Page 80 of Bound By Crimson
Building and Breaking
Lyric woke to the smell of fresh coffee.
She rolled over, blinking against the soft morning light—and there he was.
Kai stood at the edge of the bed, sleeves pushed up, holding out a steaming mug. His tie was loosened, his hair still tousled from sleep. Rumpled. Gorgeous.
“Morning, boss lady,” he said, voice rough. “You’ve got an empire to run.”
She smiled, sitting up to take the cup. Her heart tugged at the sight of him.Home.
“Thanks.”
He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her in a way that made her nerves hum.
“You sure you want to keep running yourself ragged?” His voice was light, but his eyes were too serious. “You’ve built it. You proved your point.”
Lyric shook her head, forcing a smile. “If I slow down now, I’ll lose the momentum. Besides…” She tucked her legs under her, hugging the mug. “This is the dream.”
Kai’s jaw flexed, the muscle in his cheek tightening briefly.
“You’ve built something incredible,” he said. But this time, there was a slight weight behind the words. “But you don’t have to keep doing it alone. Or at all.”
She frowned. “I’m not alone. I have Callie. And you.”
His lips curved into a smile—but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Callie is only there for a few more weeks. She was only helping with your startup.”
“I know,” Lyric said, feeling a little deflated.
Kai moved closer.
“You do have me. And you know I can give you anything. You don’t have to do this… if you don’t want to.”
“Idowant to.”
He leaned in, pressing a kiss to her forehead. His lips lingered longer than usual, as if he was trying to say something without words.
Then he stood.
“You’ve done more than enough. Don’t forget about us.”
Lyric nodded. “Of course I won’t.”
Kai crossed to the closet, pulling out his suit jacket.
Before leaving, he paused at the door. “I’m just worried about you. You’re pushing yourself too hard. Be careful.”
“I will,” Lyric promised.
Kai smiled—that slow, devastating smile that always made her forget to breathe.
But this time, something else flickered behind it. Something she couldn’t quite name.
Was he proud of her? Or just waiting for her to burn out?
Had he ever truly believed in her… or just let her believe in herself long enough to break?
