Page 36 of Kane's Awakening
Chapter Eleven
Kane
I was kind of an asshole. Okay, if I was being honest, I’d say I was being a total asshole. Nokind ofabout it. I’d stormed out on Ryker Friday night—saying relationships weren’t my thing and knowing how upset that would make him—and then I’d called him that night, asking him for sex.
Now, he was standing in my kitchen, wearing only his boxers, after we’d fucked.
And I liked it. A lot.
I just couldn’t stay away from him, and I didn’t know why. He and I would never work because we didn’t want the same things. But even with that knowledge, I’d still found myself sitting at home that night, holding my phone and wanting to call him more than anything. Yeah, I could’ve easily messaged one of the other guys from the hookup app, and I would’ve had an easy one-night-stand with no obligation to ever talk to them again.
But all I’d wanted was Ryker.
“Do you have anything other than sandwich stuff?” he asked, scrutinizing the loaf of bread on the counter.
“Dude, I don’t cook,” I answered before snagging the bread and untwisting the tie. “So, sandwich or nothing.”
He grinned and sat down in the hard, plastic chair, which made him wince a little. At my concerned look, he said, “I’m fine, but I think my ass hates you right now.”
I snorted and continued making our food, trying to ignore the twinge in my chest. I enjoyed being around him, and not just for sex like I’d tried to make myself believe. There was something about him that drew me in—made me temporarily forget that Ididn’tdo this type of shit.
“Sorry my kitchen isn’t much of a kitchen,” I said, plopping our sandwiches on a plate and carrying it over to the small, card table I had instead of a real one.
“It’s kind of nice actually,” Ryker replied after taking a bite and smiling.
His smile was fucking sexy as hell—picture-perfect white teeth and kissable lips. And even more, we both knew my sorry excuse for a table wasn’t nice, buthewas. One of the nicest damn people I’d ever met.
Goddammit, could he be more perfect? Probably not.
I needed to cut things off with him for good; otherwise I didn’t know how I’d be able to hold firm on my stance about dating. It just feltgreatbeing around him, and I could definitely get used to it… which would just end in disaster.
“My daughter actually has a table like this,” Ryker continued after eating a few more bites. “But hers is pink and purple and a bit smaller.”
Dafuq?
“You have a daughter?” I asked a little louder than I intended, nearly choking on the bite I’d taken. I hadn’t seen that one coming by a long shot.
Shock crossed his face as he realized his slip, but then his expression softened. “Yes. Actually, I have a son, too. They’re twins.”
Twins. Good god.
I’d thought Ryker and I were already kind of complicated—which was partly why I’d walked out on him a few nights before—but adding kids into the equation just opened it up to a whole other level of complicated.
“Okay,” I said before scooting back from the table and standing, running a hand through the top of my hair. “I know I’m the one who called you tonight, but we can’t do this again. Dating isn’t for me, and I guess I thought if I pestered you enough, you’d give in and agree to a friends-with-benefits type relationship until you found a guy you could actually date.”
Ryker watched me with disappointment in his blue eyes, but he didn’t say anything.
“That’s clearly not gonna happen, though,” I continued, shaking my head. “I’m not looking for anything serious, Ryker.”
“Well, I am,” he said at last, standing up and grabbing the plate before carrying it to the sink.
Fuck, even during an argument, the guy was proper and shit and cleaned up.
“Yeah? Well maybe you should’ve fucking told me about your kids. We could’ve avoided all of this.”
His blue eyed gaze flashed to mine and revealed his irritation. “I wasn’t hiding them from you, Kane. I just don’t talk about them until I’m serious about a guy or until I feel like thingscouldget serious. I was going to tell you about them at dinner Friday, but you made your position all too clear, and I didn’t get the chance before you left me there, watching after you as you walked out the damn door.” He came toward me, stopping about a foot away. “So, don’t give me crap for not telling you.”
His frustration sparked my own.
