As promised... Here is Eden and Kiran's first kiss from his perspective!! Be nice.. This is not edited! :)
I fidgeted uncomfortably on the foreign throne I was supposed to conduct business from and decided when I was king I was abolishing every last one of them. I understood the idea of the throne, the pomp, the circumstance, the…. bloody opulence. But the kingdom got it; we were rich, and important and blah, blah, blah. Honestly, everyone should try sitting in one for hours on end and then telling me it’s a place of honor instead of some medieval torture device.
I shook my head and reinforced my magic to make the hours ahead of me bearable. My eyes met the Immortal standing in the middle of the floor and I tried my damnedest to feign interest. I couldn’t remember his dispute, something about a Shape-Shifter sighting close to the city. Or maybe, this one was a money dispute with his mother-in-law. I downed the last of the Scotch from my tumbler, and held up the empty glass for Talbott to refill. It took a hell of a lot of alcohol to inhibit an Immortal, but I was determined to get there tonight.
Omaha. This had to be the cruelest form of punishment my father had ever laid out for me. Stuck here with a fiancée I could hardly tolerate, subjects who had nothing better to do than complain about money, and in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do and nowhere to go. Apparently, father had not been joking when he said he wanted me to learn some responsibility. Responsibility I was getting plenty of. And hating every minute of it.
My eyes wandered beyond the babbling Immortal to the staircase leading up to the city and away from this glorified purgatory. And there she was, the only reason worth staying around.
Eden.
This time I couldn’t help but sit up straighter and lean forward on the horrible, gaudy golden chair.
She was exquisite, a rare and beautiful creature that demanded male eyes watch her. A surge of anger beat against my chest as I realized I wouldn’t be the only man in this room drawn in by her endlessly long legs and mind-numbing shape. I couldn’t even pretend to pay attention now, with her walking down the stairs in those sinful pink shoes; part of me wished the staircase was never ending, I could watch her all night. Another part of me worried for her safety since I didn’t have to be close to her to know she would have forgotten to use magic to help steady her.
The complainer was saying something to me, I could hear his voice like a bee buzzing around my ear, but I noticed Eden was with the new kid and I wanted to punch the smug look off his entitled face. I thought for a fleeting second about having him thrown into prison for showing up here uninvited, but decided punching him would be much more satisfying. And if his hands went anywhere near her, I would find out just how satisfying.
I lost her at the bottom of the stairs, she disappeared into the thick crowd and a coldness I couldn’t explain seeped into my bones. I was drawn to this girl in a dangerous way. She pulled at my magic, heating my blood to a boil in a way no other girl had been capable of before. And now that I had seen her here, tonight, I couldn’t stay away from her. I couldn’t keep myself from her.
I had to go to her.
I stood up, almost unconsciously, as her magic pulled me closer. I took the tumbler out of Talbott’s hand absentmindedly, knowing he was asking me questions, but I didn’t dare reply. Every rational instinct inside of me screamed to stay away from her, warned what my father would do to me if he caught wind there was even a hint of unfaithfulness to his beloved mail-ordered bride. But I was a man bordering on obsession and if for no other reason than curiosity; she was an anomaly I had to explore.
I pushed through the now curious crowd. They tried to hide their interest in me, but I felt their eyes watching me, studying me…. judging me. I knew they were looking for stability and maturity, that was why I was here, but Eden had a way of pulling out the unexpected and irrational in me and I couldn’t have stopped myself if I wanted to.
By the time I pushed through the pressing crowd, her back was to me and she was alone. Avalon was truly a stupid man to leave something so innocent and alluring alone in this club. I watched her for just a moment; her back was bare, revealing flawless, tanned skin and I could have written the dress maker a thank you note right then and there. She fidgeted with her glass of scotch and I laughed, watching her decide whether to take a drink of the fiery liquid.
Unable to stay away any longer, I approached her. “Well, well, well…. look who it is,” I drawled, hoping to sound casual while my magic pumped through my blood in fast, strong waves of desire. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? What are you doing here?” She asked, suspiciously, and leaned back against the bar. Surprise had only flashed in her black eyes for a second, before they settled into the intense onyx I found so hypnotizing.
She raised her glass to her mouth, and I faltered for a minute as her glossy lips sipped at her drink.
“Hmmm….” Was all I could manage to get out. Her face was a mixture of nerves and innate confidence and her magic thrummed nervously underneath her skin. I tightened the grip on my glass, willing myself to stand still, but all my thoughts swirled into daydreams of carrying her out of here to somewhere we could be alone for hours. “So this is what Avalon had planned for you…. not very exciting.” I remarked, hoping to sound more casual than I felt. Thoughts of punching that guy replaced forbidden ones of me and her and for a moment I was thankful for the distraction.
