Bound in Darkness

by Nicole Edwards

  Feeling like a youth for perhaps the first time in his life, he found himself smiling as he strolled into the bathroom.

  An hour later, Kaj was walking through the clinic at Angel Central. He didn’t stop to check in with the healers, though he heard Apollo speaking, then a male responding. Amethyst offered a half-hearted wave from where she was seated in front of a computer screen.

  He continued out of the infirmary, down the hallway. He passed the various storage rooms, the war room, which was still buzzing as they tied off the night’s patrols. On to the recreation room/bar. There were several people hanging around, including Eclipse and Orianna, who were sitting side by side on one of the sofas, as well as Malak, who was behind the bar, and Raksa, sitting on a stool.

  Up the stairs, into the house. The heurosp were busy preparing the morning meal, while Obsidian and Penelope were in the sunroom talking to Aphotic and Stygian. Kaj was surprised to see the brothers, but he didn’t stop to chat. He wasn’t about to be late for his date.

  The dining room doors were open, and he could see several angels and vampires, even a couple of humans, already seated, including Bijou and Elizabeth. On the far side of the room, Oliver was sitting by himself, his gaze locked on Kaj’s daughter.

  He shook his head at the obvious affection the male had for Bijou. If only he knew what was in store for him. Admittedly, there was a twinge of guilt that scurried through him. He knew Oliver’s fate, yet he hadn’t shared the details with anyone other than Obsidian.

  Because he wouldn’t be doing so now, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he continued on. Through the kitchen, past the small formal seating area, down the wide hallway toward the front doors. Then up the stairs to the second floor. The doors to the library were open, but no one was inside. To the right, he could hear the clack of pool balls and the rumble of conversation. To the left … that was the direction he was heading, right after he picked up his date.

  He went left, then hung a quick right down the hall to Acadia’s room, where he stopped and rapped his knuckles on the wood.

  For some reason, he swiped his hand down his shirt to smooth out the wrinkles though he was fairly certain he’d never done that before. Ever. He stopped before he checked his hair. That was just stupid.

  When the door opened, his jaw promptly unhinged, his eyes caressing the beautiful female who appeared.

  “I thought I was going to meet you,” she said softly.

  Kaj smiled. “I thought this more appropriate. Are you ready?”

  “I am.”

  He offered his arm, then curled his hand over hers when she slid her arm through.

  “Two dates in one week,” she said softly as they made their way back down the hall, to the right this time and down to the theater.

  “We’re making up for lost time.”

  Her laughter made his chest puff out as though he’d done something spectacular. Truth was, Acadia was the spectacular one, and he was going to ensure she realized it. This was something simple that they needed, alone time, together. As a couple.

  Phillip was standing at the theater doors, holding one open for them.

  Kaj nodded at the male, then led the way inside. The overhead lights were on, the screen dark, and on the left side was what appeared to be a concession stand, stocked with every kind of candy known to humankind. As well as a popcorn machine that was getting a workout.

  “Would you care for anything?” Kaj asked.

  “M&M’s,” Acadia said quickly, as though she’d had those on her mind.

  “Popcorn, sire?”

  “Absolutely. And sodas.”

  “I’ll bring them right down. Please take your seats.”

  So he did, leading Acadia down to the second row, which appeared to be the most popular based on the way the cushions appeared to be more worn than the others. He held on to his female’s arm as she took her seat. When she was situated, he moved to the adjacent one. Phillip wasn’t far behind, delivering two popcorns—complete with their own red and white bags that announced what they were—and two soft drinks in red cups with clear straws.

  These angels didn’t play around.

  “The movie will begin shortly, sire. Would you like for me to remain?”

  “No. We’ll be fine on our own. Thank you, Phillip.”

  “It is my absolute pleasure,” the male said with a deep bow. “If you need anything else, simply press the button and we’ll be right in to assist.”

