After her slurred invitation, Kael shook his head slightly, half to clear the haze of alcohol, half to be sure he'd heard her right. Whatever clarity he was looking for never came though. His fingers kept moving anyway, sliding deeper into her slick heat, brushing her lower lips through fabric already soaked.
Her expression fractured, panic at first, irritation snapping in right after. That too faded quickly, dissolving into a deep, undeniable blush that had nothing to do with the drinks anymore.
She drew her thighs together in a quick, instinctive motion, trying to trap Kael's wandering hand between them, and a slow, unsteady breath slipped from her lips.
When she spoke, her voice broke, lower now, stripped of pretense, carrying a sensuality that hadn't been there before.
Kael watched her face as it twisted through too many emotions to name. Pleasure bled into shame, panic tangled with something sharper, almost angry. His brow lifted slightly at the sight, a quiet acknowledgment.
She might have been pretending earlier. This time, there was no mistaking it. The proof coated his fingers, thick warmth seeping through her panties.
Teasing her like this stirred something unexpected in him. Maybe a new fetish. Maybe the start of a habit. Whatever it was, he found himself enjoying the way she squirmed beside him far more than he should have.
Even so, his mind remained clear on one point. Had this been a different woman, he would have never gone this far. But someone with unclear motives, someone strong enough to push him away, or simply stand and leave, yet choosing not to, stirred no guilt within him at all.
Still, no matter how intoxicating her restless movements were, everything had its limit. Kael knew when to stop.
Reluctantly, his fingers slipped free from their warm confinement, heat lingering as he exhaled.
"Yes," he said, voice rough. "Let's… take our leave."
After those words, spoken with clear difficulty, Kael stood up from his seat, staggering.
Each step was a quiet fight with the floor, and if the woman hadn't quickly smoothed her dress and moved in to support him, he might have gone down right there.
Naturally, he didn't though. And pressed close to her, bodies brushing without pretense, he guided her out and toward the nearby hotel where he had already reserved a suite.
The door clicked shut. That was all it took.
She snapped, tension from his endless teasing along the way finally breaking. She slammed him back against the wall, arms locking around his neck, and she took his mouth like she'd been waiting for permission to lose control.
If a parched man found water, would he look any different?
The thought flickered through Kael's mind as her tongue pushed into his mouth, impatient and greedy. Her hands were already at work, yanking at his jacket, dragging his shirt free, nails scraping skin whenever fabric slowed her down. If she could have torn the clothes apart, she would have. That much was obvious.
He let her take it. Let her press herself against him, let her kiss him rough, sloppy, desperate, until the urgency finally burned itself down to something shakier. She pulled back, breathing hard, lips swollen, lipstick smeared into a filthy mess.
"Ah~ Sorry... I just couldn't—" She panted, ragged. "Couldn't stop myself~."
Her eyes roamed him openly, slow and unapologetic. Her smeared mouth, then heaving chest, no lie in any of it. The most honest she'd been all night.
Kael smiled faintly.
This much pretending is enough… right?
She was in a hurry, need pressing hard beneath her skin.
She was desperate to be fucked, and Kael had his own objective too. Less than twenty minutes remained until midnight.
So he didn't answer.
He lowered his head and took her mouth instead, claiming it without warning. The kiss was firm, deliberate, stealing her breath before she could react.
His hands slid over her sides, mapping her shape for a brief moment, before settling on her ass, kneading the soft flesh roughly, fingers digging in until she whimpered into his mouth.
Lifting her against him. She gasped, startled by the sudden shift, but her body answered immediately. Her legs wrapped around his waist, dress riding up in the motion, exposing the black thong that barely held its place as she ground into him, matching his hunger without restraint.
They crossed the suite like that, careless and blind to the room around them, mouths locked, breath tangled, until the bed caught the back of her legs. Kael lowered her onto it without breaking the kiss.
Their mouths stayed fused, saliva smeared between them, messy and unfiltered. With the mattress supporting her, his hands were free. He let them roam openly now, cupping her breasts, thumbs brushing over sensitive skin through thin fabric.
Yet, the barrier still annoyed him, and so he stripped her without ceremony.
The strapless dress slid down easily, pooling at her hips.
Her breasts spilled free, heavy and warm, rising sharply with each breath.
Kael finally broke the kiss and followed the line of her body down. He started at her neck, teeth and lips marking her skin, drawing a sharp, broken moan from her. Then his attention shifted back to her chest.
One hand kneaded her roughly, fingers digging in as if testing how much she could take, while his mouth closed around her nipple. His tongue circled slowly, deliberately, teasing before pressing harder.
"Y-yes—" she breathed, voice unsteady as her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, needing more.