Chapter 134


    Book Two – Ch.# 26


    I awoke to the feeling of Kieran’s finger lightly tracing a pattern on my back.


    It was delicate, and yet I could feel the sparks follow wherever he touched, leaving a trail of warmth


    behind as he moved. It felt so nice that I could have easily fallen back to sleep again right then and


    there.


    “Good morning,” he said quietly behind me. My change in breathing must have given me away.


    But it was certainly a good morning, indeed. A very, very good morning. My body ached in all the right


    ways, the night’s exercise being a workout that scratched every itch imaginable. I was exhausted… yet


    so energised at the same time.


    “…’Morning,” I mumbled. I took a deep breath in and stretched my body out, feeling the full extent of


    my aches. However, unbeknownst to me, this was apparently an unspoken cue… because Kieran


    immediately moved in closer to encircle my body, holding me as weid on our sides. And I turned my


    head to look up at him, meeting those hazel eyes. At some pointst night, we had made it into the


    bed… though most of our clothes had unfortunately not survived the battle. A noble sacrifice, if I ever


    saw one. But it meant we were nowpletely bare as our skin touched, the heat of his body fully


    surrounding me.


    …Knowledge that was enough to elicit a small stir of excitement inside me. “Don’t tempt me,” he said


    jokingly, leaning down to kiss my cheek. He must have realised what I was thinking without me having


    to say it.


    But… maybe I wanted to tempt him. Maybe that was exactly what I wanted to do.


    …And I captured his lips before he had the chance to pull away, kissing him slowly… enjoying the


    feeling of his mouth against mine.. sparks fluttering through me..


    Last night’s urgency had been a necessity, a desperation that was inevitable, but it had also meant I


    couldn’t really take my time. Like a fine wine being consumed as a shot, rather than appreciated in


    sips. And he was the finest of wines I’d ever met.


    His arm then moved around me more, a hand sliding up to my breast and, ever so gently, he started to


    tease the skin there. Sending my mind into a haze and forcing a small gasp from my lips.


    He’d told me not to tempt him and yet he’d conceded so easily. Giving in without any fight whatsoever.


    Already, I could sense his own obvious excitement, feeling as it began to press against my thighs,


    begging for entrance. Which was a request I was powerless to deny him.


    …And I promptly allowed for him to slide his length through, grinding along my sensitive lower flesh


    from the outside.


    His thrusts were gentle, creating just enough friction between my thighs that hit the perfect spot. But


    there was no need to rush, no desire to move quickly. Just the two of us enjoying the proximity of the


    other. Lost in the moment of being together as we slowly kissed.


    Only, soon enough, the rhythm building between us demanded more.


    I pulled away from him a bit, just enough to nt a peck on his cheek, and silently told him with my


    eyes that it was time. …And with his hand working its way down my body, I felt as he then readjusted…


    and proceeded to push his length inside me.


    I was still sore from the night before, but his movement was tender, slowly moving in to give me ample


    time to adjust. Yet the sensation still made me softly pant regardless, needing a few seconds before the


    pleasure could rece the pain.


    He watched me carefully as he entered, his eyes sensing for any difort. But he didn’t need to


    worry for long. No, it only took a moment before a quiet moan left me, my mind relishing the feeling of


    his body joining with mine. A state that felt right, as if this was how we belonged


    “Kieran…,” I sighed.


    His pace started to increase at the sound of my enjoyment, building that pressure as I felt every thrust.


    It was forceful, yet still gentle, a clear contrast to the events ofst night, though this didn’t detract from


    the experience in the slightest. No, as I vividly felt his body move within me, I felt just as lost in his


    embrace.


    … Just as consumed by everything he offered me.


    His teeth nibbled at my ear as he held me firmly against his chest, and I knew then that I was reaching


    that point soon. The point of bliss. But… there was something that would make this perfect, recalling


    the earlier discovery I’d made.


