[english] Obligation

Author: Aurora Rose Reynolds

“Everyone is looking for you.”
I turn my head, pulling my hair out of my face as I watch a boy I’ve never seen before climb up the stairs and into my tree house.
“Who are you?” I ask him as he sits across from me.
“Kai,” he smiles, looking around. He looks a lot different than the other kids I know. His hair is long, and his skin is a lot darker than mine. “Why are you hiding?”
I shrug and look away from him. Daddy was yelling earlier; he was so mad that he was turning red. Then Mommy started crying, and Daddy started yelling louder. I heard Mommy telling Daddy that he had to send me away. I don’t want to go away. I try to be good, but sometimes, I forget to listen.
“Why are you crying?”
I look up at him and wipe my face. “I’m scared,” I whisper, wiping my nose.
“Come on. I’ll protect you,” he says, holding his hand out to me.
Then my mommy calls my name again. I look at his hand, move Mr. Bear under my arm, and put my hand in his.
“Myla!” Mommy yells, running towards me.
I can tell she has been crying again.
“Where did you go?” Her hands grab my shoulders and she shakes me hard.
“It’s my fault. I asked her to show me the tree house,” Kai tells her.
She stops shaking me then looks at him. “You shouldn’t have done that. You knew we were looking for her,” she says angrily her head.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Kai says softly, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground.
I look back at Mommy, and she shakes her head before grabbing my hand and pulling me with her. When I look over my shoulder at Kai, he smiles, making me smile back.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 1



First moments

“Everyone is looking for you.”

I turn my head, pulling my hair out of my face as I watch a boy I’ve never seen before climb up the stairs and into my tree house.

“Who are you?” I ask him as he sits across from me.

“Kai,” he smiles, looking around. He looks a lot different than the other kids I know. His hair is long, and his skin is a lot darker than mine. “Why are you hiding?”

I shrug and look away from him. Daddy was yelling earlier; he was so mad that he was turning red. Then Mommy started crying, and Daddy started yelling louder. I heard Mommy telling Daddy that he had to send me away. I don’t want to go away. I try to be good, but sometimes, I forget to listen.

“Why are you crying?”

I look up at him and wipe my face. “I’m scared,” I whisper, wiping my nose.

“Come on. I’ll protect you,” he says, holding his hand out to me.

Then my mommy calls my name again. I look at his hand, move Mr. Bear under my arm, and put my hand in his.

“Myla!” Mommy yells, running towards me.

I can tell she has been crying again.

“Where did you go?” Her hands grab my shoulders and she shakes me hard.

“It’s my fault. I asked her to show me the tree house,” Kai tells her.

She stops shaking me then looks at him. “You shouldn’t have done that. You knew we were looking for her,” she says angrily her head.

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Kai says softly, putting his hands in his pockets and looking at the ground.

I look back at Mommy, and she shakes her head before grabbing my hand and pulling me with her. When I look over my shoulder at Kai, he smiles, making me smile back.

Prologue

“Time for bed, zvyozdochka,” Papa says as he walks into my room.

I run to my bed and jump in, making all of my stuffed animals fly out of the bed before standing up, jumping once, and falling to my back, which makes him laugh.

“Your mama has told you about jumping on the bed, Svezda.”

I know that Mama doesn’t like it when I jump on the bed, but it always makes Papa laugh.

“Will you sing me my song?” I ask him as he move towards the bed.

“Have you brushed your teeth?”

“Da,” I answer affirmatively in Russian, making him smile.

“Did you wash your face?”

“Da,” I repeat, giggling.

“Did you wash your smelly feet?” he asks while bringing my feet towards his face.

“Nyet.” I giggle harder, wiggling my toes.

“Ah, zvyozdochka, what should I do with you?” he asks, calling me his “little star” while tickling me.

I roll around on the bed, trying to get away from him as I cry out in laughter. When he stops tickling me and I stop laughing, he picks me up and pulls my covers back before laying me back down.

“Now will you sing me my song?” I ask him again, tucking Mr. Bear under my chin, feeling my eyes start to close.

“Da.” He kisses my forehead before sitting down on the side of the bed. His fingers run over my eyelids, causing them to close completely before he starts to sing quietly. “Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, you outshine the sun. Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, nothing compares to you. Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, the holder of my treasure. Zvyozdochka, zvyozdochka, I will always love you dearly, for you are my star who guides me from far and will always lead me home.,”

Then I fall asleep.

“You know where to take her,” Papa tells Philip as he carries me outside.

I cling tighter to Papa. Mama ran out of Papa’s office soon after she woke me up, telling me to get dressed, and then took me to him.

“I don’t want to go!” I cry, kicking my legs and wrapping my arms tighter around Papa’s neck as he tries to hand me to Philip. I don’t want to go away. I want to stay with him and Mama.

