Darken the Stars - Amy A. Bartol Page 0,1

and escape the curves of his mouth. My lips skim lightly over the stone rigidness of his jaw, tasting the saltiness of the sea air that settles there. His lips hunt mine, finding them again—claiming ownership by covering them once more.

The pleasure he finds at having me in his arms is unmistakable. His heartbeat drums against my hand on his chest. I gasp as my fingertips feel the small, raised scar on his skin—the only indication that I’d stabbed him. Kyon wastes no time in seizing the opportunity my parted lips present. His tongue delves into my mouth, stroking against mine. A shiver trembles through me. He feels it. It prompts him to pull me tighter to his body.

My thin nightgown is no protection from the heat of his bare chest. It seeps through the cloud of white fabric. I’m dwarfed by the size of him. He holds me with his hand against my lower back while his other hand traces a delicate path to my shoulder. Continuing on, his warm fingers splay against the nape of my neck. He can snap it without even trying, my mind whispers.

The warmth from Kyon’s hand causes goose bumps to spread over my flesh. His kisses turn demanding—restless against my lips. I listen to the soft, lapping water pushing its way onto the white sand near us. The sea breeze lifts my hair from around my shoulders, scattering long blond strands of it across Kyon’s masculine cheek. He moves his grasp to my jaw. His thumb caresses my earlobe as strong fingers entwine in my hair.

While Kyon’s lips continue their assault, I’m a ghost in the darkness, waiting while my mind works out what to do. My knuckles must be white and bloodless—my fingernails pierce my palms. He won’t allow me to pull away.

With a growl, I bite down hard on Kyon’s bottom lip, tasting his blood. My knee comes up in an attempt to connect with his groin. I miss.

He seizes my wrist, twisting it behind my back, forcing me to let go of his lip before he breaks my arm. I’m pinned to him. My cheek presses against the brutal solidness of his chest. It’s no haven from pain. His huge fist twists in my hair at the base of my skull. He jerks it and makes me look up until our eyes meet.

He’s furious. Blood seeps from his bottom lip. I match his stare with a defiant one of my own.

Seeing enough, he lets go of my wrist and lifts me off my feet, hoisting me over his shoulder. He crosses the stone patio to a wrought-iron gate. He unlatches the ornate catch. It doesn’t squeak as it swings wide. His bare feet sink into white sand. I pound on his back with my fist, trying to kick my legs, but they’re trapped in the vise of his forearm. “Let go!” I demand.

I lurch up and make a grab for his hair, but he drops me down so far that I can’t gain enough leverage to get to it. Reaching the water, he pulls me off his shoulder and secures me in his arms. He keeps my wrists pinned so I can’t hit him. When the first cold wave splashes me, soaking my white nightgown, I begin to panic in earnest.

“Don’t!” I yell. It comes out in a high-pitched screech. I look up at his handsome profile, seeing his jaw clench. He doesn’t reply, he just continues to take me farther out into the water. “No, no, no, nooo!”

Waist deep, he stops. Violently, he grips me by the front of my nightgown and plunges me into the water, holding me under. My hair waves in my face, floating in the current. With eyes wide open, I see the phosphorescent glow of coral. Its shine causes my skin to take on a greenish-blue tint. I hold my breath. My heart wants to break out through my chest. Gripping Kyon’s brutal forearm, I dig my nails into him, scratching so that he’ll let go of me. It does nothing. I beat on his arm with my fist. He pulls me up out of the surf. My nose and throat burn, and I choke and gasp for air. I can feel the heavy blond tendrils of my hair plastered to my face.

Kyon’s fist tightens again. I’m thrust under the water and held down. The lack of oxygen makes my lungs feel like they’ll explode at any second. I panic. Every cell of my