    Exclusive content from N?velDrama.Org.


    And, with a quick movement, I brushed my hair away from my neck… and presented myself to him.


    Hoping he would get the hint. However… this didn’t go as nned.


    Rather than do what I expected, he immediately paused instead. The opposite of what I’d wished for…


    and I looked up curiously to meet his eyes. Eyes that were now dark orbs staring back, the animal-like


    gaze returning.


    “Kieran?” I asked quietly.


    It was weird for him to stop so abruptly that I wondered if I’d done something wrong. But at the sound of


    my voice, it was as if he came back to his senses.


    His lips twitched into a half-smile and he chuckled lightly to himself, nting a kiss on the very spot I’d


    craved his teeth. “I swear…,” he said under his breath, shaking his head. “You have no idea what


    you’re actually asking for.” It sounded almost as if he were trying to tell himself that very thing too.


    And though I wanted to ask what he meant, he quickly stole the words from my mouth with another


    thrust… and I decided the question could probably wait.


    His pace and force increased significantly from before as we resumed, a new energy sparking that I


    hadn’t expected. It seemed he had other ideas for how we would proceed, ones that held new urgency.


    With one, quick motion, he then pushed me onto my front, his thrusts barely stopping in the adjustment.


    I could feel the weight of his body on top of me now, his chest against my back…


    276


    his legs enclosing mine…. It stirred a whole new type of excitement within me as Iid helpless under


    him, gripping onto the sheets firmly as I moaned out in pleasure.


    I was close. I was so damn close. And he was too.


    His breath turned into grunts in unison with my moans, his pace bing more aggressive, and, just


    when I thought things couldn’t possibly feel any better… his hand then found its way between my


    thighs… his fingers rubbing at the perfect ce….


    …And I instantly came undone around him.


    A strangled cry of bliss left me, my body shaking violently. I could feel the waves of electricity shooting


    through my entire body, sending me into a haze of gratification; an unparalleled experience.


    And he hit his own moment of release just seconds after mine. I could hear as his groan filled my ears,


    his hands grabbing onto me roughly wherever he could.


    …And it was perfect.


    We ended up lying in each other’s arms for a long time after that, silently enjoying the proximity of the


    other. I had never been allowed to be so close to someone like this before and so I didn’t want to waste


    a minute of it. Not even a second.


    It was almost strange to picture what my father would think right now, seeing me this way. He would


    probably call me weak or be possessive over my attention. Either option would lead down a path


    of pain for me. A path I would rather avoid.


    As Iid with my thoughts, Kieran had resumed his tracing of patterns on my back. So intently fixated


    on it. Almost as if it were an important task to draw the little imaginary lines with his finger, leaving the


    sparks where he touched.


    But the focus held some difort for me too. And though I couldn’t exactly ce the feeling, I


    assumed it was to do with what I knew he could see.


    “I like your tattoo,” he finally said.


    And I squirmed a little in response.


    It was of a small raven I’d had done when I was younger. A reminder to myself of who I was… and who


    I would always be. A way to never forget my ce.


    …My ce as my father’s raven. I was slowly beginning to loath the name now. It was something I’d


    felt since arriving; the uneasiness whenever someone addressed me. A reminder of my invisible cage.


    “….Raven?”


    I flinched.


    Almost as if on cue, Kieran had called to me. I realised my silence had probably been odd, however the


    timing couldn’t have been worse.


    Hearing him call me that now felt… wrong.


    That name was for my assignments, for when I was working… it was a branding on my soul from my


    father. All of which were things I didn’t want to connect with Kieran. No, I refused to associate those


    things with him anymore.


    …Besides, he made it feel as though I didn’t need to be Raven here. That… I had a choice.


    “Are you okay?”


    He leaned over my shoulder to meet my eyes and I bit my lip, conflicted.


    “What’s wrong?” he asked.


    How was I meant to say this?


