~Kai~Benny’s words to her mother ricocheted back at her. She will not come out of this unscathed. Anger pumped in her veins the moment we left the apartment. And now that she finished what she came here to do, she got nothing left but the reality of this situation.It was fucking torture watching her speak to her mother the way she did. She was the epitome of calm and control. She had everyone fooled that she had the upper hand in that confrontation. I knew better.When she came back to the office and locked eyes with me, I knew I had the biggest job in this fiasco. I need to pick up the broken pieces of her heart. She has her family; Markus and Klaus will never leave her alone. But they don’t know her like I do.I didn’t care that Klaus was in the room. Three strides, and I cradled Benny’s weary form. She burst into tears. Her body shook as she controlled her whimpers but failed miserably. Klaus watched us cautiously. But not even a bullet or his probing gaze could stop me from cons
~Kai~Since we left the side of the road, Benny kept silent, her gaze focused on the window. Shoulders slouched, she plodded up the stairs to the apartment.“Do you want dinner?” I asked, trying to sound casual as we hung our coats once we were inside.“I’m beat.” She peered over her shoulder, lips tipping to a weary smile. “I’m just gonna head to bed. Thank you for today, Kai.”“Sure.” I nodded and watched her disappear inside her room, helplessly hoping I could take half, if not all, of the weight on her shoulders.I lay awake, replaying everything that transpired today. I can’t remember the last time the team was this busy. Since Klaus married Rylee, we’ve toned down on all the actions, narrowing things down to almost boring. Today, the only meal I had was breakfast with Benny and a bite of quiche. I realized I didn’t miss this life. I’ve gotten used to the peace and quiet that this chaotic day has stowed a toll on my mind and body. Despite that, I couldn’t sleep. I was too fuckin
~Benny~ Waking alone in bed, I sat up and winced, leaning against the headboard. All parts of my body were tender and sore, and my chest felt so full it was overflowing with glee, but my mind was going in circles. In the bathroom, Kai fucked me like a savage, and in his bed, he took me like a real gentleman. It felt like the island had happened only yesterday. The extent of his knowledge of what ticks me showed. He knew what buttons to push and how to test my boundaries without scaring the fuck out of me. He admitted he missed me, and he showed me exactly how much. Last night, I had Kai, the perfect lover, my ideal guy, and I don’t know what to make out of it. I came to him with the intent of taking my mind off things, and he succeeded, as always. I don’t want to read more into this, but when the door to his room opened, and he beamed, one that made my heart stop beating, I shied away and pulled the covers up to my chest. “How are you?” Kai asked, kicking the door shut. He was ba
~Benny~“Where did you get that?” I asked, eyeing the big motorcycle parked side by side with our BMW.Kai stalked forward, grabbing the helmet dangling from the bike handle.“I have my resources,” he smirked. Gazing at him made my breath hitched. I haven’t seen Kai on a motorcycle. His massive build was a perfect match for the monstrous bike. Today, he ditched his coat and replaced it with a leather jacket, pairing it with his biker boots and dark jeans. The thought of riding behind him on this motorcycle did something weird to my belly.He frowned when I just kept staring at the helmet and back at the motorcycle. “Are you afraid of motorcycles?”I swallowed, chaining my heart in place, shaking my head ‘no.’ I took the helmet and pulled it over my head, the lock under my chin clicking gently. Kai watched me the whole time, his gaze burning me in place. “Do I get to know where you’re taking me?”“Nope.” He tossed a leg over the bike, tipping his head for me to hop in.“Is it a secret?
~Kai~Kissing her had always been out of this world, but tonight, after that talk, kissing her meant the world.She’s in it with me. Fuck! My hands, circling the narrow columns of her neck, moved to take a fistful of her hair. They were strands of silk between the gaps in my fingers.My body berated my brain for pulling away, stopping the kiss before it turned heated. I am aware of where we are, and I blame myself for trying so damn hard to be a romantic. That wasn’t me. Now I was enduring the worst kind of blue balls, my body burning with lust even though it was freezing out here.Foreheads pressed flush, white smoke billowed between us from our deep heaves as we caught our breath.Benny bit her lip, frustration evident in her honeyed green eyes. “Kai…” her palms covered mine.“Hm?” I pulled away just enough so I could admire her.She was so beautiful my chest aches just looking at her. She’s finally mine - at least I had a shot at making her mine. I worry she’d push me away, that my
~Kai~The oxygen supply around us became scarce, seemingly insufficient for three people. I heaved a couple of deep breaths, flicking the lights open, white light spilling inside the apartment.Klaus spun from his spot on the breakfast bar, a scowl marring his face. His gaze slid from mine to Benny, hidden behind half of my body, then back at me. He grimaced, grabbed his rock glass, and sipped the golden brown liquid.“Benny, can you give us a moment?” His voice was devoid of emotion. Klaus, although ruthless and feared by our enemies, had never spoken to his team. He’d always been playful, joking around. The last time I saw him this mad was when he found out Ghost lied to him.Benny stepped out from my shadow, standing beside me. “Klaus, don’t get mad at Kai.” She sounded calm, as if I had imagined her terrified face moments ago. I didn’t need her rescue. I prepared myself long ago for this conversation, but not early on this stage. We just got everything out in the open, for fuck’
~Kai~I didn’t have enough time processing this turn of events. Klaus grinned from ear to ear. Then he stepped forward. One step became two, followed by another until he was in front of me. He slapped a hand over my shoulder, turning me towards the alley entrance.“Get a grip, Kai,” Klaus said, stirring me out of the dark alley.I swallowed, moving on autopilot. I mean, I am fucking ecstatic about still having my limbs intact, but none of this makes sense.“I know the prospect of being my brother-in-law is overwhelming, but you can breathe now. It’s only me.” He chuckled, the cackle filling the empty street.That’s my cue. I’m not hallucinating. This cocky bastard played me like a puppet. It was a setup, and I fear there was more to this story than I’m aware of.He stirred me further from the apartment, dropping his arm from my shoulder.“We are going the wrong way,” I said, slowing my steps.“Nah,” he kept walking, pulling his phone out. “We’re gonna go for a drink. We need to talk.
~Benny~My outward display of doubt should have turned Kai off. He should run for the hills. I barely hold myself together while waiting for him to come back. My ass carved a permanent engraving on the couch as the clock ticked. My head was a mess. He was gone for an hour and a half, and I was certain he’d never come back, yet I waited. I eyed the door like a hawk waiting for its prey. And when he came back, I felt dread wash over me. He surpassed my expectations, yet I still can’t acknowledge that he remained true to his words.Like his promise, he came back, and now he’s kissing me as though I was a tall glass of water and he was in dire need of a drink.In his room, we lay in the dark, facing one another. The fondness in his eyes as he watched me watch him in the dimly lit room was so comforting I was afraid to soak in it.Sex had always been on top of my things to do with Kai. But this is something else. There was something different about the way he looked at me. Like he’s cont
~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