“Zvyozdochka, you must be a big girl and go with Philip.”

“I won’t be bad anymore!” I sob, screaming out as he pulls my hands from around his neck.

Philip’s hands wrap around my waist, pulling me from my papa.

“You’re our greatest treasure, Svezda. We love you,” my papa says as he opens the door for Philip, who sits down in the back of the limo, holding me in his lap.

“I love you, Papa!” I cry and see that my Papa is crying too before he turns his back on me.

“Pah idiom!” Philip says, and the limo begins to move.

I turn in Philip’s arms and look out the back window, watching as Papa pushes the front door of the house open. Then I see Mama on the floor. Papa picks her up, and I hear her scream my name as the door closes.

Chapter 1

My Husband

I feel the sun on my closed eyelids and something sharp poking me in the face. Moving my hand, trying to get away from the pain, and whimper when it scrapes against my cheek. I lift my head and run my fingers along the side of my face, feeling wetness. Opening my eyes to see a light smear of blood on my fingers. I flip my hand over, and then I see the gaudy ring that is now taking up residence on my ring finger.

“Great,” I whisper, closing my eyes and laying my head down again.

I prayed earlier, before I went to sleep, that when I woke up, the ring I’m wearing now and the man who put it there would be nothing but a bad dream. No such luck. I roll over and take a shaky breath, wanting to close my eyes for a few more seconds, wishing I could just sleep until everything was back to normal.

“Time to get up.”

I turn my head and meet my new husband’s eyes as he looks at me through the open bedroom doorway. He looks like an ancient Hawaiian warrior. His long, wavy hair is tied into a ponytail at the back of his neck with a piece of leather cord. His wide nose and square jaw make his full lips and long eyelashes somehow appear masculine. At five eight, I have never felt short, but next to him, I feel minuscule. He must be at least six seven. His shoulders are so broad that I wouldn’t be surprised if he had to turn slightly to fit through most doorways.

“If we didn’t have to meet with my lawyer, I would let you sleep,” he says, bringing me out of my perusal.

One thing I have to be grateful for is that, ever since the moment he saved me, he has been kind and surprisingly soft with me.

“I’m getting up,” I tell him quietly and start to sit up, but pain slices through my side, causing me to inhale sharply.

“I thought you said you weren’t hurt?” he growls.

I’m gently lifted to a sitting position on the side of the bed. I’m so focused on trying to breathe that I don’t even notice his proximity until I feel his hand on the bare skin of my shoulder.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 2



“I’m fine,” I mumble, trying to breathe through the pain and the feelings that are swimming around in my stomach.

“You’re going to the doctor.”

“I’m not,” I say, lifting my head and meeting his eyes.

“Myla.” His eyes go soft as my name leaves his mouth, and his hand comes up, causing me to flinch and his jaw to go hard.

“Sorry,” I whisper while standing.

“We need to talk about what happened,” he commands as his hand drops to his lap.

“How long do I have to get ready?” I ask, walking towards the bathroom.

“Thirty minutes,” he replies as I turn to face him.

When our eyes connect again, his flash with annoyance as he stands.

“We will talk,” he declares, walking out of the room, shutting the door behind him without saying another word.

I stare at the door for a moment before turning around and walking into the bathroom, where I turn the faucet on, place my hands on the counter, and look at myself in the mirror, watching as tears begin to fill my eyes.

“You’re strong, Myla. You can do this,” I whisper to myself, taking a deep, shaky breath and then letting it out as I splash cold water on my face.

When I look at myself again, the tears have been washed away with the water, no trace left behind. I grab a towel out of a built-in shelf and bury my face in it, muffling the sound of the sob that climbs up my throat.

My soul feels like it has been blackened by not only what I witnessed, but what I did. I have no idea how I’m supposed to get over seeing people die right in front of me or knowing I’m the reason they are dead.

I wipe my face on the towel and go to the glass shower door, sliding it open before turning the water on. Once I feel that the water is warm enough, I carefully remove my clothes and step into the shower, letting the water from the showerhead pour over me. I really want to sit on the shower floor and cry, but right now, that is not an option.

I wet my hair then look around the shower stall, finding a shelf full of bottles of different body washes. I quickly sort through them, find one for women, and then pour a big glob onto my hand and lather up. I don’t know for sure if this is Kai’s bathroom, but if by chance it is, I don’t want to use something of his and smell like him for the rest of the day. As it is, it’s difficult to be around him.

I rinse off and get out of the shower before drying off and picking my clothes up off the floor. When I step back into the room, I take it in for the first time since arriving here last night. The room is huge, with large, glass doors that look out over the ocean. I walk toward the doors and look out at the water.

