Free Awakening by A.C. Warneke Page B

moment longer before his expression softened and his gaze warmed. Pressing his hand over hers, he turned his head and kissed her palm, keeping his eyes locked with hers, “Then come and we’ll get you something to eat and drink.”
    “That sounds like heaven,” she grinned as he kept her hand in his and walked down the hallway. After a while and they were still nowhere near the dining room, she murmured, “Huh.”
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “It didn’t seem to take this long last night.” Glancing up at him, her furrowed brow melted into a smile, “Of course, I wasn’t really paying much attention to where we were going last night; I was more interested in your mouth.”
    Bending his head forward, he placed a kiss on her lips, “Like this.”
    “Very much so,” she whispered, her eyes closing.
    Once again the wind was sucked from her body and just as suddenly forced back in. There wasn’t any time to dwell on the sensation as she lost herself in Adam’s sensual assault. After a long moment, he reluctantly broke the kiss and murmured against her lips, “We’re there.”
    “Hmmm,” she returned, licking her lips and tasting him still. Slowly, her eyes opened and she saw the haze of desire still flaming brightly in his black eyes. She smiled lazily, “I like your kisses.”
    “I like kissing you,” he breathed, brushing his lips against the corner of her mouth, touching that sweet spot with the tip of his tongue. Forcing himself to stop, he rested his cheek on the top of her head, “But it’s necessary for you to get something to drink.”
    “Yes,” she readily agreed, running her fingers along his chest.
    “Come,” he smiled, taking her hand and pulling her into the dining room where they sat once more at the large table.
    Within moments, servants were placing food in front of them, making a minor production out of removing the lids and serving the elaborate breakfast. Celeste smiled at the service, far more impressive than anything she had ever experienced. But it also made her a little uncomfortable; it was a level of wealth she knew existed, but had never witnessed.
    Out of the corner of her eyes she watched Adam, the ease of how he dealt with all of it, as if he was not only accustomed to it but he expected it. It was another example of how he couldn’t be a Calix unless everything she knew about Calices was wrong; deliberate misinformation on the part of Apocritum to discourage relationships between humans and Calices . Of course, he could be a vampire. Because she wasn’t interested in vampires she knew even less about them than she did about Calices. The one thing she did know was that a vampire could bite his victim without converting her. A shudder went through her body at the thought; unfortunately, it made a lot of sense. Either way she did not belong in Adam’s world, of wealth or supernatural-ness.
    But she had today. Discreetly, she moved her hand to his thigh, running it over the taut muscles and smiling as they flexed beneath her fingers. Keeping her eyes on her plate, on the production of breakfast, she lightly caressed him, moving her hand higher until it rested over the bulge between his legs. As she heard his breath hitch in his throat, she smiled, rubbing his growing erection without looking at him.
    “You ’re driving me insane, Celeste,” he rasped against her ear, his breathing heavy and frayed. Reaching down, he wrapped his hand around hers, letting her feel him adjust and attempt to find a more comfortable position.
    Celeste’s eyes widened as Adam nudged his blistering erection against her hand. Turning her head, she finally looked at him. The heat in his eyes burned into her and her body responded as if he were the one caressing her instead. His lips curled up in a seductive smile as her pupils dilated and her breathing deepened. Their hands held motionless over the swollen flesh between his legs, their eyes locked on each other as they remained motionless, lost