They were impervious to the worst of the storm due to the roof, but a heavy gust sprayed them from time to time. The temperature dropped until there was a hint of chill in the wind, but it was still warm enough not to warrant huddling together. Biyu swallowed nervously and laced her fingers together, unwove them, and then did it again. She noticed the way his gaze lingered on her, and her skin erupted in gooseflesh.
The rain and winds continued to lash at the skies, the downpour growing in intensity. They would likely be here for a while if they were planning on waiting for the storm to pass.
“What … are we doing here?” she finally asked.
Nikator stretched his long legs in front of himself, and crossed his ankles casually. “We’re waiting, princess.”
“And what does that accomplish?”
“Hm?” He canted his head as if she had said something strange. “It accomplishes us … not getting wet?”
She chewed on her lower lip and couldn’t think of anything else to say. She didn’t even know why she was talking to him—there was no reason for her to converse with her enemy. There was no reason for her to be in any giddy, flirty mood with him. And yet she yearned to fill this space with his voice. With his attention on her.
“You said …” Thunder cracked above them, but she ignored it as she turned to face him fully. “You said that I’mbeautiful. Why? Why would you say something like that?”
Nikator blinked slowly. She waited with bated breath as he held her gaze, his sapphire eyes nearly burning her. She wanted to look away, to tear away from that stare, and yet she couldn’t. She didn’t miss the slight feathering of his jaw as he seemed toclench it, thinking of answer, and then parting his lips to speak. Yet no words came out.
Finally, when she thought he wouldn’t say anything more, with the smell of rain against stone and wood between them, of moss and flora, of crisp summer nights and ocean breeze, his words whispered out like a secret confession.
“Because I don’t want to pretend that I feel nothing when I look at you, Biyu.” Low. Gruff. Like he didn’t want to admit it, and yet had no choice.
Tension rippled between them and Biyu couldn’t deny that her heart skipped a few beats the more their gazes caught with one another. In the darkness of the night, with only the silver streaks of moonlight, he appeared even more hauntingly beautiful. His eyes were silvery-blue, the shadows played on his angular jaw and sharp features, and the way his dark clothes molded over his muscular frame had her belly fluttering unnaturally.
She really should have stood up and left.
It didn’t matter what he thought of her. It didn’t matter that her wretched heart felt something for him. It shouldn’t have mattered at all, and yet she couldn’t deny herself.
Biyu lifted a trembling hand up to him. Even seated, he was taller than her. The seconds ticked by as she slowly placed it on his cheek. He remained still, like he didn’t want to break the moment, and yet she could see the fire roaring inside of him. See the way his tense body wanted to reach forward, barely constrained, nearly shaking with the need to touch her.
“Just for tonight, I don’t want to pretend, either,” she said ever so softly. It was nearly lost with the howling winds, the thunder, the beating of rain. But he heard it; she could tell by the way his breath caught. “I want you, Nikator.”
Those four simple words broke the chains of his restraint.
He slid his hand over her cheek and wove his fingers into the back of her hair, pulling her face up to his. He captured her mouth in a passionate kiss and she inhaled sharply at the smell of ocean breeze and vanilla, of warm spices and summer breeze. Warmth exploded over her body. She felt drunk on the kiss, the intensity that passed through the charged air between their locked lips.
He kissed her slowly, reverently, like she meant the world to him. And she let herself believe that, too.
Her eyelids fluttered shut and she grasped the front of his tunic, her thigh pressing against his. The world narrowed in on him and everything else disappeared. The rain. The storm. The pergola. All of it vanished like it had never been there, and the only thing that existed in that moment was his mouth pressed to hers, his hand cradling her head, and the feel of his hard muscles beneath her shaking fingers.
Her heart pounded, heat rising in her body, her limbsachingfor more. She arched into his touch, hands bunching over the material of his shirt. A moan sounded from the back of her throat. She pulled back from the kiss to breathe, a shuddered breath escaping from her as he trailed his warm mouth down her jaw to her throat. He pressed a kiss there, and she gasped.
It felt so good. It felt so right.
She shouldn’t want this. She shouldn’t wanthim.
But every part of her warmed at his nearly searing touch. Her body betrayed her mind and she ignored everything but the beating of her heart and his.
His teeth grazed her collarbone and her hands curled over his shoulders.
“You like that, don’t you?” he murmured, tilting his head up. His expression was heated, desire darkening his usually sharp and bright eyes. He pulled back just enough to watch her as he slid his hand over her arm. She trembled, gasping, until hegrabbed her chin. “Tell me you want this, Biyu. One word and I’ll stop.”
“I already told you I wanted you,” she whispered.
“Tell me again.”
“N-Nikator?—”
“I want to hear you scream my name.”