In Seattle, I live in a beautiful two-bedroom condo. I chose my condo because of the ocean view I have, but the view I have back home is nothing like this. Other bodies of land block my view, and the water is so dark that it’s almost black. Here, the water is a blue I have never seen before. So blue that it almost looks like the sky on a crystal clear day.

My eyes travel from the view outside to the giant bed that is covered with a set of pure-white sheets. It’s even bigger than the California king a friend of mine has, and it would be a perfect fit for a man Kai’s size. On each side of the bed, there’s a table with a lamp that looks like a piece of driftwood on it. The lamps match the dresser in the room, which is long with a few odds and ends on it. There’s another tall one, but it’s completely clean.

The room has no paintings or anything else to give it life or say whose room it is. I shake my head at my own thought and look at the clothes I had on earlier, scrunching up my nose. Even though I was exhausted enough to fall asleep in them last night, I do not feel like having them on again today. I walk to the long dresser, pull the top drawer open, and find men’s boxers. I pull a pair out and slip them on under my towel. When I open the next drawer, I find socks and slip them on as well before searching through the rest of the dresser and finally finding a shirt, being careful of the bruises on my side.

Once I’m dressed, I take towel into the bathroom and hang them up. I find some toothpaste and use my finger to brush my teeth before taking a breath, preparing myself to face Kai and his lawyer. Yesterday, when we got married, I didn’t sign a prenup even though the men with Kai had insisted. I really didn’t understand why they were so adamant until after we were married and at the airport.

I’d expected us to just get on a flight. I was shocked when we were escorted to a private plane. I was more surprised when the name on the plane happened to be my new husband’s. I had somewhat gotten myself under control by the time we arrived in Hawaii, but I was shocked again when a Bentley picked us up at the airport and took us to a mansion. I have been around people who have money, but I have never been around anyone with the kind of money Kai obviously has.

I go to the door and run my fingers through my wet hair before turning the knob and opening it an inch to peek out. It takes a second for my eyes to adjust to the darkness of the hall, but when they do, they connect with a set of hazel eyes surrounded by dark lashes.

“Myla,” the man says.

I double-blink and take in his features. His hair is dark brown, his nose is wide, and his skin color is similar to Kai’s. My eyes drop to his mouth, and he smiles, making my eyes narrow before they lift to meet his again.

“Who are you?” I ask, opening the door the rest of the way and crossing my arms over my chest.

His eyes move to my arms and then back up, and his smile gets wider. “Aye.”

“What?” I frown when he chuckles.

“Name’s Aye.”

“Like when a pirate says yes?” I inquire. Then I growl, “What’s so funny?” when he bends over, holding his stomach and laughing.

It takes a moment, but eventually, he pulls himself together and stands back up to his full height.

“My name’s Aye, but my friends call me Daddy. How about you just stick with that?” he asks, sticking out his hand.

“I’m not calling you Daddy,” I frown, watching his lips twitch.

“You don’t have to call me Daddy.” He smiles, reminding me of a little boy. “You can call me Aye.”

My frown grows deeper. “Do people really call you Daddy?” I narrow my eyes, daring him to lie.

“Sure do,” he smirks, wrapping the hand he had out for me to shake around my upper arm. Then he moves me from the door and closes it before putting his arm around my shoulders and leading me down the hall.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 3



“What are you doing?” I step out of his hold.

His eyebrows pull together and he looks down the hall to where we are heading. “Kai didn’t tell you I’ll be your security?” he questions, and I shake my head. “Well, me and Pika will be, but he is not here right now, so it’s just me until he gets back.”

“I thought I was safe now?” I murmur, wrapping my arms around myself.

“You are safe,” he says, concerned, looking me over. “No one will get to you.”

“Can you just take me to Kai?” I ask softly, feeling anxious. Even though I don’t really know Kai, he is the one person I trust right now.

“Of course,” he says quietly, taking my hand and leading me down the hall.

When the hall opens up, we are on the third floor. A glass banister that gives a clear view of a large, wooden staircase is in front of us. The stairs lead down to a level with wooden floors. Then another set leads to the beach below. I have never seen something so amazing. The ocean is just yards away, but the beach is literally inside.

“It must be expensive to keep this place clean,” I mutter to myself, looking out at the ocean and the sand that is spread across the bottom level of the house.

I hear Aye chuckle again before he tugs on my hand and begins leading me over a bridge, down another hall, and into a large dining room, where Kai and another man are sitting with papers spread out in front of them. As soon as we enter the room, both of their heads turn towards us. Kai’s eyes travel from my still-wet hair to my sock-covered feet before he holds a hand out in my direction, nodding his chin ever so slightly. I don’t want to go to him, but something in the look he’s giving me tells me to do it. I walk to him and take his hand, not even flinching when he pulls me down onto his lap.

