Sated (2 page)

Pretending not to notice his presence, Killian squeezed between them. He showed the guy his back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. With a tug, he had her half off the barstool and into his arms. He easily supported her weight. She didn’t protest, even as he lowered his head and touched his lips to the corner of her mouth. She didn’t say a word. He kept things at that. As it was, he didn’t think he’d walk straight again. It didn’t help matters when he felt more than heard her breath catch at the back of her throat.

“Sorry this is taking so long.”

She shrugged, damnably calm. “Everyone has to work.” No. They didn’t, but he wasn’t about to argue with her.

“Dance with me,” he said instead.

Her eyes twinkled. “I can’t dance to this.” The music blaring through the speakers was a bit hardcore, but he wanted what he wanted. Crowding her space even further, he spoke low enough for only her to hear.

“I don’t think we’re hearing the same beat.” He hummed a slow melody as he towed her from her seat, leaving her no choice in the matter. He could feel her shaking with barely suppressed laughter, but he didn’t relent. Everything rode on this moment.

He could’ve been humming anything. Arbor had moved beyond the ability to hear. The light kisses he placed on the shell of her ear and her hitched breaths were all that penetrated her mind. The rough bristles along his jaw kept brushing her cheek. By morning, she’d have burns on her skin from the contact, but she didn’t care. Killian’s arms tightened around her. The scent of leather, some sort of spice, and man filled her lungs. The crowd gyrating around them disappeared.

“Arbor.” The sound of her name on his lips rolled down her spine, causing her fingers to tighten on the back of his shirt. “Let me take you home.” Her chin dipped in agreement before her mind grasped what she’d done. His lips shaped into a grin against her cheek. “I’m going to fuck you, Arbor. First with my fingers and then with my mouth. It will not be quick, but I guarantee by the time I’m stretching you wide with my dick, you’ll never forget my name.” A husky chuckle fell from his lips as he added, “Neither will your neighbors.”

She had nothing. All Arbor could do was cling to his chest and concentrate on breathing. She’d never forget his name now. How would she survive more? He gently pried her fingers away from his shirt and met her gaze. The light hit his eyes at an odd angle, making them seem iridescent. Goosebumps rose on her skin.

“One hour,” he promised before jogging toward the stage.

“Turned on looks good on you.”

Tearing her gaze away from Killian’s back, Arbor focused on the blond who’d been hitting on her all night. A spike of irritation ran through her. Damn, this guy could not take a hint.

“So fierce,” he said on a chuckle, making her wonder what he’d seen in her expression. “You’re not interested. I get it.” He lifted one shoulder, adding, “Well, I don’t, but I see your answer is still the same.”

She was the one who didn’t get it. It wasn’t like she was a sex goddess. There were dozens of women who would be more than willing to do whatever this guy wanted. He wasn’t lacking in any way. Perhaps it was the challenge, she decided with a mental shrug.

“It’s Trey, by the way,” he said, holding out his hand. She didn’t take it. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she knew in her heart, touching him would be a bad idea. He dropped his outstretched hand. A half smile touched his lips. His gaze moved from the top of her head before traveling down her body and back up again. “Let me guess. Your name is Candy.” She snorted. God help her. The sound escaped before she could stop it from happening. His smile grew at the sound. “Not Candy, then…hmmm…Trixie?” The eye roll surprised her as much as the snort. She was feeding his outrageousness. It was evident by the way his expression continued its wicked descent. He snapped his fingers. “I know. It’s Coco.”

“Oh. For fuck’s sake, it’s Arbor.” Full-on dimples and gleaming white teeth met her words. She’d played right into his hands. Arbor knew it, but damn, his will was stronger than hers.

“I knew it would be something unusual.” Before she could decide if she should be insulted, he pulled a pen from his back pocket. “Well, Arbor, since I’m already further along than I ever thought I’d get with you, I may as well press a bit more. Here’s my number.” He scratched out a few digits on a nearby cocktail napkin and handed it over. Arbor eyed the black t-shirt—with some band she’d never heard of on it—stretching across his broad chest. In spite of knowing she shouldn’t do it, she accepted the napkin. She tucked it in her front pocket.

“I won’t call.”

He smirked. “Hope is a damnable thing.”

