Close Obsession (18 page)

And then he stopped, just as she was seconds away from finding release. Frustrated, Mia moaned, writhing underneath him, unable to control the convulsive movements of her body. “Korum, please . . .”

“Please what?” he murmured, withdrawing from her. His hand found its way between their bodies, and he pressed his fingers lightly against her clitoris, keeping her balanced on the exquisite edge of pleasure-pain. “Please what?”

“Please fuck me,” she whispered, nearly incoherent with need. He pressed harder against her folds, and Mia cried out, the knot of tension inside her growing even tighter.

“Tell me you love me,” he ordered, and Mia froze, the unfamiliar words reaching through her daze, startling her for a second out of her sensual fog.

“Tell me, Mia,” he said sharply, and his finger slipped inside her, finding the spot that always drove her insane and pressing on it rhythmically until she was almost crying with frustration, her body writhing and twisting in his arms.

Nearly incoherent, she screamed, “I do! Please, Korum . . . I do!”

“You do what?” He was relentless, completely unyielding in his demand.

“I love you,” she sobbed, knowing that she would regret it later but unable to help herself. “Korum, please . . . I love you!”

His fingers left her then, and she could feel his cock again, pushing into her, and she shuddered with relief as he resumed his thrusting, his penis reaching deeply inside her, filling the pulsing emptiness within. At the same time, his hand buried itself in her hair, arching her throat toward him, and Mia felt the heat of his mouth on her neck and the familiar slicing pain signifying his bite. Almost instantly, her world dissolved into a blur of sensations, the long-awaited climax rushing through her with so much force that she blanked out for a few seconds, barely cognizant of his harsh cry as he found his own release a minute later.

The rest of the night passed in a haze, with him taking her again and again in blood-induced frenzy until she could come no longer, her throat hoarse from screaming and her body wrung dry from unending orgasms. It didn’t seem real, any of it, with her senses unbearably heightened from the chemical in his saliva and her mind empty of all thought, her entire being caught up in the extreme ecstasy of his touch.

Finally, at some point before dawn, Mia passed out in his arms, with the ocean waves pounding against the shore a few feet away and the moon shining down on their entwined bodies.

Chapter 12

Opening her eyes the next morning, Mia stared at the ceiling as the memories of last night flooded her brain.

She’d told him she loved him, she remembered with a twisting sensation in her stomach. Like an idiot, she’d let him rip away her one remaining shred of protection, baring her heart and soul. Now he could toy with her feelings, just as he played with her body. And why? Why had he done this to her? Wasn’t it enough for him that he fully controlled her life? Did he have to possess her on an emotional level as well, stripping away her last bit of privacy?

She could deny it today. She could say that he had tortured the words out of her – and that much would be true. But he would know that she was lying if she tried to go back on her reluctant confession.

Groaning, Mia buried her face in the pillow, wishing she could sleep longer. The last thing she wanted was to face him today.

After about a minute, she talked herself into getting up and going into the shower. To her surprise, there was no trace of sand anywhere on her body. Korum must’ve brought her home and washed her last night – or at some point this morning. She didn’t remember that part at all. She was also surprised that she didn’t have any soreness after last night’s sexual marathon; in New York, Korum would often have to use his healing device on her after a night like this. He had probably done it when she was sleeping, Mia decided.

Stepping under the hot spray of the shower, she closed her eyes and tried to think about something else besides seeing Korum today.

It turned out to be an impossible task. Her mind kept dwelling on what she would say to him when she saw him next, how he might act, whether he would be his usual mocking self . . . She desperately wished she could get away for a couple of days, just go home to her own apartment – but that was obviously not a possibility.

Exiting the shower, Mia toweled off and put on the robe. Steeling herself for a potential encounter, she ventured into the living room. To her relief, Korum wasn’t there. He must be at the trial, Mia realized. Checking the time, she was shocked to see that it was already three in the afternoon.

Padding into the kitchen, she requested a plate of fruit for breakfast and brought it with her into the living room. It was probably too late to go into the virtual world of the trial; if it started at the same time as yesterday, the presentations would be wrapping up in another couple of hours. So instead, Mia curled up on the couch and tried to distract herself by reading the latest Dan Brown thriller.

Looking up from the book, Mia checked the time. It was almost five o’clock. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had barely eaten today. She was also still wearing her bathrobe and house slippers.

Getting up, Mia went into the bedroom and put on a pretty white-and-pink dress and a pair of flat, strappy sandals. She had no idea when Korum would be done with the trial, but yesterday he was home by early evening and already making dinner when she got back from her conversation with Delia. For some reason, she didn’t want to look like a slob when he got home tonight, although she had no idea why she cared about that. For a brief second, she thought about leaving to take a walk in the hopes of avoiding him for a while longer, but then she decided not to be a coward. It’s not like she could go far, or even someplace where he wouldn’t immediately find her. The tracking devices embedded in her palms broadcast her whereabouts to him at all times. It was best to just face him and get it over with.

He came home an hour later.

Hearing Korum enter, Mia looked up from her book, and her heart skipped a beat at the sight. Dressed in the more formal trial clothes, he looked simply gorgeous, his bronze skin contrasting beautifully with the white color of his shirt and his powerful physique emphasized by the tight fit of his outfit. The look in his amber eyes was surprisingly warm, as if he hadn’t spent last night torturing her with the goal of exposing her silly feelings.

As Mia watched warily, he approached and picked her up from the couch, lifting her up for a brief kiss.

“I have a surprise for you,” he said, carefully placing her back on her feet and keeping his hands still on her waist.

“A surprise?” Mia asked, startled.

