Consumed » Kai Parker

Fifty One

"I'll take it," he rasps out through a yawn, adjusting himself to be more comfortable under the blankets and bringing my body flush against his.

I brush my lips over the crook of his neck and crane my head upward to kiss the underside of his jaw, over his throat, and working my way up leisurely to his cheek and nose. Despite his shut lids, an adorable half-grin tugs at one side of his mouth during my affectionate ministrations. More thunder sounds outside and neither of us start at the sound, safely enveloped in each other.

I run my hand up his jaw, sliding my thumb over his slightly pouted lower lip. While his eyes stay closed, I take the opportunity to examine the rest of his still features and intake the bags under his eyelids with worry. Whatever torturous images plagued him moments ago had been occurring most of the night if his exhausted exterior is any evidence to go by. The sight twists around my heart painfully.

He doesn't look like he's in any state to be traveling to Portland for the day, dealing with his hardheaded coven members. But I know voicing this thought will only result in a scoff from Kai, who's always admirably yet irritably certain that he can handle anything no matter the circumstances.

Instead, I cuddle as close to him as possible, because a stubborn section of my brain that occasionally avoids basic rationale is convinced that the less distance I put between us, the less there's a chance of more bad dreams and life-sucking potions targeting him.

"Before I forget..." His voice is clear as ever in the complete quiet aside from the rain, still laced with huskiness. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Shoot." I lightly slap a hand to my forehead. "That slipped my mind for a second." I throw him a sheepish smile and he's smirking at me. "Happy Valentine's Day, Kai. Your first real one. How's it feeling so far?"

"Mm, pretty good." The hand that's not loosely running through my curls flexes over my hip, inching to the small of my back. "Though I do feel like I was supposed to do something more extravagant. You know, like in all those movies, where the guy fills the room with roses–which I never got by the way; aren't they all just going to die?–and there's usually a candlelit dinner and walk on the beach, or something equally corny and dumb."

He cocks his head uncertainly, eyeing me. "Uh...unless you actually are into things like that? Then, I guess I can give it a shot–"

I laugh, shaking my head and kissing his cheek. When I pull away, his eyes are shining, a rosy hue to his complexion. "Don't worry about any of that. Right now, laying with you is perfect."

Kai's face breaks out into a grin, his brilliant white teeth on full display. Pushing myself up on one elbow, I nudge him to lay flat on his back before throwing one leg over his torso and straddling his waist. My hands slide gradually up his chest, his muscles flexing under my exploring fingers.

Peeking up at his face, I'm struck senseless by how heart achingly handsome my boyfriend looks laying beneath me. With dark hair tousled messily on his head, a lazy smile tugs at one corner of his pink lips and half-lidded eyes gaze up at me sensually through his lashes. This time, when another loud clap of thunder booms outside, I don't even flinch, too caught up in his irresistible pull.

He's unnervingly beautiful. And he's mine.

The thought brings a small smile to my lips and he tilts his head, eyeing me curiously.