“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I mumble, gaining a squeeze to my waist from Kai.

“I’m sure your brothers would love to see some pictures of you.”

My body freezes and I feel the blood drain out of my face as Kai’s arms band around me.

“You don’t look so well. Are you okay, honey?” my mom asks.

I nod, not able to speak.

“She’s had a long day. I’m going to get her to bed. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day,” Kai says.

“Of course,” Mom mutters, looking me over.

I give her a shaky smile and a quick hug before Kai leads me back towards our room. Once we’re inside and I hear the door close behind us, I walk to the bed, sit down, and then kick my shoes off before pulling my feet up onto the bed and tucking myself into a ball.

“Do you know that Rory was once my best friend?” I ask Kai as I watch him slip his shirt off over his head then pull his pants off, leaving him only in his boxers, which shows off the tattoo on his right hip that disappears into his underwear, the bottom of the ink ending just above his knee. I wish I could see the full extent of the artwork and get up close to the very detailed work.

“Thad’s brother?” he questions, pulling me out of my thoughts as he walks towards me, holding a shirt in his hand.

I nod as I watch the muscles in his stomach flex.

“Do you still keep in touch with him?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. When I moved away from Nevada, I just left everything behind,” I say, sitting up on the side of the bed.

When he mutters a quiet, “Up,” his hands go to my stomach. Then he pulls my shirt off over my head and then quickly tugs the new one down. I reach behind my back and unhook my bra, pulling it off then out one of the sleeves of the shirt.

“Why did you run after graduation?” he questions.

I look up at him, and he searches my face. Part of me wonders how he could know about that, but I’m starting to understand that Kai knows a lot more than I could even begin to realize. And I wonder if his question now is more of a test than him just asking out of curiosity.

“I got accepted into culinary school,” I say softly, watching disappointment flash in his eyes.

I quickly slip my shorts off, watching as he walks around the bed and gets in behind me. I don’t know why, but I expect him to ignore me, to just turn his back to me and go to sleep, but instead, he comes to me, pulling me down with my back to his front. Then he slides one arm under my neck and wraps the other around my stomach.

“So, you guys were friends?” he asks softly after a moment.

I feel his breath on my neck, so I close my eyes for a moment, memorizing the feeling.

“We had all the same friends, and when we were home, it was like living with my best friend. I think it was harder leaving him behind more than anything else.”

“Huh,” he grunts, and a small thrill fills me that perhaps he’s jealous, but I squash it immediately, knowing he would never be jealous.

“I got an engagement announcement from him about a year ago, and I sent a congratulations card back in return, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to even pick up the phone to call him.”

“Something must have happened to make you cut off all ties with the people you considered family.”

“I think I was just trying to find my own way in the world,” I lie, gaining a squeeze from him.

“I wish you would talk to me,” he says quietly.

I turn to face him and bury my face in his chest, wishing I had the courage to share what happened to me with him.

“I’m so tired,” I tell him instead, breathing him in.

“Sleep, makamae,” he says, wrapping his arms tighter around me.

Even though I try to talk myself out of it, and even though I know it’s a huge mistake, I fall asleep feeling safe and wanted.

Kai’s face is between my legs, his large arms holding me in place, his hands holding mine against my thighs, making it impossible to touch him. I cry out in frustration as I feel my clit pulse in his mouth.

I wake up breathing heavily, and I remember the dream I was having. I was begging him to make love to me, but he just kept me on the edge. I go to get up and realize Kai’s hand his cupping me over my panties, and I can feel the hard length of him against my back.

“Oh, God,” I moan quietly, squeezing my eyes closed. I know that all I need is the smallest brush against my clit and I will explode. I go to move again and his fingers press in. “Kai,” I whisper, unintentionally rolling my hips forward into his hand.

“TU Kai,” he rumbles, pressing into my back.

My hand goes to his thigh and my nails dig into his skin as his fingers slide my panties to the side and his middle finger circles my clit.

“Drenched,” he growls against my neck as his finger does another circle.

My hand on his thigh goes behind my back and down into his boxers, my fingers attempting to circle his width without coming close. From the feel of him in my hand, I can imagine how large and beautiful he is. I slide down then up, and he growls, his teeth nipping my neck.

He feels like steel covered in smooth silk. My thumb runs over the tip, catching the bead of pre-cum before doing another downward stroke.

“Makamae,” he says, and without warning, two fingers swiftly enter me.

“Kai!” I cry out and turn my head over my shoulder in time for his mouth to capture mine in a kiss that takes my breath away.

His fingers move in sync with the hand I’m pumping him with. I pull my mouth from his and cry out again as his thumb rolls over my clit, causing the orgasm that had been building since I woke up to explode through my body.

I squeeze my eyes closed as my pussy convulses around his fingers, and his teeth take hold of the skin of my neck as my hand fills with cum from his release. After a moment, I begin to come back to myself, and I can feel my face turn red from embarrassment. I never expected that to happen. It normally takes a while for me to feel okay with any kind of intimacy, but as with everything about Kai, he brings it out of me so easily.

“I could go again,” he says.

I feel that his cock is still semi-hard. I let him go when I realize he is still in my palm. He flips me over to my back, and his fingers sink deeper inside me, causing me to moan loudly as aftershocks from my orgasm fill my lower belly.

“You’re my wife, Myla.”

“I know.” I squeeze my eyes closed.

“This is natural.”

“I’m not ready for this,” I say then feel the bed begin to shake. “Are you laughing?” I ask in disbelief, popping one eye open.