Chapter 9
Kai
I turned sideways hoping that it might help me sleep.
It didn’t. I turned again – for what felt like the hundredth time – and stared blankly at the high ceiling.
The ceiling that I’d thought about having a mirror installed on because the playful side of me was curious about how I looked when a woman was riding me.
Immature. That was me.
But I had decided against it for occasions just like this. When there was no one but myself that I could stare at during a long, lonely, and sleepless night.
Sad miserable idiot. That was also me.
The ability to sleep seemed to have left me.
No matter how much I tried it just wasn’t coming.
My body was beyond tired, and it needed rest. But I couldn’t find a comfortable enough position to fall asleep.
There were times when I almost fell asleep but I’d immediately wake up when I heard a strange sound that wasn’t even there.
My plan for a relaxing trip in New York had completely gone out of the window. It seemed like, from the moment I’d arrived, things had gone sideways. Now, I couldn’t even relax enough to get to sleep. My mind wouldn’t let me.
I’d known that I had to see June at some point, and I’d planned on it.
I owed her an apology and an explanation for why I’d left her the way I had years ago.
She didn’t seem to hold any grudge against me for leaving without saying goodbye three years ago.
That was the June I knew. The understanding, loving, caring kind of woman you would bring home to meet your mother.
Dr. Rose had suggested another diagnosis, a proper one, for Jenny when she was a little more settled.
At this point, she didn’t want to just prescribe her anything simply because she showed some symptoms of anxiety.
I could see why June opened up to Dr. Rose in such a short span of time.
Her gentleness and attention to detail were worth paying her the premium rate she charged.
June did say that Dr. Rose could do this for free as a favor to her, but there was no way I would let myself owe anyone any favors.
My thoughts drifted to my security team.
Clare was left in charge at my place tonight, while Dave was out keeping watch on June.
She would have to learn how to be in charge sooner or later.
Dave planned to retire in a few years, but he hadn’t completely made up his mind yet.
He wouldn’t know what to do to pass time, so he might as well stay in the job – his words.
I knew that he wanted to spend more time with his daughter before she went to university.
The problem was, he didn’t know what to say to her when they were left alone together.
Wendy had called earlier at about 2 in the morning.
I’d told she could call me anytime if she found out anything about Mack and we both agreed that we should avoid involving June for the time being.
Mack had been released on bail. No one knew how.
But someone powerful had given the order to let him go.
That was why I needed to send Dave, my favorite and most trusted bodyguard, to protect June while I couldn’t.
I had no idea why I cared so much about June.
I just did. Perhaps it was the way she’d been so heartbroken over the loss of her best friend on her 18 th birthday, face awash with tears – and I couldn’t help but promise to myself that I would try my best to keep her away from any more hurt and heartache.
That was why I always tried to show her my better side – the positive, can-do, everything-is-okay side.
Regrettably, I had let my not so positive side out tonight when I received the news about Jenny.
Jenny, on the other hand, she was family. She had been through the same family crap that I had to go through. We were in the same boat, and I couldn’t help but want to keep her, and our boat, afloat.
So, without having to announce it to the world, I had kind of vowed to keep both of them safe. Nothing would ever happen to them under my watch.
I instructed Clare to arrange for more help from our security agency – I wasn’t sure how my usual team would be able to cope with keeping three people safe.
That was the thing, I could look like the Prince of England and have ten bodyguards and two large cars following me wherever I went but I thought that just made me look like a dick.
I might have been raised to be an entitled bastard, but I just couldn’t act like one. Not openly.
The smart way was to employ a much larger team but undercover. It attracted way less attention. But the downside was, you wouldn’t know if they were actually working.
I rolled over, punching my pillow into a new shape. My brain wouldn’t shut up and I let out a frustrated groan.
Then there was the kiss. Another mistake.
I haven't been good today. I’d been jet-lagged. Burned out. Whatever…
Regardless of what my brain told me about not doing it, her lips were too much temptation. My self-control didn’t seem to work with her.
