The Accidental Kiss (The Kiss Book 1) (11 page)

The boat rocked unsteadily underneath us as I shifted in my seat, unnerved by what Daemon was implying. The fact that I had the potential to be clairvoyant was enough to send me over the edge. I couldn’t handle more power than that.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” Daemon said gently.

I wrung my hands in my lap, overcome with anxiety. “Well, you did. I don’t like the unknown.”

“Nobody does, but there comes a time when you have to choose between turning the page or closing the book.”

The book had almost closed on me last night and I could say with certainty it wasn’t the path I wanted to take. I wanted to live until I was old and gray.

“Do you have any clue what else I might be able to do?” My tone was hopeful, desperate.

Daemon’s expression morphed into one of pity as he shook his head. I rubbed my palms over my face and groaned. “Then how am I supposed to stop the voodoo priest from killing me if I have no clue what I am capable of?”

“What were you going to do? Kiss him to death?” I heard a smile in his voice. “It was once believed that when you consume the chosen one’s blood, you would absorb those powers. As time went on, the Santeria religion grew less and less popular until it basically became extinct. Your blood plays a bigger role in this than the gift itself.”

Daemon’s history lesson brought up the biggest question of all. I removed my hands from my face. “Is it true I was born to be sacrificed?”

“Maybe in the olden days when Santeria was in its golden years,” Daemon said, leaning forward. “You have to understand something though. The voodoo priest lives for the olden days—that’s why he is doing this. He believes that if he is ushered into the community, he can bring it back to what it once was times ten.”

“But does anybody care? It sounds like he’s fighting a one-sided battle.”

“Don’t underestimate the power of crazy.”

I turned over everything he said in my head but it was a lot to absorb. “And how exactly am I the key again?”

“Like I said, he lives by the rules of the olden days. In order to become a respected priest in the community you have to go through a ritual that involves draining your blood and drinking it. Then your body is sacrificed to appease the gods above.”

My brows knitted together. “That sounds awful.”

“Tell me about it.”

It was unfathomable to me that I somehow got saddled with the one voodoo priest stuck in the past and with a thirst for world domination. Talk about having the worst luck.

“Aren’t there other people out there who have this gift of mine? Can’t he sacrifice one of them instead?” I asked.

Daemon ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it up into a sexy rolled out of bed look. “No. The chosen one is only born once every hundred years. That’s why it’s so hard to become a respected voodoo priest in your community. And besides, the blood needs to be virgin.”

“Virgin?” When it dawned on me what he was implying, my eyes widened. “Are you kidding me? Not only do I have to die. I have to die a virgin! That is widely unfair.”

He laughed, letting his happiness shine through and boy, was it a beautiful thing to witness.

“That’s what you’re mad about?” Daemon shook his head. “You are a funny girl, Sky Noelle.”

The way he drawled out my name sent a blaze of fire to travel between my legs. Since the day we had met, Daemon’s allure had gotten harder to resist. I wanted to feel his mouth on my lips, his fingers in my hair, and his gaze become heady with passion as he claimed me as his…It was because of this, a crazy thought occurred.

“Have sex with me,” I blurted out.

Daemon’s eyes darkened as the smile slipped from his face. “What?”

“If my blood has to be virgin, then unmake me a virgin.”

“Don’t tempt me, sweetheart. That’s not something you can take back.”

I met his predatory stare dead on. It sounded crazy but if I was going to lose my virginity to anybody, I wanted it to be Daemon. He was right. The sexual tension between us would never dissipate. Might as well use it to our benefit.

“I am serious, Daemon. You want me. I want you. It’s simple math and the easiest solution,” I reasoned.

Faster than I could blink Daemon loomed over me and the boat rocked unsteadily. “You want me?”

I looked up at him and there wasn’t any doubt in my mind. The want grew to a need so fierce I could hardly breathe. Daemon saw the answer in my eyes and dropped to his knees. He nudged my legs apart and positioned himself between them. I gasped as his hands cupped my ass, drawing me into him.

Daemon’s pupils dilated with arousal. “Say it,” he growled. “Say you want me.”

I sucked my lips between my teeth, suddenly shy. There were a million and one thing I wanted him to say and do, but speaking them out loud made my throat itch.

His hands slipped underneath my t-shirt and circled around to my ribs. His thumb brushed over the thin material covering my nipple.

I gasped out a startled breath and my back arched into his touch. “That…” I panted.

“That is what I want.”

Daemon complied. His fingers continued their teasing until there wasn’t a shred of self-control left in me. I grasped at his t-shirt and hungrily pulled it off of him. My gaze drank in the hard cut lines of his abdomen.

“You’re like a work of art,” I said in admiration.

