Page 9 of Death Raiser

“Let me rephrase. Dating you will not be casual.” His gaze flashed. “If you’re not ready for something serious, you should tell me now.”

I narrowed my eyes. What made me so special? Why did I get that distinction when other women didn’t? And if he felt that way about me, why would he hesitate to ask me out? While I’d been dating since we met, I hadn’t been in any serious relationships except with Ricky, and that ended disastrously. But the lack of a committed relationship wasn’t from a lack of trying. I wanted a long term, loving connection with someone. Something like what Logan and Brandon had. I wanted that true love for me, too.

Not only was I ready for something serious, I’d actively searched for it for years. “Tell you now? Do you honestly think I wanted to flitter around from one awkward first date to another?”

“No.”

“Then what the hell, Kang?”

If he knew I wanted something serious, and he wanted that with me, too, why did he wait years to ask me out?

He flinched. “That was a dick question. Every time I thought to ask you out, you ended up dating someone else.”

“You should’ve said something, Kang.”

“I wasn’t sure you reciprocated my feelings, but more importantly, I don’t believe in holding life-altering secrets from someone I’m in a relationship with,” he said. “You only figured out I was a glamy last week.”

Ah. There it was. One piece to the hot mess of Figuring-Out-Kang puzzle. “Would you have told me if I hadn’t discovered the truth?”

“Maybe.” He looked away. “If it was only my secret, yes.”

More pieces fell into place. From our conversations over the years, I knew he had a sister nearby, and his parents lived in the city as well. That meant whatever Kang was, it had to be hereditary. If he got outed, his whole family would be, too. He had to keep the secret for them just as much as he did for himself, yet he didn’t want to keep the truth from me, either.

Now, he didn’t have to make that hard choice. I’d figured it out all on my own. Well…most of it.

“You haven’t asked me what I am,” he said.

I hadn’t. That was considered a rude question within the glamy community. I didn’t want to put him on the spot. He obviously hid his true nature for very good reasons. “I figured you’d either tell me when you were ready or you’re hoping I’d figure it out with my superior intellect.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “I guess it’s a bit of both.”

I popped off my seatbelt and turned to him expectantly.

He didn’t elaborate.

“Thank you for the ride home.” I held my hand out for the keys, he placed them in my palm and opened the door. I mirrored his actions, getting out of the car.

“Would you like to come upstairs while you wait for your ride?” I bit my lip to refrain from saying something more scandalous.

Kang paused, his lips quirking up at the corners. Something wicked flashed in his gaze and he leaned forward over the roof of my car to inhale deeply. He smiled, a slow, knowing smile that told me he knew exactly where my mind had wandered.

Instead of vaulting over the vehicle, though, he stayed safely on his side. “Thank you, but I don’t trust myself to come upstairs.”

“Why not?”

“You mentioned the possibility of tying you up and now my mind is going wild with possibilities. I won’t respect your boundaries.”

“That sounds…terrible.” I lied. Now I was tempted to insist he escort me upstairs.

“Lark, I’ll lock you up and start investigating the whole mysterious rose thing, and you’ll never forgive me.”

He was right, but not for the reasons he thought. “I wouldn’t forgive you for choosing to spend my time tied up trying to solve a mystery,” I said.

“Careful.”

I ignored his warning. “I’m surprised you didn’t accept my offer to do exactly that.”

“I’m trying to be good.”

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