Chapter 7
“My. Mycah!”
I blinked when I heard Chanel scream my name.
“Why are you yelling?”
“Because I called your name like five times, and you didn’t respond. What the hell were you doing?”
I was on my way to meet Kairo at the library and had the urge to turn back around. I called Chanel to distract me, but I ended up daydreaming about Kairo.
My first couple of days at the police station had been good.
Kairo brought me donuts and coffee a couple of times, and I wasn’t sure what to think of it.
He didn’t bring them for anyone else, and I didn’t want people to think that he was playing favorites or something.
I liked everyone there that I had come across, and I would hate for them to think I got my job any other way besides my skills.
Maybe he was just being nice. I felt like it was more to it than that because I caught him staring multiple times throughout the day.
Sometimes he would immediately look away, but then other times, he would smile, nod, or wink at me.
Each time he did it, heat crept up my neck, and I blushed.
It probably was a bad idea to like him because he was my boss, but I honestly couldn’t help it.
Kairo was one of the most handsomest men I’d met in my life.
I’d seen him in regular clothes and his police uniform, and I wasn’t sure which I liked better.
The glasses he wore made him even sexier.
Since I met him, I’d had a few dreams about him. I wasn’t sure if meeting him outside of work was a good idea, but I wanted to help him with the bash. I’d even come up with some ideas, but I needed to know how big the event was supposed to be.
“Sorry, my mind is all over the place. Plus, I’m trying to follow this GPS so I can get to the library. I heard it was a library and a café or something, so I want to try it out.”
“Or you’re thinking about that man,” she said in a singsong voice.
The day I bumped into Kairo and saw him again at the interview, I called Chanel and told her about him.
She encouraged me to see how things turned out and to not let what I went through with Brian stop me from finding love again.
I agreed to a certain degree but just wasn’t sure about Kairo.
I wasn’t going to make anyone pay for the mistakes that Brian made, because they weren’t him.
Of course, I might be a little skeptical of someone at first, but that was normal.
I would treat a person based off how they treated me.
“Friend, I don’t know what to do. It’s not like he’s made a move or anything, but I feel like there is some type of chemistry between us. Every time he talks to me, he smiles and stares into my soul. At least that’s what it feels like.”
“I don’t think you are imagining things, but just go with the flow.”
“I guess. I just arrived at the library. I’m not sure if Kairo is here or not, but I’m going to head inside to see about getting me some tea to calm my nerves.”
“You’ll be fine. Call me later to tell me how things went.”
I agreed and said goodbye. I dropped my phone in my purse, then pulled down the mirror to check my appearance.
Changing my clothes had crossed my mind when I went home, but I decided against it.
Kairo complimented me on the dress I wore to work, so I figured he’d appreciate me still having it on.
I was trying to impress him, but at the same time, I wasn’t.
Once I looked presentable with a fresh coat of lip gloss, I grabbed my bag and headed inside. Since I wasn’t sure exactly where I was supposed to meet Kairo, I headed to the café area.
“Mycah.”
I looked up when I heard his voice. Chief Kairo.
He still had his work uniform on, but a few of the buttons on his shirt were undone. He waved me over as he stood in line.
“Hey. I wasn’t sure if you were here or not, and I figured I’d try out the café,” I told him when I made it over to him.
The smell of fresh soap hit me when I got close enough to him.
He didn’t seem like a cologne wearer, but whatever soap he used was enough.
Each time I saw him, he smelled good and fresh.
His eyes traveled the length of my body, and heat rushed to my cheeks.
“I was actually going to get you a cup of lavender tea and one of the pastries. But I’m glad you are here now so you can pick out what you want.”
“I’d like you to pick something for me, if you don’t mind.” I was curious to see what he would choose for me. I would come back another time and try something different if I wanted to.
His tongue traced his bottom lip as he looked at me.
It was the look that he always gave me that made me think he wanted more from me than just being his assistant.
I felt like if given the chance, Kairo would try and knock my screws loose.
I wasn’t opposed to it either. If he were anything like I thought he was in my dreams, I would be in for a good time.
Kairo was muscular and looked like he could toss me around.
“I got you.”
The line moved up, and Kairo ordered both of us lavender and Earl Grey tea with glazed croissant donuts.
He told me the tea came from a tea shop that was located on a farm in Sunrise Valley, and the owner’s name was Lavender.
I thought it was cool that she had different types of lavender teas, among other things.
I made a mental note to check out the farm one day.
Once we got our stuff, we walked over to the other side where the library was located and found an empty table.
“Here you go,” Kairo said as he pulled the chair out for me.
“Thank you.” I sat down and put my purse on the back of the chair.
I thought Kairo would sit across from me, but he sat right next to me instead. Him being so close made me nervous, and it felt like I wouldn’t be able to think straight, but I liked him close.
I broke off a piece of the donut and put it in my mouth. “Mm.”
Kairo looked at me, and the desire that swirled in his eyes made my stomach clench.
“You know you moan when something is good to you?”
“I haven’t noticed.”
Kairo leaned in closer and whispered, “I noticed, and so did my dick.”
My eyes got wide as saucers, and I got wet down below.
“Shit. My bad. I let my intrusive thoughts take over.” He paused and took a sip of his tea. “It wasn’t a lie, though.” He winked, then ate a piece of his donut.
I was flustered and didn’t know what to say.
“You’re very straightforward.”
“That’s the only way I know how to be.”
“Got it.” I cleared my throat. “Can you tell me about the summer bash? Like, do you have any ideas of what you want it to be? Or any ideas of where you want it?”
Kairo put his fist up to his mouth and cleared his throat. His eyes were on me, and I squirmed in my seat. Just a look from him had my body on fire.