    “I, ah…,” I started, hesitating. “I don’t…. I don’t want you to call me Raven anymore.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “I mean… I can tolerate others saying it… but not you. I don’t want to hear the reminder from


    you.”


    He understandably seemed confused by the request, but he could tell it was important to me. Enough


    to thankfully not ask the painful questions I was hoping to avoid. But he paused nheless, appearing


    unsure. “Okay… well… what would you like me to call you then?”


    Oh. Right …I hadn’t thought that far ahead. It was the only name I’d known for so long that it was hard


    to think of something else, something that would feel like… me.


    I suppose there was always “How about… Rae?” he offered, interrupting my chain of thought. “I


    overheard your work colleague call you that on the phone.”


    And at the sound of the nickname from his lips, a flutter of butterflies filled me.


    It was a surprising reaction to even myself, thinking that I had despised being called that from Zac. Yet


    somehow when he said it, it felt right.


    “…Say it again,” I said, turning over to look at him better.


    He stared down at me affectionately before nting a kiss on my cheek. “…Rae,” he repeated quietly.


    It sent a shiver through me, his warm breath tickling my ear.


    “…I like the sound of that,” I said, a smile slowly spreading across my lips.


    And he proceeded to repeat it to me several times, forcing an outburst of giggling from myself until I


    had to beg him to stop. Which he, of course, ignored. It took a pillow being thrown at him before he


    finally conceded.


    But I wasn’t upset in the slightest. No, in fact, I couldn’t be happier. …Which was why I was


    disappointed when he then got out of bed. “As much as I would love toy around with you all day,” he


    said, reaching for his pants. The


    only garment of his that survived. “I, unfortunately, am expected at training. Not that I would need the


    additional workout after all of this. But s, I have responsibilities.”


    At the mention of… strenuous activity, I felt an urge to start up a different sort of workout between us


    again. But he quickly shut the idea down with a stern look and a ‘no’, all before I could even open my


    mouth. Well… couldn’t me a girl for trying.


    Though… I really wouldn’t mind doing some real exercise. It had been a while since I’d done training


    with Gavin and, whilst I didn’t care for the man himself, I did enjoy the feeling of pushing my body.


    “Could Ie with you?” I asked. “It would be good to maintain something from my routine whilst I’m


    here. A little normality in my life.”


    But the question was met was far more hesitation than I expected. He looked… ufortable.


    “Ahhh… I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” he said. “Besides, you’re still recovering from the


    suppressors.”


    “That didn’t stop me from almost beating you in a fightst week,” I pointed out.


    Apparently, that fact didn’t seem to help much with easing his worries. “I’ll be free again in a few hours,”


    he said. “We can do some private training then instead. Just the two of us.”


    And though I was a little reluctant to agree, I nodded my head anyway. It was most likely another one of


    those social ‘pack’ things I didn’t understand yet.


    “Hey… don’t look at me like that,” he said, walking back over to hold my face. “I’ll make it up to you, I


    promise.”


    A deal which was then sealed with a slow kiss, making me melt under his touch. It was an unfair move


    to pull, but I allowed it.


    “This afternoon,” I said, repeating it to him.


    And he nodded in confirmation.


    “What did you want to do until then?” he asked. “I could… have someone bring you breakfast and…


    some clothes.” We both then turned to look at the pile of torn remains that was once my dress. One of


    only two nice dresses I’d brought with me, my suitcase having limited space. “Ah… I’ll have someone


    come by to help you buy a new one,” he said.


    …I quickly agreed.


    Within the half-hour after Kieran had left, I’d had a shower and changed into some clothes that an


    attendant had brought me from my room. I had initially thought that she would be the one to take me to


    the shops so I could buy a new dress.


    But… I had been wrong.


    I had been so very wrong.


    Because the person who then appeared at the door, a smile and peppy attitude in tow...


    …Was Allison.


    “Ready to go shopping?” she asked. Goddammit.