“What. Do. You. Want Kai?” I ask him pronouncing each word slowly.
He cups my chin with his thumb. “Something that will hurt us both. I don’t want to hurt you Kat, but there are things about me, you don’t know. Things I wish I could tell you but I can’t because they aren’t only my secrets to tell.” His finger trails along the side of my jaw from my ear to my mouth. “But I have to know,” he says with a pause.
“Kai...” I start to say I don’t even know what. My thought is lost when his lips softly touch mine. My lips instinctively move against his and this time when he slips his tongue between my warm lips, I do not pull back and he does not lick my face. Our tongues sing together in perfect harmony. M
y heart and his heart beating together is the most beautiful song I have ever heard played.
I don’t want Kai Cooper to stop kissing me. Ever. But I am running out of air and I need to breathe. Reluctantly we pull back from one another. I am still trying to catch my breath when Kai says more to himself than to me, “worth the hurt.”
“If this is what being hurt by you feels like, then…I love pain,” I whisper the first semi-coherent thought I have.
His lips are on mine again, as we taste and explore each other. I am not sure how we moved from the closet to his bed, but Kai is lying beside of me kissing me senseless. My fingers are raking through his shaggy hair, and his hand is fisting the hem of my shirt. My body is on fire. My nerves are flickering from high to low like a birthday candle about to be blown out. Kai is the only thing that can make me burn so bright other than music.
I am not sure how long we lie here just kissing, nothing else. My lips are swollen and I am barely breathing as he consumes me. My chest aches with that tight squeeze again every time his lips leave mine. His breathy kisses are my oxygen right now, as we both pant and moan enjoying the sensations.
Kai moves his hand under my shirt and I freeze unsure of whether I want to let things go any further. He said that he has secrets, but I already knew that. I wish he could trust me enough to let me in, but I have secrets of my own.
He senses my hesitation and rolls away from me. “So, I should probably get you home. My parents should be home by now.”
I glance at his alarm clock and it is well after midnight. “Wow, I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“You could stay here if you want. My mom and dad wouldn’t even know you are still here. My mom is off tomorrow so her and Khloe sleep in. I can take you home early so you can get ready for school.”
I think about his offer, it is tempting but dangerous. Staying here with him could lead to things I am not sure I want yet, but I am not sure I could tell my body no. “My mom is probably wondering where I am, as much as I want to say yes…Kai, I have to say no.”
Before he can argue, his mom is knocking on his bedroom door. “Kai, are you awake? Is Katie with you? Her mom is on the phone looking for her.”
“Pretend to be asleep,” he whispers in my ear as he rolls over me and out of the bed.
I roll to my side and hope my fake sleep breathing looks real.
Kai opens the door quietly. “Yeah she must have fallen asleep while studying after Khloe went to bed. I meant to wake her but I fell asleep.”
“Well Kai, you know how I feel about girls sleeping over but it’s late and a school night, I don’t want you on the road this late. I’ll tell her mom you will bring her home before school. And you are to go straight to the guest room and get to bed.”
“Sure thing.” I hear him tell her as he shuts the door. I can hear them saying something about my home life but I can’t make out what they are saying. I hear I will take care of it come from his mom’s mouth, but I don’t know what she is taking care of.
Ten minutes later the door opens and shuts again. Kai wraps his arm around me and whispers in my ear sending sparks through my body, “go to sleep Kat.” As if I can sleep with him wrapped around me, with his scent surrounding me, but I do…I sleep so good.
Chapter 13
I am on cloud nine the next morning when Kai drops me off at my house. Good thing I have a key so I don’t have to knock and wake up my mother. Unlocking the door I close it back softly but my mom is already sitting on the couch waiting for me.
She starts in on me before I can even get a word out. “About time you came home. You aren’t staying home from school today just because you laid out all night with that boy. I’m not stupid Katie. I know you are messing with that boy. Don’t be dumb Katie. He comes from money and he will use you and throw you out once he gets his way!”
“You don’t know anything about Kai and I know not to go spreading my legs for just anyone unlike some people.”
“Katie I am not the bad guy here. I know you like him; I just know how this ends. He will leave you and it will be a waste of your time to think otherwise. I have something I need to talk to you about besides that boy though. I have news. David is moving in with us.”
My face pales as she smiles at me. She doesn’t even know the dude and now he is living with us!
“Does he know what you do?”
“We’ve talked about it. He knows I am getting old. Beauty fades Katie and well you are young and pretty. You’ll be eighteen soon and you can take my place.”
Please tell me I am dreaming…I pinch my arm until it bleeds. Okay that hurt. This is really happening. I have got to get out of here, but where in the hell will I go? Maybe I can stay next door with Mrs. Jennings until my birthday, because there is no way I can spend another night here with her after her saying that. I could offer to help take care of her when she comes home from the hospital, so my mom doesn’t think it’s odd, but then I just won’t come home, ever.
Is this what my mom has always planned for me?