Page 23 of Something So Strong

Why is he here?

Did he follow me?

Why does he make me feel so small, and not in a bad way?

Why do I want to say yes to his invitation so goddamn badly?

“You’re cute when you’re flustered,” he grins, raising his shoulders. “You hungry?”

I nod. Words are of no use to me.

“C’mon. Let’s see what’s on today’s menu.” Stepping beside me, Kai presses his hand to my lower back, and I’m completely under his control. Eyes closed, I allow him to guide me because all my brain can focus on is the heat radiating from his palm into my skin.

“Anything take your fancy?” he asks, opening the fridge.

“Sandwich.” My stomach drops, and I have to stop myself from facepalming because I sound like a fucking moron who can’t put a sentence together.

Kai laughs as his hand leaves my back to reach into the fridge. But I don’t care. He can make fun of me all he wants as long as I get to feel the warmth of his touch again.

“White or brown?”

I stare at him blankly.

“Bread,” he sighs, closing the fridge. “You’re lucky you’re so pretty, ‘cause I don’t tend to waste my time on the dumb ones.”

“I’m not dumb.” My words are back. “I just graduated from King’s College.”

Kai puts the cheese and tomato in his hands down in front of several loaves of bread and leans forward on the counter with both hands. Biting his bottom lip, he spins his head towards me before letting his lip slide from between his teeth. “Feisty is far sexier than dumb.”

Refusing to give him the upper hand, I lock my stare with his and take a step closer to switch on the sandwich press without even looking. “You have no idea what I’m like… Where’s the cutlery?”

With a shaky breath, Kai breaks his eyes away to look down at my lips. “Top drawer.”

Stepping behind him, I roll my shoulders and thank whoever the hell is watching over me that I chose jeans instead of sweatpants.

“Plates?” I ask after closing the drawer.

Kai reaches out. “Why don’t you let me worry about that?” And takes the knife from me, his fingers grazing over mine as he removes it from my hand. “You pick us some drinks and take a seat.”

Typically, I’d rebut with, I can make my own fucking sandwich, but honestly, I’m very likely to pass out if I have to stand this close to him for much longer. So I ask, “Any preference?” And allow the fridge’s cool air to chill the burning of my face.

“Whatever. I trust your taste.”

I shake my head. How did he manage to make something so simple sound like a devious double entendre?

“On second thought, I feel like a Sprite. Is there any?”

“Ah-yeah.” I grab a can for myself, too. “Do you want a glass?”

“Nah. I’m not a fag.” The words fall from his mouth so effortlessly, but it’s the reaction his body has that catches me off guard. Ridgid, from head to toe. Like a statue. Too afraid to move, like he’s terrified of my response or what I might do to him.

“No worries,” I tell Kai, moving towards the closest table and out of the bubble of tension that surrounds him.

Cans down, I pull out my phone and open Messenger in search of a distraction from the reverie of thoughts threatening to overwhelm me. Romeo and Saxon are offline, but thank Christ for Mavis.

JESS: How was your first shift? You still owe me a pic of you in your uniform, btw.

MAVIS: What makes you think you deserve one, you naughty boy?

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