“Then why are you here?” She asked, avoiding my mention of her friend.
I smiled at her innocence of our world. A child would know why I was here, and yet she stood amidst our people, not understanding our way of life at all. It was…. refreshing. “I have to be here; royal duties and all,” I stayed intentionally vague, enjoying her confusion. Her black eyes darkened next to her wild hair, and her lips pouted lushly. I took a long drink of my Scotch to cover my fascination with her expression.
“Must be tough to be king,” she offered, and I heard unexpected sympathy lacing her tone. She would be sympathetic to my plight, the only one.
“Not king yet,” I replied, letting my eyes drift over her again. Maybe it was time to slow down on the Scotch…. maybe not. I took a step closer, resting my hands on either side of her. Her magic was like a siren’s call and I couldn’t fight her pull any longer. I dipped my head, inhaling the scent of her flowery perfume like it was a drug, controlling my movements.
“So really, what are you doing here?” She asked again, in a quivering voice. The tremble in her tone was almost too much for me. I closed my eyes to fight off the demanding desire, but I had to touch her, I had to feel her skin against mine.
My hands slid up her arms, her smooth skin sending my spine straightening in the effort not to press her against my body and kiss her senseless. Her magic flared and with the sudden surge of hers, mine went into overdrive, knocking all reason out of me. I pulled her against me, needing to touch her, needing to somehow claim her as mine.
“This is where I conduct my business, Eden. You are in my American office.” Her eyes found mine and held me captive. A voice of reason in the back of my head reminded me there might be others watching, others that were important officials of my fathers, or even just curious subjects that were well informed of my engagement, but it didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered, because I knew I would kiss her. I would finally feel those perfect lips against mine and pour into her the mingled magic that plagued my every thought. “Oh, Eden you’ve so much to learn,” I mumbled, leaning in closer so that I could feel her breath against my mouth. I felt her shiver in my arms, and whatever was left of my sanity disappeared. I closed the distance between us, needing her more than I needed magic.
Suddenly I was desperate to explore what was between us, frantic to discover every last reason she had captivated me so completely.
And then a throat cleared from behind me and the cruel reality of our situation came hurtling against me.
Amory.
“Damn it,” I growled, more animal than man and slammed my hand against the bar. Eden, jumped in my arms, startled by my outburst but for a moment I was blinded by frustrated rage. Amory seemed to have a very keen interest in my faithfulness lately…. “Can I help you gentlemen?” I spat out, knowing Talbott would be close by as well.
“Forgive us for the interruption sir, but Ms. Matthews is not allowed in your private club,” Amory explained with fake humility. We both know he was only pretending to be subservient for the sake of the crowd, I could hear the paternal scolding lace every one of his syllables. If it was anybody but Amory, if it had even been Talbott, I would have sent them to Romania for robbing me of that kiss.
“I granted her entrance,” I lied softly, unwilling to step away from Eden. She had finally let me get close to her and Amory and Talbott were determined to ruin my progress.
“I’m sorry sir; by your father’s order she is not allowed here,” Talbott spoke up for the first time.
That wasn’t exactly true, but I knew she hadn’t been given specific permission which made her presence here suspicious. Now that I had control of my rational thinking again, or most of it…. I could see that Talbott was right. Everyone in the club was watching us, they would want to know who she was and why I was about to kiss somebody that wasn’t my fiancée.
I knew Amory could feel my hesitation, so I was only a little irritated when he said to Eden, “Mr. St. Andrews is waiting upstairs to take you home.”
Avalon St. Andrews…. why did that name sound familiar? I hesitated for a moment and Eden moved to walk away from me. I put a hand on her waist, feeling her magic pulse from my touch and knew I couldn’t let her walk out of here without me.
“There’s no need for that. I was leaving anyway. I will take her home. Please tell Avalon, he is free to go.” I grabbed Eden’s arm, hoping to get her out of here before we were stopped again.
“Excuse me, Prince Kiran; there is still business to attend to,” Talbott stopped me. His tone was bordering on fear and if it were for any other reason I would have found it amusing.
“What business?” I demanded, knowing very well the room packed with Immortals would be furious if I left before even half of them had made their complaints. Still, with Eden so close, those were consequences I was willing to suffer.
“I am not at liberty to say in front of…. her,” Talbott reminded me, letting his annoyance with my infatuation show. Damn it, Talbott.
“Fine,” I relented, unwilling to let her go. Fury blinded me for the second time tonight, and I began to worry about the hold this girl had over me. I stood there for a second longer deciding what to do.
