"Me too," he whispered.
And then our lips met, and we were exchanging the lightest, most innocent kisses imaginable. Our lips moved over one another's as if they were meant to do exactly that. It was the sweetest kiss I had ever experienced before in my life.
He pulled away with a simple peck to the corner of my mouth. His eyes were alive, brightening with exhilaration and awe.
"I love you," he whispered. Another kiss was planted on my cheek. "I love you." His lips touched my jawline before moving lower. Tiny kisses were trailed down my neck, each one accompanied by a declaration of love. I raised my chin to grant him better access. "I love you."
"Dair," I whispered breathlessly. "I-"
Before I could finish my sentence, a startled yelp came from by my feet. I turned, amused, just in time to see Devlin jumping up as if his ass was on fire. He was throwing daggers with his eyes at Killian who looked sheepish.
"Sorry," Killian murmured.
"Your fucking cock was against my asshole!" Devlin yelled in horror. His hands reached for his butt as if he was protecting it from phantom cock. "I felt it. Why the fuck are you that hard?"
"I'm always hard," my Incubus protested indignantly.
"Awww, Devlin, do you not want a dick in your ass? There goes my plan for pegging," I teased lightly, and his violet eyes snapped to mine. Relief shuttered over his expression as he practically climbed over Lupe to get to me. He peppered my face with kisses, seemingly oblivious or choosing to ignore Dair still kissing my neck.
"You damn, stupid girl. Don't you ever fucking scare me like that again."
"Us," a soft voice corrected. I stared over Devlin's shoulder at Ryland, who was standing in the corner of the room. The shadows obscured his face from view once more. “Don’t ever scare us like that again.”
Why the fuck was he all the way over there?
"Us. Me. Whatever. Don't do that shit again." Devlin accentuated the final statement with a bruising kiss to my lips. There was no doubt that they would become swollen.
"Yes, sir," I whispered, and his eyes darkened. Oh yes. Devlin liked that.
"I thought you were fucking dead," Bash croaked from beside me. His hair was sleep-mussed, bags still evident beneath his eyes, but his smile was luminescent. He interlocked his fingers with mine, but I immediately pulled away. Hurt flashed in his eyes, briefly, before that was replaced by icy indifference. Without a word, he pushed back the blankets and stormed out of bed. My traitorous eyes automatically latched onto his ass looking especially delectable in his boxer briefs.
Damn eyes.
And damn heart crying for him to come back.
"I'm sorry," Killian blurted, drawing my attention back to him. He was now standing at the foot of my bed, eyes trained intently on me. He was shaking, I realized somewhat distantly. His body shook with tremors, and tears filled his eyes. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Z. I'm a horrible, shitty mate. I stupidly thought...I just don't...I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry."
I moved my eyes away from Killian's, briefly, to meet Devlin's stare. He gave me a small nod to show me he understood.
"Why don't we give them a moment?" he suggested, and my other mates reluctantly moved out of my bed. Lupe, Dair, and Devlin each gave me a final kiss. Jax merely sniffed my chest, no surprise, but Ryland refused to even acknowledge me as he glided out of the door.
What the hell was that about?
Ryland was momentarily forgotten when Lupe picked up Dair and held him like he was a baby.
"This is humiliating," Dair murmured beneath his breath. Of course, that seemed to be permission for Lupe to baby talk Dair as they exited the room. I heard statements like "Do you need your diaper wiper changed?" and "Does little Dairy need a nappy wappy?"
I snorted out a laugh, but that laughter died in my throat when I took stock of Killian. Shirtless. His tattoos and muscles on display, so delectable that I had to restrain myself from licking a pathway across his glorious skin.
For the first time that I could remember, I was locked in a room with my Incubus Prince.
TWENTY
KILLIAN
I watched her crawl to her knees on the bed, her glorious blond hair trailing behind her like liquid gold. In her form-fitting blue dress, she was a sight to behold. Something ethereal that I sought to worship and love until the end of time.
Anxiously, I pulled my lower lip between my teeth. Why did it make me so nervous to be around Z, my mate? It wasn’t just because she was beautiful, though that could've been one of the many reasons, but because she was able to see me. Not the me the rest of the world saw and revered, but the me I reserved solely for my brothers.
And it scared the shit out of me.
That transparency...it shouldn’t have been normal. I had never felt more vulnerable than I did in her eyes, stripped bare of all masks.
“What’s wrong, Kill?” she asked, nibbling on her lower lip. I couldn’t help but smirk at the nervous gesture she displayed - a mirror image of my own. She realized it at the same time I did and released her lip, smiling. “Oops.”
I forked my trembling fingers through my tousled red hair, my agitation physically manifesting itself. All I could see, repeatedly, was Z’s body falling to the ground. The Gorgon carelessly tossing her over its shoulder. The fight draining from her eyes, bleeding dry...
I shuddered at the images, the feelings they evoked within me. I never wanted to feel that helpless again. Being able to see and hear everything, unable to step in, was torture.
“I want you to train me,” I blurted. She paused, mouth partially opened as if she was going to say something. At my words, her mouth slammed shut and her eyes widened.
“Train?”
“Yes.” I nodded my head. The more I thought
