Page 18 of Jade Lion and the Witch Boy (Haunted Hearts: Season of the Witch #5)

THE CAR RIDE home is quiet. Kai spends the entire time staring out at the road. He’s calm, but I don’t dare question him quite yet. It’s dark by the time we get back to Boysen House, but I don’t pull up to our street. I drive further, feeling like I need to take Kai somewhere else.

“Where are we?”

“I’m starving,” I reply from the driver’s seat. I shoot him a soft smile and continue, “Let me treat you to dinner.”

“I can conjure up something.”

“No, please. You’ve been conjuring for us for weeks now. The ladies will be fine getting dinner on their own.” I catch his gaze when I stop at an intersection. “I want to take care of you, Kai.”

An adorable smile gradually grows on his face, and then he nods. I’ll do anything to get him to keep smiling.

Twenty minutes later, we’re at the local drive-through burger place.

Kai has never had a good ole-fashioned American cheeseburger, a sin that we have now corrected.

We eat in silence at one of two plastic tables, sitting side-by-side.

Cars drive past us on the highway we’re facing, lights streaking in the dark.

The autumn air isn’t too cold or uncomfortable.

Like always, being with Kai, even when we’re quiet, just feels right.

I study the french fry in my hand. “My parents used to get this meal for me when I was in elementary school,” I say, breaking the silence.

“Oh?”

I grin and take a bite. “They were busy working, so they didn’t cook most weekdays. I loved it, but I think it inspired me to take up culinary skills.”

“Really?” Kai asks.

“Yeah. First it was my own french fries. Then omelets, pasta, and my one true love, muffins.”

We share a chuckle. “You should consider pursuing education in the culinary world.”

I nod. “Maybe, someday.” We let the silence descend upon us and continue eating. After a minute, I say, “Listen, Kai. I’m sorry your wizard group did that. No one deserves a fate like that just because they’re speaking their mind.”

Kai stares at his now-empty burger wrapper. “Thank you. As awful as those memories are, I am glad that I remember my life now. I was betrayed by a group of wizards, so why should I join the Union?”

My smile falls. I think about the rift to the Other Side and that horror that blinked at me with several eyes.

Everything in me believes that the Union is legitimately protecting the world from harm.

They could use someone like him. I want Kai to help join the wizard cops to stop these threats, but not at the cost of his sanity.

He’s my friend, after all. And he’s important to me.

“I think you should mull it over and take it into consideration. These guys are not the ones who imprisoned you.” I look at him, and his precious brown eyes twinkle with the streetlights. “But whatever you choose, I got your back.”

“I know you do, Sebastian.” Him saying my name sends a chill down my spine. He looks at me with such longing, like I’m a precious treasure. Since the moment he popped out of that statue, Kai Zhou has always held me in such high regard.

And he’s so damn attractive, I want to kiss him senseless. Screw whatever rules I came up with, I want to comfort him with my mouth and my body, whatever he needs. And I think he wants it, too.

“Thank you for dinner.” He stands up, and the moment is lost. That’s for the best— who wants their first kiss with their crush to be with a mouth full of burger? “Shall we head home and sleep?”

I nod. “Sleep sounds good.”

We go through our nighttime routine, washing up separately. I don’t bump into anyone at the house, which I’m grateful for. I’ll tell them about our adventure, but not today. These past twenty-four hours have been too dramatic.

I’m curled up in bed, mindlessly scrolling on my phone, when Kai walks in. He shuts the door and locks it. Huh. I’m so used to doing that, it’s funny to see him do it. It’s nearly pitch black as he walks to the side where he usually conjures his cot, right between me and the window.

This time, however, he sits on the edge of my bed.

I sit upright. “Hey, man,” I say. “What’s up?”

“I…have something I need to tell you.”

“Oh, sure,” I say, putting my phone away. I go to turn on the light, but I’m stopped by Kai’s hand on my shoulder.

