These Violent Delights

Chapter 29: You Like It

The Supreme Leader was exhausted.

Still breathing heavily from his afternoon run, Kylo leaned forward and rested his palms on the kitchen counter. The lights cast a soft glow on his scar-ridden back as he tilted his head to the left to peer through his bedroom door. As he searched for any signs of life, he felt a bead of sweat roll down his bare chest, getting caught on the waistband of his black joggers that hung lowly around his hips. His lip twitched into a frown when there was no movement in the bed. While he had been up for hours now, Kitten still hadn't stirred.

And she hadn't all night. Kylo would know; he had only gotten an hour's worth of sleep, if that. Whenever he did doze off, he'd jolt awake, his mind still reeling from the breakthrough he had with her on the balcony. Each time he'd rouse, he'd think it was all a dream, no, a nightmare, taunting with something he could never have: Kitten. But then, she'd shift beside him, snuggling against his chest, and he'd be slapped in the face with reality—she did want him. And that changed everything, he just didn't know how yet.

Looking down at his hands, Kylo worked on steadying his breathing as he drummed his fingers against the countertop. Last night had been a stride in the right direction, but it still complicated the fuck out of things. And to think that he almost did the unthinkable and told her that he loved her? He was still processing that one, and if she hadn't cut him off with a kiss when she did, it would have been too late. He would have said those three little words that a monster like him had no right to say. He didn't deserve love; he didn't want love, seeing as how the distraction cost him the diseased kyber crystal.

Closing his eyes, Kylo took a deep breath. Besides the low-priority dissolution of the Kanjiklub, the entire mission had been a waste of time. He had been too preoccupied trying to accept that he was in love with his fucking prisoner to make a move. The mission had failed because the Supreme Leader failed. He misjudged the situation. In fact, he didn't judge the situation at all. The moment he realized he had let his enemies procure the one thing that could destroy him, Kylo decided it was time to let her go. He finally accepted that she had distracted him for far too long.

Once he no longer sensed the crystal in his proximity, the decision had been instantaneous, crashing over him like a tidal wave. The very thought of it tore him apart. He knew Kitten had expected to be punished for her foiled escape attempt during the siege in the city yesterday, but Kylo had been so distraught at the prospect of never seeing her again, he let her sneak away to her quarters with the assumption she had escaped his wrath.

He had the whole thing planned out. He'd wait for her to fall asleep, then slip into her room and leave a wad of credits by her bedside table—with a banana to remember him by—and depart Cantonica without her. She'd wake up whenever the booze wore off, and the moment she realized the First Order was gone, she'd be gone. She'd move on, find a new home and push everything unpleasant between them deep down inside her, forgetting he had ever existed. Kylo wouldn't have that same luxury, but he would at least be focused again. He could resume doing what he had to do as the Supreme Leader of the galaxy without ever making a fool out of himself again.

But later, per her request, Vicrul brought her to his room. To Kylo's room. And the rest was history.

Kylo pushed himself off the counter and turned around, grabbing the tea kettle and placing it on the stove. Too preoccupied with this foreign feeling, he was on autopilot as he ignited the flame to bring the water to a boil. He didn't know what to do. He felt stuck—he couldn't deny that he loved her, but he also couldn't act on it either. Not when they had just stepped onto less-shaky ground. It left him no choice but to take a page from Kitten's book and do what was necessary to survive: push it down. Ignore it until it no longer could stay quiet within him. Suppress it, and keep his head on straight to avoid another colossal fuck-up.

With a forceful exhale, Kylo kept his eyes on the teapot, letting the low gurgle of the rolling water quiet his mind. He called upon the Force for assistance, reinforcing his strategy to put distance between him and the attachment he had to his prisoner. He wouldn't destroy his feelings toward her, but he wouldn't feel them. Not now. Maybe not ever. But he didn't need to think about that, not when the kettle was about to whistle and fill the kitchen with steam, serving two purposes: chamomile tea and a wake-up call for his girl.

Three, two, one. Like he had a sixth sense or something silly like that, the water reached a boil, emitting a high-pitched whine. Besides the slight twitch of his eye, Kylo didn't move.

"What in the actual fuck," Kitten mumbled from his bed, voice thick with sleep.

There she is. "Good afternoon," he said, taking the whistling pot off the flame. After placing a tea bag in a mug and filling it with hot water, Kylo strode out of the kitchen to the bedroom. "I made you tea."

"Shhhhhh," she hushed as he approached, placing a pillow over her face. From underneath, she gave him a smothered, oh-so-chipper reply. "Inside voices only. It's early."

Kylo's lip twitched down. "It's three in the afternoon."

She groaned. "Like I said, it's early."

He sighed, setting the tea beside her. "Need something for that headache, Kitten?"

She groaned again, and Kylo took that as a yes. With a smirk, he turned toward the refresher to snag a pain reliever and a jar of water, returning to his grumpy companion. "Here," he said, Force-throwing the pillow off her face. "Sit up."

"Hey," she whined, "I was using that."

When she sat up in all her hungover glory, Kylo resisted the urge to laugh. Her makeup was smudged under her eyes, her hair was sticking up in different directions, and to top it all off, she had the intricate design of the lace pillowcase imprinted on her face. She looked like she was hit by a speeder.

"You look...lovely."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're being sarcastic."

"How perceptive of you." He held out the water and medicine. "Take this."

She reached for it, the comforter ruffling around her as she gave a mumbled response. "Thanks."

