Page 73 of Runaway Hearts: Seduced by Danger

Kai tilts his head. “Are you tired?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to take a shower and go to bed?”

“Yes.”

“Then, what’s wrong with doing that?”

I search my brain for a reason, but pride has settled where fear used to rule. “Nothing wrong. I’m not used to upsetting Nina.”

His hands find my shoulders, warm and steadying. “You want rest, but you need it even more so,” he murmurs. “There’s nothing wrong in what you said or how you said it.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, leaning into his touch, craving the comfort his presence brings. But the shadow of guilt still lingers.

His hands travel down my arms, and he pulls away. “Go take that shower. I’ll get the prizes from the car.”

“Okay.”

As I step into the bathroom, his words reverberate in my mind.

I don’t know what to do with my dress. No way I’m putting it in the machine. Better to let it dry and then decide.

In the shower I go, hot water cascading over my skin, washing away the remnants of the murky swamp, but it does little to cleanse the guiltof refusing to spend time with Nina. I close my eyes, letting the steam envelop me, hoping for clarity.

When I step out, I wrap a towel around me. The fogged-over mirror offers a temporary escape from my own reflection, and I welcome it. After putting on my PJs, I head back to my bedroom.

Kai is arranging our fair winnings in the bedroom’s corner—the two stuffed bears that grin with a silly charm, memories encapsulated in objects.

“Your turn,” I tell him.

Kai’s eyes flicker with something unreadable before he nods, walking past me with a brush of our arms. The door clicks shut behind him, and I sigh.

I sink onto the edge of the bed, my mind a whirlpool of thoughts. Nina’s face keeps flashing in front of me—her surprise, the edge of disappointment that cut deeper than I care to admit.

The bathroom door opens shortly after, steam billowing out as Kai emerges, a towel slung low on his hips. Droplets trace lines along his chest, down to his navel. A drop stops there, but another one continues its journey downward, following the groove of his muscles like a swirling waterslide.

My thoughts linger on the tantalizing symmetrical dip on either side of his stomach, leading to his most intimate area. I bet his dick is glorious.

And the second he realizes I’m checking him out, the sexiest smirk wakes on his lips, and he wraps his hand around the knot holding the towel.

Is he… Oh, god.

The towel falls to the floor.

It’s time to erase Eric from my body.

“You’re a trickster now?” I tease, squinting my eyes at the fabric covering him. Damn boxers.

He shrugs. “We need sleep.”

Kai walks up to his bed side and wiggles under the covers.

I reach up to touch his face, tracing his jaw line with my fingertips.

His lips find mine, tender and slow, a stark contrast to the urgency from moments ago. My hands roam down his back, devouring every muscle beneath my fingertips. I trace the curve of his spine before gripping his ass possessively, pulling him closer.

But he rolls over and sets his head on his pillow, both arms reaching for my waist.

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