Page 63 of Devilish

My chin wobbled, and I bit down on my cheek as he continued.

“I wish I could track down every single person that’s ever made you feel that you aren’t worth everything and rip them apart with my bare hands. I hate that you’ve suffered. I hate that you’ve been forced into things you never should’ve had to do, and most of all, I hate that your family, those who are supposed to love and care for you unconditionally, let you down when you needed them most.”

It felt like my heart was going to crack in two as a traitorous tear leaked out from the corner of my eye. Lucien reached over and brushed it away before taking my chin between his fingers.

“I’m not going anywhere. For as long as you want to be with me, I’ll be the rock you need. And Kai?”

His features were blurry now, and I wiped at my face before answering. “Yeah?”

“I want to be yours. And I want you to be mine. Whenever you’re ready,ifever you’re ready. No pressure. No expectations. Just know that with me, you’re wanted.”

At the sweet brush of his lips against mine, my entire body trembled and I felt the doubt and fear begin to dissipate. He kissed me so that I could feel him and the truth of his words everywhere. And when he leaned back, just enough that his words were a whisper against my mouth, what he said only solidified my path forward.

“Don’t forget, Kai. You’re my favorite place.”

23

LUCIEN

“DECISIONS…” I SAID as I flipped through the shirts in my closet a couple days later when we were back in New York. I narrowed it down to two, took them off the rack, and then presented them to Kai, who sat cross-legged on my bed. “What do you think?”

“I think you should lose the clothes and stay right here.” He patted a spot on the mattress beside him and then stretched his legs out in an invitation that would be impossible to resist—if I didn’t have somewhere I had to be.

I dropped the hangers on the bed and caged him in, my hands on either side of his legs. Those pillowy lips begged for my teeth to sink into them, and I nipped and teased them until Kai leaned in for more and I pulled back, smirking.

“That’s not fair.” He sat back on his hands and pouted, and damn if that wasn’t an enticing picture. “I could make it worth your while,” he added, sliding his hand in the direction of his cock, but I took hold of his wrist before he could torture either of us any further.

“I’ll be back before you know it.” I pressed a kiss to that pretty mouth, not letting myself linger, or I really would blow off the rest of the night.

I grabbed the shirts I’d been choosing between and held them up again. When Kai pointed to the left one, I took it off the hanger and slid it on. As he watched me button up, an expression I couldn’t place flitted across his face, so quick I almost missed it.

“Kai? Are you worried about someone getting in? Because I’ve got Lachlan and several members of his security team keeping tabs on the apartment. No one will be able to get to you here.”

“No, it’s not that.” He shook his head. “That makes me feel a lot better, actually.”

“Okay. Talk to me.” I sat down beside him and waited for what was weighing on his mind.

“It’s just… I guess I’m wondering, what now? Like, what should I be doing? You’re heading off to work, and I…” He trailed off.

“Have you given any thought to it before? Is there anything you’d like to try?”

His forehead creased as he traced patterns on the sheets with his fingers. “I…don’t know. No one’s ever asked me that before.”

“No?”

He shook his head and met my eyes. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

I didn’t know why it had never occurred to me to offer to help before. That he’d even been thinking of the future in that way. “That’s something we can explore together, if you’d like.”

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. But just so you know, there’s no rush here. You can take your time.”

Kai ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I just feel like I’m not doing anything. You’ve done so much for me, and I’m not contributing in any way.”

“Hey.” I tipped his chin up to look at me. “You’ve been through a lot in your life, more than you ever should’ve had to experience. And right now you need time to heal from all of that shit. You don’t need to earn your keep here. This is your home, and you don’t need to decide what you want for your future right now. Got it?”

The worry between Kai’s brows eased, and he nodded. “You’re right. Thank you.”

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