ME & THE MONSTER

car

Kal had parked in a narrow street. Night had fallen while we'd been inside the café, and there were scarcely any people in sight.

I clambered onto the passenger seat and Kal slid in next to me. He tapped at the screen in front of him, and the sound of a steady drumbeat filled the car.

I groaned. "Not the "best of the Eighties" again, Kal, pleaaase."

He stuck his tongue out at me. "Hey, it's my responsibility to convert you and teach you what proper music sounds like, my girl."

I laughed. "You're heartless."

"I am." Kal grinned. "And you're beautiful."

He leaned over, and then his fingers were on my ribcage, tracing small, lazy circles over my blouse. I went very still. I felt myself break at his touch. I must have made a small sound because Kal chuckled.

"Someone likes it, eh?"

I shrugged, in as careless a manner as I could manage, even though I knew I was blushing.

"It's sort of nice, yeah," I said.

"Just sort of nice, mm?" Kal asked, quizzically.

"Er, yes," I stammered. It was killing me, the slow dance of his hands. I couldn't think straight. "Just nice."

"All right," Kal said, swivelling his legs right around so that he was facing me. "So you'd think me terribly insolent if I kept going, wouldn't you?"

He crept closer, and lowered his mouth onto my throat. I tensed. My heart raced as his lips moved down, feather-light, caressing my skin. I was breaking, bursting, burning alive.

"W-what? Yes. R-really insolent."

Kal smiled a dark smile.

"You're a terrible liar, darling."

And suddenly we were kissing. At first we moved softly against each other, but then the kiss deepened, grew bolder. When we drew apart, we were both breathless and shaking.

"Aren't we taking you home?" Kal murmured.

"Were," I corrected him, smiling. "Change of plan."

I wanted him so much. I wanted him to want me. I wanted him so badly it hurt. I wanted him with every cell in my body, every ache in my bones, every thrum in my blood. I wanted this man with the edge in his smile and the summer in his eyes, who made me laugh and understood me like nobody did.

Who believed in me when I didn't.

I wanted Kal Mellketh, all of him, all the time.

I rested my head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat sing fast beneath the skin. He skimmed my hair with a hand, light as a breeze over water. The slow caution of the gesture told me he was struggling to keep himself together.

Overcome by a blinding feeling, I burst out: "Kal. Let's go to the back."

Kal's face changed. He nodded. A slam of the doors, and we were at the back of the car, falling onto each other. I climbed on top of him, and his arms went tight around me. The seat sank under our combined weights. Then a blur of hands. We fumbled at buttons and buckles and belts, we tossed away, teared, wrenched off, bumping and wrestling with each other in our urgency, scarcely able to move within the confined space of the car. 

It was uncomfortable, but we didn't care. And my blouse was falling onto the leather upholstery, and then my bra curled on his fingers. Of course tonight of all nights it hadn't crossed my mind to wear my fancy lacy lingerie – I'd carelessly thrown on my oldest, baggiest bra and pants, holes and all. I let out an internal groan.