“Makamae,” he whispers against the shell of my ear, placing a kiss there.

My stomach knots and I dig my nails into the palm of my hand as I turn my head to look at him. When our eyes connect, I try to silently understand what he’s doing.

“You found some clothes,” he says quietly as his fingers play along the edge of my shorts.

“I hope you don’t mind,” I murmur, grabbing his hand and stilling his movements.

“I would never deny my wife,” he mutters, holding my eyes.

I fight to not look away, to not cower.

The moment I met him, I knew he was not someone I would ever want to cross, but he was my savior. Even knowing he promised not to hurt me, I still feel the urge to pull away from him and the energy that is wrapping around me.

“Are you feeling better, now that you have showered?” He searches my face as his fingers come up to run along the underside of my jaw.

“Yes,” I mutter as that knot in my stomach loosens and another feeling begins to take root.

“Good,” he murmurs, leaning forward and brushing his lips lightly over mine.

My hand goes to his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin and the beat of his heart through the material of his shirt. When he leans back, his eyes search mine for a moment before looking away. The moment the connection is broken, I pull in a breath and turn on his lap to face the man across the table.

“Myla, I would like you to meet detective, Nero Wolfe. Nero, this is my wife, Myla Kauwe.” He squeezes my thigh when my nails dig into his.

“Nice to meet you, Myla.” He smiles, showing off a dimple in his left cheek, which is highlighted by his tan skin. His dark-brown eyes look between Kai and me as he shakes his head, causing his shaggy, dirty-blond hair to slide against the collar of his dress shirt. If he weren’t wearing a suit, I would’ve guessed he’s a surfer, not a detective.

“Nice to meet you,” I murmur, shifting slightly under his gaze. I knew we would eventually need to talk to the police about what happened, but I was hoping I would have a few days for myself to accept everything.

“Kai has filled me in on most of what occurred, but I do have a few questions for you. If that’s okay?” he asks softly.

I war with myself on turning to look at Kai for permission. I was not prepared for this, and I feel like I have been put on the spot.

“Of course.” I nod and pull away from Kai, moving to my own seat.

I need to remember that this is all a lie; we may be married, but it’s not out of choice—it’s out of necessity. I can’t let my personal vulnerabilities affect this situation. And as much as I hate to admit it, Kai has an enormous effect on me.

“Well, let’s get started, then,” Nero says, rearranging some papers on top of the table. “I know you and Kai were married yesterday in Vegas, but can you tell me what happened the day before?”

I wrap my arms around myself and look over my shoulder towards the door, where I want to escape, but my eyes land on Aye, who nods and gives me a small smile. Then I feel a squeeze on my thigh and the roughness of Kai’s palm as it moves along my skin.

I turn my head back towards Nero without acknowledging Kai. “What would you like to know?”

“Start from the beginning.” He gives a slight smile, picking up a pen.

I nod again and pull my feet up under me on the chair, trying to get my thoughts in order before I begin.

“I own a bakery in downtown Seattle called Raining Sprinkles.” I swallow, remembering that my bakery is nothing but ash and rubble now.

“Take your time,” Nero says comfortingly.

“Like I said, I own a bakery, and on Sundays, I open the bakery alone and give my girls the day off because it’s normally pretty slow in the shop. Really, the day started out like any other day. I got there around five, made a pot of coffee, and took care of some stuff in the office until around six. At six, I went to the kitchen and threw together a few batches of muffins, put them in the oven, and then went out to start stocking the display cases. At eight, I flipped the sign from closed to open, and not long after that, my first customer came in.”

I pause, taking a breath while wrapping my arms a little tighter around myself. “The rest of the day was uneventful. There was nothing out of the ordinary. I was busy because I was on my own, but I expected that. At around two thirty, I went to the back and pushed a load of dishes through the dishwasher, and when I got back out front, I realized the man from that morning was still sitting at the same table he had been when I first opened.”

I close my eyes and open them slowly. “I went and made sure he was okay and that he didn’t want anything. Then I told him I closed at three. When three o’clock came around, he was gone. I took care of a couple of customers who had been waiting for me to box up their items and walked them to the door to leave. As soon as they were gone, I shut the door, and I was flipping the sign over when the man from earlier came running up to the door, telling me through the glass he thought he left his phone in the bathroom.”

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 4



I bite my lip and, without thinking, look at Kai and then back at Nero before speaking again. “I got a weird feeling, so I stood by the door while he looked around for his phone. I was watching him when the door was shoved open and I stumbled back. I thought it was a customer, but that’s when I looked up and saw my brother, Thad.” I shudder as bile crawls up my throat and nausea rolls in my stomach.

“Are you okay?” Nero asks as I pull in a deep breath.

