Opposition (Lux 5)

But right now, she needed me.

Her hands made their way to my front, and a ragged sound caught in my throat. Okay. Clarification. She needed more than this.

Finding the willpower I’d thought I didn’t have earlier but discovered I could exercise when it really mattered, I pulled away from her, just a little, and got her hands back to where I could see them.

Her brows pinched as she stared up at me, eyes a deep, smoky gray. I kissed her softly, lingering longer than I should. “How are you doing?” I asked, my voice rough in my own ears.

“Um, well, I was—”

“Not that.” I sat up, putting a little space between us so I wouldn’t change my mind and do all kinds of things to her. “How are you feeling after . . . after yesterday?”

She stilled for a moment, and then her chest rose sharply as she squeezed her eyes shut. “I don’t want to think about that right now.”

“Kat—”

“I don’t.” She tucked her legs under her as she rose. Clasping my cheeks, she leaned in until we were eye to eye. When she spoke, I swore my heart cracked in my chest. The pain of her words was so very real. “I know what you’re doing, and God, I love you for it, but I’m not ready, Daemon. I’m not, because I can’t even think about it without wanting to bring down this house or go curl in a ball. I don’t want to feel any of those things. When I lost my dad, it hurt—hurt so badly, and I don’t want to experience that hurt. The only thing I want to feel is you right now. The only thing I want to think about is how you make me feel. That’s what I need from you.”

I was still for maybe five seconds, and then I sprang from the bed, found my thankfully still private stash, grabbed the small package, and was back on the bed in front of her in a heartbeat. “I can do that for you.”

We stared at each other for another second, and then she straightened slightly, reaching down and lifting the shirt over her head.

I forgot how to breathe.

With just the tips of my fingers, I followed the map of her curves. “You’re so beautiful.” I kissed the tiny hollow between her collarbones. “You’re stronger than you realize.” Another kiss to the spot behind her ear. “You’re perfect for me.”

I put everything I felt into the gesture I’d never take for granted when it came to her.

Pressing her down onto her back and settling between her legs, I helped her hold the darkness back so that the only thing she felt was my hands, my skin, and everything I felt for her.

Showered and changed, we headed downstairs just in time to eat leftover bacon and eggs. The food was cold and Archer and my sister were staring at us like they knew exactly why it took us so long to come downstairs, but I didn’t care. There was an edge of sadness to the soft smile Kat wore as she watched them, but she was smiling, and I had given her what she wanted when she needed it.

After she finished eating, she excused herself and stood. From behind my chair, she leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m going to step outside for a few. Okay?”

I started to follow her but realized that she probably wanted a few minutes alone and told myself to keep my ass in my chair. As she turned, though, I caught her arm and tugged her down until I could capture her mouth in a deep, scorching kiss that probably sent her mind back to what went down between us in the bedroom.

Archer coughed. “We’re not standing here or anything.”

“Whatever,” I murmured as I let Kat go, and she surveyed the room with a red face. Giving an awkward wave, she turned and hurried out of the kitchen. I leaned back in my chair, shooting Archer a look that said, Shut up.

He raised his hands as he backed away from the table and then grabbed the trash, going right to where the can was under the sink, in the cabinet. I frowned. “You’re awful familiar with my kitchen.”

Archer snorted.

“How is she?” Dee asked as she sat beside me.

I sighed. “As can be expected.”

Sympathy poured into her eyes. “I didn’t know Ethan had her mom killed. I swear. I would’ve said something if I did.”

“I know.” I patted her arm. “Kat knows that, too.”

“Totally sucks,” Archer said, closing the cabinet door and straightening. “Probably good to get away from here.”

“Yeah,” I murmured, hoping she’d open up soon about what she was feeling. I knew from personal experience how that kind of pain and hurt could tear someone up. “I’ll see—”

Archer’s cell phone went off in his pocket. Frowning, he pulled it out and quickly answered. “What’s up, Luc?” he asked as he turned back to the sink and grabbed a dish towel.

Who knew Archer was so domesticated? I looked at my sister, and she was grinning at him like he was the second coming of something great.

“What?” Archer turned to us slowly, frowning. “No. Not at all.”

I sat up straight, on alert.

His eyes met mine. “Yeah, I know what you planned to do. It’ll still happen.” There was a pause, and sudden unease formed in my gut. “I’ll call you if anything comes up here.”

I was standing, and so was Dee by the time he disconnected the call. “What’s going on?”’

He slipped his phone into his pocket. “Nancy was sighted.”

“What?” The question boomed out of me. “A little more detail.”

Archer walked over to the table and gripped the back of a chair. “Luc doesn’t know the exact time frame. Sometime yesterday evening. With everything going on, word just got back to him. It was near Georgia. Maybe she was looking for us.”