When he doesn’t continue the story, I don’t push him to tell me more, not when he’s already given me so much of his history. Sensing he needs a shift in the conversation, I gesture towards the pack he brought. “Are we eating or getting wet first?”
His eyes snap towards me, the pain bright in them receding as his mouth curves into a smirk at the double meaning of my words. He leans in closer until I can feel the warmth radiating from his body. “Dinner first. Dessert later.”
Desire coils deeply within me, my core aching in a way I know Kai can detect. His eyes flare as they move down my body, but he forces himself—if a bit stiffly—to squat down to his pack.A red blanket is the first thing he takes out, carefully spreading it onto the surprisingly smooth cave floor. I pinch my lips together as he meticulously places glass containers of food in the center, a bottle of wine and two metal chalices and plates accompanying them.It’s absolutely a fucking picnic.
When he stands, he looks expectantly at me, gesturing for me to take a seat. At the delighted look I know is on my face, his brows draw together. “What?”
“Nothing. This looks great.”
Kai opens the containers, the rich scents of grilled meats, steamed vegetables, and soft rice wafting up from them as we serve ourselves. “The chefs did an incredible job,” I say between bites, following the decadent tastes with a swig of sweet wine.
Kai clears his throat, and Isweara blush colors his cheeks. “I made this.”
My fork freezes halfway to my agape mouth, surprise completely rendering me speechless for a moment. “You cancook?”
He shrugs, resting his elbows on his widespread knees. “It’s a bit of a hobby.” My laugh echoes out in the small space, my surprise at knowing that this beast of a man enjoys cooking makes his blush grow even more. “Bahira.”
Though I’ve come to realize that I like his jagged edges—the anger, the attitude, the domineering way in which he simplyexists—it also feels good to see a part of him that no one else ever has. “No, no. I’m not laughing at you.” It’s clear he doesn’t believe me, his gaze moving out to the spring as his fingers curl in tightly until his knuckles turn white. Reaching over our meal, I grab his chin and force his eyes back to mine. I choose each of my words carefully, unwilling to have him think I’m anything other than awed. “I am rarely ever surprised, and yet you are nothing like I thought you’d be. Well, that’s not entirely true. You are definitely a brute. You’re short-tempered, moreanimal than male sometimes. I’ve certainly wanted to kill you on occasion.” He growls, attempting to jerk from my hold, but I tighten my fingers. “But you have consistently surprised me, Kai Vaea. I must admit, I have never been happier to be wrong.”
Small flecks of gold brighten in his irises as he inhales deeply. I release his chin, holding his stare for a moment longer before sitting back and unlacing my boots. Standing, I pull my tunic overhead and then remove my pants until I’m only in my undergarments. I feel the shift in the air as Kai’s gaze devours me. He, too, stands and, with torturous slowness, removesallof his clothing. The last rays of sun highlight his body, showcasing his perfect skin and sculpted muscles. When he eyes me in challenge, that gruff look sending another core-pulsing thrill through me, I remove my undergarments until I’m fully naked as well.
A deep noise thrums from Kai’s chest—akin to the rumblings of an animal either extremely pleased or whole-heartedly not, though I suspect it’s the former. He reaches his hand out for mine, our calloused palms scraping together when I take it, and leads me into the springs.
Chapter Sixty-Three: Bahira
The water temperature isperfect as is the night sky above, silver stars sparkling against an array of black and blue.
“Do you know much about constellations?” Kai asks, the timbre of his voice soothing as I sink a little deeper under the warm water.
“Nothing beyond where they are and their shape. Of all the areas one could study, the layout of the stars is the least interesting to me.”
He chuckles at that, tipping his head back as he leans his elbows against the white stone edge of the hot spring. “Iolana is obsessed with the stars and their alignments. She muses that there are messages hidden within them and we just need to know where to look.”
“That’s insane.”
Amusement graces his face, but it quickly falls with his next words. “I think she’s always looking for signs because of what she’s lost. Not just her sister—my mother—but a child as well.”
“Gods,” I whisper.
The quiet stretches into the night as I study him.
“So, when not gazing at the night sky and presumably causing trouble for the lovely people of Honna, what did young Kai do for fun?” I ask, hoping to shift the mood.
“It might surprise you to learn that I was a bit of a recluse.” His answer makes me snort, drawing his eyes to mine as he laughs. “Growing up at the edge of the island, I spent a lot of time on the beach looking out at the ocean. I loved watching the pods of whales and delphinidae that would swim by.”
“You weren’t afraid a siren would find you and sing you into a trance?”
He shrugs as he leans away from the edge of the spring. “I was stupid then. I didn’t give a shit, and I thought I was invincible either way. And of the two of us,I’mnot the one who appeared to fall under the sway of a siren’s song.”
I send a splash of water his way. I hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be under the siren’s thrall—if that’s truly what happened.
As if it’s an afterthought, he quietly adds, “Then my power began to grow andchange.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t shift for the first time until I was nearly twelve, and when I did, I found that I wasn’t limited to one animal.”
I suck in a breath, leaning away from the edge of the rock with wide eyes. “You can shift intomultipleanimals?” He nods his head as he carefully watches my reaction. “How?”
