Chapter EIGHTY- SEVEN: OUR STEAMY MOMENT
The light flickered on the tapestries that hung on the walls. Kieran sat in a chair by the fire. The light from the fire made the sharp lines of his face stand out. His broad shoulders and strong arms didn’t only show how powerful he was but seductive. I had never looked at him that way but as he sat there so relaxed, I could sense the strength underneath. Watching him made me feel a strange mix of nervousness and attraction. He had refused to leave instead, he brought his work to my room. Inconveniencing himself just to make sure that I was okay.
“Why are you really here? I mean what’s the real reason you chose to stay here with me?” I asked, sweat rolled down my face.
“I have told you before. Are you okay?” He asked watching me take off the robe I had on which revealed the night dress underneath.
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“You are literally melting,” he said.
“Well, I guess the doctor left out the part that I would probably sweat out the entire liquid in my body. Or maybe its just the air conditioner. Let me check it out.”
“No, don’t worry, relax. I’ll check it out. But I feel fine. The air is cool,” Kieran offered.
“So it’s just me then.”
I took off the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
“It’s probably the drugs kicking in. You should be fine in no time.”Text © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.
“I would do with a cool bath right now.”
“And that would be the fifth time you would be doing that in less than an hour. You know what? Relax, let me get a towel and a bowl of cold water.”
I nodded. He returned just immediately and in a bit, I laid down while he sat above me. And just like I had expected, he dipped the towel in the bowl of water and placed it on my forehead. The damp cloth felt cool against my burning forehead. My eyelids fell closed letting the sensation overpower the burn.
“Just relax and breathe. Let out all the steam.”
“You are right. It’s so refreshing.”
“Told you.”
I smiled.
“You scared the hell out of me earlier,” he admitted in a calm tone. When you went down, I…” He trailed off, his gaze dropped to his hand that was still clutched in the damp washcloth.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled, the words barely audible.
“Don’t be.” He finally met my gaze again, his eyes seemed to pierce right through me.
“You’ve been pushing yourself too hard,” he said.
He was right. But the pressure of what was going on kept me on the edge. I stared up at Kieran, with his worried frown.
“I don’t know what I’d have done without you,” I confessed, the words just came out before I could think of stopping them. It seemed to be happening more often now.
His lips twitched into a small smile, the one that always tingled me.
“Always happy to help,” he said.
“Where did you learn how to do this?” I asked.
“My mum used for do this whenever I came up with a fever. I used to hate the way that it usually felt but at the end, it made all the chills go away.”
“Your mom. You never really talk about her.”
“She was powerful and loving last I can remember. But I never really saw her around especially before the war. But the little time I spent with her was worth the while.”
“Yeah, I know right. Spending time with the right person is worth every second,” I said.
“I used to miss that feeling with her.”
“Used to? What changed?” I asked.
“Well, I think that I’m beginning to feel that way again.”
“With me?” I asked.
He stopped for a while without saying anything and then he continued.
“I see the way you look at me sometimes,” I whispered, “That soft gaze you forget on my skin whenever you think that I’m not looking.”
He moved the towel down below my neck as the cold liquid rolled in between my breasts.
“Is this alright?” Kieran’s voice was a low rumble, that it sent something cool and refreshing through me.
“Yeah,” I breathed, my voice thick. My throat felt suddenly dry.
“Do you want me?”
He didn’t say anything but his touch was much lighter than it was.
“Do I read wrongly what your eyes tell me? Look at me Kieran.”
“Clara, with you, everything is different,” his voice was like a caress touching my earlobe gently. I caught his eyes on me, with the lights reflecting on them, I could see the desires. I couldn’t tell if they were the same that matched mine. All I wanted was to hold him and fell his breath under my neck. To have his solid body on mine. Those hands that glued to that steering earlier to make sure that I was safe. I need them to hold me down. I shut my eyes again. I wanted to hear his whispers right in my ear as the warmth from his breath would rest on them.
I opened my eyes again, meeting his gaze. He hadn’t taken it off. His face was close, I felt his breath now. The spark in my chest cause my heart to bloom.
He continued, his touch lingered a bit too long on my cheekbone, sending me thrills in between my legs.
The air in the room suddenly felt thick. My cheeks burned, not just from the effect of the medication, but from a sudden, unfamiliar heat.
He reached out with a single finger brushing a stray strand of hair from my forehead. As usual I felt the spark. I still wondered if he knew how he made me feel. At that point I didn’t see him as the Lycan King; a powerful ruthless Alpha who wanted me for his own reasons. But as a person whom we shared a sort of connection with. And this connection has birthed this desire between us. The one that now burned somewhere within.
For a moment, the room seemed to shrink. It was just us now. There was no space between us. My heart hammered. I could feel the heat radiating from his hand, branding my skin. Time seemed to slow, the space between our breaths reduced.
Then, slowly, ever so slowly, Kieran leaned in. My breath caught in my throat. My body, which had been limp moments ago joggled up. I was in for whatever he had on his plate. Every inch of my being screamed. Was this really happening? A part of me wanted to pull away but then, another part, a part I barely recognized craved for him.
His lips brushed against mine it was like a jolt of electricity surged through me. I had felt many things in my life but not this way for a kiss. The kiss was soft, hesitant at first. But then, something shifted. His hand moved to cup my cheek, tracing a circle over my skin.
I responded just immediately as my hand reached up to tangle in his hair. The feeling of his hair, soft against my fingers, was intoxicating. I just couldn’t get enough.
We pulled away at first gasping for breath our foreheads still pressed together. Was that it? I hoped not. I could devour him at that point if he tried to stop. I stared at him, but his eyes were a bit dark though I could still see them through the dim light. They were filled with desire just as mine was I felt deep within myself. My breath hitched as his gaze dropped to my lips, then lingered for a bit.
“I want you. I want you so bad,” he whispered. As his warmth rested on again, I dived for his lips.