Kanej

Chapter 13

Kaz

It was late when Kaz left Specht's office and silently slipped into the alleyway behind. He was a long way away from home but he needed the time to do what he did best. Planning and scheming. He had a vague idea, a mere thought and who to better ask for help than his trusted Wraith?.

Kaz felt Inej's presence even before he entered Specht's office, and once again when he left. She had sneakily followed him, and like always, he was able to sense her out. He had an uncanny ability to sense her anywhere. He wondered why she had followed him but he didn't call her out.

And neither did she, although she had to know by now that Kaz was aware of her. If she did, she gave no indication.

They walked silently, he on the ground, she on the rooftops, each lost in their own thoughts. It began to drizzle then, and Kaz walked on, thinking the rain would eventually cease. But there was sudden thunder and a downpour began.

Kaz cursed under his breath and ducked under a shelter, clutching his hat as the rain soaked his clothes, plastering it to his body. He considered staying put for a moment, but he was close enough to home. He began walking as fast as he could, hoping that Inej had made a run for it.

Kaz entered the boardinghouse, half an hour later and soaked to the bone. His teeth chattered and he hoped he hadn't caught a cold. He discarded his hat, coat and shoes by the front door, then hurried to the bedroom. He found Inej in a thin robe, humming to herself as she began lighting candles around the room, her long hair dripping onto her shoulders.

Her robe didn't leave much to the imagination and outlined every curve, every niche of her body. Inej looked up, startled when Kaz entered, shivering and drenched to the core.

'Kaz,' she uttered his name like a prayer and moved towards him. She touched his arm briefly. 'Saints, what were you doing in the rain at this hour?' She didn't wait for an answer and gently tugged on his sleeve.

'You need to have a warm bath or you'll catch a cold'. Kaz allowed her to lead him to the master bathroom, noticing that every time Inej shifted, her skin was exposed. A bare shoulder here, a glimpse of her slender thigh. He could see the outline of her breasts through her robe, and forced his gaze upwards when it registered that she was naked under that slip of a robe. He turned to face her.

The bathroom was engulfed with the smell of lavender and thyme and Kaz paused for a moment and stared hard at Inej, the wheels in his head slowly turning as he began peeling off his clothes. Inej automatically turned her head, offering to run a bath for him and he almost smiled at her bashfulness. Her cheeks were pink and he wondered if it was the warmth of the shower or his half naked body that made her blush.

He refused, saying he would take a shower instead and Inej lingered, frowning when she noticed Kaz's hands were slightly shaking. But she hurriedly left when he began unbuttoning his pants and said softly 'call out if you need anything'.

Kaz emerged from the shower half an hour later, his towel slung low on his hips, his coffee brown eyes thoughtful as he scanned the room. He was warm and the shower had refreshed him. His leg ached at the pain it endured in the rain but it was nothing he wasn't used to.

Inej was laying on her side, hair splayed out as she read a paperback but she closed it shut the instant Kaz walked in. He didn't know if he was disappointed or relieved that Inej had discarded her robe and was now dressed in a sleep shirt. His shirt.

He could feel her eyes probing through his back as he went to the dresser and casually inspected the bottles of fragrances and colognes. His eyes lingered on the rose and sandalwood bottles, the seals were unbroken and the price labels were still on. He gripped the edge of the dresser for a moment, the muscles in his back rippling as he inhaled and turned to Inej.

'Is everything okay, Kaz?' She started to say but Kaz stalked towards her, eyes suddenly dark and predatory as he approached her. Inej swallowed when Kaz towered above her, overwhelming her with his near nakedness as he bent his head towards her. Wet strands of hair clung to Kaz's forehead and Inej had the urge to brush it away.

Kaz's lips hovered over her, barely a centimetre away and he was leaning in so close that Inej was compelled to lean back until she was once again on her back. Her legs voluntarily opened to accommodate Kaz, her soft thighs brushing against his towel as she clutched the sheets. She was so willing, so pliant for Kaz it was as if it were second nature, even though they had never been this close together, and in such a state of undress.

Her eyebrows were concentrated in confusion, eyes asking a million questions but she didn't utter a word when Kaz bent his head towards her hair and breathed in gently. She felt the tip of his nose graze ever so lightly against the side of her neck until he reached the soft spot between her throat and shoulder.

She could feel Kaz's breath ghost over her skin, and could feel him nuzzling her gently. A soft moan slipped from her lips when Kaz slowly, torturously pressed his lips against the very edge of her collarbones.

Kaz jolted at Inej's soft moan. He was severely under-experienced when it came to women and intimacy but he must have done something right if Inej was expressing herself vocally. He stole a glance at her; her eyes were hooded, lips parted in desire as he suddenly reared back, almost stumbling in his haste to create distance between him and Inej.

Inej's eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly, eyes clouded with worry. 'Kaz?' She said questioningly but he didn't answer. He was breathing hard, as if he had endured a strenuous ordeal. He hadn't intended to kiss her. He only meant to... what did he intend to do?

'Lavender'. He choked out, his face suddenly morphing into wonderment for a second. 'You smell of lavenders'.

Inej's look of confusion and perplexity snapped him out of his babbling. He sat next to her, completely unperturbed that he was naked, save for his towel and looked at her intently. 'You smell like lavenders'. He repeated. 'You never used to have a scent before. But you do now'.

Inej, for some unexplained reason suddenly felt a little embarrassed. 'I was clearing out Nina's room and decided to try out her fragrances.' She said, by way of explanation. She bit her lip and glanced at Kaz. 'Do you like it?' She tried to sound casual but her voice betrayed her curiosity.

Kaz looked at Inej with an expression she was all too aware of; the calculating glint in his eyes every time he cocntoed a new scheme. 'If you wanted to know what I was up to, you could have just asked. No need to follow me around, Wraith.'

Inej had the grace to look embarrassed. She blushed hotly, sounding more defensive than she intended to. 'I was going to follow you,' she admitted. 'But I haven't had the chance yet.' She looked at him, eyes narrowing. 'How did you know I was going to tail you?'

Inej had confirmed what had already been on Kaz's mind. He turned away and said quietly, 'I was followed tonight. I assumed it was you but clearly I was mistaken'. Kaz heard Inej's sharp inhale. 'Well, it wasn't me. I was home all night.'

Kaz pondered how easily Inej called the Slat home. Home to Inej was the Slat. And him, he hoped.  He smiled internally before he turned to Inej in all seriousness. 'If it wasn't you, who was it? I think there may be a new Wraith in town. The question is, what am I going to do about it?'

...
Thoughts?