  He disappeared, and a moment later, the projector overhead came on, the movie filling the screen.

  Acadia giggled. “Casablanca? You remembered?”

  “I remember everything, balisra.” And it was true where she was concerned.

  The lights dimmed, and a minute later, Acadia was captivated by the movie and Kaj divided his attention between the screen and the most fascinating female he’d ever been blessed with meeting.

  Yes, they would be doing more of this, he decided.

  Maybe he could talk the angels into putting in a bowling alley.

  As the credits began to roll, Acadia found herself smiling. She would likely continue to reflect on this night as one of the best in the history books. Two dates in one week. And one of those had been her very first official date.

  “I heard a rumor,” Kaj prompted, drawing her attention to him as the screen faded to black, the lights brightening though it was still dim in comparison to the rest of the mansion.

  She turned her head to the side, smiling over at him. “About?”

  “Someone mentioned that humans like to make out in movie theaters.”

  Acadia chuckled. “Do they?”

  Kaj shrugged. “It’s what I heard.” He scanned the dim interior of the theater the angels used for recreation. “Though I’m not sure I can see the appeal.”

  Chuckling, Acadia got to her feet and stepped over so that she was in front of him. When she moved closer, he held out his arms as though he had expected her to sit with him. Once she was settled on his lap, she stared at his profile, running her fingers through the silky hair at the nape of his neck.

  “Perhaps we should give it a try,” she offered, knowing that had been his intention.

  “Yeah?” His smile was ridiculously sexy. “Then perhaps you could start by putting your mouth on mine.”

  Oh, she could definitely do that.

  Twisting her upper body, Acadia pressed her forehead to his, inhaled that musky scent that was his and his alone. Their lips lingered apart for long seconds, that tease that would spark the flames between them. She still remembered the first time he had kissed her, how soft and smooth and warm his mouth had been, how insistent his tongue became as it had licked into her mouth.

  A soft growl rumbled in his chest as Kaj’s hand came around to cup her neck, his thumb brushing over her cheek as he eliminated the distance between their lips. Acadia leaned into him, let herself get lost in the warmth of his mouth. He tasted both salty and sweet thanks to the refreshments they’d enjoyed during the movie. It made her want to devour him whole.

  She was aware of a soft whirring sound and then the recliner dipping backward. Her body fell into his as his tongue mated with hers. His hand slid lower, his palm flattening on her chest, warmth seeping into the bare skin there. He didn’t move lower, but her body didn’t seem to mind. His touch alone was more than enough to fan those embers into a full-blown bonfire.

  “Kaj…”

  “Tell me, balisra.”

  “I ache for you,” she whispered against his mouth.

  Another dark rumble.

  Acadia had learned how to draw those out of him long ago, and it didn’t matter how often she heard those seductive growls, they always affected her the same. She felt as though she was the most precious thing in his world when she was with him. Didn’t matter if he was riding the hard edge of desire and taking her fast and hard, or times like this, when he seemed content to merely linger and tease. Those eighteen months he’d been gone had been pure
hell on her. The life she’d envisioned with him had been ripped right out from under her.

  Her anger had been justified, she knew. But Acadia was also aware that their time here was fleeting. She’d almost lost him once due to the injuries he had sustained. Then she’d lost him because of distance and time. Another attack had come at them, and her relief in knowing he hadn’t been critically wounded despite how dire the situation had been had kept her sane even as he’d taken the vein of another.

  But those hardships were behind them, and she was tired of waiting, not willing to risk losing another minute they had together. After all, no one knew what the Almighty had in store for them. He could easily erase her very existence tomorrow if he felt it necessary.

  Now that Kaj was here, now that he was settling in because he wanted to remain close to her, she’d allowed herself to open up to the possibilities once again, and though she truly feared what the future might bring for her, Acadia decided she could no longer allow that fear to hold her back.

  “What’s on your mind?” he said softly, pulling back, his hand returning to her cheek.

