Isla

 

Watching Kai in the kitchen, I realized something.

He wasn’t only building anticipation, as he’d said, he was torturing me.

First, he was cooking shirtless and he kept giving me smoldering looks. Followed by silly, then serious, and happy ones. Second, he kept finding little excuses to touch me as we moved around the kitchen. A squeeze on the waist, a brush of his lips along my shoulder or bumping his chest into my back. Third and finally, he was creating an aphrodisiac smorgasbord.

Strawberries and figs to snack on. Followed by an arugula salad and artichokes with oysters. All of this was making my heart flutter and I couldn’t seem to stay still. Trailing after Kai, after I’d taken care of the fruit and salad prep, I kept asking if I could help. He didn’t answer, only shook his head. I picked up a strawberry piece, popping it in my mouth and pouting.

At that, Kai turned around and glanced at me from head to toe. Desire rolled up from between my legs and sent shockwaves of tingles up my spine.

“Go sit down,” he ordered. “Have some wine if you want. Relax.”

“Okay,” I murmured.

“Oh wait,” Kai said. Reaching out, he brushed his thumb along my lower lip and my mind went blank. “You had a little strawberry there.”

“Uhum, thanks.” I managed to stammer out as I went and sat down.

Once again, I occupied my time watching Kai, but this time I was trying to be coy. However, I was certain I was failing miserably. The small smirk on his face said as much.

I didn’t care though. I wanted the pressure of his hard body against mine. His fingers gripping my waist or ass, then caressing my back and teasing up my sides. The smell of him all around me. At that, my thighs rubbed together and I repressed a sigh of frustration.

Kai gave me an amused look and then slid a plate of food at me. “Eat up, babe. All that working out you’ve been doing – need to have fuel in the tank.”

I flushed as he winked and then came around to sit next to me. As we ate, talking about nothing of consequence, Kai's hand drifted down and squeezed my thigh. The ache of need that pulsed through me at that touch alone almost had me knocking Kai off his stool.

Finally, we were done and my nerves keyed up several notches. But Kai yawned and glanced around at the dishes. "Man, I gotta clean this up.” He kissed the side of my head and murmured, “Why don’t you go get ready for bed?”

I wanted to scream in frustration at him and then I saw the small, shit-eating grin on his face. Oh, Kai was enjoying how much I was going crazy for him. Far too much.

Hm, as he’d said earlier, two could play at this game.

Turning around to hide my grin, I knew exactly how I was going to get him back.

After all, he’d handed the ammunition to me the first day I was here.

 

Ten minutes later, I walked out of my room, and into the living room. Kai was finishing loading the dishwasher and hadn’t heard me. My heart was bounding around in my chest and it was hard to keep from bolting. Biting my lip, I forced myself to stay in place and not hug myself, even as shyness overwhelmed me. I’d never done anything like this before.

“You about done?” I asked in a squeaky voice.

I’d meant to ask in a husky voice and then strike a pose. Maybe stretch sexily. But instead, I had my hands nervously clasped together at my heart and was chewing my bottom lip.

Kai glanced up, saying, “Yeah, give me a…” He did a double-take and then stood straight abruptly, one hand reaching out to grip the counter. His throat was working and his eyes widened as he slowly took me in. “Uh, what was I…?”

I almost laughed. Kai looked like he’d been hit across the face with a sandbag.

I’d changed into the evilest thing I owned. It was a present from Dionne, one she’d given me a few nights before I was supposed to fly out. A night that felt like a lifetime ago.

It was a little black and pink silk number that hit the tops of my thighs and barely covered my breasts. Both saucy and sexy. As Kai had said once, I would have picked something smokin.’

Doesn’t get much more smokin.’

“Is something wrong?” I asked innocently after a moment, twirling a hand into my hair.

Kai let out a gasping laugh and shut his eyes. “Touché. You win.”

“Oh, it was never a competition,” I said and stretched.

Opening his eyes, Kai’s expression became intense and he prowled towards me. “You know, your door is broken,” he said in a low voice as he towered over me.

“I know,” I said, frowning and trying to act cool. “You broke it.”

“Can’t have you sleeping in a room without a door, Isla.” Kai’s voice was still serious but there was a wicked and hungry look in his eye. “But I have a solution.”

“What’s that?” I asked, my mouth going dry and I licked my lips.

“Foregoing sleep,” he murmured, his hands on my shoulders and I was being steered backward into his room.

