“Really?” I question, then wonder if I should have said something different.
“When you picked us up at the airport yesterday, your mother and I paused the moment we saw you at the baggage claim. We were, quite frankly, in awe. Kai is…well, kind of intimidating.”
“No, he’s not.” I shake my head. Kai is beautiful to me.
“He is, but he was looking at you with a softness in his eyes that I have only ever seen once before, and that was from you father when he looked at you or your mother,” my dad whispers.
My head swings his way. I’m in shock because we have never, not even once, spoken about my father before.
“You were his star.” He shakes his head before he looks out at the water and then back at me with a deep sadness in his eyes. “When he asked me to take you in, I knew how hard it was for him to do. Your mother and he loved you. You were the reason they were put on this Earth.”
“I hate that I don’t remember them,” I say through tears.
“You do…” He pauses, takes my hand, and then places it over my heart. “In there, you remember them. They have always been with you, will always be with you.”
“I know they loved me,” I tell him after a moment, when I finally find my voice again.
“I know they did too,” he says as his face softens.
“No, I know, because they gave you and Mom to me.”
“Oh, Myla.” He shakes his head and tugs me into a hug. “We miss our girl.” I can hear tears in his voice, and it kills me that I have done this to him.
“I miss you guys too,” I sob, wrapping my arms tighter around him.
“Let’s make this the last time we wait so long between visits.”
“Okay,” I agree, holding on to him tighter.
We stay like this for a long moment. I have missed both of my parents, but my dad and I have always been close, so not having him in my life over the last few years has really hurt.
“Love you, Dad.”
“Love you too.” He pulls away then looks at my tear-stained face. “You need to stop crying before we get back to the house and your husband sees you.”
“I’m done,” I smile at him through watery eyes.
He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we walk the rest of the way back to the house in silence. I feel like, over the last few weeks, I have been bombarded with things from my past—some good, and some bad. But I’m also grateful for the closure I’m getting from it.
Chapter 6
Tethered to Him
“I told you the moment we got them together it was going to be bad,” I growl at Kai, who has the nerve to smile at me.
After my dad and I got back from our walk on the beach, Kai’s mom showed up and instantly began talking to my mom about weddings and how she believes we should have another ceremony where everyone can come to witness us exchange vows. Then my mother started telling her that they would only be able to stay until the weekend but she would love to have some kind of celebration before she went home. So now, my mother and Kai’s have just told us what is going on and how we will be having a party with over one hundred and fifty people.
He shrugs. “It’s just a party.”
“Did you hear them?” I practically shout. “They said a hundred and fifty people. A hundred and fifty people is more than a party. That’s like…a concert or something.”
His eyebrow rises, and he shakes his head. “What kind of concerts have you gone to?”
“That doesn’t matter.” I roll my eyes, completely exasperated.
“I know you don’t want to do this, but look at how happy our mothers are right now. And it will be good for everyone to meet my wife. I should have done something as soon as we got home, but with everything that happened, I didn’t want to put to much pressure on you.”
“I don’t need to meet everyone, Kai,” I tell him, feeling nervous from even thinking about it. “We don’t even know what we’re doing. Things between us are still up in the air.”
“Stop,” he growls, turning to face me. “Every time you talk about us, you make it seem like we have an expiration date. We agreed to try to make this work, but in order for that to happen, both of us have to be involved. You can’t have one foot out the door already, Myla.”
I swallow, close my eyes, and drop my forehead to his chest, realizing that he’s right. I agreed to see where things go with him, while at the same time, I have been counting on us coming to an end.
“You’re right.” I open my eyes and look up at him. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”
His hands come up, and he gently holds my face between his palms. “Let’s worry about one thing at a time.” He kisses me softly then leans back just enough so he can look me in the eye. “Let’s give our mothers this party. I know it will mean a lot to both of them.”
I nod and lean into his touch.
“I’ll be with you all night.” He kisses me again, but this time, before he can pull away, I nip his bottom lip.
He growls deep in his throat and his hand tangles in my hair, forcing my head to the side. My mouth opens under his, and the moment his tongue touches mine, I whimper. I have never been with someone like him, and as much as it scares me, I still want him more than I have wanted anything in a very long time. He slows the kiss and pulls away, resting his forehead against mine.
“You’re right.”
“I’m right?” he asks, surprised.
“Well, it would mean a lot to my mom to be involved, even if it is just a party.”
“And us?” he questions.
I debate for a moment how to answer him before pressing my chest against his. “I know you don’t think I’m giving us a chance, but I am. I have never been with someone like you before. You scare me.”
“Myl—”
“Oh, honey, I’m so excited!” my mom says, interrupting Kai. “Do you think we should have a photographer?”
“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I mumble, gaining a squeeze to my waist from Kai.
“I’m sure your brothers would love to see some pictures of you.”
My body freezes and I feel the blood drain out of my face as Kai’s arms band around me.
“You don’t look so well. Are you okay, honey?” my mom asks.
I nod, not able to speak.
