“Oh, God, Kai,” I choke out. I claw at his back as he rips me apart in the best way possible. Each gut-twisting stroke winds me up higher and higher, until I’m right on the precipice, teetering on the edge.
His hips stutter as he loses his rhythm and starts rutting into me. Kai’s fingers dig into my hips as my nails bite into his skin, both of us clinging on to this tension-filled pleasure. A shiver runs through me, followed by another and another until I’m shaking violently.
We both cry out as his hot seed spills into me. Wave after wave of his cum splashes into my pulsing channel and then drips out, and still, there’s more. My pussy snaps around him as I sob out my climax.
I’m gasping for air as I float back down to earth, the oxygen burning my lungs and yet somehow sending jolts of pleasure to my core. Kai buries his face into the side of my neck and I wrap my arms around his torso, keeping him on top of me while we catch our breaths.
"You're perfect," he whispers. "You're all mine." I nod and pull him closer until most of his weight is resting on top of me. Kai seems to understand my need almost better than I do. He surrounds me with his strength, blanketing me in his warmth. "I'm right here, little flower. I've got you."
We stay attached as long as we can, but I start to shiver from the sweat drying on my body. Kai rolls over and drags me with him, tucking me into his side. My eyelids grow heavy and my body melts into his. I’m vaguely aware of Kai rearranging the blankets and draping the warmest one over us, but I’m too tired, too worn out to even look.
“Rest now, Annika,” he encourages, even though it’s barely ten in the morning. “I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
I nod, feeling safe, warm, and completely satisfied on every level. As I drift off to sleep, I swear I hear Kai say he loves me. I want to say it back, but sleep takes me before I get a chance.
Later that afternoon, the calm, warm, fuzzy feeling we created in the safe house this morning shatters without warning. I'm curled up on the hard, uncomfortable sofa, reading oneof the three books I found here in the safe house. While not my usual reading preference, this military thriller is pretty captivating. I’m sure it has nothing to do with my own badass ex-military man who I’ve seen in action.
Speaking of, Kai is across the room, hunched over his laptop. He’s going over the evidence from the hitman who broke in yesterday. His brow furrows in a worried expression that deepens to anger. Then he curses, a low, guttural sound that rattles the air.
"What happened?" I ask, instantly on edge. He slams the laptop shut, the motion violent.
"Nothing for you to worry about, Annika."
His evasiveness is a slap in the face. My jaw tightens. "Don't do that," I snap. "Don’t coddle me, and definitely don’t lie to me. I know this is bad. Tell me."
I push myself off the sofa, putting space between us. He reaches for my hands, trying to calm me down like I'm a skittish cat, but that only fuels the frustration burning in my chest. He can't keep things from me just because he thinks he can take the weight of the world on his shoulders.
It strikes a deep, aching nerve. It's patronizing, and Ihatebeing patronized. My parents have spent my entire life doing the same thing, making my accomplishments feel trivial, like a silly little hobby.
Looking at Kai now, so dismissive of my ability to deal with reality, the tears spring up, blinding and hot. The realization hits me: I thought I had found a good man, a partner who would support all of me, including my dreams. My breath hitches, rapid and shallow. Kai sees the tears, and the possessive arrogance in his eyes cracks. In that single moment, I watch as understanding dawns on him that this isn't about the hitman's evidence. This wound is deeper than even I knew.
I wish I could run away, but Kai would track me down until the end of his days. Part of me loves the protective, possessive side to him, but right now, I want to go back to my familiar, comforting apartment, snuggle up on the couch with my favorite comfy sweatshirt, and sob into a bucket of ice cream.
“I’ll get you ice cream,” Kai says, breaking through my spiral. I didn’t realize I said that part out loud. He looks desperate to end my suffering in any way possible. Unfortunately, the one thing that will help is getting answers, and I’m not sure Kai is ready to give in. Where does that leave us?
6
KAI
Her tears haven't even fallen yet, but the sight of her barely holding it together is an acid bath in my stomach. I feel the pain of her rejection like a physical blow to my sternum, a deep, sickening ache that proves emotional trauma isn't just in the head, it can manifest and cripple a man from the inside out.
I'm a machine of violence, a fortress of muscle and bone, yet this gorgeous, innocent woman is breaking me without laying a finger on me. All I want is to haul her into my arms and absorb every ounce of her suffering.
The silence in the room isn't the peaceful kind anymore. It's heavy, charged with a tension that makes the hair on my arms stand up. Annika is standing by the sofa, her curvy frame rigid, her hazel eyes swimming with tears that haven't fallen yet. The sight of her like this hits me harder than any punch I've ever taken.
She’s not scared, she’shurt. I know how to protect others, how to chase away the shadows, and how to eliminate the monster that goes bump in the night… But how do I fix something I’ve broken?
I look at the laptop I just slammed shut. I thought I was protecting her by keeping the hit list a secret. I thought if she didn't know the scale of what we’re up against, she might find some semblance of peace in this cage I've built for her. But seeing the betrayal on her face, I realize I haven't been her shield. I've been exactly what she feared: someone telling her she isn't strong enough to handle the truth.
"Annika," I start, my voice sounding like gravel under a boot. I take a step toward her, but she doesn't move. She doesn't retreat, but she doesn't soften either. "I'm sorry. I'm a brute. I'm used to orders and secrets, not...this. Not a partner."
She sniffles, a small, heart-wrenching sound that twists something painful inside me. "My parents... they always made me feel small, Kai. Like my business wasjust a phaseand I was just waiting for a man to take over the real thinking. When you hide things from me, it feels like you're doing the same thing. It feels like you don't think I'm capable."
Jesus, her pain is palpable. I feel it deep in my soul. I fucked up worse than I thought, but I need her to see I can be better. Iwillbe better for her.
I take a few tentative steps closer, testing the waters. Annika looks up at me with watery eyes, her shoulders dropping before she tilts her head down, breaking eye contact. I can’t have that.
Carefully, so damn carefully, I hook my finger under her chin, gently lifting it so her eyes rest on mine once more. My breath hitches in my throat. I am standing on the edge of a goddamn cliff, and this isn't about the Syndicate or a clean kill. This is aboutus, and I’m failing the only person who matters.