After a few seconds, he went on to tell me about the bash and what they typically did. He gave me some ideas he had, and I shared a few of mine. We both had some of the same ideas. I didn’t know anything about the area, but I agreed to go with him to look at some places he had in mind to have it.
The more we talked about it, the more excited I got about helping him with it.
“Now that we got that stuff out of the way, tell me more about you. And I don’t want to hear generic answers. Don’t look at me as your boss right now. We’re two people trying to get to know each other and, hopefully, be friends one day.”
My breath hitched when he pushed a fallen strand behind my ear. It was in a ponytail when I went to work, but I had taken it out when I went home.
“By the way, I like your hair when it’s down,” he said as he lightly touched the bottom of my hair.
“Thank you.” If anyone else had done that, I would have flipped, but not with Kairo. I didn’t mind him touching my hair, or anywhere else he wanted to touch.
I thought about what I wanted to tell him, and I felt comfortable about telling him how I ended up in Sunrise Valley in the first place.
“I was in an abusive relationship, and my parents thought I needed a change of scenery.”
I noticed his jaw clench when I said abusive, and I felt the need to clarify what I meant.
“It wasn’t physical abuse, but it was emotional and verbal. Enough to affect me, but I’m good now.”
Kairo grabbed my hand and peered into my eyes. That damn spark was there again.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of abuse it was.
Abuse is abuse, and you didn’t deserve that.
No woman deserves any form of abuse. I’m sorry you had to endure that.
” He held on to my hand but looked away for a minute.
The conversation seemed to have bothered him.
I wanted to say something else, but I didn’t want to push.
“Right after I graduated from the academy, I had a female best friend that was in an abusive relationship. No matter how many times me or her family tried to get her out of it, she wouldn’t leave him.
” I felt his grip on my hand tighten a little bit.
“He ended up killing her, and I couldn’t save her.
” He closed his eyes and inhaled. “For a while I blamed myself, but I knew it wasn’t on me.
Regardless, it still bothered me that I couldn’t save her.
Any man that abuses a woman in any capacity is a coward.
You are brave for getting away from him. ”
“Thank you, and I’m sorry you had to experience that. Let’s move on to something more exciting.” I smiled to ease the tension. “Tell me about you. Do you have any siblings?”
I hated that he had to endure that and that his friend couldn’t get out of it.
People don’t understand how hard it could be for some to get away from their abusers.
They made a person scared of them. Sometimes, they threatened to harm your family, so it was just easier to stay.
I was grateful that Brian didn’t put his hands on me, but it could have led to that if I stayed with him.
“Yes, I have a younger brother and a baby sister. They both are my heart in human form and my best friends.”
His face lit up as he told me about his siblings. He told me his brother ran their family’s hotel, but I noticed he didn’t share whatever his sister did.
“No siblings for me, but my favorite cousin lives here. His name is Elias, and he’s a bodyguard.”
“Small world. I know Elias; he’s a cool dude. I wish I would have known about you before.” He let his eyes peruse my body again.
“He’s the closest thing I have to a sibling. He was the one that told me about the job. What happened to your last assistant?”
I noticed Kairo hadn’t let go of my hand. He looked away for a few seconds, then shook his head. He chuckled and pushed his glasses up on his face.
“I don’t like to lie and especially to my friends, and I’d like to think we are building a friendship. I fucked her, and she wanted more, and that wasn’t the type of time I was on. She knew that from the beginning, but she ended up catching feelings.”
Well shit, I wasn’t expecting him to tell me that. It made me feel some type of way because what if we crossed that line and he tossed my ass to the side.
“Oh, okay.”
“You probably think I’m an asshole now.” He looked a little sad when he said that.
“No. I just didn’t think that was what you were going to say.”
“I’m always open and honest when I deal with a person, but unfortunately, people think what they want to think regardless of what was said.”
I knew exactly what he meant because I’d been in situations like that before. I’d felt things were more than I thought they were, but I didn’t get mad when the dude didn’t feel the same way.
“Trust me, I get it. What are some things you like to do when you aren’t working?”
I just wanted him to keep talking because I enjoyed the sound of his voice. I also noticed the way his pupils dilated when he looked at me.
He told me he didn’t do too much, but he liked to play online chess.
He also liked to go for walks and hiking with Shadow.
I couldn’t see Cashmere hiking anywhere, but we could walk.
I shared my interest with skating and going for walks.
We shared our favorite foods. He told me what it was like growing up with younger siblings and the things he and his brother used to get into.
I could tell he was very family-oriented, and I liked that.
My family was small, but I loved them, and I was family-oriented as well.
Kairo and I stayed at the library for so long that by the time we left, the sun had gone down.
“I didn’t mean to keep you so late,” Kairo said as he walked me to my car.
“It’s not that late. I liked talking to you.”
I unlocked my car door, and Kairo opened it for me. I stood next to it, hesitant to get in because I wanted to stay around him longer, but I knew I needed to go.
“I enjoyed talking to you as well. I have some places in mind for the bash, so maybe we can check them out together.”
“I’d like that.”
I licked my lips as we stared at each other. I wanted him to kiss me so bad, but I knew that wasn’t the right thing to do.
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kairo looked like he wanted to say more as his hand rubbed the back of his neck.
I waited for a few seconds, but when he didn’t say anything else, I said, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waited until I got in my car, then closed the door for me.
He stood to the side while I turned the car on.
I waved at him, then pulled off with a smile on my face.
The whole way home, I thought about Kairo.
That was until my phone rang with an unfamiliar number.
The funny feeling I got in my stomach made me not answer it.
I didn’t want anything to ruin the good mood I was in.
I could only pray it wasn’t who I thought it was.