Chapter 20
Twenty
DARIA
Unknown
Hey there, little doe.
My heart flips as I stare down at my phone in shock for two reasons: Vic somehow has my number, and he put me in a group chat.
Unknown
I much prefer bunny.
Okay, that’s Linc.
Unknown
She’s going to think you both want to eat her.
Kai
Ever reasonable.
Linc
I mean . . .
*She* is in the chat. She also hates group chats.
Kai
You can blame me for that.
Linc
Maybe you can spank him for being a bad alpha.
Are they serious? Chewing on my lip, I glance around to make sure no one has snuck up behind me at work. Luckily, it’s Friday, and almost everyone is telecommuting today. I came in to pack up a box of my things to take with me to Good Vibes.
Kai
Ignore him. Question: Are you afraid of heights?
Why?
If I tell you, it’ll ruin the surprise.
I’m not afraid of heights.
Perfect. Should I pick you up around 6 or 7?
6 would be perfect. I’ll drop my location.
Vic
No need.
Right. He knows where I live. I should probably be more concerned about that than I am.
I’m going to pretend like that creeps me out.
Kai
See you soon ;).
A throat clears behind me, and I squeak, pressing my phone to my chest and whirling around to find Jane standing there with a shit-eating grin on her beautiful face.
“What are you doing lurking about like a serial killer?”
“Well, that’s a dumb question, now, isn’t it? I’m here to kill you.”
I roll my eyes. “Very funny.” I squint at her. “How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to know someone’s being a very bad bunny.”
Oh, fucking hell. When she says it? It’s weird. When the guys say it? Not weird at all. “No one can know,” I tell her.
She pulls a face. “How long have we been friends? Never mind, not very long, but I take my friendships seriously, bunny. I won’t tell anyone.”
“Please don’t call me that,” I beg.
“But it sounds so cute, and your little nose is just like a bunny’s.” When she leans in to boop it, I smack her hand away, which only makes her chuckle. “Details. Now.” She drops onto the filing cabinet that doubles as a stool.
“Well. It started at After Dark.”
“I fucking knew it,” she says with a pleased grin.
“I can’t tell the story if you interrupt.” She mimes zipping her lips and I shake my head. “I met Vic at After Dark.” I conveniently skip over the part about him being my step-uncle. “As for the others, the day we had to give pitches to Good Vibes, I realized they were my scent matches.”
Jane releases a little squeal as she grabs my arm. “Scent matches?” She shakes me like she’s trying to give me whiplash, and I can’t help but laugh and finally let myself bask in the words.
“Fated mates,” I whisper shout.
We both do a little happy dance, which ends in us dissolving into a fit of giggles and Jane tossing her arms around me in a hug.
She sighs. “God, I hate you.”
“Rude.”
“I’m happy for you,” she says as she pulls back, a true smile on her face. “But I also hate you because I’m still single.”
“You’ll find a pack,” I tell her.
She looks away. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it about me.”
“It’s okay. I’m not going to be mad at you for sharing your feelings with me. You can be happy for me and sad at the same time.”
Nodding, she glances at me. “So, date night?”
“Wow, so you really read the messages.”
“Don’t blame me. You’re the one who has the font set to large.” Her face grows serious. “If you want to keep things a secret, maybe try the small font.”
“Shut up,” I mutter, then frown when I remember I haven’t done laundry, and my clothing options are limited. “I don’t know what to wear. Kai asked if I was afraid of heights.”
“Maybe skip the dress? Unless you want a Marilyn Monroe moment, which honestly, I think you could make work.”
My mind is already piecing together a cute outfit that’s also practical. I really hope he doesn’t take me skydiving, but Lincoln said Kai was the adventurous one, so I have a feeling I should be prepared for anything.
“You look really happy,” Jane says, studying my face.
I shrug and pretend like it’s no big deal, when really my heart is trembling with fear of being torn apart once again.
Taking in the form-fitting jeans, paired with my black Converse, a cute, dark-blue V-neck shirt, and a lightweight black-and-white checkered button-up jacket in the mirror, I contemplate putting on my Chelsea boots to dress up the outfit some more.
Those boots were really expensive, and while they’re my favorite, I’m not about to ruin them. They’re the nicest shoes I own.
Right. My outfit isn’t little-black-dress cute, but when I texted Kai to ask if jeans were okay, he said he’d be wearing some too.
My phone chirps, and I grab it, smiling at the screen.
Kai
I figured, since it’s just us tonight, I get you all to myself in messages too.
It’s 5:56. Shouldn’t you be driving?
