Page 68 of The Encore’s Crown

“I'm not staring.”

“You’re hiding behind a sheet but you're still staring.” He turns toward the bed. “I know I’ll hold myself better and flex without thinking about it. I’ll try to look good for you—because I like it when you watch me.”

I peek farther over the sheet just as he starts prowling toward me. A second later, the bag is forgotten and he’s leaning over me. He plants one hand on either side of my body, caging me beneath him. His hair falls forward around his face, eyes heavy with exhaustion and something much more dangerous.

“And when I’m watching you,” he murmurs, “I’m sure there are lots of ways you’re reacting to that, right?”

He catches his bottom lip between his teeth and my pulse trips. His hand leaves the mattress and drifts down the sheet, following the shape of my body without touching it. It passes over my ribs, then my stomach, traveling lower. He stops directly above the place already aching for him. Almost touching. The heat of his palm seeps through the thin space between us anyway.

“You feel that, don’t you?” he asks, voice still rough from sleep.

I nod, struggling to keep my breathing even. He doesn’t move or try to kiss me. He only watches. The anticipation builds until every nerve in my body seems fixed on the distance between his hand and me. I squirm beneath him, trying to close it. He lifts his hand slightly.

“Wait, or I won’t.”

I freeze. His gaze holds mine as I force my body still. My breathing sounds embarrassingly loud in the silent room, but he keeps me there until I’m wound so tight I can barely think. Then his palm finally settles over me through the sheet. The sound that escapes me is almost louder than when he made me come last night. His eyes flash with satisfaction.

“Shhh.” His mouth brushes mine. “People might actually be awake. I don’t want to go to jail this morning because Rafe heard you and decided to avenge your honor.”

I clamp one hand over my mouth. Kiri laughs against my cheek. He keeps his hand where it is, moving with that perfect pressure. He pulls my hand away and takes my mouth with his. The sheet between us should make this less intense. Somehow, it doesn’t. All the waiting has turned the smallest touch into fire. My body is already primed, every inch of me answering him. His mouth moves over mine while his hand keeps the same torturous rhythm, and the tension breaks through me so quickly I barely understand it’s happening until I’m shaking beneath him.

When I finally open my eyes, he's watching me with the kind of expression that makes it difficult to remember my own name.

“For the record,” he murmurs, “I’m normally in favor of you being as loud as possible.”

I’m still trying to breathe.

“So don’t get used to staying quiet.” His thumb strokes once over the sheet, making me twitch with sensitivity. “Every sound you make is mine. I want all of it.”

His gaze drops to my mouth. He kisses me again before I can recover, slow and deep enough to make leaving seem like an impossible concept invented by truly cruel people. Then he pulls back.

“You should go before your stupidly punctual sister wakes up and starts knocking on your door.”

I shake my head.

He raises an eyebrow. “Kroppy, that wasn’t a question.”

“I can’t feel my legs.”

His smug little grin says he considers that a glowing review. Ten out of ten. Would recommend being rendered brainless and turned into a puddle by Kiri Chhim before sunrise. Then he goes back to packing.

I eventually force myself upright and begin collecting my clothes. Every few minutes, Kiri drifts toward me even when he’s supposed to be packing. His hand settles around my waist while I’m pulling on my shorts. He kisses my shoulder while I search for his hairbrush and attempt to tame this mess of sex hair. I look thoroughly fucked despite the depressing technicality that I’m not. When I finally attempt to head toward the door, he catches me by the hips and kisses me until I forget what I was doing.

“At this rate, I’m never leaving,” I tease.

His smile fades, and mine follows. His bag is zipped. My clothes are on. There’s nothing left for either of us to pretend we still need to do. I stop near the door and fold my arms tightly across myself.

“We won’t get another chance to say goodbye.”

“I know.” Kiri looks toward the door, then back at me. “I thought about coming to the airport but that'd probably make things obvious.”

The ache in my chest deepens.

“So this is it.”

His expression tightens, but he nods.

“Probably better to do it here.”