  “You.”

  “What about me?”

  “I’m glad you’re here,” she admitted.

  “As am I, balisra. As am I.”

  His mouth returned to hers, a bit more insistent this time. His tongue delved between her lips and she met him with eager ambition. Though the theater wasn’t the most private place, right now it was theirs. This was a milestone for them, a pivotal point in their relationship, and she wanted to explore it, to create a moment in time that they could both remember fondly for years to come.

  “May I do something for you?” she asked.

  When he pulled back this time, his eyes were brighter, a delicate light seeming to be coming from within.

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “You’ll need to sit the chair up.”

  He did, the recliner slowly lifting, the footrest going back down.

  Emboldened by the desire she sensed within him, Acadia took the reins of the moment, easing down his lap until she was kneeling on the floor.

  He gasped, clearly recognizing her intent.

  As she stared up at him, her fingers worked free the button on his jeans, then moved to the zipper.

  With his help, she managed to ease them down his thighs, trapping his knees in the denim.

  “Lower,” she insisted, her voice rougher than she’d expected.

  She tugged until the denim gave, sliding out from under his thick thighs and onward to bunch at his ankles. It was then she positioned herself between his legs, forcing his knees wide so she could reach his heavy erection.

  Acadia wanted to feel him in her mouth. Before him, she’d never known that this was something males enjoyed, but they had explored together and she had learned so many things about his body, the things he enjoyed, what would make him groan long and low.

  This was one of those things.

  Gripping his rigid length in her fist, she lowered her mouth to the bulbous head. She licked him first, then opened her mouth wide to take him inside.

  “Balisra… Fuck.”

  There had been moments when Kaj would grip her hair roughly, tugging as she bobbed over him, and other times when he would fist the blankets to keep from reaching for her. Here, in the darkened theater, his hands gripped the leather armrests as he held himself there while she worked her lips around him.

  Taking him in her mouth was such an intimate thing for her. It formed a connection between them, one where she sought to give him pleasure and he was forced to endure. When she’d taken him like this the first time, the reactions of her body had surprised her. She was as turned on by what he allowed her to do to him as he was because of the sensations.

  “Ah, fuck … balisra … your mouth … so fucking sweet.”

  Those lewd words probably should’ve offended, but Acadia enjoyed them immensely. She loved when Kaj lost himself, as though he had no idea how to rein in what he was feeling. She was in full control, which was a heady feeling in itself.

  Working him with her lips, her tongue, her hands, she leisurely took him deep in her mouth, licking and sucking. She could feel every ridge, every vein and the pulse that beat beneath the surface. She had learned she could feed from him like this, too. If she were to place her hands on his thighs, the energy she could siphon was exorbitant because he was unhinged. That alone gave her more power.

  Not that she would do that now. She was content to focus on his pleasure.

  “Acadia…”

  That was his way of warning her he was close. She’d known it based on the flex and pulse of his sex in her mouth, the way his hips jerked forward to thrust in deeper when she lowered her mouth onto him again and again.

  She reached out to him with her mind: I want to taste you on my tongue.

  The thunderous growl that shot up from his chest had her sex clenching, a programmed response because she knew he would return the favor when she was finished. Kaj had been known to spend hours with his head between her thighs, his mouth on her sex. Acadia’s inner muscles squeezed as she thought about the pleasure he would give.

  “Balisra … I’m so close.” His hand gripped her forearm as though he needed her to anchor himself. “So fucking close … ah, fuck … just like that.”

  His breaths sawed in and out of his lungs as she worked him, hollowing out her cheeks because she knew he enjoyed the suction. She tightened her grip around the base of his erection, squeezing more firmly as she stroked in tandem to her ministrations.

  His thighs tensed, which was the only warning she needed before his hips jerked roughly, his hand tightening on her arm. She felt the pulse of his thick shaft seconds before he growled long and low in his throat. She swallowed him down as he ejaculated, then licked lightly as she cleaned him.

