Page 23

June

T he door opened before either Wendy or I had the chance to knock. Without hesitation, Kai leaned in to hug me. It was a long hug—much longer than five Mississippis. More like fifteen Mississippis.

Trevon coughed, breaking the moment.

“We should probably move inside,” he suggested, glancing down the hallway.

Standing at the door hugging would definitely attract attention. I had no idea when Dannie would notice that Wendy and I had been gone far too long for a simple bathroom trip.

I fought the overwhelming urge to kiss Kai, but with Trevon and Wendy watching, a sudden shyness crept over me. It wasn’t as if they didn’t know how I felt about Kai—it was obvious—but expressing affection in front of others was hard for me. Even with an audience of just two.

Room 1202 was a standard hotel room overlooking the busy streets of Hong Kong.

The faint hum of traffic filtered through the window.

It was so ordinary that I couldn’t help but wonder what had been on Kai’s mind when he booked it.

He was used to the best life had to offer—luxury suites, private villas.

This room felt beneath him. Had he really chosen to book this room himself?

“I’m so sorry.” His voice was soft but urgent.

I couldn’t believe those were the first words out of his mouth.

“I shouldn’t have left without saying goodbye.

I panicked. I had a nervous breakdown. I was afraid something might have happened to Jenny.

I couldn’t think—I couldn’t function the moment you left me after lunch. ”

He started to ramble, his words spilling out faster, a whirlwind of guilt and anxiety. I reached up and pressed a finger gently against his lips, shushing him softly.

“It’s okay,” I whispered, repeating it a few more times until he finally fell silent. I guided him to the edge of the bed and sat us both down.

Deep down, I had always known he had to leave.

But when I realized he’d disappeared, my own demons had taken control—my fear of abandonment, the ache left behind when Chloe disappeared without a trace.

The thought of losing Kai the same way had made me mad.

Had I always been this fragile? This scared?

“I’m so glad to see you,” I murmured. My lips betrayed me, brushing against the corner of his mouth in a soft, impulsive kiss.

“Me too,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “So much has happened. I wish you had been with me through it all.”

“I would go anywhere with you.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Would I really, though? Could I leave everything behind—my patients, my responsibilities—if he asked me to? Would I abandon an open operating table if he needed me?

Kai shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“No, no. As much as I want you by my side, I still have some sense.” He reached up, brushing a stray lock of hair—one rebellious strand escaping from the elegant updo Laura’s stylist had perfected—off my face. “It wouldn’t be fair to drag you into my mess.”

“Tell me what happened,” I urged softly.

He hesitated.

“It’s a long story,” he said finally. “Why don’t you tell me how you ended up here?”

He hadn’t mentioned Dannie’s name, but I could tell that’s what he meant. He knew.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Wendy and Trevon near the entrance. The room wasn’t large, and they were doing their best to give us some privacy while staying within earshot.

“Nothing important,” I said. “I came looking for you.”

Kai’s expression softened. “Trev told me you couldn’t get to Shanghai.”

“It was foolish of me to think I could just march into your hometown and find you.”

“Maybe. But thank you for coming anyway.” His grin lit up his face, a rare brightness cutting through the dark circles beneath his eyes. “It means a lot to know you care.”

Our gaze locked, and the air between us thickened. My heart pounded as our faces drifted closer together—so close it would’ve been ridiculous not to close the distance.

And then we did.

The kiss was hot. Hungry. Desperate.

The world outside the room faded. My body melted into his touch as his lips claimed mine. I felt whole again—complete. And yet, somehow, it still wasn’t enough.

I wanted more. Needed more.

My tongue teased against his, tasting him, savoring him like a forbidden delicacy.

He responded instantly, matching my hunger with his own. When I pressed closer, he leaned back, pulling me with him. Before I could catch my breath, his arm curled around my waist, and in one swift motion, he flipped me onto the bed.

A soft gasp escaped my lips as my back hit the mattress. The heat between us burned hotter, and as his body hovered over mine, all I could think about was how much I wanted to lose myself in him.

Our lips were no longer touching. Kai’s breath came faster, and his eyes bored into mine, hunger setting his gaze on fire. But he closed his eyes, and I felt the room rush back in. “Slow down tiger.”

