Chapter 15
15
DORIE
I sat at the kitchen counter, watching as he moved around the space with ease, pulling out plates and reheating the pizza. The smell of cheese and pepperoni filled the air, but my stomach was too tied in knots to feel hungry. I absently rubbed my arms, still feeling the chill from the rain despite the dry clothes. He’d thrown me off guard again—his words, his intensity, the way he looked at me like he could see straight through my defenses. It was infuriating.
And oddly comforting.
“Here,” he said, sliding a plate with a slice of pizza in front of me. “Eat. It will warm you up.”
I didn’t argue this time. I picked up the slice and took a small bite, mostly to avoid more of his hovering. He was watching me like I might collapse at any moment.
“You don’t have to babysit me,” I said between bites. “I’m not going to drop dead because I got a little wet.”
“A little wet? You’re drenched. And don’t even get me started on the fact that you walked here in a storm when you could’ve called for help.”
“I didn’t need help. I’m not some damsel in distress, okay? I can handle myself.”
“I know you can,” he said and started to plate his own pizza. “But that doesn’t mean you have to. There’s no prize for suffering in silence, Dorie.”
I looked away, my gaze falling on the window where rain still streaked down the glass. His words hit a nerve, one I didn’t want to acknowledge. I was used to being the strong one, the one who held everything together. The idea of letting someone else shoulder even a fraction of that weight felt wrong.
I knew I shouldn’t have exploded on Kaisen like that. He didn’t deserve it. But he was in my line of fire, and I couldn’t help it. The stress of the past few weeks—no, the past few months—had been building up, and he’d been the unfortunate target of my frustration.
“I’m sorry,” I said. My voice was so low I barely heard myself. It was hard to apologize, especially to a man like Kaisen. “I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. I already called a tow truck for my car. It’ll be fine. I’m just stressed. There is a lot on my plate. You don’t deserve to catch the bullshit.”
Kaisen looked at me. I couldn’t quite read his expression. “It’s fine. I get it. I’m the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have bought you the espresso machine without asking. I didn’t mean to overstep.”
I shook my head, feeling even worse. “You didn’t overstep. I overreacted. It’s been a stressful few months. But I’m not about to trauma dump on you.”
He took a bite of his pizza. I could tell he wanted to say something. I wanted to say something too, but neither of us could bring ourselves to cross that line. Instead, we ate our pizza in silence.
I knew better than to trust Kaisen. Eliza had told me all about his party-boy reputation, his endless string of flings, and his general disregard for anything that didn’t involve making money or having a good time. But the man standing in front of me didn’t match that description. He was kind, patient, and confusing. And my attraction to him was getting harder and harder to ignore.
I didn’t know what to think of him. He made me want to talk to him about things I told no one—not even Eliza. For some stupid reason he made me feel like he actually cared.
That couldn’t possibly be true. I was convinced there was an ulterior motive. There had to be. I couldn’t imagine any other reason he would want or need to be friends with me. And despite what Annie said, I knew Kaisen would not be interested in me. Now that I knew just how wealthy he was, I was more convinced than ever he dated Hollywood starlets, models, and probably actual royalty.
“Did they tell you they want to have a game night?” he asked after a few minutes.
I blinked, pulled from my thoughts. “Game night?” I repeated, a little thrown by the sudden change in topic.
“Yeah,” he said. “Eliza and Cullen. They mentioned something about it before they left. Apparently, they’re big fans of board games now.”
I snorted, shaking my head. “Of course they are. Eliza’s always looking for an excuse to turn everything into a social event. She’s probably planning some elaborate theme night with costumes and snacks.”
“Costumes?” Kaisen raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk on his lips. “What kind of costumes are we talking about? Are we dressing up as Monopoly pieces or something?”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the image that conjured in my mind. “Knowing Eliza? It’ll be something ridiculous. She’ll probably make us dress up as characters from Clue or something equally absurd. There will be themed cocktails and appetizers.”
“That could be interesting,” he said.
I finished my slice of pizza. My plate was empty for less than two seconds before Kaisen took it. I watched as he put another slice on the plate and popped it in the microwave. I didn’t even know what to say. It made no sense the man was this thoughtful. How could he be so abrasive and cocky one second and then so kind the next?
He put the plate down in front of me.
“Thank you.”
“Want a beer?” he asked.
“No, thanks.”
