His lips curl into a smile. “Good. Fear sharpens the senses. Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” I answer, though my voice wavers.
“Then give me your fear, little dove. Show me what true surrender looks like. Lay back.”
“What?” I ask, hesitating.
“Lie on your back,” he adds, pushing me back.
I do as he says, and the warm concrete feels nice on my back. He moves between my legs, and I go still. I can’t see him—I can only hear the light splashing of water.
“Hold your breath.” His voice is calm but unyielding.
I lift my head to look at him. “What?”
“You heard me. Hold. Your. Breath.”
A flash of panic works through me. His eyes bore into mine, grounding me. Nodding, I inhale deeply and hold it.
His hands slide to my hips. “That’s it. Now keep still.”
Before I can process what’s happening, his mouth is against my core, and his tongue laves up my slit. I buck against him, body arching involuntarily, as he works his tongue in slow, deliberate strokes. The pressure inside of me mixed with the sensations of his mouth cause me to exhale sharply, gasping for air.
Kai pulls back immediately, and when I lift my head, his gray eyes lock onto mine.
“Did I tell you to breathe?”
My cheeks burn as I shake my head.
“Then don’t.” His tone is sharp, but not cruel. “Hold it. Trust me, Sophie.”
I nod as I inhale, holding the air deep in my chest and feeling more prepared this time. But this time, when he leans into me,the intensity is magnified by two fingers curling inside of me. The lack of air makes every movement, every flick of his tongue, feel so much more intense. I’m suddenly hyperaware of every sensation, and in seconds, I find myself on the edge of a climax.
My head begins to pound, and then I can’t hold it any longer. Gasping loudly, the sound reverberates through the large room.
Kai’s free hand tightens on my thigh and he pulls the other one out from inside of me.
“You’re fighting me,” he asks. His tone is inquisitive—not unkind. “Why?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, voice trembling.
“Yes, you do,” he says, his voice a low murmur. “Tell me why.”
My chest aches as the truth comes out before I’m ready to admit it. “Because I’m afraid.”
“Of what?”
“Of losing control,” I tell him, looking up at the coffered ceiling.
“That’s exactly what I want, little dove. I want you to lose control. I want you to let go. I want you totrustme. Because next time we do this, it’s going be my hands around your throat and you’re going to have to trust that I’m not going to go too far.” I nod despite the panic lingering on the edge of my mind. “Again. Breathe deep. Hold it. And trust me to know your limits.”
This time, when the pressure immediately begins to build inside my chest, I give in to the feeling. When I’m relaxed, it sort of feels like I’m floating, like the air in my lungs might carry me away. And then when Kai gently pushes his fingers between my folds at the same time his tongue swipes through me, my eyes flutter closed as pleasure claws at me. His mouth moves against me with relentless precision. The sensations sharpen every second, and the heat building inside of me demands release.
My whole body trembles as I near the edge, and though I know my body needs air, I trust Kai enough to know that he’ll tell me to breathe soon. That recognition—thetrust—surprises me. There’s only ever been one person I’ve trusted this much before—only one person who could get under my skin like this.
Julian.
The pressure builds, with the need for release and for air tangling together until I don’t know which one I crave more. Kai’s tongue moves in slow, deliberate circles, each flick sending a pulse of heat spiraling through me. He’s relentless and teasing… like he’s savoring the way my body is reacting. It’s precise enough that I know he’s remembering what Julian taught him.