“Fine,” I whisper, putting my feet on the floor while sliding away from Kai’s touch. “I was taken aback when I realized who it was. I had not seen him since I was eighteen and moved away from home. He pushed his way past me and then let in a few other men,” I say, and I feel Kai’s hand on my lower back as he lifts my shirt slightly. Then his fingers begin to move over my skin. I wonder if he is trying to remind me of the things I’m not supposed to talk about.

“Then what happened?” Nero questions softly, and I lean back slightly into Kai’s hand, who pauses his movement before resuming.

“He forced me into the back room. My brother said he owed some men money and that I needed to give it to him. I don’t know if he was on drugs or what, but he seemed really afraid. I told him I didn’t have the kind of money he was asking for, and he proceeded to tie me to a chair.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know,” I say faintly. “I was hit over the head, and when I woke up, Kai was pulling me out of the burning building,” I look over at Kai, and even if I never tell anyone every detail of what really occurred, I do know that that part is not a lie, and I will forever be indebted to him.

“Then you went to Vegas and got married?”

I pull my eyes from Kai to look at Nero. “Yes. Well…we had been planning on getting married,” I lie.

Kai’s hand pauses on my back. We never discussed what exactly happened to me or what we would say if someone asked me about this, so I was trying to think on my toes.

“After what occurred, I realized how short life is, and I told Kai I didn’t want to live another day without him and that I was tired of putting off our relationship. So we stopped in Vegas on the way here and got married,” I tell him.

Nero searches my face. Then his eyes drop to the pad in front of him, where he begins to write again.

I bite my lip, feeling like I have done something wrong. I have no idea what I should have said. I don’t think, “I met him for the first time yesterday, and I married him because he told me that was the only way he could keep me safe at this time,” would have gone over so well.

“And you don’t remember anything else?” he asks, lifting his head to look at me.

I shake my head and pull my feet back up under me. “Nothing,” I mutter, pressing my lips together.

“Can you tell me a little about your brother?”

My body stills and I feel all the blood drain out of my face. “There is nothing to tell,” I whisper, hating myself a little bit for being so weak when it comes to him.

“Are you okay?” Nero asks, reading my face.

“Fine. Just tired.” I sit up, putting my elbows on the table, holding my hair back from my face as images from my past flash through my head.

Being taken from my parents when I was little and told that they were dead.

Moving in with Modesto and Ida Akskvo and their two sons, Thad and Royce.

Being told that, if I ever spoke of where I really came from, I would die.

Having happy memories of my life with my new family.

Working in my dad Modesto’s bakery. Shopping with my mom Ida.

Hanging out with my brother Royce.

But then everything changed when I turned sixteen and Thad started sneaking into my room at night, showing me that Hell can exist on Earth.

The memories alone of the things he did to me, the things he took from me, cause me to gag. I stand from the chair and run out of the dining room. I have no idea where I’m going and begin opening and closing doors along the way until I finally find one that leads to a bathroom. I slam the door behind me, fumble with the lock on the door until I hear it click, and then feel along the wall, finding the switch and turning it on.

The moment my eyes adjust to the light, I see my refection looking back at me. My face is pale, my dirty-blond hair looks stringy, and my lips are a darker pink than normal. Another wave of nausea hits me, and I lunge for the toilet. It takes a few minutes to get myself under control, and when I do, I realize someone is pounding on the door so hard that the painting on the wall is shaking.

“I’m kicking it in!” Kai yells from the other side.

I’m about to tell him that I’m opening it when the door crashes in, banging against the wall, and wood flies everywhere. Kai appears in the bathroom doorway. Our gazes lock, and I see something flash within his eyes as he storms towards me.

“I’m going to carry you so you don’t get anything stuck in your feet,” he says softly, picking me up. “Aye, tell Detective Nero we’re going to have to reschedule. My wife isn’t feeling well,” Kai mutters, carrying me into the room I was in this morning and shutting the door with his foot before carrying me to the bed, where he gently lays me down. “Let me get a washcloth for you,” he says, walking into the bathroom.

I hear the water turn on, and a moment later, he comes back carrying a rag.

“You need to tell me what happened at the bakery before I showed up.”

He sits on the side of the bed and holds the wet cloth out for me. I take it from his hand, trying to control how badly I’m shaking. What happened begins to play in my head like an old movie.

“Myla, I’ve missed you,” Thad said, wrapping an arm around my waist, walking me backwards into the shop.

His body bent, his face went to my neck, and I felt his tongue touch my skin. My body froze and I instantly hated myself for not screaming, for not fighting, but like all those years ago, my body had stiffened in fear.

“What are you doing here?” I whispered as two more men walked in. My stomach dropped as I watched one of the men close the door and turn the lock.

