Page 18 of Wild Like Us

Luna and I coined the acronym last year.Wise Words from Maximoff & Jane.I go to them for advice all the time, and right now, Jane would tell me to try not to compare myself to anyone.I’m myself.She’sherself.And we both can be fucking awesome…in our own ways.

I’m just the hairy one.

Fuck. I want to bathe in a vat of confidence. I know it’s there. It’s within me. It’s just washed off for a second.

Akara lets go of my wrist, his eyes on her. “Give me a second, Jenny.”

Jenny.

Slowly, I back up towards the kitchen.

Is Jenny short for Jennifer?

Is he already on a nickname basis with this girl? If she’s more than a casual hookup, why don’t I know anything about her? He’d tell me if he was dating someone. Right? We’re supposed to be friends.

Jenny plants her eyes on me.Luckily, she’s not cutting me with a death-glare for interrupting what I’d bet is an epic night of sex. Not that I know what getting fucked feels like. But I’m sure from Akara it’d be rated 5-stars. No deductions.

Bitterness rises to my mouth. Discomfort roasts me all over. So I open the freezer. Cool air blasting my hot skin, I grab a bag of frozen broccoli as something to do.

Jennysmiles a friendly smile. “You must be Sullivan. I’ve heard so much about you.”

What?I frown deeply at Akara.

He’s shaking his head. “Not from me, Sul.”

Jenny laughs softly. “Right, definitely not. He told me there’s a bodyguard-client confidentiality thing. I totally get it. But I know a lot from online. My little sis just started competitive swimming, so she looks up to you a lot.”

“Oh, fucking rad,” I say into a single nod. Jenny seems…nice. Like really nice. I don’t know why that aggravates me even more. It really shouldn’t especially since she has a little sister just like I do.

Weight sinks further in my gut.

Jenny returns her attention to Akara. “I’ll be waiting, Kits.” She winks flirtatiously before slinking back into his bedroom.

My stomach has tossed five times.

Kits?

Kits!

She called him KITS!

What. The.Fuck!

I’ve never heard a single person call him that but me. My mouth dries, and I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Breathe, mermaid,” Banks whispers beside my ear. He pries the frozen broccoli out of my iron-grip. My hand is pink and numb.

Akara runs his fingers through his black hair a thousand times before rooting his palm on his stiff shoulder. Like his muscles are too tight. His gaze is on me, at least. He’s not avoiding me. But then he drops his hand to say, “What do you need, Sul?”

Oh no.

“Oh no,” I actually say. “We’re not going to talk about her?” I realize how loud I’m speaking. “Sorry,” I whisper. My eyes ping down the hallway to the other bedrooms. “I didn’t mean to shout.” Disturbing a sleeping Donnelly and Quinn wasn’t on the agenda when I decided to come here at 4 a.m.

It wasn’t a well thought-out plan.

Fucking obviously.

Akara comes closer. “She’s a friend of a friend. It’s just casual.”

“But she called youKits?” I frown deeply.