Page 37

Nic

The ground tilts beneath me.

David was proposing.

What I saw wasn’t violence, it was some sort of play. Rough sex? A kink? Heat floods my face. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought—”

Lana waves me off with a laugh. “It’s okay. You’re sweet to worry. Honestly.”

“Congratulations, guys.”

Beside me, Kai is motionless. His glare is locked on David, vibrating with something lethal. I dig my elbow into his side, trying to shake him out of it.

He doesn’t budge. Instead, he takes my drink, downs it in one go—crushed ice and all—then walks up to David and grips him by the side of the neck in a gesture that is more threatening than congratulatory.

Lana and I both gasp.

David isn’t small by any stretch, but Kai is several inches taller and has at least fifty pounds on him.

“Kai,” I whisper, my stomach twisting. I feel like a liar, a fraud. Kai obviously doesn’t believe Lana. He believes me. He believes what I told him I saw.

“Ka,.” I touch his back, my voice barely above a breath. “Please.”

And just like that—like a switch being thrown—Kai lets go and steps back.

“Congrats, man.” His voice is a growl, terrifying and empty. “Took you long enough.”

Lana and I exhale in relief, then start laughing. It’s fake, forced, but we milk it for all it’s worth.

I mouth to a still thunderous looking Kai. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”

Kai holds my gaze, then shakes his head slowly. “I believe you,” he mouths back.

Fuck .

I am so done with this man.

Even when I’ve been proven wrong, he still believes me.

Lana claps her hands together, the sound sharp and a little too cheerful. “Okay! Let’s hit reset. Drinks, anyone? We need to celebrate properly. Kai, do the honors, will you?”

Kai moves to the bar without a word, pulling bottles from the rack. The sounds of crushed ice and the shaker fill the tense silence as Lana turns back to David, looping her arms around his waist.

“Come on, babe,” she coaxes, swaying slightly. “Lighten up. Nic just misunderstood what she saw.”

David’s eyes flick toward me again, heavy with something I can’t name.

Guilt churns in my gut. I’m using his studio rent-free, for God’s sake. And I had to go and put my foot in my mouth and accuse him of hurting his fiancée.

I should’ve kept my big mouth shut.

“Seventh time’s the charm, huh?” Lana teases, nudging him playfully.

David’s lips twitch, like he wants to grin, but it never quite reaches his eyes.

“I was kind of shocked you said yes,” he admits.

Kai returns with a tray of mojitos. He hands me mine first before moving on to serve the others.

“So where’s the ring?” he snaps at Lana and the lighthearted atmosphere shatters. She stiffens slightly, though her smile stays in place.

“It’s at home,” David answers for her. “I sort of . . . blurted it out. For once, I wasn’t carrying it.”

Kai raises an eyebrow. “You’ve proposed a thousand times, and this one caught you unprepared?”

“Seriously?” I hiss, glaring at him over the rim of my glass.

David chuckles, his grin lazy, but his eyes are hard when they land on Kai. “At least I finally got the yes. That’s what matters, right?”

The moment passes, but the air stays charged. Lana does her best to smooth things over, recounting David’s past failed proposals. But I can’t shake the feeling that I don’t belong here. This is a family moment. And I’ve wedged myself into it, uninvited.

When Lana leaves to check on the twins, I set my glass down and turn to Kai. “I should go.”

Kai’s hand brushes against mine. “You don’t have to.”

“I think I do,” I reply, keeping my tone quiet but firm.

His brows knit together, and I can’t tell if it’s irritation or disappointment, but I don’t plan to stick around to decode it.

Lana returns, her smile still intact. “All good. They’re out like lights,” she announces.

“That’s good.” I force a smile. “I’ll let you all get back to celebrating.”

Lana tilts her head. “You’re not staying?”

“No, not tonight.”

She frowns briefly but nods, her expression softening. “Well, I hope we’ll see you again soon.”

Guilt stabs through me like a dull, rusted knife. She means it. She doesn’t blame me for ruining the night.

I turn toward the door, and Kai steps beside me. “I’ll walk you out.”

We walk in silence until we’re far enough from the kitchen. Then, he stops, turning to face me.

“I’m an ass, I know.”

“You were as surprised as I was,” I counter.

