He nodded. “It is.” Chandler eased closer, and she leaned against the doorframe for support. He put his hand on the wood frame next to her and looked her over. “My mom is right, you know.”
“About?”
“You are absolutely gorgeous.”
She didn’t think his mom had phrased it that way, but she loved that Chandler had. She wanted to protest that she wasn’t, but she could see in his blue eyes … he thought she was gorgeous.
She blinked up at him, forgetting that she needed a shower and clean clothes, a nap, and the world to not be threatened by an evil dictator and her more evil grandmother. She leaned up toward him, thrills filling her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tight to his muscular body. She easily forgot that he could break her heart just as quick as he could pull her to him.
“You are also smart and very brave,” Chandler said in a husky tone that shot desire through her.
“Thank you, Chandler,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and tugging his handsome face down closer to hers.
“You believe me?” he asked earnestly.
“That I’m smart, brave, and …” she almost choked on the word, “gorgeous?”
He nodded, his blue eyes intense, begging her to believe him.
It hit Kylee harder than that fire poker had taken out Creepy Eyes. This charm and Delta quality that Chandler had … it was why so many women fell for him, were obsessed with him, and fought for a date or picture with him. His family were all great at making a person feel special, but Chandler took it to the next level and somehow hypnotized every woman to feel important and beautiful to him. The power in his blue eyes alone took her breath away. Add to that his handsome face, well-built body, ability to protect her, and superstar lacrosse abilities… He was irresistible, and he was right about one thing. Shewassmart. Too smart to go down this heartbreak trail again.
She released her grip on him and tried to dodge into the bedroom, but she didn’t move. Chandler hadn’t released his grip on her. There was no world where she could get free from him if he didn’t want her to.
“Kylee?” his voice was full of surprise. She could bet no woman had ever refused Chandler Delta when he went for a kiss.
“I’m exhausted,” she managed, far too tired to handle inquiries from him about if she could believe she was ‘gorgeous’ and why she should fall for, kiss, and date him like any woman would yearn to do. Yet Kylee had taken this route before, and the aftermath still hurt. She was smart enough to avoid ripping scabs off of wounds that should have been fully healed long ago.
“Okay.” He nodded but didn’t look convinced. Thankfully, he released her.
She scurried into the room, shut the door, and leaned against it, releasing and pulling in quick breaths. She had no idea how she would keep resisting him. Hopefully Papa’s plan involved Kylee traveling to some foreign shore and fighting King Frederick.
You’re a laughingstock. No way would he send the person with the least amount of skills and fighting experience.
Joyonghi hae!
She plodded to the bathroom. Her life was like a living nightmare, with Mimi’s voice in her head capping off the horrific experience.
Except Chandler was no nightmare. He was perfection in a manly shell. He was also a heartbreaker of epic proportions. How to keep that forefront in her mind?
ChapterNine
Chandler waited by Kylee’s door for a few beats, but obviously she wasn’t going to fling it open and kiss him. He’d been moments away from her lips meeting his. She’d actually been arching up to him. Then he’d complimented her and it had thrown her for a loop. Dang it.
He yanked out his phone and Googled “dang it” in French.Bon sang. He could remember that.Bon sang!Then he Googled beautiful in a few languages:belle, hermosa, bellissima, and lindawere the ones he thought he could remember from French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. He’d probably say them all wrong, but maybe it would somehow touch Kylee. He had no idea how to get through to her how deeply he cared and how beautiful he thought she was from the inside out.
Who had damaged her and how could she not internalize how appealing and impressive she was? She wasn’t just gorgeous physically but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually too. Kylee was the complete package to him, and somehow he couldn’t convince her of that. Was it because of his playboy reputation, had someone hurt her deeply, or was he simply lacking what a brilliant and impressive woman like Kylee would want in a man?
He pushed out a disgruntled breath and went into the bedroom next to Kylee’s. After taking a long shower, he lay down. He thought he’d stew and toss and turn, but it seemed he’d barely closed his eyes when somebody jostled his shoulder.
“Come on, lacrosse superstar who can best a bad guy with a fire poker or was itel campéon?” Aiden’s voice was far too close, and the room was too dark to see him clearly. Night must’ve fallen while he slept.
Chandler took a swing at where the voice had come from and connected with Aiden’s chest instead of his jaw.
“Oh, little bro is ready to rumble.” Aiden jumped onto the bed and started hitting him.
Chandler wasted no time punching back. They rolled around on the bed laughing and trading hits and trying to overpower each other until the bedroom light flicked on and then his mom’s voice came from the doorway. “Oh my goodness, are you boys ever going to outgrow insulting and pummeling each other?”
Aiden got in one more cheap shot, then jumped up and strode to where their mom leaned against the doorframe, shaking her head at them, a patient smile on her lips.