MALAKAI (The 'Mala Series' book 1)

ct-15 No more fretting

"Let me decide if I want to be with some lord or prince somewhere Kai." She rested her head on the headboard and closed her eyes. "I didn't plan to feel this way about you, but I do anyways." She lifted her head again and looked to Kai.

"I'm bad news." Kai said. It wasn't just about the fact she was a princess. It was his past. A past he could not share with her, because then she would hate him. And she would possibly be in danger too.

She took one of his hands, leaned in and looked into his eyes.

"If bad news makes my day feel so good, then I want it everyday." She said.

Kai couldn't stop his eyes from going to her lips. If he leaned in another inch, he could claim those soft, faint pink, luxurious looking lips. His palm in hers, her skin against his. He was losing restraint.

Then she looked at his lips, and that was all the approval he needed. He leaned in and kissed her. She almost immediately opened up for him. He had started the kiss but he let her lead. Because she needed to feel in control of something.

She explored his mouth with her tongue. Then she cupped his cheek as he put his hand to her waist. Then she was kneeling on the bed. Kai groaned as the kiss became more feral. She echoed it.

Then she was pulling him to the bed gently without breaking the kiss. And soon he was on top of her. She ran her hands down his chest and bicep. Her breast pushed against him and she was grinding against him.

She was going to drive him mad. Her body was perfect in form. Did being a princess automatically make you a perfection? She was luring him and was slowly reaching the hard of him. It took all his strength not to grab every alluring part of her too.

Instead he stopped.

"Wait wait." Kai said. They were already panting.

"What?" She said, her need visible. It was so pleasing how feral she looked at this moment.

"I don't want to do this with you right now." Kai said.

"Are you sure? You look like you want to eat me." she said with a teasing smile.

"Well you look delicious." Kai said. She grinned and wanted to kiss him again. "But..." Kai said lifting his head with a smile, which made her drop her head and glare cutely.

"I want to do this with you when you're sure this is what you want. Not when you're riding on all these emotions. Emotions can cloud our thinking." Kai said.

"I do want this Kai." She said with an assuring smile. "But I can tell you're hesitant, so to soothe you, we can wait."

Kai was hesitant, because he was scared how all this would turn out if she eventually found out he was one of the cadre of eight. Would she look at him as Kai or as a murderer who lured her to bed?

Kai smiled at her then sat up before he changed his mind. He got up from the bed as she sat up on it.

"So." Kai said "I should get get going."

There was a knock on the room door before Katherine could speak.

"Lady princess." Julia's voice called. "I had hoped you'd be ready to eat now."

"You haven't eaten?" Kai said, giving her a look. Katherine just shrugged.

"Come In Julia." she said.

Julia opened the door and came in with a tray of food. She looked between Kai and Katherine. Then at the bed that was now roughed up by their act of reconciliation. She dropped the food on the bed and smiled faintly.

"I thought to bring food for you too Guardian. Estella told me your food was untouched when she went to gather the dishes." Julia said.

It was Katherine's turn to give Kai a look. Kai shrugged.

"I'll leave you two alone." Julia said then left the room.

"Come sit Guardian." Katherine said, then slid down to the edge of the bed, sitting beside the tray of food. Kai sat on the other side of the tray. Then they began eating.

They talked occasionally while eating. About books she had read and weapons he could use. About the elf still being interrogated in the dungeon. And about her uncle. Her mood always dipped when her uncle was brought up.

It was so easy to talk to her. He didn't feign interest when she talked about her books. He genuinely loved how she prattled about the works of several authors. And she told him she wanted to learn to wield a sword someday. He would gladly train her.

A while later, Julia had packed the plates and brought strawberries. Kai was feasting on them.

"You sure like strawberries." Katherine said.

"Yeah I do." he said with another mouthful of strawberries. She giggled at him.

After a while, he got up.

"I should take my leave." Kai said

"It's pretty late." Katherine said, pushing some of her hair behind her ear. Kai raised his eyebrow in question.

"I think kidnapping me would prove difficult." Kai said.

"Proud ass." Katherine said. "Just stay Kai."

"What about people spreading rumors?" Kai asked.

"I'm fine with that." she said with a smile.

So Kai slept in her room. She lay her head on his chest and he brushed her hair till she fell asleep.

Kai could have sworn that in his nightmares that night, Mara's face which usually had a look of anguish was smiling at him.