Kimi's POV
I was completely at his mercy. Every attempt to resist melted away under the heat of his kiss.
His mouth dominated mine with a hunger that left me breathless. I'd never been kissed before, and this overwhelming assault on my senses was nothing like the gentle romance I'd imagined.
This was raw. Primal. Devastating.
Kolton's tongue swept against mine, coaxing responses I didn't know I was capable of giving. My body betrayed every rational thought, arching into his touch.
When he finally broke the kiss, we were both breathing hard. The darkness between us felt electric.
"Damn," he whispered against my lips. "You kiss like..."
He trailed off, confusion clear in his voice.
"Like what?" I managed to whisper.
His thumb traced my swollen lower lip, and I shivered at the intimate contact.
"Like you've never been kissed before." His tone was puzzled, almost suspicious.
My heart stopped. Could he tell? Was my inexperience that obvious?
"That's ridiculous," I breathed, trying to sound confident.
But Kolton was studying me in the dim light, his dark eyes narrowing. I could feel his gaze trying to pierce through the shadows.
"You taste different too," he murmured. "Sweeter."
Panic fluttered in my chest. He was getting too close to the truth.
Before I could respond, his expression hardened. Whatever moment of confusion he'd felt disappeared.
"Whatever," he said roughly. "Doesn't matter."
His hands gripped my waist tighter, pulling me closer to his hard body.
"This is just for tonight anyway," he said, his voice cold and careless. "Nothing more than that."
The words hit me like a physical blow. Just for tonight.
I knew he thought I was Zofia. Knew this wasn't real.
But hearing him dismiss what felt like the most important moment of my life so casually? It shattered something inside me.
"Kolton—" I started to protest.
"Don't talk," he commanded, his mouth moving to my neck. "I don't want to hear anything except the sounds you make for me."
His lips found the sensitive spot where my throat met my shoulder. When he sucked gently on the skin there, I couldn't stop the moan that escaped.
The sound seemed to drive him wild. His hands roamed over my body with increasing desperation.
"That's it," he growled against my throat. "Let me hear you."
I bit my lip, trying to stay quiet. But when his teeth grazed my neck, another involuntary sound slipped out.
"Perfect," he whispered. "You're so responsive tonight."
His words should have thrilled me. Instead, they felt like daggers.
Tonight. As if I was different from how I usually was. As if Zofia was normally cold and distant.
Because that's who he thought I was. His beautiful, unattainable queen.
Not me. Never me.
His mouth moved lower, kissing along my collarbone. His hands pushed up the hem of my sweater, fingers skimming the bare skin of my waist.
I gasped at the contact. My skin felt like it was on fire everywhere he touched.
"So soft," he murmured appreciatively. "I want to touch every inch of you."
The heat in his voice made my knees weak. But the casual way he spoke, like I was just another conquest, made my heart ache.
His lips found mine again in another devastating kiss. This time, I couldn't help but respond fully.
My hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer even as my mind screamed at me to stop.
This was Kolton. The one my wolf inexplicably yearned for.
And he was treating me like a meaningless encounter.
The kiss grew more intense. More demanding. His body pressed me harder against the wall.
I could feel his arousal through his jeans, and the realization sent shock waves through me.
He wanted me. Even if he didn't know who I really was, he wanted me.
The thought was intoxicating and heartbreaking at the same time.
"Kolton!" A male voice called from somewhere in the house. "Where the hell are you, man?"
Kolton froze against me, his lips still touching mine.
"Shit," he muttered. "That's Brennan."
"KOLTON!" The voice called again, closer this time.
Kolton pulled back reluctantly, his breathing ragged. Even in the darkness, I could see the frustration on his face.
"I have to go," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But this isn't over."
He leaned down and kissed me again, hard and possessive.
"Wait for me," he commanded against my lips. "I'll find you later, and we'll continue this."
Then he was gone, leaving me alone in the dark bathroom with my racing heart and trembling hands.
I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the cold tile floor. My lips felt swollen. My skin tingled everywhere he'd touched me.
What had I done?
I fumbled around until I found my glasses, sliding them back on with shaking fingers. The world came back into focus, harsh and unforgiving.
I was still just me. Plain, invisible Kimi.
And Kolton was still the man who'd called me pathetic. Who'd just promised to "find me later" thinking I was someone else entirely.
I needed to get out of here. Now.
I unlocked the bathroom door and slipped into the hallway. My legs felt unsteady beneath me.
Downstairs, the party was still raging. I pushed through the crowd, searching desperately for familiar faces.
"Kimi!" Olive's voice cut through the music. "There you are! We've been looking everywhere for you."
She appeared at my side with Bennett close behind. Both of them looked concerned.
"Are you okay?" Bennett asked, studying my face. "You look..."
"Shaken up," Olive finished. "What happened?"
I couldn't tell them. Couldn't explain that I'd just made out with Kolton Zachary in a dark bathroom while he thought I was someone else.
"I just want to go home," I managed.
They didn't argue. Bennett went to get his car while Olive stayed with me.
"Did someone hurt you?" she asked quietly.
Yes, I thought. But not in the way you think.
"I'm fine," I lied. "Just tired."
When Bennett returned, we made our way outside. The cool night air felt good against my flushed skin.
But as we walked toward his car, I saw something that stopped me dead in my tracks.
Kolton stood beside the pool, his hands tangled in familiar blonde hair. Zofia was pressed against him, her arms around his neck.
They were kissing with the same passion he'd shown me just minutes ago.
Maybe more.
I watched in horror as his hands roamed over her perfect body. The same hands that had just been touching me.
"Kimi?" Bennett's voice seemed to come from far away.
I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe.
Kolton pulled back from Zofia, and I could see him smiling. Really smiling, not the cold expression he'd worn with me.
This was what he'd wanted all along. His real target for the night.
I was just a mistake. A case of mistaken identity in a dark room.
"Kimi, get in the car," Olive said firmly, taking my arm.
Somehow, I let them guide me into the backseat. But I couldn't stop staring out the window as we drove away.
The tears came without warning. Hot and bitter and endless.
Bennett caught my reflection in the rearview mirror.
"Hey, it's okay," he said gently. "Whatever happened back there, it's over now."
But it wasn't over. It would never be over.
I pressed my face against the cool window and looked up at the star-filled sky.
Somewhere out there was my real mate. The one who would love me for who I truly was.
"Where are you, Mate?" I whispered into the darkness.
The cruel irony of the question made me cry harder.