Page 223 of Interion

“I'd probably remove the rest,” I whispered mischievously in his ear.

He bit his lip, trying to hold back a roguish smile. His lashes were black and full, and when he looked at me that way, his eyes went dark and hooded, making things even more interesting.

“You're so naughty, Kyller. Have I mentioned I like that?” His voice sent wild sensations through my body while his scent of sandalwood and night enveloped my mind. “And then what would you do?”

I bit my lip, thinking. Some of my self-confidence wavered. It wasn't like I knew exactly what to do, since I'd never done it before. I figured I'd follow his lead by instinct.

“I'm hoping you'll teach me.” For the first time in our exchange, I felt my cheeks flush, and Zion seemed to like that even more.

“Let me give you a preview of what's going to happen. I'd hate to take a maiden to bed and frighten her with what I'll do.” My toes curled and my heart must have skipped a few beats. I knew what happened—I'd watched plenty of videos showing how it was done and fantasized about it in my dreams—but I said nothing. I was enjoying the game. “I'm going to kiss you here”—he raised a hand and traced my lips with his thumb, then dragged it down my chin and continued to the middle of my breasts—“then I'm going to take my time here.” I swallowed hard, unable to look away from his eyes. His touch was so light I could barely feel it, but that didn't stop me from shivering. That damned finger kept descending down my belly until it reached the drawstring of my training pants. “And finally, I'll get here. I'll do things with my mouth that might scandalize you a little.”

My heart pounded in my chest, heat spreading, spilling down my neck and settling down there, very close to where his fingers played with the drawstring of my pants.

“And then?” I murmured breathlessly.

Zion brought his mouth to my ear, his breath making my skin prickle. His lips grazed my neck in a brush so soft it was barely a touch. It was then that chaos theory started to make sense: the flapping of a butterfly's wings in one place can cause a hurricane somewhere else. There were specific places in my body where earthquakes were happening.

“Then?” The tip of his nose brushed my earlobe, and I couldn't hold back the moan that rose from my throat. “Then I'm going to fuck you until the only thing you remember is my name.”

Gods, if he didn't stop talking, it wouldn't be long before I started trembling. I pressed my legs together for some friction, and Zion pulled back a bit to look me in the eyes. He seemed very satisfied with his little game.

“The question, general,” I said, regaining control of my body, “is whether you'll last until the end.”

“I can't wait to find out,” Zion replied, planting a kiss on my temple before pulling away. Only then did I remember to breathe. By the gods, that man was going to give me a heart attack. When I finally composed myself, I headed toward the locker room, and Zion shot me a wink.

“Call me when you're done. I have a surprise for you at home,” he said in my mind.

“Something for me? What exactly?”

“If I tell you, it won't be a surprise anymore.”

I smiled and nodded, waving at him.

Δ

I sat on the locker room bench and waited while Aish finished her shower. When she finally came out wrapped in a white towel, I stood up and smiled at her.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, frowning.

“Waiting for you. I saw you leave the mat looking irritated—thought you might want to talk.” While she dried off, I looked away to give her some privacy.

“Did Hiro send you here?” She seemed angry and suspicious.

“No. I didn't even get to talk to him—I came straight here when class ended.” I raised my hands in surrender. From the look she gave me, I knew she didn't fully believe me. “What's going on between you two?”

Aish sighed as she got dressed. It was freezing in there, and as night fell, it only got colder.

“I don't know what to do with Hiro. He's got it in his head that I'm the love of his life, and since the day we fought, he hasn't stopped flirting with me. So we went to the party and you know...” She pointed at me, then brought her fingertips together to mime a kiss. My cheeks flushed remembering what we did. “We made out and I thought he'd lose interest—thought he'd see me as a prize he'd won, because most guys are like that. But now he's...”

Aish released her braids from the bun, and they cascaded down to her waist. Then she looked at me, at a loss for words.

“He's in love,” I finished.

“Yes, I think that's the problem.” She sighed, deflated.

“And you? How do you feel?” I crossed my legs on the bench, getting more comfortable, while she applied some creams to her face.

“What do you mean, how do I feel? I don't feel anything. I shouldn't feel anything. Hiro is an Interion, and there's still the issue of his Drutes descent. I'd never be allowed to be with someone like that.”