Page 212 of Interion

“Zion!” I called out impulsively. I simply couldn't watch him walk away.

He turned, curious and surprised to hear me call his name, almost as if he needed to confirm the sound had really come from me and wasn't just in his head. Zion straightened and squared his shoulders, as if composing himself or preparing for battle. He said nothing; only a pleading silence stretched between us as he looked at me.

“I need to say something,” I blurted out before losing my courage. My heart was pounding against my chest. I watched him take a deep breath before saying:

“I'm listening.”

“I want to apologize to you.”

I watched shock flash across his eyes, but only for a split second. I turned to face him before continuing:

“I shouldn't have bitten you, but it was a reflex—by the time I realized what I was doing, it had already happened. I didn't mean to dominate you. And I shouldn't have thrown knives at you either. I'm not going to pretend that what I felt was less than it was, or that you're completely right. But you explained, and I understand, even if I don't fully accept it. Still, none of that was reason enough for me to get so furious. As soon as I calmed down, I realized my mistake; I was just too proud to say the words when my heart was still so hurt. I'm not justifying it, just explaining.”

I said it all at once, afraid the words would catch in my throat and I'd lose my courage. I noticed a new brightness in those blue-green eyes, but I continued pouring my heart into what came next, because I wanted him to feel and understand how sorry I was. How much I wanted to change this situation.

“Forgive me, Zion.”

He swallowed hard before saying anything, but his eyes held mine. He looked like a predator sizing up its prey, ready to strike at any small slip.

I was as anxious as I was afraid.

“So, what do you want, Kyller?”

I knew I could just say it, but I remembered what he'd said the night before, and then I took a step forward, toward him. The most decisive step of my life.

“I want you, Zion.”

He seemed to forget about the umbrella as he strode toward me with purpose until he stopped in front of me. I was at the top of the small staircase, and he stood two steps below, looking up at me. It didn't take many steps, but still, it seemed to take an eternity, as if he were moving in slow motion. When he finally stood before me and we were at the same height, I wasn't as prepared as I thought I'd be. His scent overwhelmed my senses, the weight of his gaze overpowered me, and I felt enveloped by his presence.

Before he could touch me, I took another step forward, descending one step and closing the distance between us. Still holding his gaze, I felt him place his hands on my hips, then slide them up along my sides, settling around my waist and circling it gently, as if he were afraid I might disappear at any moment. All my attention was on his hands, even though my eyes remained fixed on the ocean of his.

It was a small but welcome surprise when he raised his right hand and I felt him touch my jaw, leaving a trail of fire as his fingers traced up to my hair. His eyes left mine for a second, as if he couldn't help but admire what his fingers were touching, but it was so quick that they soon returned. Cupping my face with his left hand, Zion threaded his fingers into my hair, sending a shiver through me, while his thumb tenderly grazed my cheek. I could see the moment he decided not to wait any longer. His approach, though slow, was intense and completely assured. He kept his eyes open, fixed on my mouth as he drew closer, as if asking permission to continue, as if pleading for it. I closed my eyes, feeling his breath tease out each second of that eternity.

When Zion's lips touched mine—soft, sure, and decisive—it was as if my entire existence had been shaped for that moment. As if I, Kyller, had been created from the same mold as the man before me. As if we were made of the same substance and belonged to each other. He moved his lips to capture my lower lip, pulling gently. I could taste him, something I'd dreamed about for years, and I could only think that my dreams hadn't done this moment justice. If happiness had a taste, it would be Zion's kiss. He coaxed my mouth open and his tongue swept in as if trying to prove to any god in the universe that I was his. That he was mine, equally.

I took a deep breath as a feeling of territorial possession washed over me. Euphoric, I slid my hands up to his chest while meeting his tongue with my own. I felt myself coming apart under this new touch. It was intimate and so pleasurable it defied the laws of physics. The moment our tongues met, Zion shuddered—a tremor I could feel against my own skin. I sensed something had awakened in him. There was nothing romantic or delicate about it anymore.

Zion pressed my body against his with the hand already wrapped around my waist. His other hand, which had been on my face, slid down to grab my ass and lift me off the ground. I felt his fingers digging into my skin, as if trying to get beneath it, and I knew it would leave marks—but I wanted them. I wanted so much more. I wanted everything. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he lifted me and climbed the stairs. Then he pinned me against the front door, his tongue invading, provoking, urging me to give more, to lose control just as he was losing his. Zion kissed me fiercely, seeming to want to crush me against that door with every thrust of his tongue. And I melted under his exploration.

