheaded.”
Both Kyo and Khamun stared with pure concern.
He couldn’t stop his protective nature and reached out for her, brushing his fingers under her jaw, tilting her head up slightly to look in her eyes. Which was bad. Her skin seemed to melt into him like shea butter, and he had to grip her as his fangs almost dropped against his will.
They both locked eyes, and Kyo quickly placed a hand on both of them. Her touch instinctively neutralized the sudden energy boost.
Members of Khamun’s crew watched in quiet approval as Marco strolled from his spot upstairs, tools in his hands. He stood watching on from a stairway.
The building was hidden from the Curse, so the energy boost that had just occurred would stay cloaked within the building. Even though that was the case, he still twisted the surge, double binding it into the foundation of the land as a means to strengthen the protection sigils from the Curse.
Khamun’s mouth slightly opened as his body vibrated in the addictive and sultry feel of her feminine energy. It was so pure, ripe, and light. Drenched in her budding Evolution, he almost came right there as he fought his body’s slight shakes.
“My man, you good?” Marco called out, dousing his jones.
Khamun looked up, his eyes reflecting various hues of gold. He slowly nodded up and down, speechless.
Sanna’s Protector ripped him from his concentration as she gripped him hard, almost shaking him while pulling him away from his Vessel’s touch. Kyo’s beautiful mismatched jade eyes flared with confusion and anger as Sanna shook her head.
“Yeah, let me eat something. I’ll take that tour in a minute. Kyo, you go with him, please.”
Still eyeballing Khamun, Kyo’s hand clutched his pulsing bicep, and she never took her eyes away from him as he watched her say, “Okay, sis. Just rest and eat everything on that plate, woman, or else.”
Weakly laughing, Sanna raised her shoulders while taking a sip of her still warm tea. She glanced briefly at Khamun, who watched her intensely as she turned away blushing, reaching for her sandwich. She didn’t know what the hell just had happened, but whatever that was, it needed to happen again, and soon.
Following the sassy woman who had the nerve to pull him away from his woman, Khamun had to shake his head and sort himself right. He let himself be led by the Gargoyle, making sure she felt as if she was in control of the situation.
She was pretty, very curvy in all the right areas. Her spiky asymmetrical-cut bob with its chestnut highlights accented her almond-shaped eyes as they let him know what she was. Had he been pure human, her nails would have sliced into his arm, but of course, all they did was lightly paper-cut him as he waited for her to dig into him.
“Who and What are you? What do you want with Sanna?” she hissed, a low clicking sound suddenly coming from low in her throat like that of a reptile, and she blinked in shock. Her hand quickly came up to her throat as she brushed it off and shook her head.
“Calm down, Gargoyle. I’m not here to do harm.”
“Excuse me?” Kyo tilted her head to the side. She swore she felt a shift in her body, as if she was fluid. Her mouth suddenly ached, and her skin suddenly felt aflame.
“Seriously, calm down, Kyo, before you stone!”
“Who are you? And what are you talking about? Stone? What!”
She clutched her stomach. Her insides felt wobbly, almost like she had swallowed thousands of butterflies and they wanted to fly around within her, and her breathing sped up. She saw the fine specimen of a man shake his head and reach in his pocket. He pulled out a small cigarillo, lit it, and then blew smoke in her face.
Sweet, spicy cinnamon, coffee and vanilla clouds caressed her face like a lover’s hands. She suddenly coughed, flinging out to slap Khamun across his face, but ended up missing him because he’d quickly sidestepped the blow.
The shock of his rude ass blowing smoke in her face had her gasping. Then her erratic breathing slowed, until she suddenly felt giddy and relaxed.
“Hey! The hell is your problem?” she replied. The need to inhale again made her sigh. She smiled, leaning back against the wall.
Khamun chuckled then crossed his arms over his chest. He leaned back while studying her. “Now we can talk? This, my friend,” he said, rolling the cigarillo between his fingers before placing it back against his lips, “is a trinity. It helps calm anyone, and your kind especially loves the smoke.”
