I could have kissed Malekesi for not only stuffing me full of the most delicious food I’d ever tasted, but for insisting Kory and I have separate rooms to sleep in after our stomachs were ready to pop. Kory had rolled his eyes in amusement, but he didn’t argue with her. What Malekesi lacked in height, she made up in girth. Her commanding presence had more to do with her infectious smile than with the stern finger she wagged at Kory when he had tried to follow me into my room.
“No sir, not in my house,” she’d said, ushering him to the room next to mine. “I see no rings on your fingers. You treat her with respect.”
Kory had opened and shut his mouth several times, but in the end, he’d shrugged. I hurried into my room before he could come up with some excuse to follow me. Glad to have my sister’s suitcase, I flipped open the lid and rifled through her belonging. Seeing the amount of clothes she had packed, I had a hunch my sister hadn’t planned to return from this trip. A lot of opened-back shirts.
A small part of me felt bad. I took away what she’s been looking forward to for months. Feels like I crashed her wedding or something. I had no doubt now Kory cared for her on some level, but the jury was still out on whether he was using her.
Trying to find something decent to sleep in, I was horrified, but not surprised, by all the sheer and skimpy nighties I found. Sighing, I settled on an open-backed T-shirt. If I have to choose between my front or backside being covered, I’ll opt for my front. Relieved to find jogging shorts, I quickly changed, snapped the light off, and slipped into bed.
A few seconds later, someone slid into the bed next to me. Although not visible, the hint of mint and musky cologne was a dead giveaway. Hands wrapped around me from behind, pulling me toward him to spoon. I tried not to stiffen. Great, now what?
“Kory,” I whispered to the dark room, “Malekesi is going to kill you if she finds you in here.”
He snorted. “Since when do you worry about getting caught?”
Crap. My brain screamed to find a solution to this precarious situation. There was no way I was letting him do more than the kisses he’d already planted on me. Not to mention what might happen if I fell asleep…
“Since I met a Hawaiian woman,” I responded, half serious.
He chuckled. “Relax, no one’s going to know.”
“Uh, Kory… I…” I stammered as he begin planting kisses along the back of my neck. “Would you hate me horribly if we just slept tonight?”
His lips withdrew from my skin. With the sudden silence that followed, I was half tempted to turn around to see his expression.
“Not at all,” he said, his tone definitely strained. “Everything okay?”
I rotated to look him in the eyes; I couldn’t afford to blow my cover now. “Yes, I’m just really tired. I had no idea how wiped out flying would make me.”
His gaze softened a bit. “So,” he said, his voice almost hesitant, “it’s not because you’re having second thoughts about… us?”
“What? No. Why would you say that?”
“Well, you just haven’t seemed like yourself today,” he said, “I mean, you’ve usually already jumped my bones like three times.”
I couldn’t help my face flushing. This was getting to be too much for me. I shouldn’t be living my sister’s intimate moments!
“Kory, that’s not it, I swear. I’m just a pile of nerves. I think I’ll feel better once we get all settled in. Maybe after I’ve seen your Defenders and I see how you’re going to change me, I can relax more.”
He cocked his head to the side, his arm still draped around my body. “Sorry, I guess I didn’t realize how stressful this must be for you.” He leaned down and kissed my cheek. “I promise you have nothing to be worried about. The transformation will be painless. I will be there for you every step of the way.”
“Thanks,” I said, praying he’d stop kissing my neck. To my relief, he did. To his credit, he settled down, still holding on to me, but not groping me.
“Goodnight, my love,” he whispered, nestling his lips against the back of my neck.
“Goodnight,” I said, hoping it didn’t sound too stiff. I waited in silence. I wasn’t sure if he was upset or falling asleep until his breathing slowed down and deepened. Only when his arm went slack around my middle did I dare scoot further away from him. Once there was some space between our bodies, I commanded myself not to fall asleep.
Shouldn’t be too hard right? Who needs sleep? Just think about tomorrow. We’ll finally know where the Defenders are. Then all I’ve got to do is slip away when Kory’s back is turned, fly as fast as I can home, and pray no one follows me. Like Kory… or all those Defenders…
I frowned. My escape plan was looking a bit bleak, if I was honest.