Page 57 of Revenge

“Looks like you guys had quite the workout,” Nico cut in.

Kai’s entire expression changed. He dragged his gaze away from me and he pinned Nico with it. The other man held his hands up, almost like a gesture of surrender.

“Apologies for the intrusion but Hamish messaged to say our guest is asking for you,” he said, excusing himself for who knew what? Interrupting his boss from screwing me in the fucking gym, that’s what.

And then regret kicked in. What the hell had I just done?

I started to take the tape off my hands, my movements, shaky.

“Stop, Ava,” Kai put in, moving towards me, and placing his hands over mine.

“You’ll mark your skin if you rip at it like that. You need to soak your hands in warm water. Then you can pull it off.”

As I raised my eyes, I saw regret in Kai’s expression. But what for? For kissing me or for being interrupted.

In the scheme of things, Nico’s appearance was probably a godsend.

Shoving that thought away, I replayed Nico’s words before asking, “Who is he talking about, Kai?Whatguest?”

A cocktail of emotions crossed his features and he glanced at my lips. I could feel they were swollen from his kisses.

“It’s nothing. Just business.” Of course, I was a woman. It was a need-to-know basis and my sex didn’t need to know.

Kai then released my hands, a heavy sadness in his frame as he turned and walked away. My heart almost left with him.

“See that she soaks her hands,” he instructed Nico in a cold voice as he walked past.

As Nico paced towards me and placed a hand around my shoulders, I felt that empty void I lived with daily widen.

Kai had always been my world and my curse welded into one and at that moment I knew he still owned every scar across my heart.

Nine

Kai

It felt like my entire universe had spun on its axis.

Fuck, I needed a drink. After unlocking my office and storming inside I ransacked the drinks cabinet, annoyed to establish my emergency stash of vodka was gone.

Ava and I had kissed, her mouth like heaven and sin all wrapped into one. I was still turned on. My cock was raging again in my joggers and I knew I needed to calm the fuck down before Nico got there.

“Someone needs a cold shower,” came the amused drawl from the doorway. Collapsing into the leather chair I glared at my friend and second in command. He had one large arm raised above his head resting on the frame.

I was usually well versed in schooling my reactions but I lost it, “What thefuckNico?”

“I think I should be the one saying what the fuck?” Nico batted back. He sounded personally offended, but surely that ship had sailed?

When we first met at school, I’d immediately had my suspicions about his preferences in the sack and eventually Nico confessed he had been attracted to me. However, after realising sharpish that I was straight, he behaved like a racist dick; a self-preservation thing (a one-size fits all technique it appeared).

The situation had resolved itself when he started the name calling and I knocked him out cold. Since then, we’d been close friends without any of that other shit getting in the way.

I narrowed my eyes, attempting to read his expression. Surely, he wasn’t jealous?

In a beat, he put my mind at rest.

Nico dropped his hand and crossed his arms over his chest, “And you can wipethatexpression off your face. You missed your chance mate,” he added with unbridled sarcasm, to which I rolled my eyes. I knew he was joking.

“Did she get the tape off?” I replied, changing the subject.

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