“Girl, this weekend if you want it.” She practically throws herself at me, spilling her drink on my sister. They laugh it off. “I’ll give you the key right now.” She hops up and goes to her desk in the corner of the suite. Opening the drawer, she pulls out a key on a pink flip-flop keychain. She dangles it in front of me. “We can figure out the details later. I told you it was yours whenever you were ready.”
I take the key from her hand and stare down at it. “How real is this? I’m moving into your house, buying a coffeehouse, and the one thing that’s missing is the man I love…”Did that come flying out of my mouth?Yup, it sure did. I’m shaking my head, thinking to myself, I’m in so deep, I don’t think there’s any way out of it.
“Group hug,” Kendall yells, and I’m smothered by all of them, and there’s no complaint from me. “She loves him.”
My sister screams in my ear. “I knew it. I knew.”
I need to put my big girl panties on and see this through. There needs to be more communication with him. I don’t think all my reservations will disappear overnight. Still, I’m ready to put one foot in front of the other to walk alongside him as we journey through this together…two completely whole people, melding together—soulmates.
“There’s too much energy in here…Come on, let’s dance.” She leans back and yanks me up from the couch as everyone else follows.
The guys are standing around talking and drinking beer. Kendall hooks up her phone to their outside speakers. But the only person I see ishim…my feet halt me in place. Once the music starts, he starts to sway, with his beer in one hand and the other over his head.
I watch Kendall approach Dane and start grinding on him. The guys yell to get a room. It makes me smile and nod. This is my family.I’m damn lucky for all of it. I watch in slow motion as Kai’s head turns, his eyes searching, and when they land on me, his entire body twists and stalks over to me. Eyes flash with desire and concern.
He rubs my arms, and he wants to pull me into him, but he’s hesitating. “You have a smile on your face.”
“I do.” There’s no hiding it. I hold up the flip-flop keychain, with the key swinging in the air. “I can move in this weekend.”
I don’t think he knows what to do. He stands there, his hands on my arms. “You look happy.”
My eyes stay on him. No more running, no more hiding. This heart of mine is thudding in my ears with him inches away from me. “I am happy…this is exciting.” I wiggle the key. “But I’m…” I place my hand on his face as he leans into it. “Happy with you, Kai. There’s more to talk about, but I’d love to be held by you tonight.”
He pulls me into his chest and wraps his strong, powerful arms around me. And I never want it any other way. My arms slide around his waist as I tightly hold him back. Being held by him is my new happy place. Then, as if on cue, Adele’s One and Only streams through the speakers. I see Kendall and Dane, my sister, and Logan come together and sway to the song. But we stay rooted in this spot, like we don’t want to let each other go.
It’s a different warmth that spreads through my body as he sings pieces of the song in my ear. My eyes prickle, and there’s no stopping these tears tonight. They are flowing freely down my cheeks. Swaying to the music and his singing, it’s all hitting me straight through my heart.
“I’m happy with you, too, like nothing I’ve ever felt in my entire life. I want to cherish you. I want to love you, sweetheart. Let me love you how you deserve to be loved.” He strokes my hair as he talks to me. My eyes close as his fingertips brush over my scalp, and tears stream down my face.
FORTY-TWO
Kai
The hair in my nose tickles. When I see her crying, my body becomes her armor, shielding her. My eyes well up, feeling everything that’s bouncing between us. She’s slowly become my everything. I want her to know I’m deeply in love with her. I don’t know how I’d live my life without her. She’s my person. The one who makes everything feel easier, better. I’m a better person around her, and I want to dance right here for the rest of the night if it means she stays in my arms. It’s all I want. It’s all perfect. She’s perfect for me.
I feel her wipe her face on my shirt, and it’s damp. I stop moving and tilt her head toward mine with my hand. She’s quietly crying on me. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” My massive hand covers practically her entire head as I pull it to my chest, and my other hand is rubbing her back. I want to beg her to tell me why she’s crying, but silence wins her over.
“Nothing is wrong and everything is right. Handsome, just hold me tighter, please. You always know what I need without even needing me to tell you.” She tightens her grip on me. “Dance with me all night just like this.”
I love it when she calls me that. It swirls the heat in my body. “Whatever you want, sweetheart.” I move again with her in my arms, exactly where she belongs—with me.
Few words are exchanged as we dance the night away. Until Kendall grabs her phone and changes the playlist and yells to the us girls. “Come on.”
Ava’s head pops up. “I think I need to dance with the girls for a couple of songs.” She pulls away from me and grabs both of my hands. “And then can we go back to your house?”
“Yes, absolutely. I’ll hang out with the guys while you dance your heart out.” I push a stray hair from her face, gliding my fingertips over her cheek. “There will be plenty of time to hold you and talk.” I’m not letting her leave me without at least a kiss. “But first…” I lean down and capture her lips with mine, a delicate touch that leads to our lips moving with each other and tongues meeting. My hands slide into her hair, pulling her closer to me, devouring her right in the middle of Dane’s lawn.
Then I hear the guys whistling and saying,‘Get a room.’I smile against her lips and whisper, “Go dance.”
“You know they’re going to bust your balls the rest of the night, right?” She smirks, peering up at me through her beautiful lashes.
“What are friends for?” I shrug and kiss her one more time before sliding my hand down to hers.
I stand there, mesmerized by her beauty, her dance moves…she can dance for me anytime.
Breaking me out of my daydream, Logan gestures with his hands between me and Ava.
“What was that all about?” he asks, slapping me on the back.
