Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
KAIRI
“Kairi, can I borrow you for a moment?” Gabriel calls out to me before I can sit down and eat the breakfast Griffin made for everyone.
“I’ll save you a plate,” Eliana whispers, nudging me toward Gabriel.
I stand from the kitchen island and follow Gabriel into the meeting room, my nerves increasing with each step.
“Am I in trouble?” I ask as he closes the door.
He looks at me over his shoulder with a confused frown. “Should you be?”
I shake my head, giving him an innocent smile.
“Do you remember Mark, the sponsor that approached us at the last competition?”
I nod. “Yeah, what about him?”
“His team called and they want to work with you after all,” he says, leaning against the edge of a table with his hands in his pockets. “But they have a condition that they want to run by you first before making any commitments.”
Based on Gabriel’s expression, what they’re requesting must not be all that great.
“What are they asking for?”
He sighs heavily, looking around the room before glancing back at me. “They want to either straighten your hair, or give you a wig.”
I frown, slightly taken aback. “Is there a reason they don’t want my hair curly?”
”They’re promoting a product that’s meant for people with straight hair,” he sighs. “My guess is they picked you because they’re trying to do damage control after the scene Colton caused at the competition.”
“Ugh.” I curl my lip in disgust. “I’ll pass.”
He nods as if he expected it.
“But, I do have an idea I wanted to run by you, if you have time,” I quickly say.
He looks up at me curiously. “An idea?”
I nod. “What if instead of searching for sponsors that have products that align with me, we partner with a brand to create those products?”
Gabriel stands up straighter. “I’m surprised I never thought of that,” he says. “Good thinking, kid.”
“It was actually Colton’s idea.” I giggle. “While he was doing my hair last night, we got to talking about products and searching for brands that cater to people that look like me. He came up with the idea right there on the spot.”
“Is that so?” He says, a smirk playing on his lips. “Can I ask you something?”
“Uh, sure.”
“You two seem to be spending a lot of time together,” he says. “My cousin even told me she caught you both making out at her bar more than once.”
My cheeks warm at his directness, and I can’t think of anything to say, which only causes his smirk to grow wider.
“I’m just curious to know if you two have something going on, seeing as you’re apparently going on a date with my brother-in-law tonight.”
He doesn’t sound or look like he’s genuinely concerned for Zale’s sake. In fact, from what I remember, they tolerate each other for Zalea’s sake.
“Colton and I are just friends,” I say, but it sounds weak even to my own ears.
Gabriel nods, pursing his lips slightly. “That’s a shame,” he murmurs as he rounds the desk and takes a seat. “Seems like he’s head over heels for you.”
I’m too stunned to speak. This is so unlike Gabriel, meddling in other people’s business so pointedly, and I know it’s going to be on my mind for the rest of the day.
“Anyway,” he says, clearing his throat. “I’ll put together a collaboration proposition and reach out to a few contacts I have who I think would be perfect to partner with on this.”
“Thanks Gabriel,” I say quietly, turning to leave.
“Oh, one more thing,” he calls out.
I look at him over my shoulder, noticing his sly smile first. “Stephen Kodak, the judge that’s been targeting you, is on unpaid leave pending an investigation.”
I gasp, turning to completely face him. “Does that mean he’s gone?”
He folds his hands together on his desk. “It’ll be pretty damn near impossible for him to get back on the board.”
“What happened?”
“Well,” Gabriel scratches his arms behind his head and leans back. “It seems that someone took the time to examine his judging patterns when it came to every single marginalized surfer, and there was a very clear history of lower ratings.”
I’m so happy that my vision begins to blur with happy tears. “Was it you?”
He shrugs, but his smile is answer enough.
“Thank you Gabriel,” I whisper, my voice trembling. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
He shoo’s me out of the room with a chuckle and without thinking it through I run up the stairs and straight to Colton’s room wanting to share the amazing news with him. But when I burst through his doors without knocking, I freeze on the spot.
Colton is leaning against his desk, pants at his ankles and head thrown back, pumping his cock.
He quickly lifts his head to look at me, just as his door shuts on its own behind me, but it’s too late for him to stop as cum shoots out of the tip. He groans, dropping his head again as he pumps unevenly, smaller shots of cum seeping out.
”Oh my God,” I whisper, my face burning hot.
I squeeze my thighs together to try and stop the throbbing ache between them, but when he lifts his eyes up to mine again, a panting mess, the ache doubles and I don’t know if it’s safe for me to stay in this room.