“She’s had a long day. I’m going to get her to bed. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day,” Kai says.
“Of course,” Mom mutters, looking me over.
I give her a shaky smile and a quick hug before Kai leads me back towards our room. Once we’re inside and I hear the door close behind us, I walk to the bed, sit down, and then kick my shoes off before pulling my feet up onto the bed and tucking myself into a ball.
“Do you know that Rory was once my best friend?” I ask Kai as I watch him slip his shirt off over his head then pull his pants off, leaving him only in his boxers, which shows off the tattoo on his right hip that disappears into his underwear, the bottom of the ink ending just above his knee. I wish I could see the full extent of the artwork and get up close to the very detailed work.
“Thad’s brother?” he questions, pulling me out of my thoughts as he walks towards me, holding a shirt in his hand.
I nod as I watch the muscles in his stomach flex.
“Do you still keep in touch with him?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No. When I moved away from Nevada, I just left everything behind,” I say, sitting up on the side of the bed.
When he mutters a quiet, “Up,” his hands go to my stomach. Then he pulls my shirt off over my head and then quickly tugs the new one down. I reach behind my back and unhook my bra, pulling it off then out one of the sleeves of the shirt.
“Why did you run after graduation?” he questions.
I look up at him, and he searches my face. Part of me wonders how he could know about that, but I’m starting to understand that Kai knows a lot more than I could even begin to realize. And I wonder if his question now is mo
re of a test than him just asking out of curiosity.
“I got accepted into culinary school,” I say softly, watching disappointment flash in his eyes.
I quickly slip my shorts off, watching as he walks around the bed and gets in behind me. I don’t know why, but I expect him to ignore me, to just turn his back to me and go to sleep, but instead, he comes to me, pulling me down with my back to his front. Then he slides one arm under my neck and wraps the other around my stomach.
“So, you guys were friends?” he asks softly after a moment.
I feel his breath on my neck, so I close my eyes for a moment, memorizing the feeling.
“We had all the same friends, and when we were home, it was like living with my best friend. I think it was harder leaving him behind more than anything else.”
“Huh,” he grunts, and a small thrill fills me that perhaps he’s jealous, but I squash it immediately, knowing he would never be jealous.
“I got an engagement announcement from him about a year ago, and I sent a congratulations card back in return, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to even pick up the phone to call him.”
“Something must have happened to make you cut off all ties with the people you considered family.”
“I think I was just trying to find my own way in the world,” I lie, gaining a squeeze from him.
“I wish you would talk to me,” he says quietly.
I turn to face him and bury my face in his chest, wishing I had the courage to share what happened to me with him.
“I’m so tired,” I tell him instead, breathing him in.
“Sleep, makamae,” he says, wrapping his arms tighter around me.
Even though I try to talk myself out of it, and even though I know it’s a huge mistake, I fall asleep feeling safe and wanted.
Kai’s face is between my legs, his large arms holding me in place, his hands holding mine against my thighs, making it impossible to touch him. I cry out in frustration as I feel my clit pulse in his mouth.
I wake up breathing heavily, and I remember the dream I was having. I was begging him to make love to me, but he just kept me on the edge. I go to get up and realize Kai’s hand his cupping me over my panties, and I can feel the hard length of him against my back.
“Oh, God,” I moan quietly, squeezing my eyes closed. I know that all I need is the smallest brush against my clit and I will explode. I go to move again and his fingers press in. “Kai,” I whisper, unintentionally rolling my hips forward into his hand.
“TU Kai,” he rumbles, pressing into my back.
My hand goes to his thigh and my nails dig into his skin as his fingers slide my panties to the side and his middle finger circles my clit.
“Drenched,” he growls against my neck as his finger does another circle.
My hand on his thigh goes behind my back and down into his boxers, my fingers attempting to circle his width without coming close. From the feel of him in my hand, I can imagine how large and beautiful he is. I slide down then up, and he growls, his teeth nipping my neck.
He feels like steel covered in smooth silk. My thumb runs over the tip, catching the bead of pre-cum before doing another downward stroke.
“Makamae,” he says, and without warning, two fingers swiftly enter me.
“Kai!” I cry out and turn my head over my shoulder in time for his mouth to capture mine in a kiss that takes my breath away.
His fingers move in sync with the hand I’m pumping him with. I pull my mouth from his and cry out again as his thumb rolls over my clit, causing the orgasm that had been building since I woke up to explode through my body.
I squeeze my eyes closed as my pussy convulses around his fingers, and his teeth take hold of the skin of my neck as my hand fills with cum from his release. After a moment, I begin to come back to myself, and I can feel my face turn red from embarrassment. I never expected that to happen. It normally takes a while for me to feel okay with any kind of intimacy, but as with everything about Kai, he brings it out of me so easily.
“I could go again,” he says.
I feel that his cock is still semi-hard. I let him go when I realize he is still in my palm. He flips me over to my back, and his fingers sink deeper inside me, causing me to moan loudly as aftershocks from my orgasm fill my lower belly.
“You’re my wife, Myla.”
