Page 8 of Kai
Could a bad guy fake a smile like his?
It seemed… implausible.
Heseemed impossible.
How the hell had he made it inside?
He’d made no sound. He’d evaded my security system altogether. Had I forgotten to replace the batteries? No, I checked every week. How had he climbed the old, creaky spiral staircase without making a single squeak? The steps alwaysscreeched when I moved about. Maybe I was going deaf. Perhaps he was yet another type of visual disturbance. Could he be a ghost haunting the lighthouse?
A ghost?
I gave myself a mental kick in the ass. Did I accidentally inject myself with crazy juice or was I turning into Affie, who believed in shit like that?
No ghosts.
In fact, the man had a devastating presence. Standing at the threshold, he seemed to occupy all the space in the room. He was solid and breathing, and judging by the lithe shape of his limbs, I suspected there was a lot of fit, flexible muscle beneath his neoprene suit. For all I knew, he could’ve been a bronzed god, except he was real, as real as I was.
Stop ogling him.
I’m not ogling!
Close your mouth and use your brain, Astor. It’s the only part of you that’s worth a crap.
Would a criminal or a kidnapper announce his presence by clearing his throat when he could’ve taken me by total surprise? Were those powerful hands he held in the air trained to force me to do his will? Was the owner of those deep mahogany eyes gleaming with flashes of copper capable of violence?
Maybe he wasn’t capable of violence, but I was.
“Answer my question,” I snapped. “Or else…”
He cocked a curious eyebrow. “Or else…?”
“I’ll blow your head off,” I spat, hoping my threat worked better than my croaky voice.
“You don’t wanna hurt me, Sorceress.” He offered me a rueful smile. “In fact, you can’t.”
For an instant, his smile held me hostage. Then I shook off the warmth of that gorgeous grin, even though it keptreaching out, trying to hug me.
“I’ve got a gun,” I reminded him curtly. “Of course I can hurt you.”
“Not this minute,” he returned rather confidently. “Your safety’s on.”
My eyes flew to the gun.
Fuck me. He was right!
I’d forgotten to take off the safety of the old Sig Sauer Nix had gifted me eons ago. My clumsy fingers struggled to flip the switch, but I was shaking too hard. I’d been so rattled that I forgot my basics. I snapped my gaze to him and found him studying me, alert but not threatening. It said something that he hadn’t attacked me yet.
Right?
“Here.” His movements were so fast and fluid I only saw a blur. In what felt like a millisecond, he closed the space between us, reached out, and took the gun from me. A soothing heat emanated from his touch as his fingers skimmed over mine. I jumped back. The room spun around me, and my legs buckled as if they were made of melting butter.
What. The. Hell?
I should attack now, and yet all I could do was lock my knees and steady myself on the desk. I now knew how weak Missy felt right before she fainted.
Weak? You’re not weak! Fight, Astor. Fight!
I pulled my shit together and assumed my best fighting stance, squaring off to face my opponent, one foot forward, the other back, abs tight, head down, hands up. I was about to sweep my leg around and kick my gun from his hand when he flashed that devastatingly peaceful smile.
