Page 38 of Kai
Why did I feel as if I’d been elegantly but firmly put in my place?
Because he cut you down to size, you mean bitch, and also proved he’s not from Astor-la-la-land.
His aura confirmed every word he said. It disqualified him from my gold digger category. He was so damn hard to classify.
“Making money is not a goal for me,” he concluded. “How about you?”
“My father is super loaded, not me,” I clarified.
“His fortune belongs to you and your sisters now,” he reminded me. “Do you realize that now that he’s gone, you’ll be able to fund your research however you want?”
I opened my mouth and then… closed it.
I hadn’t had time to think about it until this moment. Kai was right. I turned my thoughts inward. His aura slowly faded away, as if tired of being at my beck and call.
Perhaps I was a heartless bitch, but I couldn’t muster much grief for my father’s passing. The damage he’d inflicted on my sisters and me was too painful. On the upside, at last, my life belonged to me, and I had the resources to advance my work. On the downside, from now on, I couldn’t blame my father for my failures.
The air swooshed out of my lungs. I had no one to disappoint anymore. Well, except for myself.Yikes.The weight I carried on my shoulders—the need to prove myself at every turn—didn’t feel any lighter now that Father was gone. It felt as crushing as always, especially when I had to find Affie and protect my sisters. A wave of worry overwhelmed me. Trying tosuppress it, I tipped my head back and drained my water glass.
My anxiety put me back on the offensive. “I’m going to guess you’ve got an intel background. Are you good enough to hide shit from me?”
“You’re brilliant, Cece,” he said, refilling my glass. “No need to prove that to me. I have no intention of hiding shit from you. I have an intel background, but you’ll get no lies from me, no deception. It’s like I told you before. I want peace between us.”
His aura made another appearance, and I squinted at its brightness.Truth.A pair of sunglasses would be helpful around this guy. For a gal who had grown up in a high society ripe with lies, innuendo, and intrigue, heandhis aura were a refreshing, if blinding, change.
“Are you done with your interrogation?” Kai teased me with a tilt of his head.
Oops,I’d overstepped even Kai’s generous patience.
“How about we talk about you?” he proposed. “I have a couple of questions.”
“Don’t you have that nifty profile on me?” I might have mocked him a little, but I was squirmy. I reached for my glass again and held it against my chest, as if it could shield me from his questions.
“I want to know more than the woman on paper.” He paused, then asked, “How long had you been at the lighthouse when I found you?”
“That’s for me to know.” I took another sip of my water. It failed to cool my nerves or slow my jittery foot. I’d kept my secrets for three years. Sharing them now felt weird, not to mention terrifying.
“Oh, come on.” He flashed those damnable dimples. “Your stint as the princess in the tower is over. I’ve told you a lot about me. Your turn.”
“I was never a princess,” I snapped, even though I had trapped myself in a tower.
The lighthouse had burned down, and I wasn’t going back. Soon, I’d have to rejoin the human race. A serious case of nerves squeezed my throat. The good news was I was no longer trapped in the Spartan lighthouse. I was free. Well, except for the bunch of psycho mercs hunting me and my sisters. And my high standards. And my determination to find a cure at all costs.
Shit.I rubbed my forehead. Sometimes I exhausted myself.
I had to acclimate to the changes coming my way. My future—if I survived—included my sisters, and eventually, the rest of the world. It was a terrifying prospect, and yet Kai was easy to talk to. I filled my lungs with air. I might as well start my return-to-society experiment with him.
Chapter Thirteen
Kai
Cece hesitated before she gulped down the rest of her water. Her throat rippled with her swallows, and I had visions of her lips sucking on something that wasn’t made of glass. My treacherous dick seized the opportunity to torment me. Since when did I get woodies just watching a woman drinking water?
When she was done, she held on to the glass with both hands. Her knuckles tightened around the lucky tumbler. I doubted she was aware of how passionately she sheltered it between her breasts. Whereas I was hyperaware of the round glass pressing against her sternum, where I would’ve loved to start with a kiss before sliding my lips up and down her tempting slopes.
The tumbler pulled on her tank top, stretching the ribbed jersey and emphasizing the outline of her breasts and her taut nipples. They poked through the fabric, standing tall and stiff. In response, my dick of a dick pressed against the seams of my shorts, throbbing to get out. I shifted in my seat. To say I was uncomfortable was an understatement. It got worse. She ran her tongue over her lips, leaving them glistening. I envisioned her mouth gleaming with my come.
I gritted my teeth and crossed my ankle over my knee. Thank fuck the table covered my erection. Either I was turning into a horny ape or my sexual attraction for Cece was next level. I suppressed my rebellious boner. This was my chance to talk to her, to get to know her. I needed a tame dick and a clear mind.