“Oh!” Kyo blinkd. Her hand slovenly ran down her face as she quickly stood alert. “My kind? What do you know about me? And what do you want with Sanna?”
“Chill, woman, chill. You are slowly awakening. You’re a babe to the change, so chill. What I want is to protect you both. Who I am is just as I said—Khamun Cross. What I am”—He shrugged and spread his hands out wide, smiling—“you will find out soon. Just keep looking out for your godsister. You are doing good, and I mean her no harm.”
Kyo slowly followed as Khamun turned to walk away, taking a long drag and putting his trinity away.
“No harm? Well, I kind of gathered that,” she said as she tried to keep up with his stride. “How you were staring my sis down had me thinking I needed to get a room and take a cold shower. But . . . how do you know what I am?”
Running to continue her talk with Mr. Sexy was hard. He seemed to suddenly pick up speed in his pace while he glanced at Sanna. His beautiful eyes darkened then lightened with energy as he smoothly whipped around on her, guaranteeing Kyo would hear him.
“Relax, and we will talk soon. Now I can’t check on your sis right now. She got me in a zone. So I’ll be back later. Tell her one of my crewmen needed me and I had to go, okay.”
His eyes were beautiful like warm honey on biscuits. They seemed to glow and flicker with a gold liquid ring that seemed to pulsate. Why she felt the need to comply, she had no idea, but she knew it would be for the better if she just followed through. She didn’t want to jeopardize whatever Mr. Sexy had planned for her and Sanna. As she nodded, she swore the man disappeared right in front of her eyes.
Whatever he blew in her face had her all kinds of loose, and she smiled as she saw Mr. Seduction—a slight Don Omar doppelgänger with a low, wavy and curly fade—hovering over Sanna with a plate full of cucumber salad in his
hand.
Sanna seemed to be shaken, yet very pleased by the tall, quarterback-built man standing near her, softly speaking and slightly demanding she eat.
“Relájese and breathe, baby—I mean, Ms. Steele. Just quiet that mind of yours and eat this.” Marco ran a hand in circles on Sanna’s back, watching her closely as she took the plate from his hands. “Muy bien, mami. Eat up,” he cooed.
A shimmering aura seemed to flow from him and into her sister as Kyo observed, head tilted to the side in awe.
Sanna quietly ate her salad, raising an eyebrow every time Mr. Seduction would nod his head and murmur in approval.
This made Kyo mutter, “Alrighty then,” as she slowly walked forward and picked up an icy-cold glass pitcher full of crushed ice and clear water to pour a glass for Sanna.
“You okay, sis?” Kyo looked Sanna over, handing her the glass.
Sanna gripped it with a shaky hand and took deep gulps of water. She nodded and took more bites from her salad.
“Yeah. Same ol’, same ol’. Just need to sit for a bit, is all. Thanks.”
Glancing up, Kyo watched Sanna smile and hand her plate to Mr. Fine number two. He, in turn, handed her the chicken salad sandwich.
Giving a small thanks, she took dainty bites before briefly frowning and shaking whatever thoughts flickered in her mind away, looking toward the door Khamun had strolled through.
“Thank you. Marco, is it?”
Marco looked Sanna over and bobbed his head with a light smile. “Marco Spear, to be exact.” He stepped back with a low chuckle to give Sanna space and to keep from hovering as he assessed both women. “I can see why he’s infatuated.”
Flabbergasted, Sanna and Kyo said, “Huh?” in unison.
Marco flashed a sensual smile before picking up his tool bag and rolled-up blueprints. “If you both need me, I will be upstairs checking on the crew. I have electric work that needs to be handled. Do not leave without letting me know, ladies.” He glanced at Kyo, his pupils undulating briefly with a silver sheen before they shifted back to normal. With a lopsided smile, he gripped his bag. “I would feel horrible if I did not get a chance to check on you two, a’ight.”