“It’s your birthday,” he said as he began to pull me with him towards the back of the shop.

I cried out and tried to pull away, and he smiled evilly and started to laugh. His fingers dug into my skin so hard that I knew I would be bruised.

“Please let me go.” I tried to pull away again, but his grip tightened, and he dragged me to the back room, shoving me into a chair.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 5



“Shut up,” he ordered with a finger in my face. Then he looked over at one of the men who had just walked in. “Go to her place and get all of her shit. Then meet us here,” he said, tossing my purse at the guy.

“Got it,” he said, digging my keys out of my bag and leaving the room.

“What’s going on? Why are you here?” I whispered.

Thad turned towards me. His hand went to my jaw, his thumb and middle finger on either side, where he squeezed hard.

“I’m taking you home and you’re getting married. Mom is going to be so happy,” he smiled.

I felt bile fill my throat, making it hard to breathe. “What are you taking about?” I finally got out through my fear.

“Oh, princess, there is so much you don’t know.” His hands went to each arm of the chair and his body caged mine in. “Don’t worry though. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about it.” He licked my neck, making my stomach roll.

When he pulled away, my eyes locked on the man’s across the room, the man who had been in my shop all day. Something flashed in his eyes, but he turned his face away from me before I could catch it.

“We have a busy day ahead of us,” Thad said.

I looked around, trying to plan my escape.

“Myla? Myla.”

I realize I’m being shaken. My eyes focus in on Kai’s face above me, and I quickly scoot back in the bed, hitting my head on the headboard in the process.

“Careful,” he complains as I rub the top of my head.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He looks away from me to the view outside. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

I shake my head and then realize he’s still looking out the window. “No.” I lean my head back and close my eyes. “I’m sorry about telling the detective we were dating. He caught me off guard and I was already flustered, and honestly, I had no idea what to say. We probably should have talked about that. I mean, I don’t even know if you have a girlfriend.” My eyes fly open and connect with his, and I can see laugh lines around his eyes and a smile on his lips. “Do you have a girlfriend?” I hiss, watching as his smile gets bigger.

“You talk a lot,” he chuckles, shaking his head.

“Well, do you?” I growl. I never even thought about that for one moment, and something about the thought of him having a girlfriend makes me feel a different kind of nausea.

“No.”

“Good.” I nod, and his smile gets bigger. “I just mean good because I would feel horrible if you were dating someone and then got married to someone else.”

“Myla, I know.” He rubs my knee, and a tingling sensation begins to fill my lower belly.

“How badly did I mess up with Nero?” I question, sitting up farther and moving away from his touch.

“You did fine. We spoke before you came in, so he understands you’re still trying to deal with what happened.”

I bite my lip while wrapping my arms around myself. Then I look out the window. “So, now what?”

“Now what?” he repeats, and my eyes travel back to him.

“Yeah. Now what do we do? You said we needed to talk to your lawyer.”

“You do nothing. I canceled the meeting with my lawyer when Nero showed up, and now, I have business to take care of. If the gods are working in my favor, we can get everything resolved and things can get back to normal,” he says softly.

I dip my head slightly in agreement, even if my normal was lost a long time ago.

Chapter 2

I Know You

I look over my shoulder at the house behind me when I hear Kai yelling. I push my sunglasses up to the top of my head and put my Kindle down on the table next to my lounger.

“Stay here,” Aye says, taking off towards the house.

When the voices begin to get louder, I get up and head inside. I walk softly down the hall and peek around the corner, seeing the guy who let Thad into the bakery. He’s standing in the kitchen alone, his body pressed close to the wall, his head tilted back like he’s waiting for the moment to strike.

My gut twists with anxiety, but I battle it back, head down the hall, and open the bathroom door, looking for anything to use as a weapon. It’s a half-bath with a pedestal sink and a mirror; there are no drawers or cabinets. I’m about to give up and go search out somewhere else when the plunger catches my eye. I pick it up and test the weight in my hand. It’s a heavy, wooden one with a large, black, rubber end. I take it with me down the hall and wait just outside the kitchen.

The guy is no longer there, but Aye is standing next to the counter. I start to walk towards him, but the guy begins to sneak up on Aye. Without thinking, I charge at him with the plunger over my head and bring it down hard on his head. The rubber end flies off and bounces across the kitchen floor as the guy crumples to the ground.

“Wh—” Aye looks down at the guy, who is now knocked out, then looks back at me with wide eyes. “Why did you do that?” He takes the plunger stick from my hand and looks at it then back down at the guy.

“He was sneaking up on you,” I tell him, turning the guy onto his stomach then pulling his hands behind his back, using the skills I learned in a self-defense class I took, to make sure he is immobilized. “Do you have cuffs or something?” I ask, looking up at Aye from my bent position.