Reason argued that I should let Eden go and return to my people, but…. desire…. No, something stronger than desire…. something even more consuming than desire…. something I couldn’t define yet convinced me to stay with her for as long as I could. “I will walk her to the door,” I threw the excuse out quickly and dragged her along with me up the stairs. At some point along the way, I found coherence again and gentled my hold on Eden’s arm.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, and my eyes flew to her face.
“Don’t be. You did nothing wrong,” I promised through gritted teeth. What kind of girl apologizes for being too irresistible? Although, she probably had no idea that’s what got her into trouble, that it was my attention to her that drew Amory’s anger, not anything she could have helped.
At the door to the outside, her hand reached for the handle. I paused to watch her. An embarrassed blush colored her face and spread down to the base of her exposed throat. Her hair was swept over her shoulder and for a moment I was lost to the curve of her neck and the thin ribbon that tied her dress together in the back.
In that moment I knew I was lost to more than her dress, I was lost to her. My hands moved without my conscious permission to her waist and grabbed on to her like she were my only lifeline, the only way I could breathe. Desire clouded my vision and a deep hunger to know her more gnawed at my senses. I pushed her against the wall, maybe too roughly, but she had invaded me in a way that erased my judgment…. erased my sanity.
I raised one hand above her head, trapping her against the wall. I stood there for a second, until my vision cleared, until I recognized the mirrored passion in those depthless eyes of hers. My fingers twitched against her hip, and the magic buzzing between us became a palpable energy field.
I sucked in one last, struggling breath before I pressed my mouth against hers. My hand moved from the wall to the back of her head, where it got lost in her tangles of hair. I needed her. I needed her closer to me. I needed her mouth to never leave mine. I needed her body to touch mine in every way.
Her soft lips moved against mine and I thought there had never been passion like this before, not in the whole of the universe. Her small body fit against mine as if God designed her specifically for me, and when I deepened the kiss a gentle moan escaped the back of her throat.
That sound. The sound of her desire sent me over the edge. My mouth left hers to explore her neck and throat, her collar bone…. And then something happened. My physical desire turned into something more, something greater. It was more than sexual attraction that bound me to her; it was something much, much deeper…. much more consuming…. something that threatened to alter my very existence.
Instead of her body, I now wanted all of her, every part of her. I wanted to know her, to be with her every moment of every day. And even though her hot skin against my mouth felt amazing, I needed her lips again like I needed the magic in my veins.
I sighed when our mouths connected again, like a starving man who had been given a life-saving meal. Our magics slammed together in quaking connection, meeting in perfect unison, and left me reeling with the intensity of my feelings for her. Something more happened the longer we stayed locked together, the power of our intertwined magic moved inside of me, or moved something inside of me and suddenly it felt as if my very soul was mixed together with hers. I recognized her then; she belonged to me, not in a possessive way, but in the very way that I belonged to her. My mind stuttered, trying to grasp the connection between us at the same time I decided I could never be separated from her again and survive. I didn’t know who she was, or where she had come from, but she was here for me. My heart, an organ I rarely listened to, promised me that.
The door opened at the end of the hallway.
Amory.
And this time when I made a sound it was out of misery. I left her. I stepped away from her and practically ran down the hallway. It was painful and agonizing and I was positive I would never recover from our separation. But she would want answers, she would want to know what happened between us and I couldn’t tell her because I didn’t know.
Although, by the smug look on Amory’s face, I had a feeling he did. I thought about asking him later, much later after the people had gone home, but decided it was too dangerous to ask even him. I would have to stay away from her. I would have to distance myself if I wanted to protect her. My father would not understand, and she came from nothing, not a family with a pedigree or even an Immortal family. If I wanted to keep her safe, I would have to ignore whatever was between us.
If only I knew how to do that.
Who is Rachel?!?
Rachel Higginson is the author of The Five Stages of Falling in Love, Every Wrong Reason, The Star-Crossed Series, Love & Decay Novella Series and much more!
She was born and raised in Nebraska, and spent her college years traveling the world. She fell in love with Eastern Europe, Paris, Indian Food and the beautiful beaches of Sri Lanka, but came back home to marry her high school sweetheart. Now she spends her days writing stories and raising five amazing kids.
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LOVE IT! I love being able to know what was going on in Kiran's head when these things happened :) Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWow! Thanks for this! I needed some sunshine today!
DeleteI loved it. I can not wait to read more from you. I'm simply addicted!
ReplyDeleteHi... I just got done texting everyone I could think of that you posted this!!! It is sooooo good!!! I Loved it!!! =)
ReplyDeleteDo you know what??? I just realized I've never once commented on your blog... how funny is that!!! Especially since I read it everyday!!!! Lol....
