Page 54 of Klaz
“I know enough,” I shot back. “I know you’re so wrapped up in your guilt and your past that you can’t see what’s right in front of you.”
He stalked towards me, every movement radiating barely contained fury. “And what, exactly, is right in front of me?”
I stood my ground, refusing to be intimidated. “Me, you idiot. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere. Not unless you throw me off this ship yourself.”
For a long moment, we stood there, locked in a battle of wills. Then, without warning, Klaz’s expression crumpled.
“Cinta,” he breathed, my name a broken prayer on his lips. “I can’t... I can’t lose you.”
The admission seemed to cost him dearly, and in that moment, I saw past the hardened exterior to the vulnerable core beneath. My anger drained away, replaced by a fierce protectiveness.
“You won’t,” I said softly, reaching out to touch his face. “I’m tougher than I look, remember?”
Klaz leaned into my touch, his eyes closing briefly. When he opened them again, the naked craving nearly took my breath away.
“If you stay,” he said, his voice rough with emotion, “there’s no going back. My life... it’s complicated. Dangerous. You need to understand what you’re getting into.”
I smiled, a genuine smile that felt foreign on my face after so long. “Klaz, complicated and dangerous is my middle name. Well, actually it’s Elora, but that’s not nearly as impressive.”
A surprised laugh escaped him, the sound warming me from the inside out. “You’re impossible, you know that?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, stepping closer. “But admit it - you like that about me.”
His hands came to rest on my waist, gentle but possessive. “I like a lot of things about you, Cinta Elora Longdon.”
The use of my full name nearly undid me. “Oh yeah? Care to elaborate on that?”
Instead of answering, Klaz dipped his head, capturing my lips in a searing kiss. All the pent-up tension, all the fear and longing and frustration of the past few days, poured into that single point of contact. I wound my arms around his neck, pressing myself against the solid wall of his chest.
When he finally let me go I sagged against him. “So,” I said, slightly breathless, “I take it this means you’re not shipping me off at the next port?”
Klaz’s answering smile was a rare and beautiful thing. “No,” he said, pressing his forehead against mine. “I think I’ll keep you around for a while longer.”
“Good,” I replied, pulling him in for another kiss. “Because I’m just getting started.”
KLAZ
The warmth of Cinta’s lips against mine was like a drug, clouding my judgment and setting fire to my instincts. I had known desire before, but nothing like this. It was a wild, untamed thing, clawing at the edges of my control. Her kiss was deep and hungry, pulling me further into the abyss of passion that I had tried so hard to resist.
“You’re playing a dangerous game,” I whispered against her mouth, my voice a low growl.
She pulled back just enough to meet my gaze, a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes. “I’m not playing at all,” she said, her fingers working at the fastenings of her uniform.
The fabric fell away, revealing the smooth expanse of her skin. My breath caught in my throat as she stood before me, her confidence as much of a turn-on as her physical form. She was all curves and softness, a sharp contrast to the hard lines and scars that marked my own body.
“You’re beautiful,” I admitted, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
Cinta laughed, a sound that was both light and sultry. “I know,” she said, shimmying out of the rest of her clothing. She was teasing me, and we both knew it.
The heat of my own desire, a fierce, throbbing need that demanded satisfaction drove me. I moved toward her, my hands reaching out to explore the contours of her body. My lips found the sensitive spot where her neck met her shoulder, and I felt her tremble beneath my touch.
“Klaz,” she murmured.
I responded by nipping at her earlobe, eliciting a gasp from her. “Yes?”
She reached for the fastening of my pants, her fingers deft and sure. “I want to touch you,” she said, her words sending a wave of lust straight to my cock.
I nodded, my ability to form coherent sentences rapidly disappearing. She slid my pants down, freeing my erection. Her hand wrapped around me, her touch light and teasing. I gritted my teeth, fighting back the urge to thrust into her grip.