He’s coming here? A brother I didn’t know I had is coming here to take me away? The world slows around me and my head swims.
“Boo?” Priest calls, his words sounding hollow and too far away. “Breathe, sweetheart.”
I can’t breathe.He doesn’t want me to stay. I’m being taken away again.
I start gasping for air as my vision grows dark around the edges.
Suddenly, Priest pulls me into his arms and crashes his lips to mine. The urgency in his kiss drags me back to reality, and I freeze, feeling so confused. As soon as he notices, he pulls away.
“Come back to me,” he urges, his eyes searching mine. “Breathe, sweetheart. One right after another.” He chants the words over and over again, until finally, my heart calms, and the oxygen flows to my lungs without issue. “Talk to me, Angel.”
“You’re sending me away,” I respond, unable to look at him. “You don’t want me to stay. You told me I could, but you’re sending me away with this brother I don’t even know.”
He reaches up and grips my chin, his nose inches away. “I’m not sending you anywhere. We’re just trying to find your family. Hell, he may not even show. He may never get our message, but we had to try. For you both.” His dark eyes bore into my soul, like he’s trying to figure out how to fix me. “Angel, the last thing I want is for you to leave me.”
He’s lying. “Why?” I bite out, frustrated with the rollercoaster of emotions I can’t seem to escape. “You don’t even want me. You pushed me away when I tried to thank you.”
“Baby,” he breathes, resting his forehead against mine. “I pushed you away because what you were doing was reflex. Those sons of bitches trained you to do that shit. You weren’t doing it because you wanted to, but because of some twisted payment.” He pulls back and lowers his face, forcing me to meet his gaze as he says, “Make no mistake, I sure as hell want you, Boo, but not like that. Never like that.”
I hold his stare, baffled. He just said that he wants me. “Is that why you kissed me?”
“I kissed you because I needed to get your attention. Granted, it’s not how I envisioned our first kiss, but I couldn’t think of anything else to do. You were freaking out, and I had to get you back.”
My fingers trace my lips, the memory of his lips still lingering there. My first kiss. My firstrealkiss. Not one stolen or forced upon me, but one freely given.
“Was that your first kiss?”
I nod, uncertainty nipping at my thoughts. “Thank you,” I say, unable to look at him another second. “I’ve never been kissed like that before. I was a slave to them, a body to use. They never cared what any of it felt like for me.”
“Kissing and touching should always be pleasurable, Angel. Especially if it’s with someone who cares for you.”
“Kiss me again. Touch me. Show me.”
I watch as Priest’s thoughts and my request war inside his mind, and just when I think he’s going to reject me again, he reaches for me, wrapping his hand around the back of my neck, and pulls my lips to his.
“I’ll show you how it should be,” he whispers, his lips brushing against mine as he speaks. “I’ll show you a man’s touch should never come with pain.”
He doesn’t move. His lips are touching mine, but we’re still not kissing. He’s waiting to see if this is what I truly want.
I do want it, even though the dark recesses of my mind are arguing against it. Sex isn’t for pleasure, it’s transactional. They fuck you, and then they leave. What if it’s no different with him? I’m not sure my heart could take it.
But this is the first time I’ve had a choice. The first time a man has cared if I wanted his touch. And I’ve never wanted anyone’s touch ever, until now.
“Kiss me,” I breathe.
PRIEST
Fucking hell.Boo’s lips are soft and hesitant at first, but as I pull her closer, angling my head and deepening our kiss, she relaxes. My cock is already rock hard, but no matter what happens here, I won’t push it. I won’t fuck her. That’s not what this is.
This is my chance to prove to this woman that a man’s touch can be tender, and that her needs can be the sole focus. My cock will have to wait until I can take care of myself in the privacy of the shower.
Slowly, Boo’s tongue presses against the seam of my mouth, and when I open for her, she slips it inside, caressing my tongue with hers, sending shivers along my spine. She’s trembling now, but the way she presses on, I know it’s from excitement and not from fear.
My head swims, threatening to carry me into oblivion, but I force myself to stay put. I have to be present. I have to be aware of her every move, because one tiny hint of fear, and this ends. But for now, she’s giving as much as I am.
Her hot breath mingling with mine, she lifts herself up and straddles my hips, angling her head down as she takes advantage of her new position, exploring my lips with hers, her fingers running through my hair.
“Touch me,” she pleads.