I gasped, and he slid his hand under my pajama shorts until they rested over my clit. I surged upward at his touch, my head falling back, everything in me starting to tremble.

One of his fingers dipped inside of me. “But you goddamn want me.” And with that, a second finger joined his first and he took hold of my tank, his mouth slamming down on mine.

It shouldn’t have been like this.

I was writhing.

I shouldn’t feel the fire he’d just doused with gasoline ignite inside of me.

When his lips touched mine, flames surged, and I gasped into his mouth. His tongue slid inside. Everything exploded, and I felt his tongue searching for mine as his fingers began to thrust. I was coming undone, and all I wanted was to get closer, my fingers sinking into his chest and arms, then sliding around to his back.

I climbed up on him, and he growled, grabbing my leg and turning to shove me against the wall.

Holy hell.

His mouth took, but it savored and gave at the same time. He commanded me, taking ownership of me, but then he pulled back and softly grazed my lips.

I moaned, following him with my mouth.

I wanted more. I needed more.

“Fuck,” he moaned. His hand slid down my neck, pushing my top farther down, and his fingers moved over my breast, cupping me.

This was wrong.

My body didn’t care.

I was overheating, and I rested my head against the wall, falling back. I could only gasp for air as he moved down. He kissed under my bottom lip, his mouth tasting my jaw and scorching a path to my throat and down between my breasts until he circled over my nipple. He teased me, brushing his lips over me, then following with a sweep of his tongue.

I took a fistful of his hair and held him to me.

His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the need in me.

Lifting his head, he let me slip down in his arms until we were face to face. He watched me. I watched him. Holding me, he rocked into me over and over, his fingers flexing inside.

I wanted more.

His eyes softened and he slowed down, his lips nipping mine.

I bit back a whimper.

He nipped again, his gaze almost black with desire. But he held back, making me almost blind for him.

“You’re killing me.” I couldn’t hold it in. I bit my lip, closed my eyes, and pushed against his hand.

A third finger joined the others, and I leaned back, my throat exposed to him. I grasped his hand to make him move faster, and he chuckled softly. He thrust into me, stretching me, filling me as his lips found my throat.

I felt fused to him, and I wanted him to keep moving.

He held back a moment before his fingers twitched.

“Ah!” I gasped. “You just want…?” I felt the scrape of his teeth and froze, a bubble of air caught in my throat.

He thrust hard, growling, “You don’t know what I want.”

“Kai!”

His palm grazed over my clit. He rubbed against it, his fingers finally, finally moving. Sliding out, then pushing in.

His mouth moved back up to take mine again.

I felt enslaved to him.

He continued thrusting, slowly, going deeper and deeper.

A frustrated gasp left me, and I snapped my legs around his waist. I arched my back, grinding on his hand. He held me tight as I began to ride him.

“Please. God!”

His mouth closed over mine before he whispered, “Not. Even. Close.”

Then he began to fuck me, his lips drowning out my sounds. I grew frenzied, but still he took his time, coaxing me with kisses, his fingers. His hand tweaked my nipple before he pulled his mouth away. His lips covered me there as he grabbed my waist. His hand slid around as he pressed his groin close. He anchored me against the door and played my goddamn body like an instrument.

He strummed as his fingers pushed in.

He tapped out a beat as he pulled back out.

He kept the perfect pressure on me, and I jerked in his arms, my mouth ripping from his as an onslaught of waves crashed through me. I hurtled over that edge, but he didn’t let me slow down. He started right back up, and it wasn’t long before a choking scream ripped from my throat as I came a second time.

My body went limp. I was a puddle in his arms. Every bone in me had melted.

He held me up as I collapsed against his shoulder. Moving away from the door, he cradled my ass and the back of my neck. He walked me to my bedroom.

He laid me on the bed and stood over me, gazing down.

I must’ve looked wanton. My top was still shoved aside, my breast exposed, and my pajama pants had fallen low on my hips. My thong had been pulled over for his entrance.

I didn’t cover myself. He took me in, looking from my legs, to my pussy, to my stomach, then up to my breasts and lips before finally meeting my eyes, his jaw clenched. His eyes were stormy, inflamed.