“We’re not cuffing Pika,” he mutters, shaking his head while looking at me like he has no idea who I am.

“This is one of the guys from the bakery,” I tell him.

His eyes flash with understanding, and Pika starts to moan, so I grab the stick from Aye’s hand and start to hit the guy again, but then it’s snatched away from me.

“Myla?”

I turn my head towards the kitchen opening when Kai says my name. His eyes travel down my body, over the bikini I’m wearing, making goose bumps break out along my skin. When his eyes reach my toes, they widen at the sight of the guy lying at my feet.

“What’s going on?” He steps into the kitchen and over to my side.

My belly dips as his smell surrounds me. He smells like spice, coconut, and the hot sun. Every time he’s near, I have to stop myself from leaning closer.

“This is the guy who let Thad into my bakery. The one who said he left his phone,” I tell him.

His eyes go soft, and he unbuttons his shirt so he’s wearing nothing but a pair of black dress pants and his shoes. I watch as his abs flex. Then he opens the shirt and slips it around my shoulders. I pull away slightly and push my arms through the holes, holding my breath for a moment, keeping his scent in my lungs as long as I can.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 6



“This is one of my guys,” he tells me, crouching down and rolling the guy over.

“He was at my bakery. He…he is the reason Thad got inside,” I repeat in a stammer, watching as the guy’s eyes open and then focus on me.

“He was my inside source for the men Thad was working for,” Kai says, helping Pika sit up.

“What do you mean he was working for you?” I look at the injured man then at Kai.

“Why don’t you come with me?” Aye suggests softly, grabbing my hand.

“No.” I shake his touch off and cross my arms over my chest. “Why didn’t you tell me that before?” I glare at Kai.

“There was no reason to,” he says, looking at me like I’m crazy for even asking.

“No reason?” I shake my head in disbelief. His audacity is absolutely ridiculous.

“He was doing a job,” Aye chimes in.

My head swings his way and his hands go up in front of him to warn me off.

“I’m sorry,” Pika says as Kai helps him to stand.

“You’re sorry? You’re sorry you allowed men to follow you into my shop, or are you sorry you watched as Thad kicked me in the ribs while I was curled up in a ball and begging him to stop? Or are you sorry that you set my bakery on fire? Please clarify which part you’re sorry about!” I yell, and my chest heaves as I attempt to take a full breath.

“All of it,” he whispers, unsure, looking at me then Kai.

“Thanks. I feel so much better now that I know you’re sorry,” I say, shoving through the three of them and walking down the hall towards the living room.

I need to go clear my head. I can’t say that I have gotten over what happened, but since being here, I’ve found it easy to pretend like I’m safe. Now, seeing him makes me realize how much I have let my guard down, and that is something I never want to risk happening again.

I rush out of the house and walk out to the water’s edge until the waves rush over my feet.

“If he could have helped you, he would have.”

I look over my shoulder, toward the sound of Kai’s voice, and watch him walk up to me wearing another shirt.

“He would have, but he knew he couldn’t risk them finding out he worked for me.”

I feel my throat clog, turn my head away, and look back out over the ocean, not wanting to acknowledge his words. “He watched.” I take a deep breath, letting the smell of the salt water clear my head. “He watched and did nothing,” I murmur, wrapping my arms around myself as my words get lost in the sound of the waves crashing against the shore.

“I’ve known him since I was seventeen,” Kai says closer to me than I expected, surprising me by wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “If he could have stopped it, he would have.”

I stiffen slightly before forcing my body to relax and lean into his embrace. Deep in my soul, I know he’s right, but I’m still angry. I’m angry that Pika saw me in a moment of weakness, angry I couldn’t do anything even when I had done everything to make myself stronger. Angry that I never took into consideration the amount of fear I would feel when I came face-to-face with a part of my past that had terrified me for so many years.

“I forgot,” I whisper, shaking my head, watching as the sun turns the sky orange and red.

“Forgot what?” he asks softly, his fingers sending tingles down my arm through the fabric of his shirt.

“That I’m in danger. That I need to watch my back,” I say, and his arm tightens around me.

“You’re safe here.”

I tilt my head back and look up at him as he towers over me. His chin dips, and our eyes connect.

“I promised you I would protect you. Trust me to do that,” he says softly as his eyes search my face.

My eyes focus on his, and I notice for the first time that he has a dark ring of brown around the outside and an almost-copper color that shoots out from around the center.

“Trust me to do that,” he repeats.

I feel his warm breath against my skin. And I wish in that moment that I were someone worthy enough of someone like him.

“I’m trying.” My eyes close. I pull away from him and then step farther out into the water.

“I need to go meet someone,” he says regretfully after a moment.

“Sure,” I murmur without taking my eyes off the sea.

