“I don’t have to coerce a damn thing out of anyone.”
“Oh, of course you don’t. You just flash those baby blues, and I’m supposed to fall to my knees and worship your cock.”
Kai raised an eyebrow, mischief written all over his face. The towel that had once been wrapped around his waist lay on the floor between us. The urge to glance down was almost overwhelming, so I did the next best thing, thoroughly enjoying the way his eyes widened in surprise when my hand wound around his thick and rock-hard dick.
It flexed in my palm, and I gave him a squeeze.
“You think I’m intimidated by cock?”
His hand closed over mine, the other tugging me closer and settling like a branding iron over the small of my back. “Not yet.” Kai’s soft lips brushed the crest of my ear. “But soon you’ll be on your knees begging for it.”
“I like your confidence, Cain. You’re going to need it.”
“Sure.”
If I throat-punched him, would he heal in time before my parents’ arrival?
Giving him another forceful shove, I turned toward the door. “You have twenty minutes.”
“Amalia,” he called, his voice surprisingly tender. I stopped walking. “You’re forgetting something important.”
“What would that be?” I asked, returning to where he was standing.
Kai pulled a small black object from the top drawer of his nightstand. And again, he took the liberty of grabbing my wrist, turning my hand over, and placing a small object in my palm.
My heart was traitorous. It wasn’t supposed to be impressed with small gestures. I wanted to kick myself for overlooking this one minor but very important detail.
The ring.
It was gorgeous. A black band with a black solitaire diamond.
Kai attempted to reach for the band again, maybe to slip it on my finger, but I jerked my hand away, refusing to give him power over me.
“Eighteen minutes,” I said, my tone harsh as I walked out the door.
4
Amaliagreeted her parents warmly. I fell back, giving them space as I observed their dynamic. Having lived similar experiences in adulthood, I’d imagined her parents were people like Ronan and Maeve: cold and uninvolved. But my assumption couldn’t have been more wrong.
The love Isabel and Antonio Montesinos held for their daughter was glaringly obvious. They embraced as if it had been months rather than the two weeks she’d mentioned since their last visit. The sight starkly contrasted with the family I’d been born into and the one thrust upon me against my will. It begged the question of how, instead of shielding their daughter from a life of blood and warfare, they’d bred her into a killer.
Isabel was the first to break from the group, her dark brown eyes regarding me almost curiously as an easy smile spread over her lips. While Amalia shared many features with her mother, both beautiful and regal, the older Montesinos wore a softer expression. Even the lines on her face seemed relaxed, but she had a good two decades on her daughter, tempering emotions and perfecting a poker face.
“You must be Kai Cain. The man who stole my daughter’s heart.” Her accented voice was warm and sincere as she framed cool hands on each side of my face and pulled me in for a kiss on the cheek.
“Ma’am,” I said, tipping my head. “It’s my pleasure.”
“Youarehandsome,” she gushed, as her eyes flitted to her daughter and then back to me. “I need some beautiful grandbabies, you know?”
“Oh, fuck.”
Her head whipped to Amalia. “Mija, is that any way to speak around your fiancé?”
Surprisingly, Amalia leaned into my side and threaded her fingers into mine, squeezing my hand. As I attempted to steer my thoughts from what had occurred earlier that morning, my cock twitched at the memory of how tightly she’d held it.
“You haven’t been here for more than five minutes, and you’re already planning a baby shower.”
Isabel chuckled and bumped my arm, sending a wink my way. “I wouldn’t waste time practicing, if you know what I mean. Look at this bicep.”
