“How dangerous is he?”
“A step below me.”
“So basically an adorable, whiny kitten.”
“This isn’t a joke, Kai.”
“Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood.”
A knock rattles. “Excuse me, sir. I have the pictures on my camera here. You wanted one selected to send to the newspaper for the announcement. Would you like to choose?”
“Leave the camera on my desk,” Enzo says.
Westcott places the camera on his desk and then leaves.
We both stare at it, silently stewing until I can’t take it anymore.
I retrieve the camera, and kick my legs up on the couch, while I click through the pictures.
There are hundreds of pictures. Of us holding hands as we walk through the sand. Then staring at each other. Some of us smiling and laughing. Others more solemn.
I smile looking at us. We look like a bride and groom on our wedding day.
And then I get to the picture of us kissing. How locked in the moment we are. How right we look together—like we belong in each other’s arms.
It was so easy to kiss him. To let him hold me, like we regularly make out while holding each other.
“Why the hell do I let you touch me like this when I can’t even shake anyone else’s hands?” I say.
“Because we have a physical connection neither of us can shake,” Enzo says standing over me as he stares down at the picture of us making out. “And it’s going to cause the death of both of us if we aren’t careful.”
He lifts my legs and then sits on the couch before placing my feet in his lap.
This feels so normal, how any regular couple might sit on this couch. Except one of us didn’t try to kill the other. One of us didn’t sell the other. One of us is cruel. And the other is about to get her revenge by ruining him and then winning this fucking game.
I reach out and touch his hand, trying to unnerve him, but instead, I do it to myself. I feel everything he’s feeling when I touch him: the worry, fear, and concern for his friends.
Shit, what did I do?
I’m not a monster. I shouldn’t stoop to his level. And I sure as hell shouldn’t bring other people’s lives into this.
“I’m sorry—truly.”
I continue tracing circles on his palms, each circle I trace I feel more of his emotions. More pain. More hurt. More anger.
But also lust, desire, want.
He grabs my wrist and lifts my fingers from his palm. “Stop.”
“Why?”
“Because if you don’t, I won’t be able to.”
And what if I don’t want you to stop? Enzo is the only one who has been able to drive out my demons so far. If we fuck, maybe they will be gone for good.
Enzo sighs. “Try to sleep, Kai. It’s going to be a long night.” He leans his head back and closes his eyes.
I swear I hear him snoring a few minutes later. Apparently, sleeping is how he shuts the world out when he wants to.