TTYS.... Brooke =}
Amazing, just like the books! Thanks for bringing this great story and letting us into Kiran and Eden`s lives!!!
ReplyDeleteThat was great! I really liked how he felt himself give in to her... How she became a part of him... Love the series! Please write more... the cabin perhaps!?!
ReplyDeleteWow...LOVE it!!!!! I was always Team Kiran and really enjoy to see the story from his point of view. I think I'm going to begin reading the series for the third time :)
ReplyDeleteI wasnt ready for the story to end. How about a book telling the parents story?
ReplyDeletePure perfection. So so good. You are an awesome writer. Wow!
ReplyDeleteWow just amazing, a great thing to wake up to, especially with all the rain we've been having ! Enjoy your break from writing, enjoy the little things, enjoy your family. We aint going anywhere ;)
ReplyDeleteIt is a mark of a good story when you want to read it again and again...this little tidbit has me reaching for my dog-eared copies again (figuratively obviously). Thank you!
ReplyDeleteSo good!! I might just have to buy your paperback copy to go with my ebooks, just for the gorgeous cover. I hope more or Kiran's pov's are coming!
ReplyDeleteThank you Rachel for sharing such a wonderful story with us. I am reading the series for the second time and was so excited when I saw you would write something from Kiran's point of view. It was wonderful as well. I hope you do more as there are so many times I would love to have know what was going on in his head. Thank you again for bringing to life these characters and story for us.
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!!!! Can't wait to read it all, you are truly a gifted writed capable of mesmorizing your audience..this was amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteI just read the whole series in a week after finding reckless magic on amazon. I can't begin to tell you how addicted I am to the series...please keep writing more, I'd love to see what happens to the kingdom and the relationships between the characters!! totally rooting for Sebastion and Seraphina
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT! I neeeed more i love your writing so much!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, wow! You do not disappoint, Rachel! That left my heart beating frantically, I'm breathless, even more than I was in Eden's version. THANK YOU! Only problem is, it left me wanting more! I knew I was right to back Kiran up all along! YAY!!!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see what happened to almost kill him, as well as what he was thinking during his engagement to Seraphina, Morocco, the months when Eden lost her magic and anything that would show his perspective of her being a good ruler. But that's my wish list. Thanks for this snippet!
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late to the party, but, uh....yowza! :) Ahh, Kiran....
ReplyDeleteOh WOW!!!!! I love this so much! Thank you a million stars for this! AMAZING!
ReplyDeleteKiran!!!
ohhh that was HOT ..... thanks a million can't wait for the next books xx
ReplyDeleteOMG!!! Love it !!!!
ReplyDeleteAMAZING, AWESOME, HOT, SWEET and all the other prasing adjectives in existence!!!
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you thank you thank you thank you this was amazing!
ReplyDeletePlease continue writing more of Kirans perspective
Can you please write one on when they first met or when they were in class together
Loved it!! Wish there was more like a lot more from Kiran's POV.
ReplyDeletethis made me realize how much i miss this series and it's characters!!now i have to re-read the books!! :)
ReplyDeleteIt would be so amazing if u could just write a short book in Kiran's head when he gives Eden the engagement ring to when Eden discovers his 'betrayal' :) loved it!!:)
ReplyDeleteOh my! I have wanted for so long,I almost couldn't stand it to know what was going on in Kiran's head! I never wavered from him,I always knew in my heart that he was a magnificent person and truely loved Eden but still felt that duty to his father,I not only felt Eden's pain through this series but also Kiran's and my heart went out to him we he had to obey his father and leave her to think he betrayed her,it broke my heart for them both but I always knew in the end that they were created for eachother! Thank you so much for sharing this!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this! It was really interesting to see Kiran's point of view and understand how he feels, because it makes the story much more interesting!Please write more extracts from Kiran's point of view!
ReplyDeleteLoved it!!! More please!! I cant wait for more of anything to do with Kiran and Eden. I'm excited about the next book. When is it being released? I need more. Thank for this awsome series.
ReplyDeleteMore pls????Ahhhh can't have enough of Kiran and Eden!!!
ReplyDeleteI love reading Kiran's pov! More please!
ReplyDeleteLove it. It was amazing, thank you for sharing this with us.
ReplyDeleteOk I seriously have an addiction to this series. I have read the whole serious probably more then 5 times and I am legitimately going to die if a movie doesn't come out soon. My heart just explodes whenever I read any of these books and I can't express my love for the relationship that Eden and Kiran share. And please please please write more from Kiran's POV because they are absolutely AMAZING!!!!
ReplyDelete