by Kells, India
Kai kissed her senseless as she turned pliant in his arms. As soon as he knew her brain had turned to mush, he was glad for Sasha, Deva, and Zoe ushering her to the elevator.
Now alone with his brothers and Gabrielle, Kai’s tone turned into a block of ice.
“Now it’s time for business.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
She didn’t think that after the crazy evening she would be able to sleep at all, but her body proved her wrong. After reassuring the girls that she was all right and needed some time alone to gather her thoughts, Isabel slid under the covers. As soon as her head had hit the pillow, it had been some sort of switch and her world went blank.
Even more surprising was that she slept through the night, only to open her eyes to the sun already high in the sky and a warm man wrapped up all around her.
He snored softly, his body engulfing her as if fearing she would disappear while he slept. He wasn’t totally wrong about that. Their current situation was full of unanswered questions, and especially one that was still blowing her mind. Kai Jones had asked her to marry him. Isabel didn’t know if she should laugh or cry, or if he even realized what he had proposed. Part of her believed that once he took a step back, he would regret it. Another part of her, deep down in her heart, hoped that it was real. She’d never thought that any man who knew what she’d done would ever propose to her.
Kai shifted a bit to roll on his back, mumbled something incomprehensible and slung the arm he had on her hips over his eyes.
Naked to the waist, he was a sight to be seen. Her personal wet dream. And maybe that was the reason she didn’t want him to appear in that video. She felt proprietary toward him and didn’t want to share him with the world.
Like a moth drawn to a flame, Isabel put her hand over his heart for a moment, before letting it slide over the ink adorning his skin.
When her mouth followed the caress of her hand, her body caught fire. The clean scent of his skin, the warmth under her touch, was like gasoline to her senses. Kneeling on the bed, Isabel deliberately traced his intricate tattoos with her tongue while her other hand went between her legs. Arousal was swift with this man and it always astounded her.
Kai seemed to still be deep in slumber as she continued her trail toward his delicious abs. From the look of it, his body wasn’t in dreamland anymore as his erection grew to attention underneath the white sheet.
Unable to resist the taste of him, she pulled at the cotton until it revealed the prize. Still teasing herself, Isabel licked him from root to tip, for the first time focusing on all the sensitive spots. Her hand swirled on the tender underside of him before following each and every one of his veins. When he groaned louder, Isabel looked up and her heart jumped in her chest. He was awake and looking at her, his beautiful silver eyes burning.
He went to touch her, but she swatted his hands away. It was a feast she wanted to enjoy without distraction. The low groan coming from his throat was an indication that Kai didn’t mind either.
For a long while, under her ministrations and caresses, aware of all his reactions and expressions of lust, she was ready to make him cross the finish line when he moved at lightning speed and brought her to him, smashing his lips against her mouth.
Isabel welcomed him, and he slid in his tongue in a sensual dance with her. With his hands full of her ass, she positioned her knees on both sides of his hips, lowering hers until she could feel his length and slowly swayed. Never breaking his kiss, Kai pushed back against her, heightening both their pleasure.
His hands deserted her backside to trace every one of her curves as they moved up. At some point, his fingers were so light on her ribs, she couldn’t help but giggle into his mouth and push herself away.
“What?”
But by the grin on his face, it was a dead giveaway that Kai knew what he had done.
“Stop doing that.”
“Doing what? This?”
Isabel thought he would run his fingers over her ticklish skin, again but instead cupped her breast. “Please tell me if you want to stop, Izzy. I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
The joker was back again, teasing her with his humor and his hands. She was ready to lash back in jest when he lightly pinched her nipples, before soothing the pain with his mouth. His breath on her skin made her shiver.
Aroused and definitely not the only one with a trick or two, Isabel straightened up again, already missing his touch on her breasts, and instead, searched for his hardness nestled between her ass cheeks. As her fist closed around him, Kai bowed enough to break eye contact, and she lifted herself up to take him in, one satisfying inch at the time.
The movement down stretched her in the most pleasurable ways, even though she knew more would be needed to fly into the stratosphere with him.
“That was a wicked move, Izzy.” His voice had the low menacing tone she loved so much, sending tremors of anticipation across her body.
She cupped her own breasts and started to move, and this time, the man cursed in a way that she couldn’t help but snicker. “Please tell me if you want to stop, Kai. I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
His smile was dazzling, and as she delighted in her power, he surprised her by rolling them over so fast she didn’t have time to yelp.
Disengaging, Kai kissed her quick and hard before pushing her knees high and apart. With one hand he guided himself in with one powerful thrust. Eyes never leaving the sight of the man between her legs, his powerful body and wild hair framing his handsome face, she knew this image would be burned into her mind for the rest of her life.
“Izzy. My Izzy. Above and below me, you look like a vision. But do you know when you look like the most stunning goddess for me?”
Speechless at his words, Isabel could only shake her head.
Kai licked his lips before bringing his fingers to moisten them. When he reached between her legs and started to make agonizing circles around her clit, sending spikes of pleasures that were far from enough, Isabel fisted the blanket under her palms and tried to push her core against his hands. When he finally answered her silent plea and caressed the underside of her throbbing nub, Isabel bowed in the sweetest agony.
