“That’s not what I mean.” My gaze connected to his, pleading with him to understand what I meant—what he meant to me.
Liam stepped out of the car and tugged on his arm. “Aric, we gotta go, man.”
“I’m sorry. Never mind.” I sighed, feeling like a fool for keeping him from his duties, and turned back toward the house.
My foot had taken the first step inside when Aric spoke. “Celia…just tell me what you need.”
I froze. Say it…just say it. “You,” I whispered. “I need you, Aric. You’re all I ever think about.”
Aric’s response wasn’t one I expected. He bolted up the steps, dragging me to him, smashing his lips into mine. Nothing I imagined had prepared me for this. One arm wrapped around my waist possessively while his other hand tangled into my hair. The kiss was soft, yet demanding. I melted into him, kissing him back with every part of my being as my hands gripped his shoulders. He pulled me tighter, but it wasn’t tight enough. I never wanted him to let me go. His taste was sweet, warm, and seductive.
His phone rang from the pocket of his jeans. Hesitant steps ambled onto the porch. Gem cleared his throat. “Ah, do you want me to get that, Aric?”
The phone continued to ring, but Aric didn’t respond. Someone attempted to approach us, but Aric’s deep warning growl made them back away. The vibration in his throat almost pushed me over the edge. It was so sexy I could have screamed.
The warmth we shared amplified into a deep, thriving heat as Aric’s hand found my bare back. The skin-to-skin contact increased our fervor. His initial slow, soft massage turned insistent. I began to think I’d die without his touch.
Once again, his phone rang. This time, someone else was successful in approaching. I heard fumbling.
“There’s a moon on the screen,” Emme said quietly. She must have levitated it out of his pocket.
“Aric. The Elders are summoning us,” Gemini told him.
“Come on, man. We have to get out of here,” Koda urged.
Aric stopped our kiss, gently tugging my bottom lip with his teeth as he drew away. The fire had returned to his eyes, but this time it burned bright with passion.
We gasped, struggling to control our ragged breaths. “I don’t want to leave, but I have to,” Aric whispered. “I’ll come back to you as soon as I can.”
“Okay,” I whispered back.
Aric rested his head against mine as we continued to pant. He cleared his throat. “One of you will have to drive. I’m going to need a moment.”
He took a deep breath and inhaled my scent. Then he kissed my forehead and ran down the steps. I stumbled against the wall, trying to deal with what just happened. My sisters’ eyes locked on me.
Taran went insane. “Hot damn. How the hell was that?”
The heat in my body continued to scorch my veins. My heart pounded against my chest, and my unmentionables zinged. I slumped to the floor. “All kisses should be that good.”
CHAPTER 32
Shayna bounced around my room. “I knew you had it in you; I just knew it.” She pointed an accusing finger. “And you thought he didn’t like you! Omigod, you guys, like, practically swallowed each other.”
Taran’s siren grin flashed as she fanned herself. “Damn, Ceel, if he kisses you like that when we’re around, what’s he going do to you when you’re all by your lonesome?”
I stopped midway into yanking my long-sleeved tee over my head. Slowly I slipped it through, sweeping my thick hair out from under the tight fabric. Taran had a point. What was I going to do? “I don’t know.”
My sisters’ grins faded at the sight of my worried expression. Emme, who’d kept quiet, slipped off my bed and crept to my side to hold my hand. “Just do what feels right. Yes, Aric seems to really want you…physically.” She blushed. “But I’m sure he’ll be patient if you want to take things slow.”
My face heated worse than Emme’s. “I’m not sure if I want to take things slow.” I thought back to that outrageous sizzle coursing through my body, and the taste of his tongue. How his body clung to mine. The pressure of his hard form against my soft parts. His scent, his eyes, his touch…“Misha.”
Emme’s eyes widened. “Um. Don’t you mean Aric?”
A cloud of pain and torment darkened the marvelous emotions Aric’s kiss had stirred. “No. I mean Misha.” I went to the window and looked out, expecting to find Misha on our front lawn. I shoved my feet into my UGGs and barreled down the stairs.
“Dude, wait! What’s wrong?”
I didn’t bother with the porch steps and landed on our front walk in a crouch. My tigress stirred, pawing at the ground, growling. Her eyes replaced mine, and she took in our surroundings in one sweep.