Page 58 of Billionaire’s Cruelty

He hadn’t mentioned Dannie’s name, but I could tell that’s what he meant. He knew.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Wendy and Trevon near the entrance. The room wasn’t large, and they were doing their best to give us some privacy while staying within earshot.

“Nothing important,” I said. “I came looking for you.”

Kai’s expression softened. “Trev told me you couldn’t get to Shanghai.”

“It was foolish of me to think I could just march into your hometown and find you.”

“Maybe. But thank you for coming anyway.” His grin lit up his face, a rare brightness cutting through the dark circles beneath his eyes. “It means a lot to know you care.”

Our gaze locked, and the air between us thickened. My heart pounded as our faces drifted closer together—so close it would’ve been ridiculous not to close the distance.

And then we did.

The kiss was hot. Hungry. Desperate.

The world outside the room faded. My body melted into his touch as his lips claimed mine. I felt whole again—complete. And yet, somehow, it still wasn’t enough.

I wanted more. Needed more.

My tongue teased against his, tasting him, savoring him like a forbidden delicacy.

He responded instantly, matching my hunger with his own. When I pressed closer, he leaned back, pulling me with him. Before I could catch my breath, his arm curled around my waist, and in one swift motion, he flipped me onto the bed.

A soft gasp escaped my lips as my back hit the mattress. The heat between us burned hotter, and as his body hovered over mine, all I could think about was how much I wanted to lose myself in him.

Our lips were no longer touching. Kai’s breath came faster, and his eyes bored into mine, hunger setting his gaze on fire. But he closed his eyes, and I felt the room rush back in. “Slow down tiger.”

I pouted in protest.

“We’re going for a walk,” came Wendy’s voice, followed by the sound of the door shutting. I giggled, the memory of the moment we shared in the ballroom came back to me still fresh and vivid.

This here? This wasn’t me.

Whenever I was with Kai, I wasn’t June. At least, not the June I recognized.

Wild. Ruthless. Passionate. Those weren’t words anyone would ever use to describe me—not even myself. What else? Sexy? Crazy? Open-minded to life, to any possibility? Not me. Not until him.

“Now, does this count as one of our dates?” I teased, my voice light, playful.

Kai let out a laugh, warm and smooth. “You’re funny.”

Funny. Another thing no one had ever called me before. I barely recognized myself around him. And I wasn’t sure if that scared me or thrilled me.

“Shut up and kiss me,” I demanded, pulling his face toward mine. He collapsed next to me on the plush bed, and just like that, we leaned against each other, side by side. Kissing. Pausing only to catch our breath.

One of his hands found its way to my knee, his palm warm against my cool skin. It wasn’t cold in Hong Kong, but the air conditioning must have been on full blast. So cold that my nipples stood at attention beneath the silk of my dress—unless they simply wanted attention from a certain someone in the room.

“Nice dress.” Kai took the opportunity to comment between breaths. “Apple green looks good on you.”

I tilted my head, studying him through half-lidded eyes.

“It’s not exactly apple green,” I corrected. “More like pastel green. Baby-blanket green.”

“Still,” he murmured, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

“You look nice too.” I winced internally at my clumsy reply. Accepting compliments wasn’t my strong suit. Chloe always told me to just say thanks and welcome positivity with open arms. Apparently, returning a compliment diminished the energy people sent out—the energy the universe sent out.