Six

Chapter Six

I should have known that “somewhere near” isn’t the same as the “near” I expected.

Because right now, all I can see are trees and the massive townhouse standing before me.

We must have traveled at least two hours to get here, and for a ride on an aviation vehicle, that’s far.

“Welcome to The Hill. Or so it’s called.”

I jumped as Kyler’s voice startled me, his breath brushing against my ear.

What the—he scared me! He laughed at my reaction, clearly amused.

“Chill. I won’t murder you here, don’t worry.”

Oh, great. So, does that mean I’m going to be murdered somewhere else?

He opened the front door, and I was instantly greeted by the vintage charm of the townhouse’s interior.

“Wow.”

The place was stunning—everything made of polished wood in warm shades of white and brown. It was soothing to the eyes, inviting and cozy.

“This house is a work of art,” I said, unable to hold back my admiration.

It was rare to see something like this. Some of the furniture had intricate carvings in the shapes of animals or plants, each detail so finely crafted that I wouldn’t dare ask about the cost of this place.

I could already tell—it must be expensive.

“This townhouse was built by a famous architect and designed by another, who specialized in interiors,” Kyler said, dropping a duffel bag onto the nearest couch.

“Someone I’d know?” I asked, curiosity piqued.

He shrugged nonchalantly. “This place is over a hundred years old. I don’t really remember the names.”

Aw, that’s disappointing. Still, since this is private property, it makes sense to keep the creator’s identity under wraps, especially with a wealthy family like the Kings involved. Safety always comes first.

“Want to grab dinner?” Kyler asked, his casual tone breaking the moment as he gestured toward the kitchen.

I shook my head politely. “No, thank you. How long are we staying here?”

He narrowed his eyes at me playfully. “What? Are you already trying to escape this place?”

“No! I mean… I didn’t bring any clothes with me, and—”

“Those are yours,” he interrupted, pointing at the duffel bag.

My jaw dropped in shock. “Wait, are you serious?”

“Seriously?”

He looked at me like I was being ridiculous. “Yeah.”

We locked gazes for a moment, and I couldn’t help but think this guy is weird. Expensively weird—if that’s even a word. Well, maybe it makes sense. He’s rich, after all. I thought that bag was filled with his stuff!

I sighed and decided to let it go, continuing to explore the house.

In a corner, something caught my eye—a collection of snow globes that made me stop in my tracks. My gaze sparkled as I took in the corner filled with gleaming globes, each one seemingly glowing under the soft lighting.

Taylor and I used to talk about traveling the world, collecting snow globes, and displaying them in our home. It had always made me laugh because the idea sounded so silly. In reality, we’d only managed to collect three—busy schedules and work commitments got in the way.

Now, seeing this collection stirred something bittersweet inside me. For a moment, I remembered how much I’d loved being silly with Taylor. But not the kind of silly that involved walking in on him in bed with another woman.

Another woman. That thought made me laugh bitterly.

Shaking off the bitterness, I decided to focus on the beauty in front of me.

“A-Are these… collections?” I asked when I felt Kyler’s presence behind me.

“My grandma’s, yes,” he replied with a laugh. “She traveled to every corner of the world just to collect these.”

I turned to him, noticing how his eyes sparkled—not from the snow globes, but from the happiness he felt as he talked about them.

“You must’ve loved your nana a lot,” I said softly.

He glanced at me, his smile freezing in place as if he hadn’t realized just how much joy the memory of her brought him.

“Of course. She was awesome.”

“Was?” I asked gently.

He nodded and bit his lip, the light in his eyes dimming. “She passed away last year. Cancer.”

“Oh.” I hesitated, unsure of what to say. Had I just brought up a bad memory? “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, love. I know she’s well in heaven right now,” he said with a reassuring grin. “If you don’t want to eat, how about a drink?”

I paused to think. To be honest, I’m terrible with alcohol. But after this conversation, I felt like I needed to make it up to him somehow.

“Sure,” I agreed.

“Wait in the living room. I’ll grab us a bottle.”

**

I was laughing uncontrollably as Kyler shared a story about one of his encounters with a woman who had gotten obsessed with him.

“Oh no!” I gasped between fits of laughter.

“It’s true! I found her under my bed—stuck—and it seemed like she’d been there since I went out of town!”

I burst out laughing even harder.

“That’s insane!” I managed to say, throwing my head back. “Oops.” The glass in my hand almost slipped, and while I caught it, some of the liquid spilled onto my shirt. “Uh-oh. Now I’m wet.”

I laughed again, expecting Kyler to join in my amusement. But the silence that followed made me turn my head to look at him.

“You are naughty,” he said, his grin mischievous.

I immediately choked on my own saliva, blushing furiously.

Now, it was his turn to laugh—but it didn’t last long. His laughter faded as his gaze deepened, darkening with something undeniable. Desire.

It was aflame, burning, searing into me.

“Uh…” I stammered, scrambling for an escape from the intensity of his eyes and the magnetic pull of his aura. I felt like I was teetering on the edge of something unknown, something dangerous and thrilling all at once.

“L-Let’s play a g-game,” I suggested hastily, though I had no clue what kind of game I meant.

Because right now, I feel like it’s him I wanted to play with—or me, for him to play with.

Fuck.

“Brilliant. How about a question-and-answer game?” he suggested, his grin widening in a way that only added fuel to the fire burning inside me.

My eyes lit up at his words. That’s a safe one!

“Sure! What are the mechanics?” I asked, trying to sound casual even as my pulse raced.