Collateral Damage by Bianca Sommerland Page B

creepy, crawly sensation spread over my flesh. Instincts screamed objections.
    Part of me insisted I shouldn't let anyone but Vince kiss me if I could help it.
    Still, my mind whispered, Why? And I didn't have an answer for it. My tongue trailed my bottom lip, and I swallowed as I looked into Cyrus' eyes. Beautiful and deep.
    The blue of clear skies. Where I could soar away from here. Why not find another place to escape? He was right. Vince had given me that for selfish reasons. I owed him nothing.
    My mouth watered as I glanced at his sensuous lips and imagined what he could do with them. "Would you?"
    "Yes." Cyrus pulled me against him and kissed me.
    Lips and tongue claimed me, delving deep, breaking past all my flimsy barriers.
    Arousal blazed to life in my veins, an injection of pure lust. I clung to him as he held me up and licked my lips. Then he sucked on my tongue, flicking it with his own until the sensation worked its way between my thighs, latching on to another place that would enjoy this man's hot mouth. And his mouth was hot. The blazing heat of passion, something I hadn't felt in a very long time.
    He groaned and pressed his hands to the wall at either side of my head, breaking the kiss. "Enough. If we don't end this now, I'll drag you back to my room, and you'll miss the point I was trying to make—"
    What point? My whole body shook with pure, desperate need. "But—"
    Cyrus pressed his fingers over my lips a shook his head. "No. Some other day, perhaps . . . . Come, I'll let you look in on Alrik. Then you'll return to Vincent. He won't wake once he's fallen into a deep sleep. If you don't think of it, he'll never know you left his side."
    "You won't tell him?"
    Eyes sparkling, Cyrus leaned close and gave me another quick kiss. "Not a chance. If I did, he'd make sure you couldn't sneak out again. And I wouldn't want that."
    My cheeks flushed. I was already thinking about the next time I'd sneak out. For some reason, it felt like I was overlooking something important, but I brushed all that aside. This . . . thing with Cyrus reminded me of the naughty fun I'd had in my teens after my father . . . died. Slipping out to meet a boy my mother wouldn't approve of.
    The bad boy we both knew could get me in all kinds of trouble.
    Of course, Cyrus was a bit more dangerous than any of them.
    A bit?
    "Come, Nicole." He caught my hand and led me down the hall. His thumb circled my palm, and I shivered. He stopped in front of Alrik's door and smiled at me.
    "Hurry up before I change my mind."
    I swallowed, nodded, and moved away from him. After I opened the door and squinted into the darkness at the skinny, little boy hidden under a mountain of blankets, reason seemed to click into place.
    What was I doing? How could I even consider . . . ?
    "He's been doing a lot better lately." The heat of Cyrus' almost feverishly hot body spread over my back and down my thighs. He pressed against me, wrapped me up in his arms, and whispered in my ear. "Such a good little boy, learning to do what he's told. Were the children at you daycare this well behaved?"
    "No." I closed my eyes as resistance curled up and hid in the recesses of my mind, utterly useless. "He's special."
    "Yes, he is." He made a gruff sound and closed his lips around my earlobe. A light tug with his teeth brought a whimper from my throat. His grip tightened, but then he let me go. "After you're done teaching him tomorrow, come find me. I'll send Vincent somewhere so he won't interrupt us."
    "Okay." No! No! I frowned, trying to figure out where the internal contradiction was coming from. I wanted Cyrus. Now would be better, but I could wait if I had to. "If you're sure—"
    He chuckled. "I'm sure, my little minx. I need to sleep so I'll have the energy for .
    . . ." His lips curved in a telling smile, making my breath catch and my thighs clench.
    "Now get. And, Nicole . . . ."
    Mid-step I glanced at him, my eyes widening as his flared like the flames of a gas stove.