9. Kai
Chapter 9
Kai
We walked hand in hand back around the path and I tried not to think about the fact that she was still dripping with me.
I wasn’t that guy.
Not until Lexi.
I wanted to spread her out on a bed and fill her up again. Watch my cum drip out of her pussy after I’d left her gasping.
Was I getting obsessed with her?
It had to be just really great sex—that was all. It would wear off.
Like it always did with me.
It was the game of not letting people find out. That was it.
But when I looked over at her, I only wanted to pull her closer. Wanted her peach scent on me in the morning, noon, and night. I wanted to wake up with all her dark hair in my face.
Because I couldn’t have that right now? That had to be it.
I stopped at her car with her and caged her in against her door. “You all right to go home?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
I opened my mouth to answer when she arched a brow at me.
“You think I’m addled from good sex, Kai?”
“Addled?” I laughed. “No. But we stink of sex, you smell like me. You’re full of my cum.”
Her eyes went wide just like this morning against the door. And I couldn’t resist flicking her skirt up to get to her bare pussy and groaned at the mess between her thighs. Our mess.
Fuck, when had I become like this?
I pushed away from her, the scent of us on my hands as I paced away. “I’ll meet you at home later.”
“Kai?”
The uncertainty of her voice just made me feel worse. “It’s fine. I’m sorry. I’m just worked up.”
She touched my shoulder, then she let me go. “Right. Maybe drive around for a bit so Wyatt doesn’t get suspicious.”
“Right.”
Wouldn’t want Wyatt to know what we were doing. Because I wouldn’t stick around.
I glanced over my shoulder to see her wounded eyes, turned back, and kept walking because all I wanted to do was gather her up against me and never fucking let go.
I listened for her car to start. She peeled out, kicking up dirt as she revved her engine.
I’d pissed her off. Hell, I was pissed off too.
This wasn’t part of the plan.
It was just supposed to be for fun. To make Lexi feel alive and wanted while I was in town. No strings.
No rings.
I slapped the hood of my truck. Why the fuck did I think about a ring?
That life wasn’t for me. It never had been. I liked traveling the world. I liked not having any responsibilities other than making money enough to get to the next stop on my list.
Annoyed, I took off for my brother’s shop. I couldn’t trust myself to go to Wyatt’s place right now.
Ripley was the eldest of all of us and owned an auto detailing shop on the edges of Indigo Valley. It was an old parts factory that used to make bicycles, but Rip had picked it up on auction then gutted it and created bays for his cars. His Indian was tucked in the first bay, with the next two open. A gorgeous cherry red Firebird was up on one of the lifts with Frank happily tinkering under it.
Rip was changing out tires on the next bay. It was a monster, boxy Jeep with tires nearly half my height. He looked up when I pulled up and parked. He walked out, ever-present red rag in hand. “What brings you out here, Kai?”
I stepped down and stuffed my hands in my pockets. “Not sure. Just wasn’t ready to go home, I guess.”
“You and Wyatt beefing?”
I snickered. “Wyatt would rather walk than throw a punch.”
He leaned against my front panel, pulling out a pack of Dentyne and offering me a piece. “With that swollen mouth, I’d say girl problems instead.”
I took one and popped the gum in my mouth. The familiar bite of cinnamon dragged me back ten years. Back then, Rip had worked at a different garage, and he’d helped me fix up my first car. I’d been tempted to ride out of town even then at sixteen. It wasn’t like I had a bad home life, just annoyed that everyone was in my business all the time.
I should be annoyed at the question now, but instead, I stared at my boots. “Yeah, I probably fucked up.”
“Married?”
I lifted my gaze. “No. That’s just stupid.”
Rip lifted a shoulder. “Does it count if you didn’t know?”
I laughed. “In this town, you should have known.”
“True, but it wasn’t in town.” He tucked his rag in his back pocket. “So, how did you fuck up?”
“Lexi.”
He whistled. “Boy, you are dumb.”
“I know. I didn’t mean to.”
Rip snickered. “What? Did you trip and your dick fall in?”
“No. She wanted to have some fun, and I know I should have said no.”
He pushed off the truck. “This conversation needs a Dr. Pepper.”
He walked off and I followed.I waved at Frank and followed him into the small office. The familiar scent of tires and oil burned my nose, but it also relaxed me. I flopped down on his ancient club chair in front of his metal desk.
Damn close to the same desk that got me into this mess.
I slammed my eyes shut at the thought of her bent over her desk, then I raked my fingers through my hair, tugging at the roots.
“That good?”
I opened my eyes to a sweating can. I took it and cracked the top, taking a sip. “Thanks.”
“You worried that Wyatt will whip your ass?”
“Some. More worried that I think I’m in love with her.”
Ripley’s eyebrows shot up as he slowly sank into his chair. “That changes things.”
“Yeah.” I kicked out my legs, slumping down in the chair. “I’m no good for her. I’ll be gone in a few weeks and Lex is pure blood Valley. It’s fucking stupid.”
“Maybe it’s a sign to stop running, little brother.”
“Who says I’m running? I like my life, going where I want, when I want.”
He folded his arms, resting the can on his forearm. “Sure. Sounds good when you’re twenty. Not so much when thirty is staring at you with bright ass headlights.”
“I still got some years before thirty, asshole.”
“Not as many as twenty.”
I took a sullen sip.
“Look, Kai, you know I’ve always been the one to tell you to do what you need to.”
“Yeah, I know.” Rip had been the one to back me up when I’d broke it to our parents that I was leaving.
“Maybe you need home. Indigo Valley isn’t the monster you made it out to be. It may run a little slower, but your family is here and maybe Lex is meant to add to that.”
“We just got together. Don’t go marrying us off.”
He laughed. “You’ve had a thing for Lexi for a long time. She just opened the gate, you were ready to run in.”
“How the hell would you know that?”
“You’re not denying it.”
I huffed out an annoyed breath. “It’s probably just lust talking. I have sex brain.”
“Sure. Maybe.” Rip lifted his boots onto his desk and crossed them. “Or you might have met your match.”
I set the can on his desk and got up. “That’s ridiculous.” I headed for the door.
“Running again.” Rip grinned around his boots. “Well, off you go. Run, rabbit, run.”
I slammed the door, my anger spiking at his barking laugh through the glass. I stalked to my truck and jumped in, gunning the engine as I turned onto Hope Street, pointing my truck out of town.
I turned onto the highway. I should just keep going.
Head north and just keep going toward Maine or something. One place I hadn’t really explored. I could get lost in the wilderness up there and leave behind Lexi.
Leave behind the cloying feelings that twisted up my guts.
She would be better off without me.
I punched it, slipping into the passing lane as I roared up past the exit for the racetrack and SPAC and on until signs for Lake George lured me off the highway to one of the lookouts. I wasn’t sure how long it had been since I’d left Lexi to go home. The moon was high and reflected off the raging water.
The wind was up, and the humid air tasted heavier.
The spray wet my face, cooling down some of the simmering anger.
Had I been running all along?
Would she want me to stay?