Page 47 of Until We Burn
Kai stands at the threshold. With his tousled black curls and maroon hoodie thrown back on, he looks like he has just woken up from a nap. The illusion shatters when I see my jeans and lace underwear draping over his forearm. His other hand grips a warm, dampened towel. Words vanish from my lips. Numbness and confusion paralyze me instead.
Kai walks over to me and crouches down. He flicks on the bedside lamp. A comforting amber glow befalls the dimly lit bedroom. His eyes are soft and gentle as they look up at me.
“I’m just gonna clean you up. Is that okay?”
I nod slowly.
Kai rises and perches himself on the side of the bed. “You can lean against the pillows if you want.”
I draw back against them, my muscles stiff and unsure as I do. But they start to unwind when Kai brings the warm towel over my skin, his brows furrowing in concentration. The confusion and haziness relent, easing into a feeling of comfort and security that makes my heart ache for him.
Kai looks up at me again, his throat bobbing. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” My voice comes out small and hesitant. “Are…are you?”
“I’m…” He blows out a breath, folding the towel in his hands. “I don’t know yet.”
The words we want to say are there. Hanging in the air. Yet neither of us are brave enough to confront what happened between us.
Not even when Kai walks me out to the car.
The evening air bristles, cold and crisp with the first bite of autumn. Up ahead, the blinking taillights on Hans’ black Range Rover illuminate the side of the street. I gulp, turning around to face Kai. Behind him, the skies are darkening into a deep blue streaked with fading clouds. The last shard of sunlight glows from the horizon. It radiates over Kai, illuminating his powerfully hewn face and his soft, full lips.
I clear my throat, stuffing my hands into my jacket pockets. “We can figure out how to proceed with the project on Monday. I’ll email you.”
“Sure.” Kai nods.
Before I can turn away, Kai catches my hand again, making me look over my shoulder at him.
“I-I was thinking…” He hesitates. His face scrunches up so nervously it’s almost endearing. “What if we met up to do this once in a while?”
My brows arch in surprise. “You mean…be friends with benefits?”
“Yeah.” Kai shakes his head. “You don’t have to decide right now. It’s just an offer. I thought—” He shrugs. “You’re stressed, I’m stressed. Maybe we could help each other out?”
In my head, sleeping with the boy I’ve been daydreaming about for stress relief sounds so scandalous and exciting. But now that the offer is dangling right in my face, it’s so real and terrifying that I’m scared of all the unpredictable possibilities I can’t control.
Despite my hesitation, Kai’s patience is unwavering.
“If you wanna do it, come to the Wing and Flame,” he proposes. “If you don’t want to do it, I completely understand.”
Except I don’t think I want to say no.
Rising against the fear is a wild, uncontrollable need to feel Kai’s hands on me again. Knowing that I can have them touch me whenever I want wears down my hesitation ever so slightly.
No strings attached. Just sex.
I squeeze his hand softly.
“I’ll think about it.”
The car slowsto a stop in front of the Fairmont. The opulent hotel rises in steep patina roofs and limestone walls that bask under the golden street lights.
“Diana! Diana!”
My heart clenches as a swarm of reporters and cameramen clamor around the car. They pound at the windows, their lenses pressing up against the glass. I shut my eyes and cover my ears, but I can still hear the muffled voices shouting my name, demanding a statement. I can still see their cameras' swift, muted flash going off. I knew coming here was a risk. After the news broke out, no one—not even in a high-end establishment like the Fairmont—would resist alerting the media.
“Everything is going to be just fine, Miss Diana,” Hans assures. “I will get you out safely.”
