“Kai, you don’t have girlfriends. You told me so yourself.” Her hand runs up my arm, looping aroundmy neck.
Now I’m getting pissed. I push away from the bar and pivot, detaching her arm from me and carefully putting space between us.
“You need to stop,” I growl out, keeping my voice low. The last thing I want to do is cause a scene. Salena would have my balls, and I’d never live it down.
Naomi pouts, her body inching closer despite my efforts to keep her at a distance. What is wrong with this woman?
Before I know what’s happening, Naomi is ripped away from me and I’m staring at the back of Ash’s head, her beautiful silky black hair cascading down her bare back.
“What’s wrong with you?” Ash snaps, saying my thoughts out loud.
Naomi opens her mouth to speak but Ash interrupts her, getting up close to her face. “It was a rhetorical question, bimbo.”
I step forward, wrapping my arm around Ash’s waist and hauling her back against my chest. That’s when I see she has a dagger in her hand and Naomi is as white as a sheet of paper.
“Bad girl,” I murmur in her ear.
“He is mine. Touch him again and I will kill you,” Ash says in a predatory voice that has Naomi visibly shaking.
With a flick of her wrist, the dagger vanishes into thin air. My eyes immediately dart to Naomi to see if she saw anything, but she seems in shock, her mouth hanging open in horror.
“You’re crazy, like there is something seriously wrong with you!” Naomi shrieks, her eyes wide in alarm.
I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for her. Ash can be pretty intimidating, especially when you manage to get on her bad side. And that’s not a place anyone wants to be. She has a way of leaving a lasting impression without the need to shout or resort to violence to make her point. Her presence alone is enough to unsettle most people, and when she’s angry . . . well, let’s just say it’s like walking into a storm you didn’t see coming. You don’t realize the full force of it until it’s too late, and by then, all you can do is brace yourself.
Ash leans forward, still in my grasp, and snaps her teeth at Naomi, making her scream. Just as quickly, Naomi turns, pushing her way through the crowded bar and out the front door.
I bite my lip, trying to stifle a chuckle as she leans back against my chest, finally allowing herself to relax. I can sense her tension start to melt away, and I can’t resist leaning in closer. My lips brush against her ear and a shiver moves through her.
“Jealousy suits you,” I whisper, my voice low and teasing.
In a flash, Ash spins around to face me, moving so quickly it momentarily leaves me stunned. Her dark, intense eyes lock onto mine, narrowed in playful annoyance.
“Shut up,” she snaps, though there’s no real heat behind it.
“What did I do?” I ask, feigning innocence, refusing to back down under her fierce gaze.
We stare each other down for a moment before she lets out an exasperated sigh, the corners of her mouth twitching as if she’s fighting a smile. Her fingers dance up my chest, and I can see so many thoughts flicker in her eyes. I’m tempted to ask her about them, but I don’t, knowing she is unlikely to tell me anyway.
“Let’s dance,” Ash finally says, her voice softening.
Without waiting for my response, she grabs my hand, her fingers cool but firm, and drags me toward the packed dance floor. She moves with ease, slipping through the crowd, hips already swaying to the beat. When we reach the center, Ash turns to face me. There’s a wicked glint in her eyes as she loops her arms around my neck, drawing me close. The warmth of her body pressing against mine fills my senses, and the crowd around us becomes a blur. The only thing that matters is her—her body moving with mine, and her soft smile.
I sweep her hair away from her face, the silky strands slipping through my fingers. My touch lingers on her bare shoulder, the warmth of her skin under my fingertips sending a jolt through me. Unable to stop myself, I lean down, my lips brushing the curve of her shoulder, my breath mingling with the scent of her skin. I run my nose along her neck, taking in the faint trace of perfume and something undeniably dark . . . and completely Ashwiyaa.
Ash’s breath hitches, and then a small moan escapes her lips, soft and needy. The sound ignites something primal inside me, and I can’t help but grin against her skin. The low hum of satisfaction vibrates through my chest as I press my lips to the side of her neck, her pulse quickening beneath my kiss. Her body reacts, melting against me, and for a brief moment, nothing else matters—just this, just her.
“I missed you,” I murmur against her skin.
“I’ve missed you too.”
I pull back slightly, my gaze tracing the delicate line of her jaw before locking onto hers. The dim lights dance across her face, making her eyes sparkle with an unspoken invitation, and for a second, I forget to breathe. My heart skips a beat as I take her in—beautiful, ethereal, like she belongs in this moment with me, and no one else.
“You look stunning,” I say, the words slipping out effortlessly as I take a small step back and let my eyes drop over her body. The black silk halter-neck dress hugs her body tightly, accentuating her every curve, while the golden jewelry shimmers against her radiant brown skin. I bring her close again and run my hands down her bare back, letting my fingers kiss her skin in the lightest of touches.
Ash’s onyx eyes soften, her fingers playing with the hair at the back of my head.
“You don’t look too bad yourself, handsome.”
