"No, just a littlekara,"he mumbles to himself, shutting my door for me before he jogs back around the car. I see him mouth something more to himself, but I don't catch it, because he's too far away, and too quiet. Perhaps he doesn't speak it at all. And I'm no lip reader.
When he's in the car, he starts it right up, but he doesn't move yet, his hand just resting on the dash, the other on the gearstick.
We don't speak for a minute, but he breaks the silence as he clears his throat and shoots me a sideways glance, almost like he's afraid to look directly at me.
"There's a bag in the backseat. It's for you."
Oh, no."Kai, Itoldyou?—"
"Part of the outfit," he says with a shrug. "Just humor me, please."
I reach into the backseat and grab the bag, just to get this over with. "Fine. But I'm not happy about this." A lie; I'm ecstatic. I pull out a little black box and frown as I open it, revealing a bracelet and a pair of earrings that are certainly worth more than mycar."Oh, Kai, no, I can't accept these?—"
"You can. You will. I won't have you being outshined by other women while you're on my arm."
The way he says itsoundslike he's worried about how I'll makehimlook, but itfeelslike something different. In the interest of keeping it light, I chuckle and pretend to agree. "Right, right, Kai Kobayashi is never seen with anything less than the best. Gotta make me up and dress me like a doll to make sure I stand a chance at your side of bringing honor to you and your name."
"There's a little clutch in there, too. Go ahead and put your important shit from your purse in there." He's watching while I do it, so he doesn't miss the little bottle of pepper spray I slip in there along with my ID and some cash, and a few cards. Next in goes my phone, after I turn it to vibrate.
Here's a tip, boys and girls. Never silence your phone entirely, unless you're in a dangerous situation. You may need that vibration to find it some day.
"Interesting collection of important things," Kai mutters, and I nod, giving it no more attention. I'm not justifying my protection to him, or any man. I shouldn't have to carry it, no, but in the world we live in, it pays to be careful.
"Only the essentials," I say with a pat of the new bag. "Could you help me with the jewelery?"
The devil wears a grin that can charm the hearts of the most innocent girls, promising them things beyond their wildest dreams and bringing nothing but danger and distraction. "I thought you'd never ask."
chapter twenty-two
Kai
If there'sa woman in this whole event that's more stunning than the one on my arm right now, I'll eat my expensive alligator shoes.
Denali isn't a short girl, and with the sharp pumps they squeezed her into in that boutique, she's nearly as tall as me. Some men might find that unattractive. I don't mind at all. In fact, the fact that I can look her in the eyes is kinda hot. There have been other short men who've bagged a tall goddess and lived to reap the rewards. I've seen that one English bloke whose girlfriend is a stunningly slender, tall enigma of a woman, and she's towered over him since their co-star days in action movies. And yet, he's the envy of all his peers for his luck.
I hope to be the envy of mine, at this rate. And I plan to have Denali on my arm for far more events in the future, too.
She's currently mingling with a former co-star of mine's wife, the two of them giggling over girl stuff. I don't want to pay attention to her husband, because deep down, he's a pompous ass who can't see past his nose to save his life, but his wife is lovely. I think they're an arranged marriage from before he went off to pursue his dreams as an actor, because she's not as glamorous as some of the women who have been doing it theirwhole lives, but she's elegant in a way they will never be, because she's seen some shit.
And like her, Denali is the elegant creature who's seen some shit that makes me look like one of the luckiest men in the room. Or at least, Ifeellike the luckiest man here.
I still have to find time to tell her how I feel. I'm not shy about it, and I've been hinting all day at the emotions hiding just below the surface of my skin, but she's either not picking up on them, or she's refusing to. Either way, her warmth at my side is a welcome distraction from the plans whirring around in my skull.
The gala isn't serving dinner, but they've got an assortment of mess-free snack options on a table in the next room, and waiters and waitresses circling with their little circular drink trays. Denali has a flute of champagne in her hand currently, and she's sipping on it slowly, but I know I'll need to put something in her stomach to keep her somewhat sober for the rest of the party.
"Hey, why don't we go grab something to munch on while we make the rounds?" I put my hand on her waist, a blatant move that we agreed before we came in was not a good look, but what do I care? I want her next to me, want to feel her against me. I don't give a flying fuck what anyone thinks here. They're all sleeping with their secretaries or having affairs with younger women barely old enough to consent, their wives giving blow jobs to the gardener or pool boy whenever her husband is off doing his own thing. She's probably spoiling her little boy toy with her husband's money while he's buying gifts for his underage mistress on their shared credit cards.
I hate the rich and famous sometimes, even if I am one.
"Ah, sure," she says, tugging gently out of my grip. "Let me hold on to your arm, though. These heels are starting to hurt."
"You know," I point out carefully, teasingly, "I could always carry you everywhere. It'd look great for the cameras."
"Oh, I'm just sosurethat'd go over like a lead balloon," she deadpans, rolling those gorgeous eyes at me. "How many more bad ideas are you storing up in that head of yours?"
"You ready for some photo ops?" My hand extends in the direction of the main gathering area, in the opposite direction from where Theo went a moment ago. "They're standard at these kinds of events."
Her head tilts just a fraction. "Does that mean I'll be in the paper tomorrow and defending my ass to our boss on Monday?"
