I know I shouldn’t, but as soon as Kerym’s lips meet mine, I melt into him. I’ve been trying for days to remind myself that I left him for a reason. Protheka isn’t kind to people like us, but no matter how many times I told myself that, or that he was probably just using me to pass the time or that his dark nature would come out, I never stopped loving him.
It’s hard for my heart to not understand reality, and having Kerym show up here and treat me the way I’ve always wanted has not made matters better.
Even now, I can’t think of why I shouldn’t want this. It’s like he’s erasing every doubt I’ve ever had. It’s obvious he cares for me now, and I don’t have to worry he won’t love Jasper. And even the concern I had that we won’t be safe together is diminished by his position.
The only thing really holding me back now is fear itself. And I’m not sure how much longer that grip will outweigh the love I have for him.
Because I do love Kerym. I have loved Kerym for years and every time the thought has risen, I’ve pushed it away. But as he pulls me against him, my lips parting as his tongue seeks mine, it’s become too hard to ignore that he ignites a fire not just between my legs but in my soul.
Tasting Kerym is like a breath of fresh air, and I’ve desperately missed him. Even if I refused to say it. I’ve wanted him, but I never thought it was a real possibility.
Until now.
But the second I start to let go, my worries creep in. How could we make this work? Will our lives really mesh in the way I’m imagining or am I just creating heartbreak for myself?
“Layla,” he moans softly, moving from my lips to my jaw. I tilt my head, sighing softly as his teeth scrape just below my ear. “You’re tense.”
I nod slowly, savoring the way his lips feel on my skin. Kerym is the one person who knows my favorite spots, and I haven’t even been letting myself enjoy it.
And for just tonight, I want to enjoy something. I want to enjoy him.
Kerym pulls back as I slowly relax, giving me a coy grin that sends a thrill through my body. He truly is unfairly handsome.
“How often do you swim?” His hands wander down the lean curves of my body, and I, not for the first time, feel a little self conscious of how much I’ve changed since I last saw him. But then his eyes light up as he presses into me, and I realize that I am no less beautiful now than I ever was to him.
I tug my lip through my teeth. “In the ocean? Maybe a handful of times since I’ve moved here. I won’t take Jas into the water.”
He nods, and one hand slowly skims up my side until he’s brushing just my fingertips along my cheek to tuck a lock of my hair back. “You are such a good mom.”
My heart stutters. I don’t think Kerym even sees what he does to me. He’s just being himself, and it’s undoing me.
“But you need time for yourself.” At that, I cock my head, and that mischievous grin is back. “Let’s go for a swim.”
I look back at the water and then to him. “Now?” He nods. A flustered laugh escapes me. “Kerym, I don’t have a swimsuit.”
He weaves a lock of hair around his finger. “That’s not what I asked.”
My cheeks heat, though I doubt he can see it. I haven’t been with anyone but Kerym, and the idea of undressing suddenly feels nerve-wracking. Until his hand slides from from my hip to the small of my back and slips under the hem of my shirt.
“You can stop me if you want,” he breathes, as he tugs at my shirt, and I nod.
His eyes roam my face as he slowly pulls my shirt over my head, and then his gaze dips lower. The way he takes me in, like I am new to him, emboldens me, and I undo my bra, letting it slide down my arms. His eyes bulge as he follows the movement, and I slide my hands up to his chest.
“Come on, Kerym,” I tease in a sultry tone. “I thought we were going for a swim.”
He gulps, his eyes slowly moving back to my face as I undo his tunic, and he helps me slide it off. His abs jump as I move down to his waist band, and he says nothing as I unlace his pants and slide the trousers and underwear off in one go.
He’s rock hard, and heat pools low in my core as I take him in. But then he’s pulling off my pants and lifting me in his arms before I can focus on it for too long.
I squeal as I wrap my legs around his waist and he charges forward into the ocean. The cold water laps at my skin, and I shriek, which only makes Kerym chuckle.
“It’s been a while since I’ve heard you make that sound,” He whispers, and there’s a touch of hesitancy in his words. He doesn’t want to push me, and while I appreciate that, I want him. Ineedhim, and I know we are both dying to make up for lost time.
But my favorite thing about Kerym is we’ve always known how to have fun. So, I splash him as I dart away, daring him into giving chase.
“You’re going to regret that!” He shouts.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” I answer before diving below the surface. The water is thankfully calm right now, and I’m able to move swiftly without the pull of the currents.
But a human is no match for a dark elf, and before I even come up for air, hands grasp my hips. I jerk, trying to rip away from him, but Kerum pulls me against his chest as we surface.
He’s already grinning ear to ear, and I smack his chest. His smile only deepens. “Is that any way to treat your new Lieutenant?” He coos.
My eyes narrow into slits. “Oh, I apologize, sir. I forgot that we must all fall to our knees before you.”
Lust swirls in his eyes. “Not you all. Just you.”
My knees pinch together at the insinuation, and his jaw works. He wants to say something but is holding it back. In an effort to diffuse the situation, I say, “I should have known that you’d get a big head with this position.”
The spark in his eyes burns brighter, but the intent doesn’t seem to shift. Not that I think I want it to. “I knew you’d tease me. Always so fearless, huh, little fire?”
The way he says it transports me back to another time, and I feel the last of my resolve crumble. Kerym has always done that to me, and I’ve never been strong enough to fight the way he makes me feel. Not that I want to be.
“Only when I’m with you,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around his neck tighter and pulling him to me.
His lips meet mine, and I groan into him, shifting so that my legs wrap around his waist. This time, it’s not enough, especially when I feel the tip of his cock brush against my center. I whimper, and Kerym pulls back to look at me.
“Layla?”
“I want you,” I confess breathlessly.
His eyes track my face, his expression deadly serious. “You’re sure?”
The fact that he asks that makes me wetter, and I nod, pulling him back to me. This time when I part my lips, Kerym doesn’t hesitate. He claims me, his hands grasping the underneath of my thighs as he heads for the beach.
I’m lost in his tongue and lips, my hands pulling at his hair, and when my back hits the sand, I don’t even want to pull away. I grind against him, whimpering harshly as I use him to hit my clit.
“Fuck,” he groans, breaking away and looking down at where we’re pressed together. He lifts his head to catch my gaze, and tells me, “Layla, I’ve wanted you for so long. I just…wanted you to know. There wasn’t anyone else…when we were apart.”
My heart pounds so hard I can hear the heartbeat in my ears. To be with Kerym is both freeing and terrifying, but to see him to be so open and honest, something we had avoided before, makes me melt for him.
I wrap my legs tighter around him, reaching up to cup his face. “Kerym, there was never anyone else but you.”
His eyes shine, and I pull him down to me. His kiss is sweet and slow and sensual, and when he shifts, pushing slowly into me, my back arches up off the sand. I stretch around him, taking him in, and Kerym moans softly against me as he settles between my legs.
His head drops, his forehead pressed to my chest as his breath heaves, and when he looks back up at me, his eyes shine with an emotion I wouldn’t have expected. “I missed you so much, my little fire.” I feel like I’m breaking apart in the best way possible. I lift my hand to brush his hair back, and he turns his face to kiss my palm. His voice sounds so broken as he says, “I missed you.”
I pull him to me, his body pressed firmly against mine and our foreheads touching so that I can stare deep into his eyes. “You have me now.”
He nods, and when he kisses me again, it feels different. Every thrust and kiss and desperate whisper hits me so hard, and I don’t know how I ever let Kerym go.
And I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand it when I have to again.
