Page 8 of Devilish

He shook his head. “No. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. If you change your mind, help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”

Kai’s brow furrowed and he dropped his eyes to his lap, where he fidgeted like he didn’t know what to do now.He wasn’t going to be relaxing anytime soon, that was for sure, not when he still didn’t trust my intentions.

Was he beautiful? Absolutely. Even the anxiety written all over him couldn’t take away from that.

But in this moment, I wished there was something more I could do for him, and I soon realized that meant giving him some space.

“Come,” I said, rising to my feet. “I’ll show you to your room.”

He followed me to the one a few doors down from mine. He would be overwhelmed by the others, the ones with custom-built California kings. Instead, I showed him to the one with acomfortable queen mattress, and before he stepped inside, he touched the vintage doorknob.

My jaw worked as I watched him swallow and drop his hand. He wasn’t admiring the craftsmanship. He was checking for the exterior lock.

Breathe,I told myself.Don’t be tempted to murder that asshole.

“There’s a private en suite through here,” I said. “I’ll go find some more comfortable clothes for you, but I can’t promise they’ll fit well. We’ll find something more suitable tomorrow if you’d like.”

I quickly went through my closet for anything Kai wouldn’t drown in, and when I returned, he was still standing in the same spot I’d left him, slender arms hugging himself, still in that cropped mesh shirt that didn’t cover much.

I placed the clothes on the end of the bed and offered what I hoped was a comforting smile. “My room is the last one down the hall. If you need anything, let me know.”

He nodded, and that was my cue to leave. But as my fingers grazed the knob, I turned back to look at him.

“By the way, the doors lock from the inside here. Not the outside.”

When Kai’s head shot up, I tapped the lock twice and then slipped out of the room, hoping he’d be able to find some semblance of peace tonight.

4

KAI

ISTARED AFTER Lucien long after he was gone, and the silence that filled the room was deafening. He didn’t shut the door. Didn’t lock me in. But I still felt the penetrating isolation to my bones.

What am I doing here? Why is he bothering with me?

I was doing just fine without his interference, and now what? He’d played hero and rescued me for a night, only to fuck things up with the one person and the one place I’d finally found for myself. He kept saying this was a safe place, but that only accounted for the time I was here. He didn’t know me. Didn’t know my life. The guy was making promises he couldn’t possibly keep.

No one ever did.

I eyed the pile of clothes on the bed and the plush throw artfully placed across the corner. My fingers ached to touch it, but the second I ran my hand over it, I realized it was a mistake. I’d been in the houses of millionaires and never felt anything so soft and warm in my life. It was like a cloud, one I could easily fall into and stay in forever, andthatwas exactly why I had to get out of there.

Jerking my hand away, I felt my insides twist again in panic. The house was so quiet, but I held my breath anyway, listening out for any sound that Lucien was awake.

Several heartbeats passed, and when it was still dead silent, I went to the door he’d left open halfway and peered out.

Nothing moved. The door at the end of the hall that Lucien said was his remained closed.

My adrenaline kicked in as I quietly stepped out of the room, keeping to the rugs to muffle the sound of my footsteps. Unlike Rupert’s older home, which creaked under hardly any pressure at all, this one didn’t make any noise, something that worked in my favor as I made my way to the front door.

I hadn’t seen an alarm system when we entered, and I could only hope one didn’t suddenly go off the second I opened the door. Even if it did, Lucien had to understand I couldn’t stay here. I didn’t even know him, didn’t know his intentions, only that no one in the world did anything for nothing, and I wasn’t sticking around to see what this decision would cost me.

The second I wrapped my hand around the knob, though, I hesitated. A part of me, the part I never let out, yearned for the comfort and safety Lucien promised, even if just for a few hours.

Promises easily made, easily broken,I thought, and opened the door, and mercifully, no alarm blared the second I stepped out.

Adrenaline coursed through me as I glanced down the hall to the elevator, my heart thundering in a chaotic rhythm.

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