Page 141 of Forbidden Lessons

The ornate crystal chandelier above us casts a soft, warm light on Kai’s head, picking out golden strands in his wild brown hair. Turns his tan a shade darker until the whites of his eyes seem to glow. Which is weird, because he looks stoned, so his eyes should be red.

Fuck. He’s so handsome it hurts.

One side of his mouth is quirked up, and it looks so much like the permanent little smirk he used to wear when we were young. Always so fucking full of himself. Couldn’t teach kid Kai a damn thing.

But I did.

He used to love killing things before he met me. Insects, reptiles, small rodents. Not in a cruel way. But like he was disposing of pests. Said his mother couldn’t stand that kind of stuff in their trailer. He and Ezra had to keep the place critter free.

I never really paid him much mind. Insects creeped me out, so no loss there. And one less snake in the world was one less chance to get bitten and die.

But then he killed a squirrel, and I couldn’t stop crying.

I loved squirrels.

Kai had never believed me until he shot one down off a tree with his slingshot.

I was inconsolable. I’ll never forget how stunned he looked as I mourned that squirrel. The slack-jawed fascination as I dug out a little grave and buried it. The wreath of flowers I laid on top. How I saw there, sobbing, until the rain had drenched us both and my teeth were chattering together from the cold.

He never did it again.

At least, not when I was around.

I taught him to be kind to animals.

He taught me to be kind to myself.

Staring up at him now, I wish we could just go back to the woods. Back in time to when we were so young.

Before shit got so complicated.

And for just a second, his moss green eyes reflect that desperation. He scans my face, his smirk fading as his mouth slowly tilts down. His hand tightens on the strap of the duffle, his muscles trembling.

“Did you fuck him?” he whispers.

I jerk my hand away. Those words slam into me so hard, he might as well have kicked me. “What are you talking about?”

His eyes flicker over my face again, and that smirk pulls at his lips.

“That’s what I thought.”

He slings one of the duffle bags over his shoulder and grabs me with his free hand.

“Kai!” I gasp, but he’s already dragging me up the stairs.

Chapter 39

Kai

Haven only struggles when we get to the first floor landing. By then, there’s a fire burning inside me, and only one way to extinguish it. If she’d bolted out the front door, I’d have chased her down, anyway.

I need tohurtsomething.

Haven tugs at her bags one more time, and then obviously realizes it’s a futile effort and yanks her arm free. I love how her eyes go round in surprise, like she didn’t think she had the strength.

She doesn’t.

Iwanther free.

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