I heard a click behind me, and Zion carried me inside. I only realized we'd entered because the wind from outside had stopped. Moments later, I felt him set me down on a smooth, firm surface. Then came the sounds of wood and metal clattering to the floor, and I knew it was the knife block from the counter.

He seemed to be waging war with my tongue, as if trying to extract everything I could be and feel, as if finally claiming ownership of something that was his by right. His hands explored my bare legs; my skirt had ridden up and bunched around my hips. When I ran out of breath, I turned my mouth away, and he lowered his lips to my jaw, trailing deep, dizzying kisses around my face until he reached the spot just below my ear. There, he seemed even more emboldened, more at ease. Every touch of his lips and tongue made me forget my name, who I was, where I was, what I was supposed to do. Zion blazed a trail of maddening kisses down my neck, drawing gasps and moans from me that I never would have believed myself capable of making. All I could think about was touching him. I wanted to feel him against my fingers, against my body. I wanted everything, just like he did—I wanted to get under his skin, to lose myself in his feelings and especially his thoughts.

I started tugging at his suit jacket, and with surprising ease, Zion tossed it aside while I worked at the stubborn knot of his tie. He tried to help me with his shirt, fumbling with the buttons, but I decided to skip them entirely—I grabbed the fabric and ripped it open from top to bottom, right along the row of buttons. I couldn't get the shirt off completely, but his chest was now exposed for my fingers to explore freely, which was exactly what I craved. The tie, though loosened, still hung around his neck, but at least it didn't stop me. Zion returned to my neck, trailing kisses down the center of it, descending along my throat and claiming the collarbone exposed by my shirt. I pressed my palms flat against the skin of his abdomen, trying to feel as much of him as possible. Soon I heard him panting, and then I felt my own shirt being yanked open. The pearl buttons scattered across the floor in every direction. I looked down just in time to see myself exposed to Zion's gaze. Only my bra shielded me from his eyes, and being entirely black lace, it hid practically nothing. I gasped—consciously, for the first time—and felt my face flush. His eyes devoured every freckle scattered across my skin. He must have noticed the color rising to my cheeks, because a moment later Zion took my chin and gently tilted my face up to meet his gaze.

“You are incredibly beautiful,” he murmured, his voice so hoarse I could barely make out the words.

It felt like someone was screaming inside my head.

His lips found mine again before I could think or respond, before I could decide to hide from him. The frenzy that had overtaken me surged back with full force, making me forget everything else as his mouth claimed mine at last. By the gods, Zion was kissing me. My mind was a whirlwind of sensations and images, but the screams in the back of it still persisted. He lifted me from the kitchen counter and carried me through the living room, sitting down on the sofa and settling me onto his lap. The moment he shifted beneath me, my body slid into place, fitting perfectly over his hips. That's when I moaned into his mouth. All of Zion's length and thickness pressed firm beneath me, nestled perfectly against my core. He groaned, feeling the same thing, and thrust his hips upward off the cushions. His arm wrapped around my waist, holding me tight and grinding me down against him as he returned to my neck with kisses and gentle bites.

A dizzying sensation bloomed in my lower belly, swelling and spreading through my core. He loosened his grip on my waist and pulled back just long enough to study my bra, assessing something. Before I could think, Zion lowered his head, placed his mouth between my breasts, and caught the fabric in his teeth, tugging it back. I felt the front clasp give way, as if it had a life of its own and was eager to obey that man's every wish. How could he seduce even inanimate things?

Beyond the screams, it now felt like someone was pounding against the walls of my mind.

The two cups of my bra fell open, and with just a nudge from Zion's hands, it was gone entirely. When my breasts were bared to his gaze, his pupils dilated until they swallowed two-thirds of the blue in his eyes. He lifted his hungry gaze to my face, still clinging to whatever lucidity remained.

“Are you sure you want to continue?” he asked, smoothing my hair back behind my shoulder, exposing my body even more to his view, though he controlled himself enough to keep his eyes fixed on mine. I hesitated—not because I was uncertain about all the things I wanted to do with my partner; in that I had complete confidence. But the agreement... neither of us knew where the limits were. I decided this was the perfect time to find out how far we could go without causing harm. I searched for something intelligent to say, but there was nothing rational left in my mind. So I just whispered: