Chapter 184 Chapter 184
Violet
A hand suddenly grabbed my arm, pulling me sharply to the side.
I gasped, stumbling in my heels as I was yanked away from the ballroom entrance and into one of the side corridors.
My first instinct was panic and the urge to scream, fearing that the woman tormenting in my dreams had materialized out of thin air and was here to take me with her wherever she wanted to.
But then I collided with a solid chest, caught by strong arms, and the scent of bourbon and cedar wrapped around me.
I looked up, and my breath caught in my throat.
Elijah was dressed in a black tuxedo that fit him like it had been painted on his body.
The jacket emphasized his broad shoulders, the crisp white shirt beneath it making his tanned skin seem to glow. His bow tie was slightly crooked, like he'd tied it in a hurry, and his dark hair was still damp, suggesting he'd recently showered.
But it was his face that held my attention. Those dark eyes were intense, burning with something that made my stomach flip. His jaw was set, the muscle jumping beneath the skin like he was holding himself back from something.
"Elijah," I breathed, my hands immediately coming up to cup his face.
I could feel the slight stubble there, could see faint shadows under his eyes that spoke of pain and exhaustion. "How are you feeling? Your injuries…are you okay? Should you even be up?"
He didn't let me finish. His hands came up to frame my face, fingers sliding into my carefully styled hair, and then his lips came crashing down on mine.
Nothing about it was gentle or careful like the tenderness he'd shown before.
This kiss was desperate, consuming, like he needed it to breathe. His mouth claimed mine with an intensity that made my knees buckle, made every thought flee my mind except the sensation of his lips moving against mine.
“Aah”
I gasped against his mouth and he took advantage, his tongue sweeping in to deepen the kiss. One of his hands stayed tangled in my hair while the other dropped to my waist, pulling me flush against him.
I could feel every hard line of his body through the thin silk of my dress and the way his heart was hammering against my chest. I could feel the barely restrained hunger in the way he held me and suddenly it was too much to simply stand there and do nothing.
My hands moved from his face to his shoulders, gripping the fabric of his jacket to keep myself upright because my legs had stopped working. The world spun, and I was pretty sure it had nothing to do with the heels.
“What are you…” I began but he wouldn’t let me finish as he walked me backward without breaking the kiss, his body herding mine until my back hit the wall.
The cool surface was a shock against my bare shoulders, a sharp contrast to the heat of Elijah's body pressed against my front.
He braced one hand on the wall beside my head, caging me in, while the other roamed all over me as if he was determined to feel every inch of my skin.
His hand went down my side, over the curve of my hip, and along my thigh where the silk dress clung to my skin. Every touch left fire in its wake, making me arch into him seeking more contact, more friction, more everything this man had to offer.
His mouth moved from my lips to my jaw, trailing open-mouthed kisses down the column of my throat. I tilted my head back to give him better access, a sound escaping me that was embarrassingly needy.
"Elijah," I managed to rasp, my fingers tangling in his hair.
I could feel his smile against my skin before he sucked gently at the spot where my neck met my shoulder, hard enough to probably leave a mark.
His hand on my thigh moved higher, bunching the silk of my dress, and I felt the cool air on my skin as the fabric rose. His fingers traced patterns on my inner thigh, making me shiver, making any logical thought nearly impossible.
Then he was kissing me again, swallowing whatever protest or plea I'd been about to make.
This kiss was even more intense than the first, if that was possible.
His tongue moved against mine in ways that made me forget we were in a semi-public corridor, that anyone could walk by, that I was supposed to be in the ballroom right now helping with final preparations of my ex’s wedding.
None of it mattered. Nothing mattered except this moment, this man, this desperate connection between us.
When he finally broke away, we were both breathing hard.
His forehead rested against mine, his eyes closed, and his chest heaving.
I could feel his heart racing where our bodies were pressed together, and the hunger he had just rekindled with a mere kiss.
My carefully styled hair was completely ruined, half of it falling loose from its pins. My lipstick was smudged beyond recognition, probably all over both of our faces. The top of my dress had shifted slightly, revealing more skin than was appropriate for a wedding.
I looked thoroughly ravished but I couldn't bring myself to care.
"This is how I feel," Elijah said, his voice rough and low, still not opening his eyes. "I didn't want to waste time talking."
It took me a few seconds to realize what he meant and when I did, I was torn between happiness and embarrassment. Not just my face but my entire body burned, still humming with need and want and a thousand other sensations I couldn't name.
"Your wounds," I managed to say, my brain slowly coming back online. "You were injured…are injured, you need to rest. And I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't…"