After taking the pills, she exchanged her glass of water for the steaming cup of tea. She settled back into bed as she kept the mug close to her chest. She blew on it and began to take a drink, giving Kylo a moment to drink her in. Not only was she disheveled, but her skin tone lacked its normal color, and the bags under her eyes looked permanent. Honestly, he thought she could benefit from a bacta treatment, but good old-fashioned soap and water would have to do.

"Bath or shower?" he asked, breaking away from the bed. His question went unanswered as he made his way across the room. At first, he thought she was ignoring him just to be a pain in the ass, but once he threw her an impatient glance, he realized the real reason she hadn't responded—she was too distracted eyeing his bare chest. Kylo cleared his throat with exaggerated force.

"Huh?" she said, snapping her gaze to him. When he just looked at her, raising a slow brow, she was quick to shake her head, flustered as she put her tea down. "Oh, uh...bath, please."

Amused, Kylo watched as she swung her feet off the side of the bed and stood up. Yawning, she raised her arms to stretch, his shirt he had slipped on her last night rising to reveal a delectable view of her ass. Hunger tore through him, a sensation so strong, he had to commit to turning away to step into the refresher. The Supreme Leader didn't know what would happen between them now that they weren't actively trying to kill one another, but he did know one thing—before they fucked, he had a surprise for her.

As he kneeled to draw her bath, Kylo heard Kitten mosey her way into the refresher. "Hey, Kylo?"

"Hm?"

"I gotta question for you."

He frowned. He hated when people prefaced a question by announcing they had a question. "Then ask it."

"Why are we still here?" she asked, hoisting herself up on the counter with a clunk. "Didn't you and your knights kill all the Kanjiklub guys, and didn't the Resistance get the crystal?"

Kylo tensed. "Yes."

She stayed silent, and he knew she was waiting for a more detailed response, but the Supreme Leader kept his back to her as he ran his hand beneath the stream of water. He wasn't feeling particularly chatty about their Canto Bight assignment. He didn't want to openly admit that he was a failure, or disclose the itty-bitty detail that his feelings for her had sabotaged his ability to think clearly. Again.

"Okay then..." Kitten started as she swung her feet against the cabinets below the counter, making a small yet obnoxious sound over and over again. "If we aren't leaving yet, is there another mission I don't know about?"

"No," he said, pushing himself off his feet and turning to face her. He glanced her up and down before moving to leave the refresher. "Lunch will be here when you're finished."

"Wait, Kylo." Kitten latched a hand out, curling around his arm. He turned to her, studying the sudden nervousness highlighting her features. "If this is going to be a thing..." she started, looking down and hesitating before linking gazes again, "if you and I are going to be a thing, I need to know—are you really going to blow up the Resistance base?"

Kylo gave a quick, curt response. "Yes."

She took a deep breath, her shoulders dropping as her grip on him dissipated. "Is there anything I can say to change your mind?"

"No."

Kitten was silent for a moment before speaking with a tinge of hope. "Well, did you mean it when you said you'll give them a chance to surrender?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise?"

After stepping inside her memories last night, he almost expected her to put her pinky out. "Yes, I promise."

She nodded, pushing herself off the countertop and heading toward the steaming bath. "Well, whatever this is, it doesn't change anything, you know," she said, her back to him as she took off his shirt. After it fell to the floor, she looked at him from over her shoulder, a sly smile touching her lips. "Just because I want to fuck you, doesn't mean I will submit to you or the First Order."

Kylo leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms against his chest as he leisurely dragged his eyes down the length of her body. "I didn't expect you to."

Her smile deepened as she turned to face him, revealing her exposed chest. Kylo swallowed. She looked perfect, fuckingstunning. And the longer he stared, the more amused she became—in her head, she had him wrapped around her finger. Little did she know that by the end of the night, he'd have her lips wrapped around his cock.

"Good," she cooed, hooking her thumbs in her underwear and pulling them down at an agonizingly slow pace. Once they were around her ankles, she stepped out of them, using her foot to toss them aside. "And I won't be nice to you."

"I would hate it if you were," he muttered distractedly, feasting on the sight of her naked body as she approached him. There were many, many things Kylo wanted to do to her right now, but he didn't want to begin. Not yet.

Before she could get any closer, he pushed himself off the doorframe and stood directly in front of her, bringing her to a halt. Tilting his face down to admire her frame, he turned his head to the left and right, letting out an appreciative sigh at the piece of artwork standing before him. She stepped closer, placing a palm on his bare chest, and his hands found her shoulders, gliding them down the length of her arms as he got on one knee.

Kitten's chest heaved as he kneeled before her, her hands finding the top of his head. He knew what she wanted, and Kylo would be a filthy liar if he said he didn't want to hoist her leg up over his shoulder right here and now to kiss her pretty little cunt until she came on his face. But the Supreme Leader had a plan, and for the first time since he landed on Canto Bight, he would stick to his fucking plan. Even if it meant majorly cockblocking himself in the process.

After a long moment of admiring her nude body, he reached for her panties and got to his feet. Confusion flickered across her face as she stepped back, watching him with curiosity as he balled them up in his hand. He pressed them against his nose, shamelessly pulling in a deep breath as his eyelids closed, her scent instantly making him hard.

"You're disgusting," Kitten muttered, but when he opened his eyes, the look of greedy fascination on her face told him another story.

With another inhale, Kylo crumpled up her underwear and put them in his pocket. He eyefucked her one last time before turning away. "You like it," is all he offered, taking his exit from the refresher. "Hurry up. There's a booth waiting for us at Pryka's."