~Kai~Sundown blanketed the blue sky with pink, orange, yellow, and red. It made the clouds beautifully dark. I wish I could also call dark clouds looming over my head a beautiful splendor, but no. I don’t believe half of the shit I’d seen with Benny.Nursing my sixth refill of Macallan, I eyed her as she laughed with the girls at the poolside.Confused? That would be the biggest fucking understatement of the century.After the cutting of cakes - done by Rylee and Klaus holding Mikael and Ramona - the pastries were gone before I could even snatch one, the kids enjoyed the parlor games Rylee and Rain planned.Before five o’clock hits, the cleaners expunge the evidence of the party. All that remained in the pool were Klaus and Rylee’s inner circle. Evan and Devin’s kids were already knocked out from playing the whole day. Even Griffin - who had the energy of a man twice his age - was already snoring before the sunset.‘Adult time,’ as Klaus called it, started. The girls move to the pool
~Kai~Klaus was fuming, his jaw ticking as he reached the gazebo. He glanced around, motioned Hunter to come near us. My brows furrowed, shoulders relaxing a bit when I realized he wasn’t going to swing his fist at my face.I hadn’t noticed Ghost, Ash, and Ro tailing Klaus until they were already in the gazebo.“There’s a possible breach of security,” Klaus murmured, his eyes held no fear but a danger to whoever dared walk into his property and threaten his family.“One security saw this,” Ash came forward, showing us a picture on his phone. A clean-cut hole in the fence and a pair of muddy combat boot tracks. “It’s on the south fence,” Ro added.“South?” Hunter asked, looking in the said direction. There was nothing but a mountain range in the south, too far from road access. We went hunting there last summer, and the vegetation was as thick as a virgin forest.No wonder those prints alerted Klaus.“There’s an intruder on my property,” Klaus gritted his teeth, glancing over at Rylee
~Benny~Great. Kai kept his distance from me all day, and now he knocked down a door while I was in the middle of a rough make out with Artemio.Artemio was an eye candy, tall, dark, and handsome with a filthy mouth. He chased me all day like a dog in heat. As soon as Klaus left the pool, he went for the kill and invited me to go somewhere quiet with him so we could talk.I stood and smoothed the white knitted cover-up. “Don’t you know how to knock?”I eyed Artemio as he pulled himself together. He couldn’t look me in the eye. Poor guy was confused by the sudden shift in my mood. Honestly, I had all the intentions of sleeping with him. But when Artemio kissed me, all I could see was Kai’s face. Every touch, every caress, every part of me yearned for the man who broke my heart.When things between Artemio and I started to heat up, a nagging feeling in my belly grew. He knew what he was doing, but something didn’t sit right with me. Everything felt wrong. I took over, hoping taking th
~Benny~Blaring voices followed the loud crash. Klaus was arguing with someone, his voice unfamiliar to me.I remained caged by Kai’s body on the poolside, as if he didn’t want to let me go. Part of me wanted to stay here. It’s where I longed to be all day.But no. This cannot happen.What about showing him I am better off without him?Splaying my hands flat on his chest, I pushed him gently. His grip on my waist tightened, possessive, taking charge. Electricity sparked where he was touching me, zapping my heart to life.I’ve become an expert in compartmentalizing my thoughts and feelings. Controlling my emotions was the first thing Markus taught me. But having Kai this close, sensing the underlying desire in his touch, demolished all the walls I’d put around my heart.He changed over the years. His body was bigger. The stubbles covering his jaw made him sexier. His touch was confident, like he knew what ticked me.I have no doubt he does.If I’m being honest, I still want him as badl
~Benny~I should’ve kept my opinion to myself. If I did, I wouldn’t be facing Kai’s measured gaze. He regarded me with such intensity that made chills unfurled under my skin.It’s apparent that he’d be skeptical of how I’ve been treating him all day. But I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing how I struggle to stay cool even when he’s around.“Aren’t we?” I asked offhandedly, flashing him a measured smile.Unfolding his corded forearms, he took two calculated steps forward. I fought the urge to step back. He stood so close that his scent attacked my senses with full force, ready to sweep me off my feet.I was still high on endorphins from the pool. I could still feel his possessive grip on my waist. If not for the distraction in the kitchen, I bet I would’ve let him kiss me.That’s how weak I am for him, and he knows it.Slowly, he cracked a smirk that made my knees buckle. Then he raked his eyes over my body. The dimmed light of the hallway illuminated how he was undressing me.
