Kori leaned against the dresser and crossed his arms. The bathroom door cracked opened, and Lera’s voice filtered out.
“Rissa, come help me with this bandage.”
He licked his lips and strode to the door. “I’m not Rissa but I’m more than willing to help,” Kori said.
“Kori?” Her question was high-pitched.
“Expecting someone else?”
“No…I just…oh fine,” she huffed. “Get in here.”
He pulled the door open the rest of the way and promptly lost all the air in his lungs. Lera waited in black leather pants, heeled boots, and a white bra that split the enticing brownness of her skin. Not even the faded scars could detract from her beauty. His cock hardened and pressed insistently against his jeans. He could feel the call her figure gave to him, and it wasn’t easy to ignore.
“Well, don’t just stand there. I’m already self-conscious enough with you looking at me. Can you just fix the bandage?”
Kori stepped to her side, and the fresh scent of Lera swarmed him. Her breathing became shallow and fast, her nose flared, and her pupils dilated. “Never feel self-conscious about your body, Lera.” He reached for the bandage and quickly tied it along her upper arm. Finished, Kori didn’t move; he just held her gaze.
“Thank you,” she said.
“By the gods, you are beautiful,” he murmured, skimming her cheek with his knuckles.
Immediately, he saw the walls go up around her, and he could feel her retreating from him. Oh, Lera. I wish I could take away all your painful memories and replace them with nothing but good. He dropped his hand, reached behind him for her shirt and gave it to her.
Lera tugged it on over her head, hiding her succulent body from him. Not that it stopped the desire he had for her. Instead of backing up and giving her more space, Kori closed the distance between them.
“Lera,” he uttered. Her eyes, haunted, met his. “Anáil de mo anam.” Kori kissed her. Allowed his touch to tell her things he wasn’t sure how to voice.
Her whimper tore at his heart. It didn’t take long and she kissed him back. He could feel the desperation in her kiss. The need for a memory of something other than pain.
Back and forth along her tongue his stroked. Kori slid his hands down to cup her ass and pull her tight against him. Lera mewled in the back of her throat and rubbed along his hard shaft. The flames grew to raging within him. She reached up and around his neck, intertwining her fingers into his hair and pressing their mouths together even more.
With a growl, he backed her up to the wall and increased the intensity of the kiss. He nipped at her invading tongue and shuddered when she returned the favor. Moving his hand to the hem of her shirt, he’d just slid beneath it when he heard the door to the room open behind him. This time, his growl was one of frustration. Tamping back his craving for the woman in his arms, Kori removed his hand and ended the kiss. Her gaze met his, a mixture of frustration and need within the brown eyes.
“Rissa’s back,” he whispered.
She licked her lips and nodded. “Tha…thank you for fixing my bandage.”
He raked her with his gaze. “My pleasure.” Kori allowed his fingers to trail over her full lips briefly before he stepped away and walked out to where both Rissa and Cavan were.
The average pencil is seven inches long, with just a half-inch eraser — in case you thought optimism was dead.