“There. When you are pursuing your pleasure under my hands, when you crave my touch and trust me enough to give it to you. You look like the most enticing, sensual woman I have ever seen. And with you so powerful in your pleasure, I feel like a god by your side.”
At his words, he thrust deeper and harder inside her, one hand keeping her knee high, the other manipulating her clitoris, making her mad with desire.
Her mouth went dry as he suddenly heightened her pleasure to breaking point before relenting and instead focusing on where they were connected.
The way he penetrated her, the friction, sharpened everything and turned her into a babbling mess at the same time. Isabel didn’t know what she wanted anymore. The only certainty was that her entire being reached for him. For Kai. He was the only man she wanted, heart, body, and soul. If he wanted to torment her, so be it. She would submit until she could take her revenge and torture him the same way—until he begged for her body and touch. A lifetime had passed since Isabel had offered her virginity to an unknowing Kai, and at this moment she didn’t care it was so long ago. They were together now, and even if life had scarred them both, what they had cherished, the thread they had woven between them, was still intact.
Again teasing her poor clit in a way that all she could feel was the mounting pleasure and the pulsing of her pounding heart between her legs, Isabel grabbed his arm and dug her nails into his wrist. “Please Kai. No more. More. No more teasing, please. Oh, oh please, make me come.”
She could see from the tension in him, the sweat glistening over his muscled body that he was teasing himself as much as her. The man had unbreakable control, and she prayed he was ready to break it soon and offer them both the release they craved.
His fingers slowed down again, and she almost cursed
at the deprivation. “Isabel, look at me.”
Wild with lust and drunk on him, Isabel obeyed and plunged her eyes to his. Once more he accelerated his movement, stimulating her until she almost felt like falling. One more time on the edge, Isabel couldn’t look away from the man who filled her world.
“I love you, Izzy. I’ve loved you all my life.” His cock pushed inside her as he spoke, robbing her of breath with the sensation and the words. She could see on his face that he was baring his soul to her and didn’t expect anything in return. On the contrary, he was offering her his body, his heart, and the pleasure of his touch freely. His thumb came in contact with her clit and started a maddening strum that made her body crash in a mind-blowing orgasm.
Kai yelled as she felt him thrashing inside her with frantic haste, pursuing her pleasure to fulfill his. The warrior’s body shook over her before he collapsed and came to rest in the haven of her arms.
Naturally, her legs and arms cradled him as his mouth rested over her heart.
Her hand gently pushed at his hair before she kissed the top of his head. “I love you too, Kai Jones. I’ve loved you from the moment you emerged from the sea and made me laugh. And I’ll love you until the day I die.”
It clearly took a second or two for her words to make their way to the man lying spent over her body. Isabel smiled the moment his body tensed, and he looked up with a jerk. The mercury of his irises was like a storm about to come down, like waiting for a trick or maybe a confirmation that he had misheard the words.
Isabel couldn’t deny him anything, and cupped his scratchy cheeks, decided to make this as official as she could, despite her own doubts and fears. If she accepted the love of this man, she had to finally find the strength and love for herself, and the forgiveness for her own faults and mistakes. Kai Jones allowed her to see it, and to give it to herself. Only then was she able to say the words back he had offered her, not because she believed him, but because she believed herself.
“I love you, Kai Jones.”
A grin shimmered on his lips as he examined her face. “And?”
This time, she offered him her brightest smile. “And if you accept who I am as much as I accept who you are, I will marry you.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Isabel was floating on air, disconnected from her body. It had been the very first time she felt that way, and it was because of that crazy Hawaiian goof, Kai Jones.
After she’d accepted his proposal, Kai had made it a point of honor to express his joy and love in the most thorough way, so much so that they didn’t hear Archer knocking on their bedroom door until Kai’s brother was bashing on it like a madman, shouting that breakfast was ready, whining that he was now traumatized for the rest of his life because of what he had heard.
When she gathered enough energy to look at the time, she knew that the fun and games were over. Kai kissed her one last time, with such desperation, her heart ached at being separated from him.
They dressed quickly, Isabel, thinking what lay ahead with Finch, chose one of her navy dress suits that could be worn in the evening with a nice lace neckline and discreet adornments on the hem.
She styled her hair in a loose chignon that allowed several strands to fall around her face. Once her makeup was applied, she went into the room to grab a pair of shoes, as well as her work bag and cell phone.
Kai had finished dressing, and his hair tied back once more, was looking at his cell phone while waiting for her. As soon as he saw her, he licked his lips in anticipation, but she evaded his hands.
“Back off, surfer boy. We don’t have time for any of that. I need to eat something before heading out the door, because the more time that passes, the more I’ll think about what’s to come and that will make me queasy.”
Kai winked at her and offered his hand which she took immediately, grateful for the comfort of his touch. He led them to the elevator and once the door closed, he put his forehead against hers. “We’ll get through all this. I know we will.”
