Kai (A Dark Assassins Novel Book One) by Valerie Ullmer

hands gripped her tighter, as if he worried that she would somehow fall away from him.   He branded her hips and waist as he moved her closer to his body, the promise of pleasure her fantasies failed to live up to.
    Their bodies synchronized.   When he shifted to the right, she would follow; if she leaned back, he would crowd forward.   Each movement mimicked, all while their lips and tongues sought more.  
    Somehow, she found herself pressed against the door and opened her mouth to ask—hell, beg—for him to take her.   Her legs lifted to wrap around his waist, and his hips surged forward to press her harder against the door.   Her head thumped back and a loud moan escaped her throat as his hardness lined against her core perfectly.   Before she could plead for more, she found herself alone, her knees weak, close to giving out without his support.
    Her eyes captured his.   A sliver of silver shone through as he stared right back at her from across the room.   Her eyes dropped and she watched his chest rise and fall with deep, harsh breaths.   He wasn’t unaffected by her touch, and she savored the evidence of his need for her, but he warred with himself about something her muddled brain couldn’t solve, so she decided to take the decision out of his hands.   Without any further thought, she reached for the hem of her shirt.
    “What are you doing?” he growled.
    Without an answer, she lifted the garment over her head and dropped it.   She ignored her trembling fingers as she raised them to the front opening of her bra, and with a snap of her fingers, the hooks detached and she shrugged it off.  
    Her cheeks fused with heat.   She’d never been as bold with another man, but she craved him in a way she couldn’t explain.   Her mind had taken a hiatus the second he touched her, and she refused to overthink the reasons why.   She wouldn’t allow logic to ruin this moment.   It was simple.   She wanted him, and unless he outright rejected her, she planned to seduce him.  
    Her numb fingers fumbled with the button of her jeans, but at that moment, he lunged at her, sweeping her up in his arms, and plundered her mouth.
    His hands skimmed against the bare skin of her waist and moved them higher, until his generous hands cupped her breasts.   A harsh cry echoed around them as his thumbs brushed against her tight nipples, drawing out sensations she grew more and more addicted to.   A groan of protest escaped when he removed a hand, but when he tugged on the last remaining article of her clothing and the material ripped, she mewed in encouragement, hoping he would hurry.  
    Her hands skimmed underneath his Henley, and she sucked in a sharp breath as she encountered his hot skin.   Not leaving him any room to change his mind, she fumbled with the shirt until it rested near hers on the floor.  
    She pressed close to him, searching and finding his mouth after they’d been separated.   With his sculpted chest pressed against her soft one, her body felt scorched, as though she’d touched an open flame.   Keeping his mouth on hers, he removed the tattered remnants of her clothing, and yanked down his sweats, kicking them out of the way.
    “Slow down, darlin’.   We have all night,” he growled as he nipped her lower lip.
    Her hands splayed on his chest when a sudden thought popped into her head.   She blurted out her question before reason planted its ugly head.   “Can I touch you?”
    A loud groan ripped from his throat, and he dropped his forehead against hers.   His breathing sounded as unsteady as hers, but she had no idea when she would have another opportunity to explore a man, much less a man who was as beautiful as Kai.   She waited for his answer, not wanting to rush him, or sway him one way or the other.
    “I don’t know how long I’ll last,” he said through gritted teeth.
    She pushed at his chest until he looked at her.   He stepped back and put a little space between them.   His