It was. She knew. Someone jostled her from behind, knocking her into his chest. Considering how crowded the place had become in the past hour, she wasn’t surprised and let it go. Only the frown drawing Trey’s brows together caused her to look. Her eyes widened at the sight greeting her. A massive fight had broken out on the dance floor and it was spreading. Her gaze shot to the stage, instinctively seeking Killian. The band was gone. She was trapped on all sides with Trey lightly gripping her forearm, the bar biting into her back, and the raging brawl taking place everywhere else she looked. There was something about the scene that felt surreal. It didn’t seem as random as she first suspected, but rather patrons against a common enemy. The ridiculousness of the thought didn’t matter to her panicked brain. The screams inside the building were so loud she wondered if she’d go deaf. In a flash of movement, the world tilted.

For a moment, Arbor thought she’d sprouted wings and was flying. By the time her brain accepted the fact that the man who’d been singing alongside Killian had plucked her from the floor and leapt with her over the counter—as if she weighed nothing—it was over. Up close, he was freaking amazing. A bomb could’ve exploded next to her and she wouldn’t have noticed. His eyes were an amber color and his hair was a darker shade of dirty blond.

“Let’s go,” he said, snagging her hand and forcing her to focus. His calm in the eye of a storm caused her to obey without question. Even as he tugged open a trap door in the floor and shoved her inside the dark hole, she didn’t utter a word of protest. Strong fingers encircled her waist, easing her feet to the ground. Arbor couldn’t see a damn thing, but she knew it was Killian. Perhaps later, she would question how she recognized the weight of his palms on her skin, but right now, she’d never been more grateful. The trap door slammed closed above them. She stared hard at the black space above her. The complete absence of light threw her off-kilter, making her scared to move.

“What about him?” she asked, unsure of why she was whispering.

“Lyric can look out for himself.”

The woman’s voice next to her startled Arbor. Everything had happened so fast, she hadn’t realized she wasn’t alone with Killian.

“We have to move,” a third voice said, making Arbor wonder how many people were there. As her eyes adjusted a bit, she could see the outline of several figures. Only Killian’s hands at her waist kept her from flipping out. When he moved, she did as well, keeping pace with his steps and allowing him to guide her. It felt like the tunnel went on forever. She wanted to ask what was going on, but fear held her tongue. Finally, a hint of light peeked in. It wasn’t much at first, but it steadied her heart. She glanced around once she could make out her surroundings. A group of ten people, consisting of the rest of Killian’s band and some of the servers, walked as a unit around her. The street lights filtering into the tunnel reflected off their eyes, making them appear inhuman. It was an odd thought, she knew, but a fitting one. A girl with unnaturally black hair and bright red lipstick caught her gaze. She didn’t smile. Arbor wasn’t offended. The woman didn’t seem the type.

One of the band members shrugged off his jean jacket as they neared the exit. He threw it over her shoulders. The warmth engulfed her. Even as she thought to argue she wasn’t cold, Arbor still slipped her arms inside the sleeves. A large crowd milled outside the mouth of the tunnel. None of them looked in their direction. If she didn’t know better, Arbor would’ve thought they were invisible. Loud music, shouts, and laughter filled the streets. A live band and street performers held the mob’s attention. This part of town didn’t look familiar, but Arbor wasn’t surprised. Downtown New Orleans wasn’t a place she cared to go alone at night. Maybe once she’d lived there longer, she’d give it a shot. The group stopped short of stepping through the doorway.

“Your woman stands out too much,” Black Hair No Smile said, bearing down on Arbor. Up close, she noticed the woman’s eyes were dark—almost as black as her hair. There were mesmerizing. Arbor couldn’t look away from them, even as the girl buried her fingers in Arbor’s hair. Separating it into two halves, she then tugged the ends over Arbor’s shoulders before securing each side with rubber bands from her wrist. Arbor felt like a five-year-old in pigtails. A hint of a smile touched the woman’s lips as her gaze moved over Arbor’s face.

“There’s nothing to be done for your coloration, but I can work with what you have. Sometimes it takes a subtle genius to pull off fitting in.”

“I don’t want to be invisible,” Arbor said before she could stop herself. It was the woman’s eyes. Arbor wanted to tell her every secret.

