Page 43 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

When Kai joins me in the kitchen, he sits next to me. His hand on the back of my chair warms me with dirty words.

I don’t know how to act in front of my family. This is his mess, so he needs to figure out how to manage it.

“Do you want wine?” Corey asks me.

“Yes, please.”

I must be stressed or anxious because they’re my basic emotions. No, I’m fine. Because of the wine? Or is it because of the racy gangster who smiles while sipping his alcohol?

“Shall we eat?” says Corey.

Kai winks at Nina, who shoots him a radiant smile back. “It smells amazing, Nina.”

The realization that he spent thirty minutes with my family without me makes me narrow my eyes at my glass of wine. Kai has a tremendous memory, and I wonder if he remembers every word I said.

Nina leans in. “I’m dying to know how you two met.”

My lips curl into a cruel smile. No way I’m helping that man come up with a decent answer.

“Huh… She picked me up while I was hitchhiking,” Kai says.

Oh, we’re going for the truth now...Color me impressed.

“Marianne? I can’t believe you still pick up hitchhikers!” Nina exclaims.

Always have and always will.

“Most of the time, it’s fun.”

“You’re not suspicious enough, my chickadee. There are so many dangerous people out there.”

My internal wry laugh bubbles. This entire situation is so ridiculous it’s almost unbelievable. The laughter builds inside me, yet I quash it. I can’t tell everyone how illogical it is.

“Oh… Nina, don’t worry, there’s no one more dangerous than my Kai.”

“And yet, you’re the danger to me.” He picks my hand to put a sweet kiss on each knuckle, staring so deep into my eyes that I freeze. Then, the pretend boyfriend clears his throat and looks at my family. “When I first saw her, I was struck speechless,” he says wistfully. “Her soft brown eyes drew me in like a vortex. I had to make a move.” He pauses, Corey and Nina gobbling up his words as if they were true. “I’d never met anyone like her before, to be honest.”

Holy shit.

I wince and take a sip of my wine. That’s how he convinced my family we were together and he wasn’t a threat. He talks smoothly, his eyes serious but a faint amusement painted on his face. He looks honest. What a brilliant actor.

“After some time apart...”

Let the jury note it was two days.

“She agreed to see me again. Now, I can’t stop thinking about her. She’s everything I didn’t know I needed, the missing piece that completes me.”

A speedy love story in the span of three and a half days. I swallow another sip of wine, trying to ignore my rising emotions. We’re just playing pretend.

Nina squeals. “That’s so cute.”

Clearly, my aunt is head over heels for Kai. I roll my eyes, but cough as Kai slides his hand onto my thigh all the way in. A naughty thumb strokes my inner thigh, and heat pools between my legs along with a sharp pain.

I did not consent!

Why is he touching me like he’s entitled to it? I shoot him a quick glare, but he doesn’t remove his hand.

“No one else wants you.”

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