~Kai~In the fear that marred Benny’s face, I watched in silence as helplessness settled in her emerald eyes.“I… I…” her voice stuttered with fear.She clasped her hands together, looking my way with such vulnerability that forced my feet to move and take her in my arms. I encased her head, shoulder and pressed her flat against mine in a protective cocoon. It was spring, but her body shook as though she’d been out on a winter’s night with no clothes.Fuck.If I could give her the warmth of my body so she’d stop fucking trembling, I would.“Kai…” she whimpered. Her tiny arms looped around my waist weakly.The anger concealed beneath Rylee’s stoic expression morphed into pity. She nodded at me, our gaze locked with understanding. I scooped Benny, bridal style, and brought her to her room; the mattress hissed with our weight.Benny pulled her knees to her chest, hugging them as I let her go.This reminded me of the man in the shadows. That night, Benny’s fear was as tangible as the gun
~Kai~I drew incoherent figures on her forearm; her skin was silk under my calloused thumb. The night drifted at a snail’s pace, my thoughts juggled back and forth on what had been, the present, and what will be.The mansion's guest rooms were identical. A queen-size bed, its headboard thrust on the wall, a sliding door opening to a balcony across it. I hadn’t left Benny’s side, not for the lack of trying, but every time I’d stand to close the sliding door, her hand suspended over my torso would tighten, and she’d whimper, ‘don’t leave me.’She drawled the words like a helpless child calling to her mother at night, afraid of the monsters lurking under her bed. Though she knew it wasn’t her mom holding her. In my last attempt to disentangle myself from her vice hold, she called my name, effectively keeping me from trying again.Fear was a human’s natural response to danger, threat, and pain. I’ve met a handful of people who feared nothing, not even death. But they weren’t born that way
~Benny~Before Melanie, every fiber of my being was keen on avoiding Kai at any cost. And when tomorrow comes, I’d lounge in my safe haven in Colorado, far, far away from him.But fate was a bitch. It reminded me that nothing lasts forever. The peace I’d been relishing has come to an end.Surprisingly, Kai could still thaw the fear induced by my nightmare. For months after the island, I dreamt of Kai leaving me. Instead of Markus, the man in the shadow waited in the living room. A good night’s sleep had been scarce for three months straight. Some nights were worse than others. I’d scream, waking up soaked in tears and sweat. Markus allowed me time to deal with it on my own until he couldn’t take it any longer. He urged me to seek professional help.A traumatizing experience triggered the nightmares; it’s what Sandra, my psychiatrist, said. It’s not fucking rocket science. Markus said it was safe to tell her the truth, so I did. Her conclusion, my experience with Tony, triggered my nig
~Benny~ In the pregnant silence that followed, Klaus’ grin morphed into a frown of confusion and rage, then a mask of indifference. His emotions were suddenly sucked into the black hole of his passive expression as he pushed from the chair, eyes trained on Kai and me. Rylee’s hand covered Klaus’, gripping the knife he used in cutting his fillet. I sucked in a breath. His hands were terribly shaking. Worry raged in my mind. Kai, on the other hand, was as calm as the August wind. His thumb was even drawing circles on my knuckles beneath the table. Like an emotional iceberg, Klaus turned, exiting the dining room towards the lawn. A few moments later, a motorcycle heading for the estate’s entrance rumbled until the sound faded. “I think that’s our cue to leave,” Ghost murmured. “Thank you for inviting us over.” And the rest of Klaus’ men followed him out. Markus, Rylee, Kai, and I remain sitting at the dining table for twelve, with empty plates and glasses. This dinner started so wel
~Benny~Hiding my excitement that Kai and I were finally engaged was like wearing a mask of indifference all day. Rylee caught me too many times grinning like a demented fool to myself, and all those times, I lied about why I was on cloud nine. She knew it had something to do with my weekend escapade in LA, and she’s trying to find out why.But Kai said, for his safety, I had to keep my mouth shut about our engagement. It’s because of Markus and Klaus’ stupid bet. I’ve been on a mission to get Rylee to spill hints about what was at stake.“So…” I bumped Rylee’s hip with mine. “Do you know what Klaus has been up to these days?”Rylee pinned me with a sideway questioning glance. We were in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the family and our guests. Klaus invited his team to celebrate successfully putting up MiRa Investigation and Security. He named his security company after Mikael and Ramona.“He’s always up to something.” Rylee turned back to the three fillets in the cutting board, s
~Benny~I tripped once and almost fell on the bathroom floor while freshening up and changing into the red baby doll I bought specifically to seduce Kai. My heart drummed in my chest as I entered the bedroom; Kai sat on the edge of the bed.His gaze lifted to mine, a crease on his forehead, his eyes traveled down the length of me.I shifted in my bare feet, chewed my lip, and wondered if I’d get punished for not following his instruction. The danger lurking in those darkening gray eyes should bother me as he took in the thinness of my dress, but I felt the opposite. It stirred my libido to life. A zeal for the dark promise of his heavy-lidded gaze started to brew in my belly.I didn’t wear anything underneath this see-through dress. My nipples were pebbled hard, poking through the fabric, yearning for some relief that I knew Kai could give.“Come here,” he commanded in a low growl. My pulse quickened. This is what I want. This is what I’d been waiting for since the night I confessed