  When she lifted her head to look up at him, his eyes were glowing more brightly, a sense of peace relaxing his hard features. He looked at her with such awe, she felt it deep in her soul.

  Then again, she felt him there, too.

  As though they were entwined somehow, two halves of a whole.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  This female had always had the ability to rock him to his very core. From the very moment he’d laid eyes on her so long ago.

  During their initial time together, the dance had been a slow one, a journey that had been initiated by chance, then sealed by circumstance, gaining momentum with every passing night. At first, Kaj had felt guilty, but Acadia had assured him it was mutual.

  Although he had most definitely been the one to instigate their interactions back when he’d first come to the mansion, over time, as he grew stronger, the tide had turned. Eventually, because Acadia had requested it, Kaj had offered himself up to her sexual exploration and given the same in return. He would be the first to admit he hadn’t been inexperienced before her, but he hadn’t been nearly as experienced as he’d given himself credit for. Then again, he’d never been with a female whose pleasure was his sole motivation. With Acadia, the only thing he wanted was to give her that riotous release over and over again.

  “Privacy,” he grumbled as he reached for his jeans to pull them up his thighs. “We need some. And we need it now.”

  They were still in the theater, his body temporarily stated by her exquisite ministrations. But it was his turn, and what he wanted to do to her required more space than this recliner would offer.

  Peering up at Acadia, he saw her eyes were glazed with passion, an expression he was used to seeing on her face. He’d never expected her to be as forthcoming with her desires as she was. The females he’d lain with previously had been self-serving, always looking to receive before they were willing to give. That wasn’t the case with Acadia. He had to take the reins if he wanted to return the favor because she was content to continue for as long as he would allow.

  Great as that was, there were times when a male wanted nothing more than to bury his face between t
he thighs of his female and make her cry out his name.

  Once his jeans were righted, he reached for her, lifting her off her feet and into his arms. Her soft giggle stirred all those crazy emotions within him, and he was grateful there wasn’t a great distance that had to be traveled to get her back to her room. Easy enough to will the door open, close it behind them. Over to the bed, on it.

  Oh, yeah. Right where he wanted her.

  Kaj laid out over his sexy Fae, finding her mouth with his own, her arms wreathing his neck. He loved when they were this close, almost didn’t matter that they were both fully dressed.

  Of course, that was the work of a moment, but rather than will their clothes away, Kaj took his time undressing her, peeling that sexy fucking gown down her absurdly beautiful body. Beneath she wore nothing, and he fucking loved that, too.

  “Spread those pretty legs for me, balisra.”

  Acadia lifted up onto her elbows, watching as she did as he requested. She’d always been right there with him, eager to see what he was doing to her. He figured that added to the eroticism, something else that intrigued him. Acadia had never been a shy lover. It was her interest in exploring that had the ability to do him in.

  As he kissed his way up the inside of her thigh, he felt her eyes on him, so he ensured she could see his tongue sweeping over her smooth skin. There wasn’t any hair on her body, and that had been a pleasant surprise the first time he’d seen her naked. To know there was nothing to hinder the friction of his hands or his mouth spurred him forward. He kissed high up on her thigh, then dragged his tongue over and down, gliding to the heart of her.

  Acadia moaned, her stomach muscles tightening as he focused on her clitoris, licking his way around the tiny bundle of nerves, circling before drawing it between his lips.

  “Kaj … yes … that. Do more of that.”

  Who was he to deny her anything? Kaj spent long minutes worshiping her with his tongue, bringing her to the brink, and letting her ease back down. He bestowed the same attention that she’d given him in that theater. He wanted her to come, but not until he’d gotten his fill. Not that he would ever get enough of her. Kaj could’ve spent hours, hell, nights right here, his face buried in her sex, his tongue working her into a frenzy. This was heaven for him, right here with his sweet fairy writhing and moaning.