Chapter 34: I want details..
Kai
Kai walked James to the door, the soft padding of her bare feet barely making a sound on the tile. Her kimono robe—one of the silk ones she only wore when she wanted to feel mostly dressed—hung loosely over the same leggings she’d worked in all day. She tugged at the tie absently, not meeting his eyes, still flushed from Sara’s earlier walk-in.
He was watching her—something dark and simmering behind those eyes that hadn’t dulled in the slightest since their moment was interrupted. And just when she turned the handle to open the door—
One hand slid to the small of her back, the other cradled her jaw, and before she could so much as inhale, he lifted her. One effortless sweep—her feet left the floor—and Kai found herself slammed gently but firmly against the wall just beside the doorframe, a sharp gasp catching in her throat.
Then he kissed her.
Not a goodbye kiss. Not a polite peck. No—James kissed her like he was branding her, like the hours he spent holding himself back had lit a fuse that now burned with no restraint. His mouth devoured hers, tongue demanding, lips bruising, one thigh wedged between hers like he was staking his claim. The kiss stole every coherent thought from her brain. She moaned into it, arms clutching his shoulders for balance as the world narrowed to him.
Her kimono slipped off one shoulder, exposing her collarbone and the top curve of one breast. James’s hand caught it, fingers lingering just long enough to make her shiver before he reluctantly pulled back.
His forehead rested against hers. “Next time,” he said lowly, voice ragged, “you let me finish.”
She was still gasping when he kissed her once more—soft, this time, like he hadn’t just turned her into a puddle against her own damn wall—then opened the door and stepped out into the night like he hadn’t just reprogrammed her entire nervous system.
Kai stood there dazed, one shoulder bare, her robe completely undone now, her leggings twisted slightly around her hips from how tightly she’d wrapped herself around him.
From down the hall, a voice chirped:
“Girl… was that the front door wall?”
Kai whipped around. Sara was peeking from the hallway with the smuggest grin on her face, holding a mug of tea like it was her popcorn.
Kai yanked her robe back over her shoulder, trying to hurry back to her room. “Shut up.”
Sara just sipped. “No judgment. But you are glowing. And I want details.”
Kai groaned and disappeared into her room, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary.
Kai padded into the kitchen ten minutes later, fully wrapped in her robe now and hair up in a very obvious I’ve-been-thoroughly-kissed mess. She headed straight for the kettle, hoping a cup of chamomile would help steady her legs.
Sara was already at the counter, leaning on one elbow like she’d been waiting for her. And judging by the look on her face—smug, amused, way too knowing—she absolutely had.
“Well, that was quite the goodnight kiss,” Sara said casually, sipping from her mug. “If I’d known front door walls were an option, I would’ve installed padding.”
Kai gave her the most unimpressed glare she could muster. “Do you mind?”
“Not even a little.” Sara grinned wider. “You looked like you were about to slide down the wall. What was that, a level nine kiss? Nine-point-five?”
“Stop ranking it.”
“Fine.” Sara leaned forward. “Then give me details. Who took off what first? Did you finally let him—”
“No.” Kai turned sharply, grabbing a mug from the cupboard with a little more force than necessary. “We didn’t have sex, okay? At least not today.”
Sara blinked, then tilted her head. “Was that… disappointment?”
“No!” Kai huffed. “I mean—maybe? No. Yes. I don’t know. Shut up.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” Sara’s voice softened, but her grin stayed firmly in place. “You’re blushing. That’s new.”
Kai stared into her tea like it held the answers to the universe. “I’m just not used to… talking about it.”
Sara nodded, understanding but still smug. “Fair. But remember, for the record, talking about sex and intimacy is literally my job. I’ve seen things that would make your toes curl and question your taste in furniture.”
Kai snorted into her mug. “That’s not comforting.”
“I’m just saying, if you ever want to talk about the emotional safety of being manhandled against doorframes by alpha-level Doms who clearly want to devour your soul—”
“I don’t.”
“—I’m here. With tea. And probably a chart.”
Kai groaned and slumped onto a stool, hiding her face in her hands. “Why are you like this?”
“Because it’s fun. And because you’re clearly falling for him.”
Kai didn’t respond right away. She stared at the steam rising from her cup, the warm weight of it in her hands grounding her.
Sara nudged her knee with hers. “You okay?”
A beat. Then a quiet, “Yeah.”
“Good.” Sara stood, rinsing her cup. “Because if I walk in on him again, I expect a full show or at least a glass of wine first.”
Kai threw a spoon at her as Sara fled the room, cackling like an old woman.
As she was settling into her bed for the night, her phone buzzed on the nightstand just as she pulled the blanket up and sighed into her pillow.
James:
I mean it, little one. If you don’t take it easy tomorrow, I’ll know.
And you won’t sit comfortably for days.
Sleep well. Dream of my hands.
Kai groaned and threw her pillow over her face—but not before grinning like a lunatic.
Her whole body warmed instantly, and not from the blanket.
She texted back without thinking:
Kai:
You’re insufferable.
Another buzz.
James:
And yet you ache for me anyway.
She didn’t respond. But the silence didn’t fool either of them.
Not even a little.