Chapter 36
KAI
Diana falls apart the second we get back to the Fairmont.
“Horrific! Atrocious!” She pries through her closet with a panicked whisper. “I need Helen.”
“What are you looking for?”
Diana sighs. Her hands flop down at her sides as she frowns. “I want to show up to the dinner in an outfit that says I’m calm and dignified, but not too calm and dignified that you think I have plans up my sleeve, but just calm and dignified enough to be normal and unassuming.”
I rub my forehead. “Is this the part where you hold up two identical looking dresses and tell me to pick one?”
Diana suddenly whirls around with two identical white dresses in her hands.
“No.” She avoids my gaze and shoves the clothes back into the closet. “That’s ridiculous.”
A smile breaks across my face. I reach out and steady her shoulders, softly rubbing my thumbs back and forth over her skin.
“Look, you’re a bit stressed out right now. Why don’t you go take a shower and freshen up? You might even figure out what to wear while you’re in there.”
Diana huffs. The angry pout on her face eases up a little. “Okay, fine.”
While she showers, I lounge on the chair in front of her vanity mirror and scroll through my presentation notes for tonight. Luckily, it’s only me and Diana in here. Her maid, Helen, had left to go buy some groceries. Diana and I nearly collapsed in relief when we found her note.
At the same time, being alone with her like this is messing with my head.
I can hear the shower running and I'm trying not to picture her in it like a goddamn freak. It doesn’t help when every piece of Diana surrounds me right now.
The vanity is organized with all the makeup, skincare, and perfumes she uses.
I look at each and every bottle, just trying to find pieces of her that no one else notices.
Ping!
I peek down at my phone to see a new message in my group chat with the boys.
LUKE
Brothers, I’m having a fucking crisis
I don’t know what to be for Halloween
ROWAN
You should be the penalty box since the two of you have been so well acquainted this season
You’re not gonna be matching up with Emilie?
Luke doesn’t answer that, oddly enough.
WALLACE
You can be Mr. Worldwide Handsome since you already got that costume ;)
LUKE
I’m going to marry you one day bro
Take notes, Row.
ROWAN
Look, it’s been a long day. I just helped out one of Aunt Edie’s restaurants with a delivery and killed another spider for Stella from Alberni Street. All I want is for you guys to be on time for Kai’s presentation tonight
LUKE
I’m thinking about whipping out my lucky tartan suit
Please don’t
LUKE
Don’t you want the power of the Scots on your side bro???
I’m good
LUKE
Every time I come here I am ATTACKED
I shake my head and laugh.
Suddenly, Diana shrieks from the bathroom. “āiyā!”
“Diana!” I scramble onto my feet and knock on the bathroom door. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she groans. “I just got soap in my eye.”
I rub the back of my neck and shift back and forth on my feet. “Do you, uh…do you need me to come in and help out?”
“Can you pass me a towel? I can’t see.”
“Yeah, sure.”
Steam wafts into my face when I walk in. The air is sweet with Diana’s rose water shampoo. The scent sinks into the towel I reach for on my way to the shower. My breath shakes at the blurry outline of her body behind the glass.
Diana cracks open the door and pokes her head out with her eyes squeezed shut.
“Kai?”
“Here. Let me.” I cradle her face between my hands before gently washing the shampoo out of her eye. It only takes a few strokes until she’s blinking both eyes open again.
“There.” I toss the towel aside. “Do you want me to help you with anything else?”
Diana smiles a little and cocks her head. “Who knew hockey players could come in handy like this?”
“I thought you’d be more familiar with how useful my hands are.”
Diana bites her lip. “Do you want to come in?”
I raise a brow and prop my arm against the shower door. “Are you trying to seduce me, Diana Huang?”
“Of course not,” she scoffs, yet the wicked mischief in her eyes says otherwise. “I can take care of myself from here.”
The underlying message in Diana’s words rattles the most insatiable, diabolical part of myself that only she can bring out.
She’s about to close the shower door before I force it still.
“Wait for me.”
DIANA
My back drops against the wall as Kai steps into the shower with me.
His height eclipses the light. Only a faint ray of gold shines over Kai’s shoulder, illuminating the water running down his defined muscles and the intricate black symbols in his tattoo. His curls soften under the steam, making them drape against those sultry, dark green eyes.
“Can you turn around for me, princess?”
A soft sigh escapes me as Kai lathers the shampoo into my hair. The heat radiating from his body and his strong hands kneading into my hair makes my eyes flutter.
However, it starts twitching a little when it’s my turn to wash him.
“Let me know if you need a ladder,” Kai teases. “I firmly believe short people deserve that right.”
I glare at him and flick a wad of foam at his chest. Kai’s deep laugh echoes all over the shower. I’ve heard him laugh so many times, yet it silences me in wonder every time.
I completely forget why I’m scowling and annoyed in the first place by the time Kai settles down on the shower seat. I stand between his legs and start lathering his hair. Kai gazes up at me, his dark lashes flecked with water.
God, he’s gorgeous.
“I can’t wait to go into the presentation smelling like a rose bush,” he muses.
I snort. “Better that than smelling like your hockey gear.”
Kai cracks a small, wry smile as I let the water rinse out the suds in his hair. “It’s not that bad.”
“The zipper opens and birds scatter—”
“Okay, Di—”
“Squirrels scurry away from the smell.”
“I get it.” Kai rises to his feet, swallowing up all the space in this shower. His thumb runs over my bottom lip. “That mouth of yours enjoys talking nonsense, huh?”
A pathetic breathlessness overcomes my words, “And? What are you going to do about it?”
“How about I fuck that brattiness out of you? How does that sound?”
It sounds utterly filthy.
“Keep going,” I beg.
“That’s it,” Kai commands. “Keep moaning for me.”
Kai’s breath on my skin, his body pushing against mine, and the low vibration of his moans in my ear is all I sense as he fucks me hard against the shower wall. I grip him tight, making a deep groan shudder from his chest.
Sometimes, keeping our friends with benefits arrangement a secret can be stressful. But moments like this make it so dangerously thrilling that I don’t want it to end.
Everyone in the lobby saw Kai disguised as a mundane delivery boy helping me bring my things up. But they have no idea he’s up here, railing every thought out of my mind.
Pleasure and hunger ricochets between us, as we beg and gasp for each other.
Harder.
More, more.
Don’t stop.
Pleasure bundles inside of me, so hot and tingly I can feel my orgasm radiating from the friction. Every thrust sends our worries vanishing into the clouding steam.
Kai’s presentation for the Pacific Observer.
Bàba’s announcement at tonight’s dinner.
“Oh my god,” I gasp.
“Putain de bordel de merde.” Kai fights to catch his breath, as he and I finish together. He watches me come undone on his cock. Awe and mesmerization take over his face before he cups my face and kisses me.
The tension from the day slowly peters out between us. Kai and I hold onto each other, anchoring ourselves in place against the water.
“I needed this,” he huffs.
“So did I,” I confess.
Kai laughs breathlessly. I wonder if this is what it’s like to find your person: You go through all that’s stressful and harrowing with someone you can laugh about it with.
Suddenly, the front door opens.
“Miss Diana!” Helen shouts. “I’m back!”