A moment later, he’s lying on my pillow facing me. Cauldrons. The temperature in my dark room just went up a hundred degrees because, I repeat, Kai is lying on my pillow.

At this point, I realize he’s only wearing pajama bottoms. Kai is shirtless, in my bed, and now I’m semi-hard.

“H-h-hey,” I stammer. I’m sure he can tell I’m nervous, but he doesn’t react. “Wh…what did you wanna say?”

“I wanted to thank you.”

“Oh?” I lie down and face him. “No problem. It was my pleasure. I wanted you to get your memories back. And plus, I got a free mini trip to Hong Kong, so uh, score!” We both laugh softly. His breath fans my face.

He smells so good.

“I wanted to thank you for everything. For showing me the twenty-first century. For being patient with me. You are…you helped me piece together my life.”

“Hey, you did it all yourself, you big, powerful mage.” I try to opt for some humor, but he doesn’t chuckle.

“No, it was you, Sebastian.” Kai takes a deep breath, and I watch his chest move up and down. He’s so close to me, I could reach out and touch his body if I wanted. And the stars know I want to.

“I never told anyone this.”

“What?” I ask quietly.

“Being the Jade Lion is…not without its hardships.”

“Really?”

“I hate the pressure,” he whispers. “The pressure to use my powers, to do good, to save everyone.”

I nod. “That sounds rough.”

“And now that I recall my past, I realize these new wizards are the same as the old ones. They beg me to join them because of what I am, what I can do. And here, Lisbeth wants me to lead you all as well.” He scratches the mattress. “But for once, I want to be seen as Zhou Kai.”

When he looks directly at me, even in the dark, his gaze reaches into my soul. I don’t breathe as he whispers the next few words. “And you see me, Sebastian. I feel it. You are the first person who has ever seen past the Jade Lion. Who has ever wanted…Kai.”

My throat has officially turned into a desert. I bet he can hear my heart beating so hard it might pop out of my chest. This gorgeous man is protective, sweet, powerful, and sexy. But now he’s vulnerable, specifically with me. And all of that is a combination I can’t fight against anymore.

“I do,” I whisper. “I do see you…and I do want you, Kai.”

I hold my breath as the inches between us disappear. Kai gradually moves forward and puts his mouth on mine. It’s an exploratory kiss at first, no fumbling, no tongue movements. Just he and I, sharing a breath.

When he puts his hand on my cheek, his lips begin to move, like he wants to taste all of me. He already has all of me.

We kiss and kiss, breathing each other in.

My mouth begins to explore more of his. His scent is intoxicating, and he kisses with such want.

That handsome face I’ve dreamed about kissing is mine now.

I bring my hands up, and all I can reach is his naked, chiseled torso.

He scoots forward, never breaking our kiss, and I moan when I realize my hands are on his bare back.

I want his bare everything.

When my tongue touches his and I pull him closer, he lets out a breathy moan as well. They’re like little messages between us. No one else exists right now. My heart rate picks up, and blood is pumping all over the place. The sheets and pajamas between us gotta go.

I break away to ditch all of this damn fabric. I claw off my shirt and pants, and, without saying anything, he stands up and ditches the last of his clothes. It seems body language hasn’t changed since 1925, because Kai is so down to get intimate with me.

Logically, I should pump the brakes. We both learned a lot today, and he might be going through a trauma response of getting back his memories. But when my naked body flops down, I gaze at his silhouette in the dark―he’s decadent. I’m about to turn on the lamp when he lifts up his hand.

Oh cauldrons. With a flick of his wrist, the room is illuminated with a dozen tiny green orbs floating near the ceiling. Spheres of arcana cast an emerald glow on my whole room.

And now I can see Kai in all his glory. I knew he had tight abs, but I can see his drool-worthy cock, hard and pointing right at me.

Hot damn. My own dick just went from semi to ready-for-action.