“You should just stay the night,” Kaisen said. “No need to go back out in that weather. I’ll take you home in the morning.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. I have an order I need to work on. I was planning on going back to the bakery tonight.”
He frowned. “In this weather? Dorie, it’s pouring out there. Can’t you take a night off?”
“I’ll be fine,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure I believed it myself.
Kaisen sighed, running a hand over his face. “Let me take you home to get a fresh change of clothes, and then I’ll take you to the bakery. You said your car is shot. And I have a feeling you’re going to walk to the bakery if I don’t take you, you lunatic.”
He was right.
I hesitated, my defenses wavering. “Why are you being so nice to me?” I asked, my voice softer now. “Am I some charity case to you? Just because your friend and my sister are getting married?—”
“No,” he said, cutting me off. “That’s not it at all. It’s not like I have anything else to do. I drive you around town or I sit here on my ass and watch water fall from the sky.”
“Okay.”
“Finish your pizza,” he said. “I’m not about to get left with all this pizza in the house. I have to fit in the tux.”
I stared at him for a moment, then down at the plate in front of me. I picked up the slice and took a bite. It was better than anything I’d had in weeks. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I started eating. Kaisen was watching me as he ate his own slice.
“You’re staring,” I said, my mouth half full.
“You’re eating,” he countered, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It’s progress.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t stop. When I finished the second slice, Kaisen grabbed his keys from the counter.
“Ready?” he asked, tossing them in the air and catching them effortlessly.
“I should put my shirt back on.”
“It’s wet. Stay dry.”
I didn’t argue. He drove me back to my condo and came inside. Rick was on his cat tree, tail hanging and swishing with irritation, like he couldn’t believe I brought a man back into his domain.
I left Kaisen in the living room and went into my room to change into dry clothes. It was going to be another very late night at the bakery.
When I returned to the living room, it was to find Kaisen having a stare-down with Rick.
“You two be nice,” I said.
“He’s the one trying to start shit,” Kaisen said.
“He’s also the one who will finish what he starts,” I warned.
“We’ll see,” he said.
“Look, I can take an Uber to the bakery,” I told him. “You don’t need to take me.”
“I will. I am.” He nodded at the espresso machine on the counter. “I’ll come over tomorrow and set that up for you.”
“I have to work.”
“So, leave the door unlocked or give me the key,” he said with a shrug. “Are you worried I’m going to steal your cat?”
“Good luck trying,” I said with a small laugh. “Rick is un-stealable.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“You don’t have to do that,” I said, feeling bad that he was doing so much for me. “I can figure it out.”
He shrugged. “I don’t mind.”
He drove me to the bakery. The rain was still coming down in sheets. He got out of the car and followed me inside. “I can walk home from here or take an Uber,” I said, trying to sound determined. “You don’t need to stick around.”
Kaisen just rolled up his sleeves. “I’m staying.”
“You don’t have to. This is detail work. It’s complicated, all design-focused. You don’t have to?—”
“I didn’t become a billionaire by not doing the hard stuff,” he said, cutting me off. “I’m staying. I’m officially your driver.”
It was the first time he’d mentioned the massive wealth gap between us. It caught me off guard. I didn’t know how to respond, so I just nodded and led him into the bakery.
“I don’t really have anything for you to do,” I said. “It’s just me and icing.”
“I’ll watch,” he said. “It’s kind of cool to see what you can do with frosting.”
“Suit yourself.”
Kaisen watched me as I started piping, his eyes following my hands. I tried to focus, but his presence was distracting.
“Do you have any siblings?” I felt like he knew all about my family, so I should at least ask about his.
Kaisen hesitated. “No,” he said finally. “It’s just me.”
I nodded, sensing there was more. “What about your parents?”
He didn’t answer right away. The look on his face told me he was uncomfortable. I almost regretted asking. “I don’t speak to my dad. And my mom? She died when I was a teenager.”
“I’m sorry,” I said softly. “I shouldn’t have pried.”
Kaisen shook his head. “It’s fine. You didn’t know. It’s old news.”
I felt terrible for judging him so harshly, for assuming I knew who he was based on what Eliza had told me. Based on his wealth. The man standing in front of me was so much more than his reputation, and I was starting to see that.
It was a turning point for me. My feelings for Kaisen were shifting. I wasn’t sure how to handle it. But one thing was clear: I couldn’t keep pretending I didn’t care about him.