It awoke a calm in me, and I slid sensually over the bed. I had him captive now.

He tracked every move I made.

My gaze went to his pants, to the bulge there, the one I’d felt under me, straining.

I sat up, my strap falling off my shoulder, and moved to the edge of the bed, feeling a new throb in me.

He remained silent, watching me as I grabbed his jeans.

I pulled him forward, my hand resting over him. I looked up, meeting his gaze as I undid the button at the top, then slid down his zipper. I reached in, finding his cock, and I wrapped my fingers around it.

He hissed, his eyelids falling low but still watching me.

I brought him out and moved to take him in my mouth.

“No.” He grabbed me, holding me still, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“I didn’t come for that.” A bleakness shone in his eyes, before vanishing. “I want you to come with me.”

I sat back.

He leaned down, slid a finger up my arm and pulled up my strap until I was covered. He adjusted my pants next, but first he slid his palm down my stomach, under my thong to bring it back in place. He arranged everything until I was covered.

Expelling a sharp hiss, he fastened his jeans back up and sat next to me. The side of his leg and arm brushed mine.

Facing forward, his head dipped down. “I came here tonight to ask you to come with me. I don’t usually fly with loved ones, and you’re included there.”

I—what?

“Brooke loves you, and I know Tanner and Jonah are fond of you. No matter the circumstances of you coming here, you are considered a friend of the family.”

I felt him watching me, but I focused on my lap.

“That means something to me. If I find Brooke, she won’t travel back with me on a plane. I’ll have her driven back. It’s longer, but…”

He didn’t have to say anything.

They’d lost Cord on a plane. He didn’t want to risk Brooke.

“I get it.”

“But,” he said sharply, “it’s too long a trip for me. I have to fly, so I’m making an exception. I’d like you to come with me.”

“Where are you going?”

“New York.”

I frowned. “Levi is being kept in New York?”

“Outside of New York, yes.”

“Oh.” My frown deepened. I picked at my pants, smoothing out wrinkles that weren’t there. My mind raced.

What did this mean? My thoughts swirled.

“I’m sick!” I blurted. “You’re going to get sick.”

He fought back a smile. “I don’t get sick. Ever.”

Of course. I snorted. “You’re not human.”

He waited a beat. “Will you come?”

I wanted to go. That was the truth. But everything within me argued.

My mind: hell no.

My everything else: fuck yes.

I was still tingling from exploding in his arms a moment ago.

I looked up. “And if I wanted to go home?”

“I’ll have Tanner ride with you.” He didn’t hesitate. “You know the truth about Brooke leaving. I’m trusting you with that information. No one knows.”

“Not even your brothers?”

He nodded. “No one.”

“What agenda do you have? What’s your endgame here?”

“No endgame. I’m being selfish; that’s all.” He tipped my head up, raising my gaze to his. His finger caressed under my chin. “I want you to come with me. That’s it.”

Oh. Well. When he put it like that, I knew my answer.

“No.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

I held still after giving Kai my response.

My heart pushed against my chest, beating hard, and he dipped his head in an abrupt nod.

“Fine.” He stood. His hand fell away from my face. His heat left my side. There was no comforting weight on the bed with me.

I shivered, feeling coldness in the room and knowing it was him pulling away from me.

“I’ll tell Tanner and Jonah to accompany you home.”

My mouth fell open. He left the room with quick and decisive strides.

He was actually doing it. He was letting me go, after what we’d just done.

The shock lodged firmly in my throat and remained there long after he’d left, long after I heard the door click shut behind him, and even when a staff person came in and began packing a bag for me.

I stood, shaking. “Those aren’t mine.”

“Mr. Bennett said to pack you clothes since your scrubs are gone.”

Right. Because they put them on a look-alike to trick Blade.

Everything hit me with a thud.

Fuck’s sake. I’d been kidnapped and now I was aching because I got to leave?

My head began pounding.

“You can go with him, you know.”

Tanner stood in the doorway, his arms crossed, one foot over the other.