I pouted in protest.

“We’re going for a walk,” came Wendy’s voice, followed by the sound of the door shutting. I giggled, the memory of the moment we shared in the ballroom came back to me still fresh and vivid.

This here? This wasn’t me.

Whenever I was with Kai, I wasn’t June. At least, not the June I recognized.

Wild. Ruthless. Passionate. Those weren’t words anyone would ever use to describe me—not even myself. What else? Sexy? Crazy? Open-minded to life, to any possibility? Not me. Not until him.

“Now, does this count as one of our dates?” I teased, my voice light, playful.

Kai let out a laugh, warm and smooth. “You’re funny.”

Funny. Another thing no one had ever called me before. I barely recognized myself around him. And I wasn’t sure if that scared me or thrilled me.

“Shut up and kiss me,” I demanded, pulling his face toward mine. He collapsed next to me on the plush bed, and just like that, we leaned against each other, side by side. Kissing. Pausing only to catch our breath.

One of his hands found its way to my knee, his palm warm against my cool skin.

It wasn’t cold in Hong Kong, but the air conditioning must have been on full blast. So cold that my nipples stood at attention beneath the silk of my dress—unless they simply wanted attention from a certain someone in the room.

“Nice dress.” Kai took the opportunity to comment between breaths. “Apple green looks good on you.”

I tilted my head, studying him through half-lidded eyes.

“It’s not exactly apple green,” I corrected. “More like pastel green. Baby-blanket green.”

“Still,” he murmured, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

“You look nice too.” I winced internally at my clumsy reply. Accepting compliments wasn’t my strong suit. Chloe always told me to just say thanks and welcome positivity with open arms. Apparently, returning a compliment diminished the energy people sent out—the energy the universe sent out.

“And I love how smooth this fabric is,” he added, letting his fingers trail upward along my thigh.

His touch, slow and deliberate, burned through the delicate material, spreading heat between my legs.

I leaned back, breath hitching as his hand roamed higher. Butterflies fluttered low in my belly, a restless swarm beneath his touch.

“Kiss me again,” I whispered, my voice trembling with want. I wanted to melt in his mouth the way he melted me somewhere else.

“Yes, your highness.”

I gasped as his teeth found a nipple, shamelessly straining against the fabric of my dress. He cupped my breast, kneading it gently while his mouth worked me into a fever. I didn’t think it was possible for my nipples to be any harder—but for him, they were.

My toes curled when he leaned in again, sucking and tugging at the sensitive peak.

Electric pressure jolted through my whole body, hot and sudden.

I knew he was a playboy, a womanizer, but when this all started, I’d never imagined his touch would feel this good.

How could simple touch carry so much magic?

“No underwear again?” he asked, his voice low, rough.

I made a soft noise in response. I had my reasons.

Would he understand a woman’s battle with visible panty lines?

Or that my push-up bra made my boobs pop too much, and I didn’t want to seem too busty in this dress?

Going without undergarments seemed like the easier choice—as long as I was careful not to accidentally flash anyone.

Without a word, I undid the top button of my Qi Pao.

It came undone faster than it had taken to put on.

The dress was a work of art, crafted by one of the most renowned Qi Pao tailors in Hong Kong.

A good dress should highlight a woman’s best feature—tight in all the right places, while enhancing the curves.

And this one, with its high side slit, allowed freedom of movement.

His fingers found the core of my heat, sliding against the slick evidence of my desire.

Now, I was beginning to think the split had other purposes too.

I was dying to find out what he would do next. This felt different than the last time we slept together. At that point, I was lusting after Kai, desperate to satisfy the curiosity that had lingered since I was eighteen.

But now—his touch felt different. His body, his warmth, his kiss. Everything about him had changed. It had only been a few days since I last saw him. What changed?

Were we about to make love? The thought seemed ridiculous. No one made love anymore—who had the time and energy? Plenty of my patients came to my clinic not because they couldn’t have children, but because they simply didn’t have the time to make babies.

A sharp knock at the door shattered the moment.

Kai sighed, pulling away as I sat up and adjusted my dress, smoothing the wrinkles with shaky hands.

He opened the door, and Wendy stood there, her face tense.

“We have to go,” she announced. “I think they’ve started to notice you’re missing.”