5. Kai
Chapter 5
Kai
“What is up with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re putting that plate in upside down.”
I focused on the outlet I was installing and swore. “Sorry, distracted.” I pulled it out and checked to make sure I hadn’t grounded it wrong. All I needed was for Sully to come in and double check and see such a stupid mistake. But at least that part wasn’t wrong.
“Got something going on?”
I’m going to go rail your sister on our lunch break.
“Nah, just didn’t get much sleep last night.” I slipped off the screw and scraped the freshly painted wall.For fuck’s sake. Maybe I should bail on the whole idea. But those big midnight eyes giving me the challenge had ignited something in me I hadn’t felt in a long ass time. I never lacked female attention, but there was something about Lexi that had always tugged at me.
The first time it happened was at her graduation party, I’d shown up with Wyatt to raid the food before we escaped to the lake for day drinking on our buddy’s boat. Being a poor twenty-one-year-old, I had no business noticing her in the first place. Beyond the fact that she was Wyatt’s little sister, she was freshly eighteen.
I’d checked myself, but not before giving her curvy body a once-over.
Pissed at myself, I’d tried to forget her.
It was much easier to do when I had Indigo Valley in my rearview mirror. It had been five years since I’d seen her and instead of killing the need, now it was a firestorm in my blood. All because she’d given me the green light.
I finished sanding out my mistake and repainted the wall.
Mrs. Durham had been a quick pitstop and the Burnetts’ remodel would take another day. We’d mudded the new drywall and needed to let it dry overnight then we’d be back to finish up their add-on with the new windows that had come in.
At least I had an excuse to go back to the warehouse. And I knew Wyatt had to go across town for a dentist appointment. The fact that I was using that window to see Lexi made my gut roil. Wyatt was protective of her, and I was not worthy in the least.
But it didn’t really matter—she only wanted me for one thing.
I rubbed my chest with my fist. The need was a messy mix of guilt and something else that didn’t make sense. I was the king of no-strings relationships. The fact that Lexi saw that in me should make this easier.
I shook off the annoyance and wrapped my brushes for use the next day. We tarped our gear. After lunch, we’d have to do more framing out, which meant sweaty work out in the back.
After I got sweaty with Lex.
God, I was a bastard.
Wyatt seemed just as distracted. He kept checking his phone, then scraping his fingers through his paint-splattered hair.
“You good, man?”
Wyatt glanced at me as he climbed into his truck. “Yeah.” He tapped his fingers on his wheel, and I knew something was stewing.
I waited him out. Wyatt was a slow to process kind of guy. I was impulsive, he was deliberative. I was pretty sure the only reason I hadn’t been arrested when we were teens was because of his careful nature.
“I used one of those apps.”
I laughed. “You looking for love, my man?”
He sighed. “Everyone knows everyone in this goddamn town.”
“Which is only one of a dozen reasons I got out of here. But you like that part.”
“I do. I just didn’t expect to get linked up with this woman.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “Wouldn’t you know from the jump? You could block and move on.”
“Just used screennames for a bit. We just swapped phone numbers and man, she was already in my phone.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, it’s Nicole.”
I laughed. “Oh, man. You mean, Lexi’s Nicole?”
“Yeah.” He bounced his head against his headrest. “Fuck, man.”
I slapped him on the arm through the window. “What’s wrong with that?”
“What if she set this up the whole time?”
“It’s not that serious, jackass. Just talk to her.”
“Yeah, it’s not serious for you. For me? What if I fuck it up? She’s my sister’s best friend. She’s always going to be around.”
Since I was having a similar problem, I didn’t have an answer.
“Is the connection bigger than the fear?”
Wyatt frowned at me. “Since when did you get so philosophical?”
I laughed. “Just an idea.” I tapped his hood. “Good luck at the dentist.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“See ya at three.” I glanced up at the clouds rolling in. “If that moves along.”
“Cool. If it starts raining, I’ll see you back at the house later.”
“Where are you going?”
“Nunya.”
I threw back my head. “Give Nicole my regards.”
Wyatt flipped me off, but he didn’t deny it. I ran over to my truck and headed back to the warehouse. After I parked, I leaned over to my glovebox for the disposable toothbrushes to freshen up. Just as I was about to get out, a fat raindrop plopped on my windscreen.
I loped across the street to the warehouse. The lights were out, and my stomach dropped.
Had she gone home?
God, I was so stupid.
I’d been too cocky and scared her off.
Then the sign in the window swung from open to closed for lunch. I grinned at her through the glass door. She nibbled on her lower lip, but then a broad smile spread across her face.
The punch of attraction vied with something I hadn’t felt in years.
Happiness.
Before I could think about that she opened the door and dragged me inside. The storm coming through darkened the skies, leaving us in pale gray shadows. I opened my mouth to say something, but she wrapped an arm around my neck, dragging me down to her mouth.
She tasted of lemondrops and heat. Immediately, I gripped her hips, pulling her fully into me. The kiss was scorching and there was no easiness, just pure lust.
I wanted to be easy with her.
Make it good for her.
But her hands slid under my shirt and coasted up my back, her nails biting into my skin, activating all the lust that I’d been sitting with off and on for years. If this was what she wanted, I could provide.
Period.
I caught the back of my shirt behind my neck and dragged it off.
Her eyes were glassy with answering heat as her hands roamed over my chest and down to my zipper.
“Lex.”
She shook her head. “I want this. Just give me this, please?”
As if I could ever say no to her.
I dropped my head back as her cool, soft hand wrapped around my cock.
I was a dead man.