Page 67 of Ink & Stardust

“You looked me up?”

“Social media. School records... Everything and anything I could get my hands on. Once I had your schedule, I made it a point to be where you were.”

“I barely saw you back then.”

“Just because you didn’t see me doesn’t mean I wasn’t there.”

“So what? You were like stalking me?”

I should be disturbed by this fact, but I feel the opposite of disturbed.

“I wouldn’t say stalking.” He leans in, pressing his mouth to mine. “More like keeping an eye on.” He kisses me gently, testing, teasing.

I melt deeper into him.

“But that first party...” I try not to let him distract me.

“I was there as a favor to Jackson. He knew Maisie would be there. Just wanted me to stop in and make sure she was good. But then you sat down across from me and the room got a fuck lot smaller.”

My heart kicks violently against my ribs.

“You saw an innocent young girl who wasn’t from around here and thought, she looks like a fun little challenge.”

“I did,” he admits unapologetically. “A challenge I had no intention of pursuing. But you did become a bit of an obsession of mine, I’ll admit. And then I started to get to know you and...”

“My award-winning personality won you over?” I bat my lashes at him teasingly.

“Something like that.” He chuckles, the sound like music to my ears, given what I woke up to. “Now, back to Thursday.”

“What about Thursday?”

“Come to my grandma’s with me.”

The request has my mouth and throat going bone dry.

“Your...”

“I hand out candy at her house every year. It’s kind of a tradition.”

“And you wantmeto come?”

“I do.”

“And it’s not just because you don’t want me going to a party without you?”

“I mean, that’s definitely a perk, but no. I want you to come because Iwantyou there.”

“And your grandma won’t mind?”

“Are you kidding me? She’d be thrilled.” This time, when he smiles, it touches every inch of his face.

“Okay,” I softly agree, knowing there’s no way I could say no anyway. “I’ll go with you.”

Without a word, he pulls me in closer, making it so that my cheek is pressed to his chest while his chin rests on top of my head.

He doesn’t speak again, and neither do I, losing ourselves to our own thoughts.

I’m not sure how much time passes before Kai drifts back off to sleep, his arms wrapped firmly around me like he’s afraid I might try to make a run for it. And trust me, I’ve considered it. Hell, I’m still considering it when the first beams of sunlight break the horizon, and yet, I don’t make any attempts to leave.

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