“I know.” I squeeze my eyes closed.
“This is natural.”
“I’m not ready for this,” I say then feel the bed begin to shake. “Are you laughing?” I ask in disbelief, popping one eye open.
“You might not think you’re ready, but you were begging me for it…even in your sleep.”
“No,” I whisper, feeling my eyes get big and my face turn even redder.
“I haven’t come from a hand job since I was thirteen. I’m just as surprised by what happened as you are. But I don’t regret it. I don’t regret anything that has happened between us.”
I feel my face go soft, and I lean up, pressing a kiss to his mouth. Then I moan down his throat as his fingers begin to slide in and out of me again. He pulls his mouth from mine then looks down into my eyes.
“This time, I want to see you when you come. I’ve imagined it a hundred times, but now, I will have the memory of the way you look, the way you smell, and the way you taste,” he says, lowering his face to my stomach, and then his teeth pull my shirt up, exposing my breasts. “I think I’m obsessed with your tan lines,” he says, licking my breast and making me whimper. “One day, I’m going to strip you down and trace every inch of them with my tongue and teeth.”
His mouth moves to my other breast, and I feel him lick it as well, his mouth avoiding my nipple with each stroke of his tongue.
“Kai!” I cry, my fingers threading through his hair when his lips lock on to my nipple.
His tongue flicks over the tip as his fingers stroke into me harder and faster, his thumb zeroing in on my clit. My head digs back into the pillow. My eyes squeeze closed, but then they fly open when he demands, “Open your eyes.”
When our gazes lock, I fall apart in his hands, my insides becoming liquid as another orgasm explodes through my body. My eyes stay locked on his as I float off before slowly coming back to myself.
“I now understand what beauty really looks like,” he says, pulling his hand out of my panties and curling himself around me.
“Thank you,” I whisper, and he pulls away so he can look at me.
“I will do that for you any time you ask.”
I feel my lips twitch, and I’m just about to say something when there is a loud bang on the bedroom door.
“Kai!” a woman yells. “Let Myla up! I have strict orders to take her from you, even by force. I need to get her ready for the party tonight.”
“You’re going to have to come back,” Kai grunts, rolling us over so that I’m sprawled out on top of him.
“I’m telling Mom!” she yells dramatically.
I begin to laugh then quickly gasp when one of his hands slides up under my shirt then down into my panties before it cups one cheek of my ass.
“I should get up,” I say quietly, looking down at him.
His hand goes to the side of my face then slides around as his fingers circle the back of my neck. He tugs gently, forcing my mouth down to his. His teeth nip at my bottom lip. Then he soothes it with a swipe of his tongue.
“You should spend the day in bed with me,” he says, causing a tingle to shoot right to my core.
“Myla, if you can hear me, I really need you to come out here,” Meka yells, and I begin to laugh against Kai’s mouth.
“I’ll see you later,” I tell him.
His hand gives my ass a squeeze as his hips lift. I feel the hard length of him against my belly before I’m rolled again and he’s over me, his hair like a curtain, making the moment seem even more intimate. His face lowers and he takes my mouth in a deep kiss then quickly pulls away. Then he hops off the bed. His eyes look me over before he wa
lks over to the dresser, grabs a pair of sweats, pulls them on, and then opens the door to the bedroom, where Meka comes flying in.
“Oh, thank God. I thought I was interrupting,” she says, and I bite the inside of my cheek, because she is obviously oblivious.
“You did interrupt us,” Kai growls then looks at me on the bed again, and I can see the silent promise in his eyes.
“Are you leaving?” she questions, ignoring his last comment, coming to the bed, and flopping down next to me.
Kai grunts at her then looks at me, and his eyes change, appearing softer. “I’ll see you at the party.”
“See you at the party,” I reply softly.
His eyes stay locked on mine for a moment then travel to his sister. “Take care of my wife.”
“Will do,” she tells him on a whisper.
I watch him leave and don’t pull my eyes from the door until Meka pats my leg.
“It’s going to take some time to get used to him being in love,” she says.
My gaze goes to her. “Pardon?”
“I have never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
I stare at her, unsure of what to say and not wanting to get my hopes up. But the feeling I have had in my gut since the moment I met Kai is causing a warm feeling to spread throughout my body.
“Anyways, you already know he’s in love with you.” She smiles then jumps off the bed. “Okay, go shower, We have a lot to do.”
I get off the bed, stumble to the bathroom, and shower quickly. When I come out, the room has not only Meka waiting, but also my mom, Kai’s mother, and a large woman wearing a very bright floral dress that accentuates her dark skin and fuller figure.
“You’re here! Let’s get started.”
I begin to take a step back from the woman when she starts towards me holding a bag in her hands.
“Come on, child. We don’t have all day.” She rolls her eyes.
I look at Kai’s mom, but she just smiles.
“Marcy is going to get you dressed and make sure your dress fits you. She can size it while we go out and get your hair and makeup done.”
“Um…I thought we were just doing a small get-together.”
Obligation Page 7