Natalie's POV
"Kiara?" hearing the name made me cringe like I heard myself snarled within me. My name is Natalie but hearing Kiara made me want to choke from the drink I was sipping gently in my van, waiting for the right time to meet the hospital receptionist.
I immediately turned to know where the voice was coming from, but a man was standing at my van door, looking at me as if I was someone he had seen before. I adjusted in the passenger seat as I said with my heart thudding, "You've... you've got the wrong girl, sir?" I stuttered saying that as I felt my knees getting weaker.
This man is a masterpiece. That was the only thought I could form. His dark hair was a bit long, falling over his forehead just so. His eyes were the color of molten gold, and they burned into mine like he was seeing straight through to my soul. He was wearing an expensive black suit that hugged his broad shoulders, and he had a presence that made the air itself feel charged. I couldn't breathe. My hands trembled, and my drink rattled against the cup holder. I wanted to tell him to go away, to leave me alone, but all the words died in my throat.
He took a step closer, his gaze never leaving me. "Kiara?" he called out again, but this time his breath was ragged.
His voice was deep, a low rumble that seemed to vibrate through my bones. He moved almost towards where I sat comfortably, his eyes never leaving mine, and neither did mine. I was glued to my seat watching him as my heart beat faster. I don't know why my body is betraying me, but this man standing here has stirred something I never knew existed in me.
"My name is Natalie," I repeated, trying to make sure he heard me correctly, hoping I might get out of this spell. He reached out slowly, his hand moving to my face. I wanted to recoil, to pull away, but I couldn't. I was frozen. I let him touch, I let him feel my skin, probably thinking that would make him realize I'm not the person he thought I was.
But I was wrong. The moment his hand touched and caressed my cheek, a jolt of pure energy shot through me. My heart skipped immediately as the drink fell from my trembling fingers, splashing across the floor. He didn't even flinch. His eyes closed for a moment, a look of pain and relief washing over his face, before they snapped back open, darker than before.
"I have searched... waited..." he began, his voice a low, rough whisper. But he couldn't finish his sentence as his mouth found mine immediately.
It wasn't a soft, gentle kiss. It was an assault. A demand. His lips were firm, moving with a desperate hunger that stole my breath. I should have pushed him away. I should have screamed. But something inside me, something I didn't recognize, was pulling me closer.
His mouth tasted like a sweet berry, I mean a sweet berry that I couldn't refuse. I kissed him back, I don't know why. He's a stranger I just met now. But he's igniting something I loved and long for, and I don't know why.
My hands, of their own accord, found their way to his shoulders, gripping the expensive fabric of his suit. I felt a low growl rumble in his chest as our tongues locked on each other. My breath rasped. I needed to be out of this, but I couldn't pull out. He was like a drug that I'm kind of addicted to, a drug I never knew I was missing. I couldn't pull out.
His hand left my cheek, traveling down my neck and then gripping my chin, tilting my head back just enough to deepen the kiss. It was savage and beautiful and terrifying all at once. My mind was screaming at me to run, but my body was singing. It was a song I'd never heard before, a melody of desire and power and something ancient. The kiss was a storm, and I was drowning in it, and part of me didn't want to be saved.
Then, a sudden, sharp image pierced through the haze of the kiss. Something I couldn't even explain. Very blurry.
Then the image vanished as quickly as it came, replaced by the reality of this man's mouth on mine, his hands holding my head, and the taste of him in my mouth. It was just a taste, but it was everything. It was the same pull I felt toward that man's blood. It was the same dangerous, frightening energy that had made me lift a car.
My confusion turned to a spike of anger. Who was this man? Why was he doing this to me? How did he make me feel so... alive and terrified all at once? My hands, which were on his shoulders, now became fists, pushing against him. I wanted to get away, to understand.
He pulled back, his lips just a fraction of an inch from mine, his eyes now a pure, blazing gold. I could see the fire in them, the hunger. "Don't fight it," he whispered, his voice a dangerous growl.
I tried to speak, but only a shaky breath came out. "Who... who are you?" I managed to choke out.
He didn't answer with words. He took my hand and brought it to his mouth, his lips brushing against my knuckles. It was a simple gesture, but it was electric. He kissed my palm, and I felt a shiver run through me from my fingertips to my toes. He didn't just kiss my skin, he kissed my soul. It was like he was marking me, claiming me.
I felt a whimper escape my throat, and I hated myself for it. I was weak. Scared. Confused. This man was a monster, a complete stranger who had just stolen my first kiss and who was now making my body burn with a longing I had no right to feel.
He pulled me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me completely into his space. The cool metal of his watch pressed against my skin. His other hand went to the back of my head, his fingers tangling in my hair, pulling gently. My head fell back, exposing my neck, and his lips trailed down to the curve of my jaw, his warm breath sending shivers across my skin.
"I have waited for so long, my dear Kiara," he whispered against my ear, his voice ragged with emotion. "I won't let you leave my sight again."