Page 34 of Bound By Crimson
Before she could respond, her phone rang.
She answered quickly. “Hi.”
“I needed to hear your voice,” Kai said softly.
Lyric smiled, nerves fluttering in her stomach. “I was just about to tell you about my day.”
“Please. I want to know everything.”
She told him about the shop. About a woman who’d come in asking for silver charms shaped like wolves. About Velora’s latest shipment from France. She left out Rowan’s visit. She wasn’t ready to explain that.
Kai listened without interrupting, only offering the occasional soft mm or tell me more. No one had ever listened like that. Not even Rowan.
When she finished, there was a pause. Then his tone darkened.
“I don’t like being this far away from you.”
Her pulse quickened. “Neither do I.”
“It’s too far. Too long.” His voice dropped lower. “I keep thinking about someone else looking at you. Talking to you. Even breathing near you.” There was steel beneath the words. “It makes me want to come back right now and remind everyone who you belong to.”
Lyric felt her cheeks flush. “Kai…”
His breath softened. “I can’t help myself when it comes to you.”
A nervous laugh escaped her. “I don’t really understand how this all happened.”
“What do you mean?” His voice gentled.
“You… choosing me. Wanting me. I’m not exactly—” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “I’m not like the other women in your world.”
“I’ve already told you, Lyric.” His tone was soft but certain. “None of them matter. Only you.” His voice deepened. “The other women want what I have. My name. My power. My money. You are different.”
Lyric swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
“I’ve built a life most people envy,” Kai continued. “The penthouse. The properties. The wealth. But it means nothing. I want a family, Lyric. A marriage. A real future. And when I look at you, I see the woman who could give me that.”
Her breath trembled. “I’ve always wanted those things. I just… never thought I’d find someone who did too.”
“You have,” Kai said firmly. “And I’m not letting you go.”
The possessiveness in his voice didn’t frighten her. It wrapped around her like a promise. Like protection.
They spoke until the street outside grew even darker, until her eyes grew heavy.
By the time they hung up, the weight of Rowan’s visit had faded.
She set her phone aside, closing her sketchbook.
I’m not going to live in the past anymore.
I’m moving forward.
With him.
Chapter Ten
No Arguments
