Page 82 of Kai
Beneath his furrowed eyebrows, Kai’s glance could’ve been anything—shock, a scolding, a plea to stop. Javier’s face went as blank as a brick wall. For a moment, he seemed to grapple with words. Nothing like offending a man’s dick to make him rabid. But this guy squared his jaw and bit down on his lips, looking uncomfortable but not enraged, at least not yet.
“I admire a strong woman, ma’am.” He eyed me cautiously. “I can’t fault you for being protective. I’m the same way, but I regret we’re meeting this way.” He shifted on his feet as if bracing for incoming fire.
Which was true.
Me.
“I’ll admit to being an idiot at times, but I don’t have the problem you accused me of having,” he offered with poise that impressed but didn’t deter me from my goal.
I scoffed. “Are you denying you’re a drop-and-pop early shooter?”
“No—I mean—yes, I’m denying it, at least for now.” Hescratched his head, looking confused. “Maybe when I’m an old man—”
“Stop,” I ordered. “I don’t wanna hear about your old age. You won’t be around Missy for long.”
His mouth betrayed a cringe, but he fixed his stare straight ahead and didn’t react to my taunting. Pacing around him, I considered the man from head to toe, openly, insolently. He was good-looking, I gave him that, although he was a little too muscular for my taste and a lot less attractive than Kai, of course. Any other man would’ve cringed under my inspection, but Javier didn’t. How could I best rile his true nature out of him?
“Could we please hit the reset button?” He tried a tentative grin on me. “We could pretend we’re just now meeting for the first time. I am Javier Guzman.” He gave a small bow at the waist. “At your service, ma’am.”
“I don’t need your services.” I couldn’t accept a peace offer from him when I had a job to do. “If I said nice to meet you, it wouldn’t be true.”
“Fuck,” he cursed under his breath and glanced at Kai. “What did you tell her?”
“About you?” Kai shrugged, folding the towel over his lap. “Not a hell of a lot. Only that you’re with Missy now.”
“Don’t keep looking at Kai for help,” I snapped at Javier. “You and your big mouth made your bed, now lie in it.” I assumed my best fighting stance: feet staggered, knees slightly bent, arms and hands up. “Come on. Let’s see what you’re made of. ”
“Cece…” Kai rumbled.
“What?” I shot him my look of death and kept my stance. “You think I can’t take him?”
“Iknowyou can take him,” Kai said, and pleasure flushed through me in tidal waves before I shoved down that weak,stupid, needy part of me that blossomed under his compliments and wanted to be likable… if only to him.
Javier lifted his hands in the air and shot an offended glower in Kai’s direction. “What the fuck, dude?”
Kai inhaled a breath, then met my eyes. “Can you please stand down for a sec?”
“Sure.” I made a show of releasing my fight stance, shaking off my arms and shoulders like a fighter getting loose for a round. “You’ve got thirty seconds.”
“Very generous of you.” Kai tapped his lap. “Are you sure you don’t want this towel?”
I had no idea why he wanted me to take the damned towel, but I shook my head. “Twenty seconds.”
“Hear me out,” he said. “This asshole here is a friend.”
“Hisbestfriend,” Javier interjected, as if this should make a difference to me.
I pounced. “If this jackass is your best friend, then your taste in friends sucks.”
“Maybe,” Kai allowed, keeping his permanent cool. “He’s got a gigantic trap, a bit of a temper, and a flickering brain, but he’s an asset and we like him. You can fight him, but what good would come of it? Missy’s gonna be furious with you if you so much as bruise her stud.”
Javier started. “I’m not a st—!”
“I’m trying to help you,” Kai pointed out.
“Christ,” Javier muttered. “With friends like you, who needs enemies?”
“Shut up, Goof.” Kai shifted his stare to me. “As I was saying, you’ll piss off Missy if you hurt him.”