He gives me a cocky smirk, like he can read my mind. When he leaps on the mattress, I bounce with a giggle. I can’t believe how lucky I am.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asks, leaning his head close to my lips.

“Hell no.” I wrap my arms around his neck and back, and then we resume our kissing. His tongue plays with mine, like I’m his new favorite flavor. He’s quickly become my new favorite everything.

When I bring my fingers down his chiseled back, I reach the muscled shelf of his ass. He takes this as his cue to bring himself down. His elbows are at the sides of my head. In seconds, my naked body is covered with his. We’re face-to-face, chest-to-chest, thighs-on-thighs, and…

“Uhh.” I let out a guttural sound when his hard cock lines up with mine. When he shifts his hips forward, my eyes roll back.

Opening my eyes, Kai’s face has a victorious grin, highlighted by the green lights around us. It’s like I’m his prisoner, his willing, willing prisoner. He shifts forward, and that thick cock glides against mine. Perfection.

“Ooh,” I whisper.

“Do you enjoy that?” he asks. He has to know the answer because he continues to thrust against my pelvic region.

“Fuck, yes,” I whimper, gripping his ass.

Kai picks up the pace, and I hiss in pleasure. My dick is churning out precum at a record-breaking rate, and his cock does the same. In seconds, we’re a slick paradise below. Chills of arousal course up and down my spine. When I kiss him, my heart floats to the heavens.

He’s not even inside me, but feeling his whole body is a pleasure I’ve never known.

My exes were never ones for frotting, and they eventually stopped caring about my needs in bed.

But Kai kisses me like he wants me to remember this forever.

With the way he looks in the mystical green lighting, I always will.

“Fuuuck,” I murmur against his lips.

He nibbles on my lower lip, then trails down my chin.

“You taste so right. So right…” Kai’s words are etched through my skin and into my soul.

I don’t know if it’s magic or if he’s just that sexy.

All I know is I’m rapidly approaching the end.

My steel-hard cock continues to rub on his lower abs, and I grip his ass more.

“Kai,” I whisper. It’s a plea, a prayer, a warning, and a message of love. “Kai…”

“Yes, my mate,” he replies in an urgent, raspy tone. “Let it out.”

I don’t know what this mate business means, but when he reaches down with his right hand, I forget my own name.

He’s holding both our cocks together. Now we’re fucking his huge fist at the same time.

That delicious friction has me blind with lust as I thrust my hips back.

“Fuckfuck…fuuuuu…” My voice rises, but I don’t even care if all of Boysen House hears us.

I don’t even care if all of Cosmo hears us.

My legs wrap around his ankles to gain more leverage.

The bed squeaks faster, and I’m right there on the edge.

But I need Kai to reach it as well. I bring one hand between us and pinch the nipple on that hardened chest.

“Ah!” he shouts in response. His hand grips tighter, and he thrusts even faster.

Oh yes. Hearing his pleasure sends me over the edge. I’m shooting all over his hand and abs, and when he goes rigid, I know he’s doing the same. We’re both grunting and gasping like wild animals as sticky heat pools between us.

When the fireworks subside, Kai rolls over. We catch our breaths and luxuriate in the post-orgasm haze. Sex was never like this, and this wasn’t even the final base. Yet Kai, a mage trapped out of time, a man whom I’ve only known for three weeks, has taken me somewhere new.

Somewhere beautiful. A joy I’ve never known. He makes me feel whole.

We silently spend a few minutes cleaning up, with Kai conjuring a cloth to wipe us both. The bed isn’t too messy, not that I care right now. I’m so strung out and satisfied in a post-sex haze that I just want to cuddle with him. Once I’m clean, he crawls into bed and holds me.

I don’t even say a word before he snaps his fingers, and the green lighting disappears. “Goodnight, Sebastian,” he whispers, kissing the back of my head.

“Goodnight, Kai,” I reply with a grin. I don’t know if I’ve ever gone to bed smiling. Once again, Kai Zhou is changing all my rules.