The certainty in his voice steadied her nerves. When the door opened, the sound of baby Julia’s giggling filled the room. Zoe was at the table with her daughter feeding her some sort of orange purée. As Julia laughed, she spat more and more on herself, her stained bib, and the table before her.
Archer was in the kitchen, obviously dressed for work, apart from his jacket which was hanging over one of the chairs with his briefcase on it and a stack of papers.
“Good morning!” Kai’s over-the-top good morning made Isabel smile. Same for Zoe and Julia screamed in joy seeing one of her favorite human beings. Lucas was nowhere to be seen and Archer just mumbled something about monkey sex before offering Isabel a cup of coffee.
Before she could get a cup, Kai tightened his hold on her waist. “Wait. I have something to say. Isabel accepted my proposal. She agreed to marry me!”
Zoe squealed, and rounded the table to take Izzy in her arms before flinging herself into Kai’s arms.
To Izzy’s surprise, Archer not only gave her a peck on the cheek but folded her into an amazing bear hug. For a man with a reputation for being as cold as ice, he sure didn’t live up to his name.
Same with the genuine smile he gave her as he released his hold. “Welcome to our weird, dysfunctional, and highly lethal family. You’ll fit right in.”
Isabel laughed and blushed a little. “I may be the weirdest of you all.”
Archer winked. “Not even close. Drink your coffee. With this doofus, you’ll need all the caffeine you can get.”
“Hey!” Kai appeared to be offended, but the goofy grin on his face gave him away. Both brothers embraced and Isabel felt warm watching them. This big family feeling was so new and it felt like another piece clicked into place, giving her courage for what was to come.
Archer quickly rolled his eyes as his gaze turned from amused to serious. “I’ve read the contract and added a few suggestions of my own. I sent it back to you this morning. I’ve added my phone number. If the additional clauses seem strange to you, give me a call.”
Isabel kissed his freshly shaved cheek and smiled. “Thank you.”
Zoe did the same for Kai as he was making funny noises at Julia before kissing her husband again. “Oh, and Gabrielle left something for you, Izzy.”
The envelope had two small boxes in it. One was the tracking brooch, the other was a lovely and very chic jeweled watch. In the box, a piece of paper confirmed that Gabrielle never did anything without a clear intention and with a spooky sense of anticipation.
Isabel smiled at Kai as she put the boxes and note back in the envelope, preparing for what was to come.
* * *
When she opened the door of her office, Isabel stopped short at the huge bouquet of flowers on her desk, even bigger than the one she’d received on her first day. She didn’t need to check the card to know who they came from. And the way Shelby shrilled in delight as she came into her office behind her was another confirmation of its own.
“Aren’t they magnificent? Mr. Finch had them delivered just before you arrived. With this…”
Shelby almost danced behind the door to retrieve a cloth bag. With the enthusiasm of a ten-year-old, she unzipped it to reveal a fire-red satin dress. Isabel had no doubt it was very expensive as well as being a definite statement to what the man had in mind. Her business-to-evening outfit was a definite no-go, and she didn’t have to look at Kai to know his opinion on the subject.
“Mr. Finch is too kind.” Just saying the words in her normal voice was a challenge, but Isabel was happy it sounded genuine enough for Shelby.
The young woman jumped around and Isabel had a hard time making her focus on work again.
Only when she had herself under control and focused on the mission did she allow herself to look at Kai. In his bodyguard persona, he looked distant and detached, but despite his contacts, the fleeting gleam of warmth in his eyes reassured her.
“Everything is fine, Mr. Keaton.”
“Very well, Ms. Osbourne. I’ll be outside the door if you need me.”
It was her turn to smile. She definitely needed him, and she knew it was going to be even truer very soon.
* * *
For the first time in her life, Isabel wished she had a gun in her hand when she saw herself in the insane red dress. Her finger was itching to pull the trigger on Finch for thinking any woman wanted to be poured into the dress for fun and not be body conscious about it or feel like an expensive whore. Not surprising as that was the man’s end game.
Shelby fussed over her, helping her with her shoes and hair until Kai knocked on the door to announce that they had to leave. His expression when he opened the door was unreadable, keeping his expression professional as he led her down to Sam.
The sun was setting over the city as they exited, and he opened the door for her. Once she slid onto the seat, Kai entered after her instead of sitting up front with Sam as usual.
As soon as they were on the move, he took her hand in his. “You are cold.”
It was difficult to understand what she felt and she didn’t want to wallow on that. Instead, she squeezed his hand hard to draw in his strength.
“You can pull out. We’ll find another way, there is always another way.”
Isabel knew it, but it wasn’t an option. “We don’t know that, and we definitely can’t be certain when it will be. I’ve done worse…”
“You are not on a set. This is real life and even if we are planning to stay as close as possible, Finch is still a threat. I don’t want to risk you.”
She leaned her forehead against him as the car swayed toward her destination. Finch had made reservations at Everest, an upscale restaurant on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange that offered one of the most stunning views of the city. It was also known that many private dining rooms could be used for private parties or rendezvous. No wonder he had chosen that location, both for impressing and wooing her, no doubt.
