In My Skin

CH 33 || Drowning

Someone lit up a firework inside of me. It started in my chest, and raced through my veins, all the way down to my toes; like all my nerves short-circuited before going into overdrive.

Oh, God. I was kissing Killian and it was...great. Amazing. Was kissing supposed to be this good?

One of his hands was on my neck while the other wrapped around my waist, gentle, protective. Like I was precious. I never felt precious.

He stopped, his lips hovering above mine. I gasped. What just happened? My thoughts were all mushed. His heart drummed beneath my palm, racing just as much as mine. 

"Shit," he mumbled, resting his forehead against my own. "I—"

My hands slipped around his neck and this time I cut him off with a kiss. His tongue slipped into my mouth and my mind went blank. I arched my back as heat licked at my insides, twirling, and rising until I trembled in his arms. He devoured me with a desperation that made me wonder how long he'd wanted to do this.

My legs shook as desire pooled in my stomach. I felt giddy, nervous, horny, confused—everything at once. The pressure of his strong palms against my back, the warmth of his body, his taste in my mouth, the familiar scent of him. I was drowning in him.

His lips moved to the side of my mouth and his husky voice sent shivers down my back. "Breathe, Princess."

I took a breath.

He shifted me in his arms so that my cheek rested against his shoulder. His hand trailed along my back, up my neck, and over my head. My eyes closed on their own as his fingers spread wide, applying pressure over the base of my nape and behind my ears.

They kept massaging my head, alternating between a gentle fist that tugged on my hair and an open palm that kneaded my scalp. It was like he knew exactly where to touch, where to apply just the right amount of pressure to release the knots and tension that had been building up the last couple of weeks. Each movement sent ripples of pleasure down my spine. The sensation spread through every inch of my body like I was being caressed and soothed at the same time.

It was kind of scary how good it felt.

Killian had magic hands. I didn't know how else to explain it. My limbs just stopped responding, seemingly made out of pudding. Like a photon crossing the event horizon of a black hole, I was stuck with no escape. 

I usually hated when people touched my skin but for some reason, that didn't apply to him. Then again nothing seemed to apply to him. I never liked to argue but he made it so easy. Then he always seemed to pop up at the right time even though I hated relying on others.

Guys usually wanted one thing anyways. But with him it was different. I felt...safe. Like I could be myself.

I didn't know for how long we stayed like this. Time was relative. One second stretched into hours. It could have been hours, still, it is was over way too fast.

The door opened with a loud bang and I jerked as if somebody had doused me with a bucket full of ice water. I automatically pushed at Killian's chest and he stepped back, his hands falling to his side.

Footsteps approached and I jumped down, suddenly panicked. Killian kept his gaze on me, looking as lost as I felt. Before either of us could say anything, Suz rounded the corner, Cody close on her heels.

"There you are," she said. "Let's go. I'm so done with this place." Then she looked between us and came to an abrupt halt, probably noticing the strange atmosphere. 

Killian blinked and his usual mask slipped back in place. I hardened myself but something seemed to squeeze at my heart. I looked away. 

What just happened?