“I almost lost it,” he admits, raking a hand through his damp hair. The motion leaves it disheveled, softening the sharp planes of his face. But his expression is anything but soft. “It’s hard to unsee my sister getting hit. Even for a second.”

I swallow hard, guilt tightening my throat. “Kai, listen. I don’t know what I saw, okay?”

“You said he had his hand around her neck and slammed her into the wall.”

The memory flickers in my mind. “Which could have been . . . erotic choking.”

A beat of silence, then Kai moves.

His hand comes up to my throat, wrapping around it with a deliberate pressure—tight but not constricting. His thumb presses lightly against my pulse point, while his other hand threads into my hair, gripping the nape of my neck.

My heart kicks off, caught between panic and something darker, something hotter.

My breath hitches.

“Jesus,” I whisper, tracing his forearm, suddenly hyper-aware that he’s wearing only swim trunks under his terry robe. “Kai . . ."

His grip tilts my head back, forcing me to look at him. “Does this feel violent?” His thumb presses against my pulse point.

I shake my head, heat pooling low in my belly. It feels . . . good.

Kai exhales, slow and controlled, but his voice stays firm. “If Lana looked anything like you do right now, you wouldn’t have come running.” His grip stays light, almost testing. “You saw something, Nicole. Something that made you panic.”

He’s right. Lana’s face wasn’t flushed with pleasure. She looked . . . terrified.

Kai lets go, stepping back just enough to put space between us.

The loss of his touch is sharp, a hollow ache spreading through me as I struggle to process what just happened. My chest rises and falls with uneven breaths.

Does this mean he's into choking? He certainly knows how to do it, given the way it felt.

Maybe he doesn’t do it because he thinks I’m not into it.

Because I am. A lot.

A dark chuckle rumbles from his chest. “Your poker face needs serious work.”

I blink, the words taking a moment to register.

“If you want something,” he continues, his voice dropping into that low, teasing timbre that makes my knees weak, “you know what to do.”

I swallow hard. “And what about the things I don’t ask for?”

Kai exhales slowly, the sound full of restraint. “That depends on how much you trust me. Now,” his gaze sharpens, “there was a reason you came here tonight. Something you wanted to tell me.”

Shit. I lose my nerve.

I can’t do it. Not when he's looking at me like that.

With the knowledge comes a wave of guilt. Here’s a man who just drove a wedge through his family because he trusts me. And I can’t even bring myself to tell him the truth.

What does that say about me?

That I might be the worst person alive?

Still, I’m not strong enough to hurt myself—or him—right now. Not in the way this conversation will demand.

“Um . . . it can wait.” My voice comes out uneven, but I push forward. “You should enjoy tonight with your family. I know how happy you must be that Lana is giving love another chance.”

Kai scoffs, his expression shifting into something that tells me he's not sold on the engagement.

He brushes a strand of hair from my face, forcing me to look at him.

“You’re my family too, you know.”

Oh God.

Guilt claws at me. “Kai . . . don’t say things like that.”

“What, that you’re my family? Or that you’re the last woman I’ll ever love?”

My heart kicks hard. “Stop . . . it’s too much—”

“I haven't even started, Nicole.” He seals his lips to mine.

The kiss feels different, deeper than all the ones we've shared before. It isn’t just passion—it’s a promise, an anchor, as if he’s tying himself to me in ways I don't deserve.

My knees weaken, and his hands steady me, gripping my waist as the kiss shifts, growing heated.

I’m only dimly aware of the hallway wall pressing against my back as he murmurs something against my lips that I’m too overwhelmed to process.

For a moment, I let myself get lost in the way he grounds and ignites me all at once, until he says it again as he nibbles at a sweet spot under my ear.

“Stay with me tonight.”

The sensual haze clears.

It’s either I tell him or I leave. I can’t spend another night lying to him.

“I . . . can’t.” My voice wavers, and I clear my throat, trying to sound more certain. “I need to go home. Talk to my dad and Bea. You see, my boyfriend just hooked us up with a famous neurosurgeon.”

I pause, then softer, “Thank you, Kai.”

“Thank you for letting me do this for you.” The warmth in his expression makes my chest ache.

Oh God, this is going to hurt so bad when it ends.

Suddenly needing to leave, I drop a kiss on his jaw and practically jog out of the house.