I watched as he pushed the door closed with his foot and we were enclosed together. Standing in Kai’s room, shivers danced through my body and my heart raced. In the dim light, I couldn’t see, only sense as his gaze traveled up and down me slowly, making my toes curl.

“The whole picture,” Kai murmured and a shaky sigh fell from my lips. His hands traveled down my arms and gripped my hands. “There’s so much to see and it all takes my breath away.”

I'd heard Kai wax poetic about the ocean and surfing but never like this. In anyone else, it wouldn’t have worked. But he was so genuine, it tugged at something deep inside of me.

“I love you,” Kai said suddenly and I gasped softly. My eyes had adjusted to the light and I could see his gaze had intensified even more. “I didn’t say it earlier because I was still working up the nerve.” His voice sounded unsteady and his hands gripped me tighter. Stepping forward, Kai pressed his forehead to mine and our breath mingled. "You take the real risks, Isla. The ones that matter in life. I might be an adrenaline junkie, but I've got nothing on you, kid. Your brand of sky-diving has me fearing for your safety, you wild child. How are you so brave?”

“I’m not that brave,” I whispered.

Kai laughed and kissed me, a deep and powerful kiss. When he broke away, he murmured, “Yes, you are. Because of you – I found love. Something I thought would never happen.”

While part of me wanted to demand why I knew we'd moved into a space of shared vulnerability. Since Kai had seen mine so clearly and celebrated me for it, I had to do the same.

"I'm not sure if I'd ever believed I'd fall in love, Kai. I was so afraid of being let down. And of losing...” My voice broke a little. “But then I found you.”

“Well, ‘found’ might be a little strong,” he teased, but his voice was rough.

“Fine, I was thrown into your life,” I retorted.

“Thank God,” Kai murmured, his stubbly cheek rubbing mine.

"I know I've said something like this before," I said quickly before he could distract me further. "But, you. You, Kai – in all the strangeness and stress – you were a constant.” As I thought back, I realized those first days, when he’d been off-handed and distant, it was to give me space. “You gave me what I needed even when I didn’t know I needed it.”

“Oh, well, don’t flatter me too much. I teach surfing to kids and tourists,” Kai murmured, his lips now tracing my jaw. “You’ve gotta be able to read a situation so nobody gets hurt.”

“You let me stay here. You became my friend. And my champion. I’m so grateful, Kai.”

“Isla,” Kai said, pausing and his lips were at my ear. “While I appreciate what you’re saying, don’t think you weren’t helping me in the same way. You became precious to me. You like me.”

“Weird quirks, neat freak tendencies and all,” I teased. “But Kai, everybody likes you.”

“Still,” Kai murmured. “I was a little scared to have a girl living here. I’d thought we’d become kind of reluctant friends if I was lucky. But either way, whoever she was, she’d never want to see me again once it was over. I never dreamed I’d be so lucky as to get you. Ever.” A sigh of content went through his chest. “Isla.”

Our hands fell apart and we clung to each other instead. Kai’s hand moved over my hair as he pressed his lips to my hair and I pressed mine flat into his shoulders.

Again, the image of the two hearts meeting in an embrace came into my mind. I could feel the steady beat of Kai’s against mine, something that felt and sounded like a promise.

Swallowing, I stepped back and looked at him. “Promise me something?”

Kai’s gaze became gentle and he cupped a hand around my cheek. “Anything.”

“No matter what happens in the future,” I said. “Don’t go anywhere where I can’t find you.”

He gave me a strange look, then a smile spread across his face. “Isla, I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me, kid.” Now his grin became crooked. “Good thing you like cats.”

“Thank you,” I said, shaking a little. “I know I’m asking for the impossible.”

“Ask away,” Kai said. “After all, I didn’t ask what I could do for you out of any kind of perfunctory kindness. I want to. And one day, you’re going to tell me why you’ve struggled with trust and had to rely only on yourself. But when you’re ready.”

“And you’ll tell me your secrets, Kai,” I said, moving my hands to press flat on his chest.

For a moment, I thought I saw a gold light in Kai’s eyes, one that dazzled me, but then it was gone. Now all I could see was a growing smirk as he teased the hem of my nightgown in the back, his callused fingertips brushing my thighs and ass.

“How about I tell you one right now?” Kai’s voice was deep and gravelly, making my heart skip a beat. “A patient gentleman is a bedroom artist.”