My Date From Hell (The Blooming Goddess Trilogy, #2)

Game On (Part 1)

I was muddled, befuddled, dazed and confused. It was glorious.

Kai pulled back, his eyes glittering. The primal part of him to which I always responded flickered deep in his gaze.

The heat in my belly burst into flame.

"You've never kissed me first before," he said, his voice low and gravelly, sounding puzzled.

"Really, really remiss of me," I said as I lunged for him.

I, the queen of being in her head, was mindless, thoughtless, and speechless. I was overwhelmed with Kai in the best possible way.

His kisses got slower and deeper, his hands skimming over the bare skin of my shoulders and arms. Wicked shivers ran across my body.

Maybe it was the arrow. Maybe it wasn't. It's not like Kai and I hadn't been circling each other, stealing touches and kisses since we'd first met.

He bit me on the hollow of my neck, which had me gasp and wobble with sensation.

"Different body, same spot that works very well," he murmured.

"Feel free to remind me of everything she liked," I panted, pulling his lips back to mine.

Everything was getting hotter and out of control. I tugged at his shirt. Desperate to feel his skin, I pulled it off him then whipped my tank top over my head.

Kai's eyes darkened. Watching him take me in—it was like pouring gas on a fire. Made me want to go faster, spin out of control.

I yanked him against me in one fluid motion, curling my fingers into his belt loop and arching my hips against him.

Kai gave a low growl. He grasped the back of my head, his fingers twined into my hair, leaning into me with the urgency of his hard kiss.

A dangerous kiss.

My mind blanked, dizzy with aching need as I sunk into the feel of him. The taste of him. I pressed into him even harder.

Kai growled and pulled back. He was breathing as heavily as me, so it wasn't because he wasn't enjoying it.

All I could do was shoot him an inquiring look, the sound of my thudding heart trumpeting in my ears.

"Hear that?" he asked. It was the distant, filtered sound of Festos singing loudly, but coming our way.

I sighed.

Kai blinked slowly, almost painfully it seemed. "Close your eyes." His voice was barely more than a whisper but I felt it rumble deep inside me.

Flushed, tense, and prickly with nerves and excitement, I closed my eyes.

My bra strap had fallen off on one side. I felt him loop his index finger under it. He pressed his lips to the top of my shoulder, red from where the strap dug in. He sucked on the spot, his lips teasing my skin.

A nerve jumped and pulsed under his touch.

I felt the rasp of his fingers as he pulled the strap up into its proper place.

Kai lifted my right arm, trailing feather-light kisses along the inside of it, up to my wrist.

I squirmed ticklish, and drowning in sensation.

Next, the other arm. Another line of kisses. His breath blew warm against my skin, and with my eyes closed, his spicy scent enveloped me. He paused to lick across the crook of my elbow, his teeth nipping the skin.

My knees wobbled.

Our bodies lost contact. I felt chilled despite the pleasant temperature. Eyes still closed, I swayed toward him. Felt his chuckle more than heard it.

I tried to drape my arms around his neck but he gently yet firmly raised them back up. I felt the slither of cloth as Kai placed my tank top back over my head.

Fingers splayed, he caressed me with teasing touches as he ever-so-slowly pulled it down into place. He lowered my arms, trapping my wrists snug between our chests. "Beautiful girl."

I blinked my eyes open to find Kai staring at me with half-lidded eyes.

There was no smugness. No typical Kai arrogance.

Kai lowered his head, resting his forehead against mine. We stayed there for an eternity.

I could feel his heart racing as I let myself be held. That had to mean something good, right?

That maybe I wasn't going to be a consolation prize as I'd thought.

I was dizzy at the wonder and terror of the possibility.

When I heard Theo swear as he discovered us, I knew this amazing bubble in time was going to burst.

Kai turned on him with such a ferocious expression that Theo actually took a step back.

"We'll just give you kids a minute," I heard Festos say.

"Kai," I sighed in disappointment. My body was on fire. I wanted more. More than the physical, I craved whatever new level of intimacy we'd both just gone to. And I wanted it without the arrow.

But now was not the time or the place. Not with so much at stake. And my friends nearby.

Kai pressed his lips against mine. The softest of feather kisses before he stepped away.

"Soph?" I startled at Hannah's tentative calling, but I still tracked Kai, my lips twitching at his grumpy face. I turned away to Hannah, and did a double take as my best friend came toward me.

She had rolled up her pants as high as they would go and smeared her legs with mud. Since her shirt had short sleeves, the mud was spread over her arms and face as well. Hannah raked a critical glance over my tousled hair and flushed cheeks. "Are you okay?" she murmured.

I nodded, still too mindwhacked to speak. And uncertain about how Kai planned on playing things between us now. Instead of obsessing, I poked a clump of dried mud on her cheek.

She swatted me away. "Leave it. You know I burn ... Oh, hello!"

A humongous tiger had padded silently to her side.

Rory was back. I glared at him. "Leave my friend out of this."

The tiger cocked his head at me and I swear he looked amused as he lazily lay down beside Hannah, watching me steadily. The beast was so massive that even lying down, his head came up to Hannah's hip.

"Isn't this the greatest place ever?" she enthused, practically vibrating with glee at this turn of events.

"What's the deal with the igar-tay?" I asked.

"I dunno. She wants to be my friend."

I peered at Rory. "She?" Female. Figured.

"Or your keeper," Kai muttered, his shirt back on.

Theo stepped into the clearing, looking abashed. "Sorry."

Rory swung her great head to check out the newcomer, but didn't move from her spot at Hannah's feet.

Festos narrowed his eyes at the tiger. Then at Theo. "And?" He had to poke Theo to get him to continue.

"I won't intrude on your private moments anymore." Said through gritted teeth.

"Apology accepted." Kai sounded so composed.

Was it really that easy for him to switch off like that? Was it a guy thing? A god thing? A Kai thing?

Did he do that with Persephone? the evil voice in my head wondered.