Page 25 of Kai
The insinuation in his voice hit me good and low. I craned my neck and considered the teasing smile on his face. Were those dimples on his cheeks?
Oh, fuck. Theyweredimples! Frigging dimples, for fuck’s sake!
Forget the dimples, dumbass.Forget the kisses, too.
Was he flirting with me? Here? In the middle of the ocean?
No, nope, no way.
There was no scientific explanation for my reactions, no logical reasons for the strange sensations coursing through me, or the way my skin sizzled when I recalled the way his mouth had responded to mine. The need I felt pissed me off. No one dared to flirt with me and my bitch-on-demand face. Whatever this was, it wasn’t real.
Kai had proven his bravery, resourcefulness, and smarts. He had a good aura. He was stunning and kind, and even a little adorable when he made those dimples appear, but no way I was ever gonna kiss him again. No freaking way.
Exhaustion hit. My shoulders slumped. Kai must’ve noticed, or perhaps my silence gave it away.
“You can lie down if you’d like. Longboards are great that way. I can brace at either side of your feet, and we’ll be good to go.”
I used the last of my strength to stretch out on my belly,cross my arms, and rest my forehead on my forearms. For the first time all night, my body released some of the tension cramping my muscles and torturing my joints. A glance behind me showed me Kai in all his glory. The moon rained silver light on his powerful form, kissing his shoulders. He didn’t seem to share my fatigue. He kept paddling, riding the currents as if the surfboard was a cruise ship under way.
The following swells rocked the board, and the quiet splash of the paddle sang to me. My eyelids were heavy. At some point, my eyes closed. It was a measure of fatigue that I slept. I dreamed about flames, moonlight, and Kai’s kisses.
“Almost there.” Kai’s voice startled me from my nap.
I lifted my head and looked ahead of us. There was no land in sight, but my hopes perked up when I spotted the shape of a dark, sleek, lonely catamaran moored under the moonlight, literally in the middle of nowhere.
“Is that where we’re going?”
“Affirmative.” He kept paddling. “You’ll be on it in no time.”
“Oh, good.” I smirked up at him. “Can’t wait to kick your ass.”
“So resolute.” His chuckles echoed over the tranquil waters. “I like that about you.”
Every part of me turned into soppy seaweed. My eyes struggled to stay open, but I remembered how alive I’d felt when I’d locked lips with Kai. I had no idea what came next, or how “next” came, and yet, despite my brain’s protests, I craved more of his kisses.
Chapter Nine
Kai
Noon found us onSerenity,my sailing catamaran. I’d moored it at one of the most remote spots in the Hawaiian chain, a secluded coastal inlet on the western slope of an uninhabited island, an area I knew well. Wearing gloves, I stood at the fish cleaning station on the stern deck, whistling while gutting the fish I’d caught earlier.
High cliffs protected the cove from prevailing winds and curious eyes. The sharp volcanic ridges that rose only a few feet from the beach split the long, narrow island and prevented land access to the cove where I’d mooredSerenity. The island wrapped around the cove like a protective horseshoe. A convoluted route through a treacherous reef offered the only way in, and a narrow entrance protected the inlet. I was one of the few people who dared navigate the route.
The cove was one of my favorite places in the world.Serenitylooked as if she belonged in a brochure as she stood against a background of blue-green waters, lush vegetation, and rugged volcanic ridges. Sunlight shimmered over the calm water. Birds chirped and warbled all around us, hiding in the lush foliage that grew at the edge of the beach and climbed up the steep slopes.
The murmur of the small waves flirting with the hull and kissing the sand soothed my ears. I embraced this moment of peace. On the beach, a curlew probed the sand with its down-curved bill, looking for a meal. A speckled tern flew over the water, no doubt on the hunt. Other than the birds and the fish clearly visible swimming in the crystal water, there was no oneelse around.
I cleaned out the fish’s guts and washed it in the outdoor sink. Then I scraped the scales.Rasp, rasp, rasp. Cece would wake up soon, and even though I’d fed her some hot soup and lots of water before she crashed last night, she needed a proper meal.
The NWO would no doubt assume I’d made a run across the main channel to reach the populated islands and head straight to Astor House. By now, they were probably focused on combing the channel and surveilling every airport, seaport, and marina within range. This was why I’d sailed us out here, away from the key transportation hubs and the main channel. The only way they could find us here was if they homed in onSerenity’s beacon, relied on satellite technology, or conducted a widespread aerial search.
The NWO had the resources to do all this, but I’d turned off the catamaran’s maritime beacon well before I sailed to Misty Island. I’d also equipped my vessel with a surveillance system that would alert us to unwanted company. In addition, I’d activated BB’s new experimental shield. It was a marvel of innovative tech, a BB collaboration with NASA and the Pentagon, and yet the keyword was “experimental.” If it worked, it would make us invisible to the eye and safeguard our thermal imaging. If it didn’t work…
That could be a problem.
After downing a healthy dose of over-the-counter painkillers to deal with yesterday’s bruises, I’d swum to shore and set up cameras, lasers, and gear caches throughout the island. A continuous live feed now played on my Tak and on the monitors of my navigation station. I’d done all of this before noon. Then I’d taken a nap. I felt good and ready for action. The NWO wasnotgonna get their hands on Cece.
Cece.