“I’m Echo,” the woman said, introducing herself before dipping her head, touching her lips to Arbor’s, and shocking her speechless. The totality of her surprise was the only excuse Arbor had for her reaction, or lack of. She’d never kissed a woman before. If she’d been given a choice in the matter, she certainly wouldn’t have done so with an audience. Echo didn’t attempt to deepen their kiss. She merely pressed her slightly parted lips to Arbor’s. It did seem to go on a bit. The moment Echo pulled away, she swiped at Arbor’s lips, making her realize she’d only been transferring her lipstick to Arbor’s mouth. Echo’s gaze followed the motion of her fingers. Arbor still couldn’t look away from her eyes.

“You could never be invisible,” Echo said quietly. “I’m a bit jealous.”

Arbor spoke without thinking. “You shouldn’t be. You’re beautiful.”

A sardonic smile twisted Echo’s lips. “Oh, babe. You misunderstand. I’m jealous of Killian for owning this mouth. There’s a fire burning beneath your shiny pink surface. I imagine you’re quite magnificent.” Arbor’s cheeks heated. Echo turned away. “She’s going to turn heads no matter what, but not because she’s an obvious outsider.”

With the spell of Echo’s stare broken, Arbor realized every eye was trained upon her. She shifted, uncomfortable beneath their collective gaze. Lyric appeared in the doorway, pulling their attention his way. He was every bit as unharmed as Echo had promised. With a sweeping glance, beginning at Arbor’s toes and ending at her eyes, Lyric caused every inch of her body to heat. His expression remained blank.

“You’re wearing my jacket.”

Arbor glanced down. “I had no idea. That guy gave it to me,” she said, pointing out the brown-haired guy who’d handed it to her. She didn’t feel as much as an ounce of remorse for throwing him under the bus.

He didn’t look at the guy. “Hunter did a good thing. It looks good on you. Plus, you are well. I’m better for it.”

It was such an odd thing to say. Arbor searched her mind for a response. “Thank you for saving me.” It seemed lacking somehow, but it was all she had.

He gave her a short nod before focusing on the rest of the group. “The coast is clear.” His pronouncement got their feet moving and Killian’s arm snaked around her waist, steering her once more. Warm lips touched her temple and his scent filled her lungs.

“Don’t make eye contact with anyone,” he warned, speaking so quietly she almost felt more than heard his words. “Keep your gaze locked on Lyric’s back.” She had to admit, it wasn’t hard to do. It seemed singing in bars kept a man in shape. His ass was nice too. It looked squeezable. Even with the delicious scenery to focus upon, curiosity still ate her alive. Echo had fallen in behind her, as if guarding her back. Their concern only added to her temptation to peruse the wares. Someone to her left jostled her. Out of pure instinct, she turned her head in the man’s direction. A gasp of surprise rose in her throat, but fear froze it to her tongue before it released. His eyes were crazed. He charged forward, teeth snapping as he attempted to close his mouth over her arm, but Lyric intervened. When he stepped into the man’s path, the guy immediately dropped his gaze to the ground and backed away. He seemed powerless to keep from doing so.

“He was going to bite me.” It was an asinine comment, but she couldn’t help it. Killian chuckled, but held his tongue. Lyric’s self-control wasn’t as strong. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

“That’s what happens when you’re delicious. People want to eat you.”

The way he said it caused her sex to quiver. His words dripped with the promise of pleasure. The Cajun accent didn’t hurt either. Obviously, she’d lost her mind. Here she was in the middle of a rave on the dangerous side of town. Not to mention, she was surrounded by people who’d ingested so much Ecstasy, they’d gone feral. In spite of all those things, her body was still reacting to the presence of so much hotness.

“It’s true,” Killian whispered against her ear. “My mouth is already watering in anticipation.” Coming from Killian, she easily accepted it. “How far away is your place?”

Going up on her toes, Arbor did her best to get her bearings. Finally, spotting a familiar drug store, she recognized the street. “One block that way,” she answered, waving in the store’s direction. With a sharp nod, he reached over and pulled the jacket’s hood over her head, covering her hair.

“We’ll head out on our own. If you stay glued to my side with your head down, I don’t think anyone else will accost you.” Anything to get them out of this crowd. The rest of the group agreed that splitting up would be best. After a couple of uncomfortable hugs, they were on their way. Between the weirdoes flooding the street and the knowledge of where they were going, Arbor was a nervous wreck. It did make keeping her head down easy. She didn’t have the strength to show off her heated cheeks.