She was my best friend’s sister – the thought of that itself was a turn on. It might have helped if she was a crazy ugly bitch, but she was the complete opposite. How could I stare at her lips and not kiss them?
I had no idea what to expect when I first saw her when we were kids.
Lincoln had told me that his geeky little sister wanted to meet me.
When I asked him why, he said that she had read a book about crazy Asians and wanted to meet one.
Those words still made me chuckle. I wasn’t about to admit that I was crazy – but in this day and age, who wasn’t, at least a little?
Only a crazy person would say that they are sane.
When I saw her on her 18th birthday, face all puffy from months and months of crying, my feelings for her changed as my heart melted.
I wanted to give her a bear hug and kiss her all over to make things better for her.
I wished that I could take away all her pain.
I loved women, all kinds of women, including the crazy ones because they were usually really good in bed.
But never had I had an urge to kiss someone without thinking about sex first.
If Lincoln hadn’t warned me against making a move on her…that would have been a different story. Crap! He did make me promise not to hit on her .
I guess it was too late. I kind of did hit on her earlier. But he can’t blame me for this. Didn’t he fuck and then marry his sister’s best friend? It was kind of the same, so who was he to lecture me on this?
A night like this shouldn’t be wasted staring at a ceiling.
I was here to relax and have fun after all.
How could I enjoy myself if my mind was filled with June’s face?
With a heavy huff of annoyance, I got out of bed and searched through the laundry basket for my pants that hadn’t been sent out to the cleaner yet.
Fishing through the pockets, I found a piece of paper that the sexy flight attendant slipped to me under my coffee.
She had made her intention clear that if I ever needed someone to show me New York…
Well, let’s just say that I wasn’t interested in seeing New York at this time of the night.
I picked up my phone and sent a message.
“How are you doing?” I imagined Joey’s voice from Friends as I stole his pickup line. It was late but I didn’t really give a fuck, I texted her and decided to leave the rest to fate.
A bubble popped up on my screen. I knew she was interested and typing a reply.
Can’t sleep? I could do with some company .
Straight to the point. I liked her more already.
But it was also way too obvious. Why else would someone text at 3am in the morning, the smarter side of me snapped. I stared at the screen and tried to think of something clever to type – I typed something but deleted it right away. I stopped when I saw that she was typing again.
I can come to you. Send me your address.
Again. Straight to the point. I liked her more and more. But what was her name though? May? Mandy? Something beginning with M.
Truth be told, I was too exhausted from everything that happened over the last few days, but I needed a distraction. And I needed to get June out of my system.
I texted the flight attendant my address. No emoji.
I put on a pair of sweats, not caring how unsexy they felt on me. From my bedroom, I trailed along the hallway until I reached a locked room, scanning my fingerprint on the lock to gain access. The door opened to my playroom.
I had one of these in every property I owned.
It was a kink that I picked up, as I was introduced to a secret high society, where wealthy and powerful people sought joy and pleasure. Where desires were explored without judgment.
Though the playroom wasn’t really my favorite room in the apartment, it had brought me many moments of calm. Letting me unwind and forget – with a fun playmate of course!
I walked past all the leathers and ropes displayed on the wall, then the four post bed until I reached another locked door. It was another smart lock, and I pressed my thumb onto the reader, unlocking the door to a spiral staircase that led downstairs.
* * *
I sat in the apartment downstairs waiting for my friend to arrive.
This apartment was a lot smaller with only three bedrooms spread across one floor.
Much humbler compared to upstairs, but it was perfect for what I needed it for.
A place I could use to meet strangers that I didn’t want to invite into my home.
Only Dave knew about this place, so if anything were to happen to me, at least one person on my security would know where to find me.
Fuck. I really wasn’t in the mood for this. Never had I ever thought that this day would come. The day where fucking no longer interested me. What had gotten into me?