He rocked back on his heels and brought me on top of him. “I think that compliment goes to you.” The cool afternoon air brushed my bare skin as he revealed my black lacy bra. “Yup, definitely goes to you.”

Bending forward, my lips brushed his ear. “No more talking.”

A groan tore from his throat as he gripped my waist and brushed my crotch over his hardening thickness. I threw my head back, drowning in a wave of lust.

Daemon tangled his fingers into my hair. “You are killing me.”

The movement was repeated and another jolt of lust made me forget everything. It was intoxicating, exhilarating, and mind numbly orgasmic.

“Kiss me,” I half groaned, half pleaded.

He lowered my head until we were inches apart. Our breaths mingled together as one. My eyelids fluttered closed and my lips parted. One…two…three…nothing. I re-opened my eyes. A hurricane of lust was written over Daemon’s face but the mood had shifted.

“What?” I asked.

Daemon untangled his hands from my hair. “Fuck,” he bit out. “I can’t do this.”

Humiliation tore at my insides. I lifted myself off his lap and grabbed my t-shirt. Throwing it over my head, I angrily looked back at him. “If you didn’t want me in the first place, you shouldn’t have taken things this far.”

He threw out his hands. “I do want you more than anything in the world, but not like this. Not on a boat and not because a crazed voodoo priest is after you.”

His words went in one ear and out the other. I was too pissed to listen to reason.

“Just take me back to the shore,” I said.

Daemon’s eyes pleaded with me. “Sky, you have to understand.”

Tears threatened to spill onto my cheeks. I couldn’t believe I threw myself at him like that. How utterly embarrassing. Eyeing the water, I saw it wasn’t too deep. Maybe knee deep at most. Before I could over think it, I jumped in.

“What the hell are you doing?” Daemon yelled.

My feet touched the mossy bottom and I waded to shore, ignoring Daemon’s cries to come back.

I returned to school, looking like a drowned rat. The bottoms of my jeans were soaked, my shoes were water logged, and my t-shirt was wrinkled. Since classes had already started, the hallways were blissfully empty. Thank God too because I didn’t need to fuel the rumor mill more than I already had. At this rate, I was going to be pregnant with an alien baby. Ducking into the bathroom, the wall of mirrors reflected my shame. I wasn’t the kind of girl who threw herself at a guy. My game was to play coy until they were mine—hook, line and, sinker. Even then, I never made the first move. Melissa said it was because of my shy nature and she was right. So why was it when I was around Daemon, I suddenly became brazen?

“If my blood has to be virgin then unmake me a virgin.”

Those very words would haunt me until the day I died. I might as well have thrown off my underwear and spread my legs. Somehow though, the humiliation didn’t kill the lust still strumming between my thighs. An image of Daemon shirtless, his muscles cut into an impressive six-pack, and it was obvious why. Groaning in frustration, I wished he were a deformed ugly zombie. That sounded horrible but at least then I would be able to concentrate on the matter at hand. A voodoo priest wanted to kill me and I had no idea how to stop him besides losing my virginity, which wasn’t an option. Those zombies I came across the other night had abilities far above my own. Not to mention strength of a thousand men. The hard truth was Daemon was my saving grace. Without him, color me dead and lower me into the ground. I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on my face. When I looked up, Lucy stood at the sink next to mine. Her pink Mohawk had changed from pink to a rainbow of neon colors.

She casted a sideways glance at my war torn appearance. “Rough day?”

“To put it mildly.”

Lucy carried on with washing her hands while I waited for her follow up question. It didn’t come. I was immensely grateful she wasn’t the kind of friend who didn’t pry. She grabbed a handful of paper towels. She gave me half and kept the other half for herself.

“Thanks,” I said, drying off my face.

“No problem. It looks like you need a new pair of jeans though.”

The bottoms rubbed against my ankles, creating an itchy rash. “Yeah, but it’s not like I can go to the mall right now.”

Lucy smiled. “
Au contraire
. Follow me.” She was about to head for the door when she stopped. “You might want to get rid of your raccoon eyes first though.”

I swiped my thumb underneath my lower lash line. “Better?”

“Hold on.” Lucy unzipped her backpack. “I always keep my makeup on me for times likes these.”

You have also almost lost your virginity on a boat, only to get rejected and promptly jumped off said boat?
No? Only me?

“Aha.” Lucy held up a strawberry printed makeup bag. “Victory is mine.” She got to her feet and scanned the small bathroom. “Can you sit somewhere?”

There weren’t any other options except on top of one of the closed toilet seats and it wasn’t like my self worth could get any lower. Slinking into the stall closest to the door, Lucy followed. As soon as my ass hit the seat, she got to work. An array of eyeliners, lipsticks, and blushes were studied and applied to my face. I felt like I was about to enter stage left on a beauty pageant.