~Kai~“Can we have sex now?” Benny grumbled with a pout.The beer I was sipping went down the wrong pipe and came out of my nose. That shit fucking stings. I coughed, slammed a fist on my chest, and stared wide-eyed at Benny. “Damn, baby. Warn a man, won’t you?”We had moved to the balcony. Benny’s bare feet rested across my lap as we languidly drank our preferred alcohol. Wine for her, and I was on my third bottle of beer.I planned to make love to her. My cock had been knocking on my pants since she arrived, but I didn’t want to come as a sex-starved man when I was anything but.We discussed our plans for the next few weeks and agreed to keep our engagement a secret for now. If my assumptions are correct, Klaus will throw a fit if he loses the bet. And I don’t want to be around when that happens. That man does not deal well with losing.Benny blushed, crossing her arms over her chest. “What? We haven’t had sex since Paris. That was two months ago. I thought you won’t be able to get
~Kai~New York dragged longer than I anticipated, effectively slashing the prospect of seeing Benny before I flew to LA off the tables. Klaus dipped into the business of private security. He had the team secure office and training facilities, permits, and background investigation on the staff, which will continue the process we’d started. It had to be strategically planned, from putting up private security to hiring our people and targeting our market. After the fiasco with Dominguez, Kino, and Davide, Klaus had been particularly meticulous in hiring employees. Cleansing Martinelli Holdings was a grueling process, like weeding the garden so the flowers could bloom, and bloom did the company did. And Klaus saw the need to have his own legal private security for all their businesses. As the current security manager of Martinelli Holdings, Klaus tasked me to establish security in their newly opened hotel. Even with Klaus’ people working with me, I was hands-on in every step that neede
~Kai~Kissing Benny had always been out of this world, always better than the last, and tonight it was sweeter, hotter, and steamier. Maybe because our feelings were finally out in the open.I struggle to pull away from her, remembering where we are. It was fifteen minutes before eleven. Although I wanted more time with her, keeping my word to Markus was at the top of my priorities.Still breathless from my kiss, Benny toyed with the ends of my hair. She was on her tiptoes, lips plump and red from my sucking and nibbling. My hands circling her waist dug into the exposed skin of her tank top, drawing her closer.“Are you sure you don’t want to take me back to your hotel?” she asked coyly, desire sparkling in her eyes.I groaned, grabbing a handful of her ass, rubbing her against me. “Stop, temptress. I promised to get you home by eleven. This is me keeping my word.”A sultry smile tugged at her lips. “Technically, you did.”She was playing me, and it’s fucking working. I missed her so
~Benny~I fought off the smile that was about to tear my face in half, watching Kai slow his motorcycle to a complete stop in the mansions’ roundabout. He was the image of a magazine model in his rugged jeans, vintage gray tee, leather jacket, and biker boots. His hair had been mused to perfection as though he ran his fingers through them a couple of times; either way, he looked good enough to eat.He grabbed the bouquet of roses sticking out from his backpack and jogged the stairs until he stood before me on the threshold.“Hi.” His blinding smile made my heart swoon. “Hey,” I greeted back breathlessly, taming my prancing heart and knocking my ribcage walls.He offered me the flowers, and their soft scent instantly hit my senses. He hesitated for a beat, biting his lower lip before dipping and planting a gentle kiss onto my mouth. “You look beautiful.”Heat bloomed on my cheeks, and I was glad an hour of fumbling over my closet paid off. He told me to dress casually; I ended up with
~Benny~“He asked me out on a date!”Without even a hello, I dropped breathlessly into the couch of Tracy’s office.She smiled at me, her inquisitive brown eyes roaming over my face. From the floor-to-ceiling glass window where she stood, her heels tapped against the sandstone floor as she strutted towards the couch opposing mine.Tracy was in her late thirties, her doll-like face made her look younger than her age. “Did you say yes?” she asked encouragingly.I sank further into the couch, tipping my head back onto the backrest. “I haven’t given him an answer.”It had been a week since Markus’ birthday. Since then, Kai and I have been talking every night, shooting messages back and forth during the day. Our late-night conversation had been the most anticipated part of my day. I waited for his messages and calls like a love-sick puppy.“Is something holding you back?” A slight frown creased Tracy’s forehead. “You’ve been waiting for him to ask you out.”Sitting up straight, I mulled ov
~Kai~My brain went to a gruesome war against my body. Every cell in my body wanted to deepen this kiss, plunder her sweet mouth just like I pictured every day since she left. My brain understood my need, barely muting a protest that we were in a public place, a gathering for her father’s birthday, no less.Reluctantly, I ended the kiss. Benny’s mouth chased mine as I pulled away. My cock jerked. She wanted that kiss as much as I did.I kept my hand around her waist, staring down at her, admiring the red stain on her cheek.Heartbeats passed, yet my mind needed convincing that she was really here. I cupped her jaw and skimmed her plump lips, opening my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it.“I love you.”My heart stills. “What?”Her emerald eyes widen as dinner plates, as surprised as I am. Mouth gaping and closing like a fish out of water, she pressed her eyes shut, gathering her bearings.I was still recovering from her confession when she said, “but we can’t be together.”My wide e