Distant Desires Read online

  The pads of his fingers caressed the inside of my wrist, and this tight feeling knotted in my stomach, making me want to squirm around. He lifted my hand, staring intently at my bleeding finger.

  “May I?” he asked.

  I nodded, unable to make a sound.

  He bent so he was hunched around my finger and lowered his covered head. I stared at the back of the fabric, tempted to rip it away.

  But the temptation died quickly. My hand was lifted into the private space of his hood, and the feeling of something incredibly warm and smooth wrapped around the tip of my finger.

  I gasped, holding the bit of air inside me, unable to take or release any more breaths. He was kissing it. Heat burst through me, turning everything beneath my skin to liquid. This feeling of peace washed over me; this feeling of complete stillness relaxed my bones.

  After long seconds of contact, he pulled away my finger, returning it to me. I glanced down. The injury was completely gone.

  “What is your name?” I whispered, willing him to not ignore this one question.

  “Tarek.”

  It was an exotic name. One that held great strength, like I knew he did.

  “Tarek,” I whispered, trying it out as my hand still burned from his kiss. “Tarek, please show me your face.”

  “I’d like to try something,” he said, his voice very low.

  I nodded. I’d give him anything. It was as if he’d cast a spell upon me, and I would never be able to deny him.

  “Close your eyes.”

  I closed them.

  “Do not open them,” he commanded.

  I sat poised on the edge of the couch, keeping my eyes closed as my body began to tremble. His fingers brushed against my cheeks, stroking outward toward my ears. And then I felt his incredible heat grow nearer. Like I was right beside the direct flame of a candle. But I wasn’t afraid of being burned. I welcomed it.

  One of his hands slipped along my jaw, cupping my face, cradling it against him.

  He moved closer, so close I felt his breath fan out across my lips.

  “Please,” I begged on a whisper.

  His kiss was hesitant at first, like he wasn’t sure what to do. I slid forward just a little bit, bringing our lips more firmly together. A heavy fog draped over me, pushing out everything but him. His lips were hot, just like the rest of him, and it was exactly like having that first sip of hot coffee on a cold winter’s morning. I felt his touch all the way to my core. He branded me from the inside out.

  Tentatively, he moved across my mouth, rubbing his lips into mine, caressing my flesh with his, tasting my flavor like I was some kind of fine wine.

  In my lap, my hands fisted. If I looked down, I knew my knuckles would be white. I wanted nothing more than to grab him, to hold him to me until every part of our bodies fused together. But I didn’t. I let him lead.

  I wasn’t sure, but I felt like this was something for him, that this kind of contact was rare.

  Up until this point, I stayed still. I didn’t attack him as my body demanded. But I couldn’t anymore. I parted my lips and moved, kissing him back, returning the sensation.

  He sucked in a breath and stilled. The hand once cupping my jaw had fallen to the base of my neck and it tightened, spasming against my skin. The edges of the hood he wore brushed against my forehead and temples. Ever so slowly, I reached up, trailing the pad of my thumb over his cheekbone and then drawing back so I was no longer beneath his hood.

  I opened my eyes and wasn’t surprised to see that everything was blurry. My entire body felt off kilter from that innocent kiss we shared. After blinking several times, my vision began to come into focus.

  Using both hands, I grasped the edges of the hood.

  “Tarek, show me.”

  He didn’t protest or jerk away. He leaned slightly closer.

  Anticipation curled along my nerve endings and parts of my body started to tremble. I tugged the fabric, ready to reveal the complete face of the man who made me feel more than anyone I’d ever met.

  Beside us, a beeping sound pierced the bubble of intensity that hovered around us.

  Tarek jerked up and looked to the side.

  I tried to pull him back, but his attention was now focused on that little machine. He picked it up, pressing another button and looking at the screen, which was lit up with a red light. I didn’t understand what it said.

  My hands fell into my lap as the energy around us shifted. “What is it?”

  He leaned back and then stood, pacing just a few steps away. “It worked,” he said, more to himself than to anyone else.

  I stared at the wall of his back, waiting for some kind of explanation.

  He never turned around. He just stood there staring down at that stupid little machine like it was something incredible.

  Frustrated, I got up and walked around to where he stood, looking down.

  “What worked?”

  “The experiment,” he replied, still looking at the blinking screen in his grip.

  I grabbed his arm, my fingers tightening around him. “What experiment?” I demanded. My pulse hammered inside me, causing fear to skitter around, spreading panic in its wake. What did he do to me?

  He glanced up sharply, and I caught a flash of violet in the shadows of his hood.

  “You’re pregnant,” he said, his voice filled with awe. “My child grows within you.”

  The End… For Now.

  Want to know what happens next?

  Part Two of Distant Desires will be available very soon!

  ABOUT CAMBRIA HEBERT

  Cambria Hebert is the author of the young adult paranormal Heven and Hell series, the new adult Death Escorts series, and the new adult Take it Off series. She loves a caramel latte, hates math, and is afraid of chickens (yes, chickens). She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband and children (both human and furry), where she is plotting her next book. You can find out more about Cambria and her work by visiting http://www.cambriahebert.com.

  Want more by Cambria Hebert?

  The Take It Off series is available now!

  Contemporary romance at its best.

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