I don’t even realize he’s chased me until I’m about to reach for the van door. Warm hands catch me, spin me around and backing me against the side of the van.

“What did I tell you about running?” His lips brush my ear.

“Kai—”

“Shh. I only want to kiss you goodnight.” And then he sinks to his knees, and I forget how to breathe.

The sight of him—this man, this controlled, dominant, impossible man—kneeling between my thighs, staring up at me like he’s about to ruin me—

“What the fuck are you waiting for?” He cocks his eyebrow.

I immediately lift my dress, my fingers trembling, and hike my leg over his shoulder, spreading for him.

His eyes darken. Approval. Possession. Hunger.

“Good girl.” He takes my second leg and throws it over his other shoulder. “Now try not to wake the twins.”

Jesus. A sudden wave of panic slams into me as I remember where we are, who is inside, how close we are to getting caught—

“Kai, wait—” I try to put my leg down but he doesn’t let me. His grip tightens, fingers digging into my hips as he drags my panties aside—

And then his mouth is on me.

The first stroke of his tongue against my clit is blistering. My back slams against the van, a sharp gasp escaping before I can swallow it down.

“Kai—”

“Shut up and kiss me back.” His mouth is hot, relentless, his tongue lapping, teasing, flicking against me with wicked, unforgiving precision.

I clamp my thighs around his face, but Kai isn’t having that. His hands spread me wide, pinning me against the cool metal of the van as he devours me.

I can’t think. I can’t breathe. All I can do is take it, my teeth sinking hard into the heel of my palm.

My fingers fist into his damp curls, my legs trembling as he sucks my clit into his mouth, his tongue swirling, stroking, teasing—

I shatter, the orgasm ripping through me so violently, my body convulses against the van, waves of pleasure crashing over and over, stealing my breath, my sanity.

Kai groans against me, lapping up every last tremor, drawing it out until I’m shaking, boneless, ruined.

Then he puts my feet back on the ground and rises.

“Not bad for noise,” he praises, mouth and chin wet with me. He takes my hand away from my mouth, sucks on the stinging skin where I’d bit myself then seals his lips to mine.

I moan as I taste myself on his tongue, my fingers clinging to his shoulders, still too weak to stand on my own.

Kai pulls back, brushing his thumb over my lips. His voice is softer now, but firm.

“You will talk to me tomorrow. Okay?”

Before I can answer, he peels my body off the van and pulls the door open.

Only, it’s stuck.

He tries again.

Nothing.

I clear my throat, shame crawling up my face. “You have to . . . um, throw your weight on it first, then give it a little jiggle—”

Kai goes stiff, staring at the door like it just committed a crime. “Nicole, what the fuck is this?”

I kiss him to shut him up. “I love how you never try to save me all the time.”

“I’d love to turn your ass red right now.” His grip tightens on my hips.

I smirk. “You can’t. Lana and David are waiting. And so are Dad and Bea.”

Stepping around him, I open my van door—the right way, yelping when he swats my ass hard as I climb into the driver’s seat.

I start the van, and of course it chooses this exact moment to make a loud, sputtering noise, followed by a puff of smoke.

Kai winces in pain. “Fuck. Please, let me get you another one. It doesn’t even have to be new.”

I chuckle as I shift it into gear. “I think that’s the first time you’ve ever said that word to me. It sounds hot. You should say it more often.”

“Fine! Just know, if this thing ever stops on you again, I’ll make damn sure you can’t drive for a week.” His voice drops lower. “Because you’d be chained to my bed, unable to sit, stand, or walk.”

I laugh, but my heart is pounding, because I know he doesn’t make empty threats. “Gee, you’re really fucked up, you know?” I back away, the engine groaning for good measure.

I catch a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror, both hands raking through his hair as he watches me leave.

Somehow, that helpless gesture makes me love him more.

But my humor fades as I drive, leaving only the quiet hum of the engine and my swirling thoughts. Guilt.

And worry.

Because Kai is right. I saw Lana’s face.

She wasn’t just terrified. She was haunted. And I know a haunted woman when I see one. I’ve seen her too many times in the mirror.

David’s love is a trap. The kind of trap that doesn’t need chains or locks—just the right mix of comfort and control to make escape seem impossible.

And the worst part is . . . maybe Lana doesn’t even want to escape.