Korum nodded, smiling down at her. “We’re going out for dinner with Saret and one of his assistants.”

“Okay . . .” Mia said, frowning at him slightly. “That sounds good, but what’s the surprise?”

His smile widened. “The reason why we’re meeting with them is because they want to find out more about your psychology knowledge and experience, to better figure out how and where you could be of most use in Saret’s lab.”

“What do you mean?” Mia could hardly believe her ears. “What does Saret’s lab have to do with anything?”

“Well, since school and career are so important to you,” said Korum, “I wanted to make sure I’m not depriving you of anything by bringing you here. You seemed interested in Saret’s specialty earlier, and, from what I understand, your field of study is similar to his. One of his assistants recently left, creating an opening at his lab. Of course, there are already about ten applicants for the position, but I convinced him to take you on for a couple of months, just to try things out. Obviously, this will be a great learning opportunity for you, but you might also provide him with some unique insights, given your background –”

“And he agreed to take me on? A human?” Mia asked incredulously, her heart jumping in her chest.

“He did,” Korum answered. “He owes me a couple of favors, plus he said he likes you.”

“You’re telling me that I can work in a K laboratory alongside your top mind expert?” Mia said slowly, needing to hear him confirm it just in case. She was nearly hyperventilating with excitement. This was an unbelievable, impossible opportunity. How many humans had a chance like this, to study Krinar minds from their own perspective? Scientists would sell their soul to the devil to be in her shoes right now. Mia wanted to jump up and down and laugh out loud, and she knew there was a huge grin on her face.

“If you’re interested,” he said casually, but there was a gleam in his eyes that told her he knew exactly how much this meant to her.

“
If
I’m interested
?
Oh, Korum, I don’t even know how to thank you,” Mia told him earnestly. “Obviously, this is a phenomenal opportunity for me! Thank you so, so much!”

He smiled, looking pleased with himself. “Of course. I’m happy you like the idea. As to how you can thank me . . .” His eyes took on a familiar golden tint, and he sat down on the couch, pulling her down next to him. “A kiss would be nice,” he told her softly.

Mia’s grin faded and she tensed, remembering last night. For a moment, she’d forgotten what he’d done, what he’d forced her to say, too distracted by the amazing opportunity he was presenting her with. But now it was at the forefront of her mind again. Was he going to act like it hadn’t happened? If so, she would be more than happy to play along.

Staring him in the face, Mia buried her fingers in his hair and brought his head toward her. His hair felt thick and soft in her hands, and his lips were smooth and warm underneath hers. He tasted delicious, like some exotic fruit and himself, and she kissed him with all the passion and excitement she was feeling. When she finally stopped, his breathing was a little faster, and Mia could feel her own nipples pinching into tight buds underneath her robe.

“Mmm, that was quite a thank-you,” he murmured, looking at her with a soft smile. “Maybe I should find internships for you every day.”

“I might expire from excitement if you do,” Mia told him honestly. “Seriously, this is more than I could’ve ever expected or imagined. Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome,” he said, obviously enjoying her reaction. “Now, are you ready to go? The dinner is in fifteen minutes, and we shouldn’t be late.”

Mia got up and twirled in front of him. “Can I wear this, or should I change?”

“This is perfect. Just add some jewelry, and you’re good to go.”

* * *

They left the house a few minutes later, after Mia put on her million-year-old shimmer-stone necklace. Korum had already created the small aircraft that would take them to dinner, and Mia climbed in through the dissolving wall, sitting down on one of the floating planks and making herself comfortable. She was already starting to get used to this mode of transportation.

“Are we meeting them at a restaurant?” she asked, curious if such a thing existed in Lenkarda. Thus far, the only meal she’d had outside of Korum’s home was at Arman’s.

Korum nodded. “Something like that. It’s called the Food Hall, and we get a private booth there. The idea is similar to a human restaurant, but there are no waiters of any kind. The food tends to be much fancier than what you’d get at home, with more exotic ingredients than something my house or I would typically go for.”

“So do Ks meet at this Food Hall, just as we would go to a restaurant to socialize?”

“Exactly,” Korum confirmed. “It’s a popular place for business meetings and other such occasions. Dates, also, but most prefer a bit more privacy for that.”

“Why?” Mia asked as the little aircraft took off soundlessly.

“Sex in public is considered rude,” Korum explained, looking at her with a wicked smile. “And dates frequently result in sex.”

Mia felt her face getting warm. “I see. More frequently than in human society?”

“Probably – though I haven’t seen any hard data to substantiate that assumption. Our society tends to be much more liberal about such matters. With the exception of mated couples, everyone’s on birth control, so we don’t have to worry about unwanted pregnancies. Also, there is no such thing as a sexually transmitted disease among the Krinar. There’s really no reason for us not to enjoy ourselves.”

Mia suddenly felt extremely and irrationally jealous, imagining Korum “enjoying himself” with some unknown Krinar female. He’d told her she was the only woman in his life and had been ever since they met, and she believed him – there had been no reason for him to lie. Still, she couldn’t get the images of Korum entwined with some beautiful K woman out of her mind.

Before she could ask him any more questions, the aircraft landed softly in front of a large white building. Shaped similarly to Korum’s house, it was also an elongated cube with rounded corners, only much bigger in size.

Korum exited first and then held his hand out to her. Mia accepted it, gripping his palm tightly. This was her first public outing in Lenkarda, and she felt both excited and nervous about encountering other Krinar. Mostly, though, she hoped she wouldn’t seem like an idiot to Saret and his assistant. She wished she’d had a chance to review notes from some of her classes, just in case they decided to quiz her on what she’d learned thus far in her psychology studies.