I’m here. By the time you get in the car, it should be 6:00.
Be right down.
I smirk to myself and grab my things, tiptoeing to the door and pressing my ear to it, listening for any sign of my landlord. The floorboard in the hall creaks, and I sigh, resting my head on the wood.
Guess I won’t be going out the front.
Quietly moving away from the door, I head to the window that leads to the fire escape. I grip the window and slowly pull it up, praying that it doesn’t squeak or groan, and much to my delight, it glides up without a single sound. Sitting on the ledge, I quickly pull myself out of my apartment and out onto the shaky metal stairs.
Is this my proudest moment? Definitely not.
My next payday isn’t for a few weeks, and while I’ve managed to avoid my landlord for a few days, I know it won’t last forever. Hopefully, he’ll take mercy on me, but I doubt it.
I clutch the railing and descend. The stairs are so obnoxiously unstable, it’s a miracle this building passed the annual inspection. My stomach drops as I take another step, which sets off a particularly violent tremble.
Next time, I’ll take my chances with John.
I take a moment to steady my breath once I hit solid ground. Tipping my head back, I look up at my window, vowing to never attempt that again, absent a real emergency.
Heart rate mostly settled, I head out of the alley and onto the sidewalk, breathing out a sigh of relief when I see Kai leaning against a very expensive car and frowning at the front doors. Once I get close enough for my scent to waft in his direction, he breathes in, and his head snaps toward me, pupils dilating slightly as he takes me in.
The difference between my jeans and his are a couple hundred dollars, and the simple white tee he’s wearing fits in all the right ways, stretching tight across his chest, wrapping perfectly around those strong biceps, and cut around the torso in a way that’s breathable but still doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
Kai is fit.
“Daria.” He purrs my name as his gaze slowly tracks back up my legs, and I try not to melt on the sidewalk.
“Hey,” I say, voice breathy—mostly from the fire escape, but also because Kai is hot as hell and he’s mine. Whoa, girl, he’s still technically courting you.
“Where did you come from?” His eyes finally meet mine.
“Is that a pickup line?”
He smiles. “I expected you to come out of the front.”
“Oh, right.” I vaguely gesture behind me. “There’s a back way.” A full two seconds pass, and Kai gives me a look that makes me worry he suspects something is up, but he simply steps away from his car and opens the door for me or, rather, lifts it. The interior is all black leather with red stitching that matches the paint job.
“Scared?”
I pull my attention from the pretty car that I have no business getting inside of and look at Kai, remembering the way Vic had asked me the same thing. “No.”
“Get in the car, Daria.”
Oof. Yes, Daddy, whatever you say.
He doesn’t move when I step toward the door, and I tip my head back to meet his heated gaze as I place my hand on the top of the car. As warm citrus coils around me, I release a soft sound of approval. Kai’s chest rumbles with a purr when I turn, my ass brushing over his body as I sit.
The scissor door closes with a soft click, leaving me in the car alone as Kai walks around the front. I suck in a deep breath, greedily basking in his scent and shamelessly brushing my fingers over the seat, marking it with my scent. I do a quick sweep of the inside of the car, noting that there’s only a small storage space behind the seats, since this car is meant for two people.
Kai’s door glides open with a soft whir, and I watch with fascination as he folds himself into the low-slung vehicle. He’s so tall, I expect him to look awkward, but of course, he doesn’t. No. Kai looks right at home as he presses the button to turn on the car, pushing in the clutch and placing his hand on the gear shift.
He glances at me. “Seat belt.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” I say with a grin, tugging on my seat belt. As soon as the metal clicks, Kai checks traffic and tears away from the curb, sending my heart rate skyrocketing and my cunt fluttering in approval.
His knuckles are white on the clutch. “You smell fucking divine.”
“So do you,” I confess.
“Did you mark your seat?” he asks, flicking his gaze to me before focusing on the road.
“Yes.”
“Good,” he says, smirking as he merges onto the freeway. “I like to go fast, but I don’t want to scare you. Are you okay with that?”
I appreciate him checking in, but this car was made for speed. “Show me what you got, big guy.”
“Tease,” he tosses in my direction before punching it.
My back presses into the seat, and a huge smile tugs at my lips as he effortlessly weaves in and out of traffic, heading out of town. With the vibration of the car hitting in all the right places, I press my thighs together, attempting to ease the ache between them. My thong is soaked.
“Where are we going?” I ask, hoping the distraction will keep him from noticing the musk feathering around the edges of my lavender scent.
“How do you feel about helicopters?”