28
Iclosed my eyes and let the vibration of the bike’s engine soothe me as Kai and I tore down the highway. Exhaustion from lack of sleep and from quite literary being fucked into oblivion was finally catching up. But it was impossible to nod off despite my body begging for sleep. I was still too sensitive, and every change in acceleration jolted me. It was almost unbearable, but I couldn’t decide if that was a good or bad thing.
As if feeling how I tensed, Kai used one hand to stroke my thigh gently and gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze. This man made me feel so many things I never thought I would, especially not with him. Our agreement was supposed to be a business transaction and nothing more. We were never supposed to get close. Yet somehow, there I was, jumping deep into potential heartbreak and wanting to hold on to things—to him—even though I shouldn’t.
“I’m sure Milly is serving breakfast by now,” I said as Kai cut the engine. “But I can’t keep my eyes open any longer.” I shook my hair out and handed him back the helmet. “And I need my energy for the heads that are about to roll. But you can go ahead and—”
Kai climbed off and swept me off my feet, bridal style. “Let’s go to bed.”
“We need to shower first.”
“Even better.”
My nose led me down the stairs into the corridor toward the kitchen, where Milly was busy at the sink, rinsing dishes despite having a fully working dishwasher at her disposal.
“Mi ni?a, you’re finally up. Where is Kai? Did you want me to set your dinner in the dining room?”
I leaned against the counter and smiled, plucking a warm tortilla from its pan and savoring it. “He’ll be down in a bit,” I said, stuffing my mouth with another bite.
I was up before Kai and took the opportunity to take another shower while he was still asleep. Our attempts at cleaning up after getting home were useless, and showering together was counterproductive. The phantom pleasure still vibrated between my thighs at just the thought.
“You look well-rested,” she said with a wink.
My neck warmed as a blush crept up to my face. Even at twenty-six, Milly had this aura, this way of making me feel like I was still that innocent little girl whose favorite pastime was helping her prepare meals while listening to stories. And I was okay with that. Being in this kitchen was comforting and safe, and as of late, I only felt that peace in one place.
Kai’s arms.
“I am.” Pulling a wooden stool, I sat across the island, holding another tortilla. “Do you miss your little helper?” I had to admit that Milly’s kitchen was already quieter and missing the spark of Valentina’s giggles and squeals.
I raised my gaze, expecting to see her smiling, but instead, I caught Milly wiping her eyes.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a little one around.”
The inflection in her voice gave me the sense that her words had a double meaning, and when our eyes met again, hers crinkled with amusement. I knew I hadn’t been wrong.
“Milly, I just got married yesterday. And you know that things between Kai and me—”
“Are what? Complicated? ?Por Dios!” she said, throwing up her hands. “I have eyes, you know.”
“Eyes that look too deeply into things that aren’t there.” Except it was all there. I knew it, and she knew it.
“Ah, denial.”
Exactly.
“Realistic. Because no matter what, he and I won’t work like that. He has his life in Philadelphia, and I have mine here.”
Milly shrugged her shoulders. “Okay,” she replied in that sarcastic tone that drove me crazy. “I’ll get the table ready.”
“That’s not necessary. We’ll eat here. We have to run in a few anyway.”
Her expression soured, a frown replacing her smile. Milly was privy to everything our family was involved in, and she was there from day one of my training. I knew she hated all that encompassed the dealings and lifestyle the Montesinos were a part of, but she was loyal and had helped raise me since the day I was born. She’d bury a dead body for me even if she’d hate every second.
“Already, mija? The blood is still wet.”
“You know we can’t let things like what happened yesterday slide. There’s a breach somewhere, Milly. And if I don’t find it, we’re all in potential danger. And I can’t wait to act until the threat is at our door.”
She walked around the island and cupped my face with her hands. “Que Dios te cuide siempre.” (May God protect you always.) Without another word, Milly kissed my forehead and was gone.
“Can I come with you?”
I twisted in my stool at the sound of Gio’s voice. “No.”
“Why.”
“You know why.” I swiveled back around to my appetizer. “So please drop it, because my answer won’t change. And I will be thoroughly checking to make sure you don’t pull the same crazy shit from last time. Please don’t make me kill you.”
He chuckled and sat beside me, shoving my shoulder. “Fine, this time.”
“Always.”
Despite what I did and who I was, the fact that Gio murdered a man, and it hadn’t fazed him in the least, worried me. Unless he was trying to create a facade to prove he was capable.
“Smells amazing in here.”
My body’s reaction to Kai’s voice seemed wholly inappropriate while my annoying brother was just inches away. I turned to what was quickly becoming one of my favorite faces.
“Hey, kid,” he said, acknowledging Gio with a nod.
“Kai, can you teach me how to ride?”
“Absolutely not,” I answered before he could.
“You know, you used to be fun. I’m disappointed.”
“Yeah, well, I’m sure others would disagree.”
He looked from me to Kai and scrunched his face in disgust. “That’s low. Excuse me while I go puke.”
Gio slid off his chair and sprinted out of the kitchen.
Kai’s warm breath was over my ear, arms around my shoulders. “Mi reina, you left me.” His words oozed over me like warm honey, causing my skin to break out in goosebumps. Something about the way the phrase rolled off his tongue and the things it did to my underwear—I never wanted him to stop.