“I’m going to go,” I say in a rush, turning to leave.
”Don’t go,” he says, reaching out and grabbing hold of my wrist.
I turn and look down at where he holds me, my skin feeling electric. I glance back at him, seeing the need in his eyes, probably reflecting the need in mine.
“It’s probably not a good idea for me to stay,” I whisper.
“We’ve seen each other naked before,” he says with a shrug. “We’ve had sex before too.”
I feel like I’m going to combust from want and need right here in front of him. “Yeah but that was before…before…before you—“
”Before I told you that I love you?” He finishes for me.
I nod.
Colton chuckles, letting go of me and pushing himself off the desk as he walks toward me.
“I can separate my feelings from sex, Kai,” he says, running his thumb along my earlobe. “I told you before, if you want relief you can always come to me.”
I know I shouldn’t, not when I’m supposed to have my date with Zale later tonight, and especially not after everything that’s happened between Colton and I over the last couple of weeks.
But I have no self-control. Not when it comes to him and the things he makes me feel. So, unsurprisingly, I don’t hesitate to crash my lips against his.
Our kiss is messy, desperate, and electric as he pulls my shorts and underwear down before rubbing his fingers against my pussy, making a satisfied sound when he finds me already wet.
“Watching me make myself come really did a number on you, huh?” He murmurs after pulling away from our kiss to lift me up by the back of my thighs and carry me over to his desk.
I grip onto his shoulder with one hand, and use the other to support myself on the desk as he slides his cock into me.
“Oh god,” I moan. “This is a really bad idea.”
He chuckles as he begins to thrust, using his thumb to rub my clit at the same time. “Sex with you is never a bad idea.”
A monumental orgasm crashes into me a few minutes later and Colton has to cover my mouth with his palm to keep the whole house from hearing.
He doesn’t slow down, or stop, even when my eyes roll back.
He keeps going and going until a second orgasm rolls through me and this time he joins in with his own.
I feel him explode inside of me, the warmth of his cum warming me from the inside out, and even though I came twice it doesn’t feel like enough—I want more.
“I’ll never get tired of this pussy,” he groans, his thrusts losing their rhythm.
“Never?” I ask, coming down from my own orgasm.
He shakes his head. “Ever.”
This time, instead of feeling overwhelming fear at the idea of us having sex again, I almost feel…excited. But that can’t be right, can it?
Colton is my friend—he will always be my friend.
So why is it that when I had good news, he was the first person I ran to? And why am I thinking about having sex with Colton again, when I should be thinking about my date with Zale later tonight?
All of these questions swirl around my mind and I don’t even notice when he pulls himself out of me to go grab a towel.
”Are you okay?” He asks as he gently wipes me clean with a damp towel. “Did I hurt you?”
“You didn’t hurt me,” I say, shaking my head.
He quietly studies me as he continues to wipe me clean, but he chooses not to pry and I appreciate it. I wouldn’t have any answers for him anyway. My own feelings and thoughts are confusing me.
”So,” he says, dropping the towel when he’s finished cleaning me and retrieving my clothes for me. “What made you burst through my room like the house was on fire?”
I let out an embarrassed laugh as I pull my underwear and shorts back on while he changes too.
“I’m so sorry for not knocking,” I say, mortified. “I was just so excited that I didn’t even realize what I was doing.”
He laughs. “That’s alright.”
Once I’m dressed, I hop off his desk. “Gabriel told me that Stephen Kozak has basically been fired.”
Colton’s eyebrows jump up in surprise before he grins widely. “Kairi, that’s amazing news,” he says. “I have no doubt Gabriel had a hand in making it happen.”
“I think so too.” I laugh. “Oh, and I pitched the brand collaboration idea with him, and he’s very impressed that you came up with it. He said he’d get started on making that happen.”
”I know it’s going to be amazing,” he replies. “I can’t wait to see it.”
I nod, a big smile sitting on my face. “Anyway,” I sigh, “I should probably go before Eliana comes looking for me. She promised to help me find a dress for my date tonight.”
His grin shrinks to a small smile and he nods. “Have fun.”
“I will,” I say, before pausing at the door and glancing at him over my shoulder. “Thanks, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For the relief,” I wink, pulling a chuckle out of him. “And for being so supportive of everything.”
“I’ll always support you, Kairi.” He smiles at me, but it looks sad this time. “That’s what friends are for.”
“See you tonight?”
“See you tonight,” he confirms with a nod.