“I didn’t want to wake you. And your blanket had slipped off, so trust me when I tell you it took a lot of willpower not to slap your tight ass.”
When he laughed, it vibrated down the column of my neck, and I bit my lip to keep a moan from spilling out.
“I can’t think of a better way to wake up,” he said, pulling out the chair Gio had vacated. I ripped a piece of my tortilla and brought it to his mouth.
“I can think of a few. Hungry?”
Kai nodded and grabbed my wrist, bringing the food to his lips while his eyes locked with mine. “Are you dropping hints? Let’s go back upstairs.”
“As enticing as that sounds, we’ve already effectively fucked the day away, and we can’t ignore the bigger issues. I’m going to pay one of my father’s men a visit today.”
“I’m going with you.”
Last week, my first instinct would have been to say no and possibly become defensive at his thinking he needed to protect me or keep watch as if I was helpless.
But today…things were different.
“But first food.”
“Good, because I’m starving,” he said, stealing the rest of my tortilla and popping it into his mouth.
“Hey!” I laughed and swatted his arm.
“This is really good.” His words were muffled, full of the warm snack, a staple in our home.
“Milly and I used to spend days in this kitchen when I was a little girl.”
My thoughts briefly drifted to those warm afternoons, after church, rolling dough and stealing licks of dessert. They were some of the happiest times of my life.
Kai eyed me with amusement. “I thought Gio said you couldn’t cook.”
“I’m slightly insulted you believe him over me.”
He put his hands up defensively. “Hey, I haven’t seen otherwise, so I can only go by the information given.”
I tossed a piece of dough at his forehead. “Good to know I have your trust.”
“Come on,” he snickered, leaning in for a kiss. “I’m just messing with you. Tell me, what’s your favorite dish.”
He snorted a laugh when I pretended to think it over while tapping my chin.
“Milly never misses, but if I had to choose a favorite, my top three would be pollo con mole, tamales, and the best dessert to eat on a rainy day—Arroz con leche.”
“Have I had those?”
I chuckled and fed him another piece of tortilla. “You’ve been here a while, Cain, and you have no idea what you’ve shoveled into your mouth.”
A sly smirk lit up his face, and he grabbed my chin and hauled me forward. “Is that a trick question? Because I know exactly what I’ve been putting in my mouth.”
“Yeah, and are they among your top three?” I asked with a coy smile.
Kai ran his hand up my thigh. “I would never be able to narrow it down to just three.” I knew we were no longer talking about food, and I was suddenly wet again.
“What about these.” He tore a small piece of the tortilla in my hand. “You make these too?”
I nodded with excitement. “I was seven when Milly taught me. Burned the hell out of my arm but sucked it up and made a batch for my mother’s birthday dinner.” I stretched out my forearm and showed him the faint scar near my elbow, and he brushed his finger over the disturbed skin.
“Teach me?” he muttered, lips against my scar.
My face ached from smiling so much. This man knew exactly what to say, how to gaze at me with those eyes that told a thousand stories. My insides melted into puddles at his request.
“You start with flour.”
“This one over here?” he asked, reaching into a white bowl.
“Of course.”
I’d barely opened my mouth when Kai pinched flour between his fingers and flicked it at my face.”
“Kai! You bastard,” I gasped.
“Baby, I had to.”
My husband was too busy laughing his stupid head off to notice when I grabbed a fistful of the flour and let him have it.
His mouth hung open, face white as he stared at me in shock. But his expression quickly changed from surprise to mischief.
“Kai, don’t you dare,” I warned, sliding off my stool.
Grin widening, he reached across the counter. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about.”
“I’ll kill you.”
“If I let you suffocate me with your pussy, does that count?”
I backed away another step. “No pussy for you, Cain.”
“Really?” he growled, our eyes locked.
Enough.
I straightened and placed my hands on my hips. “Kai, if Milly finds out—” A breath later, I was spitting and blinking away flour. “You son of a bitch!”
His hearty laugh was all the distraction I needed to make my move. In a blink, chaos ensued between us. Flour, salsa, beans, and even Milly’s freshly shredded cheese went airborne, covering our bodies and every surface in that kitchen.
It was madness—complete and utter madness—but neither of us cared. We fell to the floor in fits of laughter, and he pulled me onto his lap.
A tingly feeling circled my belly, and I suddenly felt the world’s weight wash away, even for just that moment. The sensation traveled through me and made me feel light and carefree, like that little girl so many years ago.
“I’m sorry,” he chuckled, picking black beans from my hair.
“No, you’re not,” I laughed, as I smeared the mess across his face.
“How badly is she going to kill us?”
“Us? Milly is like a second mother to me. She barely knows you. It’s been fun, Cain.”
“That’s some traitorous shit, wife,” he joked, his mouth on my neck.
“Did you just…eat off me?”
Kai’s chest shook with laughter. “Best I ever had,” he said with another lick.
“You’re disgusting.”
He tightened his hold on my body and pushed to his feet, taking me with him. “Baby, I’ll be fucking filthy for you any day. Come on.”
“Was this your plan all along to get me naked again?” I asked, circling my arm around his neck. “There are easier ways to get laid without making a mess.”
“This way is double the fun.”
I was smiling like a fool. “Agreed.”