“I’d like it if you’d go with me.”

I turn my head to look at him. His hands are in his pockets and his shoulders are slumped forward. The vulnerability I see on his face makes me nod in agreement immediately. The only time we have spent together is when we have met for meals or when he has needed me to talk to someone with him. I only recently found out that the room I have been staying in is his. He claimed that the bed is much better than the others in the house and refused to take the room back even after I insisted. And something about sleeping in his bed has made me feel closer to him—and safer in a strange way.

“Where are we going?” I ask after a moment.

“You’ll see. Dress casual.” He smiles, and a piece of hair blows onto his lip.

I fight the urge to close the space between us and remove it with my finger, using that as an excuse to see if his lips are as soft as they look.

“Did you hear me?” he asks.

My eyes focus on his. I feel my cheeks get pink when I notice the small smile on his handsome face.

“Sorry. No,” I admit.

“I asked if you could be ready in the next hour.”

“Oh, yeah… Sure,” I say, hoping I don’t sound as anxious as I feel.

He watches me for a moment before nodding once, turning away, and walking back towards the house. I watch him go, wondering what exactly I’m feeling. Since the moment I met Kai, I have felt some kind of strange pull towards him. But as much as he entices me, he scares me.

The only men I have been with have been lanky and soft-spoken, men I knew I could get away from if I needed to. I hate to say it, but I was very promiscuous for a while. It was like something in me had flipped and I realized the power I had. I realized I had the ability to say yes or no when it came to sex, and I wanted to prove to myself I could be intimate with someone—and maybe not completely enjoy the act—but it would be my choice.

I’m not proud of the way I acted or the way I used men. But like most things in life, it’s something I learned from, and it helped me grow and become a better person.

Kai is like none of the men I’ve been with. He’s large and intimidating. Though he is soft with me, I have seen him speak to some of the people who work for him, so I know that his gentleness is not always his way. I also cannot imagine him letting me be in charge the way I’m used to.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 7



I haven’t been intimate with a man since my last relationship, and that was a few years ago. After Fredrick broke up with me, I was left confused. He was the person I’d planned to spend the rest of my life with. We’d met when I bought my bakery, and he’d helped me get my loan.

He was so funny; he had the ability to make me laugh at nothing. He was not much taller than I am and cute in that nerdy-guy kind of way. He was soft-spoken and gentle, and he said all the right things. After six months of dating, he asked me to marry him. I, of course, said yes. Our wedding was set for the fall, and we were planning on having a baby right away, hopefully with conception occurring during the honeymoon. Everything was perfect. I was getting the one thing I had craved since moving away from home: a family of my own, people who loved me, and somewhere I belonged.

Then, like everything in my life, it came crashing down around me.

Fredrick had been away for a week at a conference, and when he arrived back in Seattle, he asked me to meet him for dinner. I got dressed up, packed an overnight bag, and met him at one of my favorite seafood restaurants.

The moment I saw him, I knew something was off. He didn’t greet me with his normal hug and kiss. He took my hand and helped me sit down across from him. Without a word from him, I knew we were over. I remember sitting there, looking at him sitting across from me, wondering, Why? That’s when he told me that he believed our lives were going in two different directions and he wasn’t ready to settle down.

I told him that I would wait for him, that we didn’t need to get married, that we could put off the wedding until he was ready, and that was when it seemed like I was begging to be with him. That was the moment I realized he didn’t love me the way I loved him, so I lifted my chin, scooted the chair away from the table, and walked out of the restaurant, never looking back.

I loved him, but there was no way I would ever feel like I was begging someone to be with me again. I wouldn’t ever let someone have that much power over me.

I come out of my thoughts when the sound of seagulls fills my ears. I lift my face towards the sun, letting the rays warm my skin for a moment before turning and heading to the house to get ready.

“Let’s go.” I look at Kai, who is leaning against the side of a black convertible, dressed more casually than I have ever seen him.

Even when he comes to breakfast in the morning, he is normally wearing a suit, so seeing him in a pair of khaki shorts and a white, linen shirt with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up—showing off a tattoo I never noticed before that wraps around his forearm—has stunned me.

I start down the steps, my eyes meeting his, and my step falters slightly when his eyes sweep me from top to toe before locking on mine.

“You look nice,” I say, immediately feeling like a fool when he gives me a slight smile and opens the door to the car without telling me something relatively the same.

I know this isn’t a date, but I took extra care in getting ready. I have no idea where we are going, but I wanted to make sure I looked nice. I chose a dress I had gotten from one of the few shops in town. The strapless, cotton dress covered in bright, tropical flowers looks nice against the creamy color of my skin, and the sandals I chose are black and wrapped around my big toes then up and around my ankles. I thought I looked attractive, but as Kai gets behind the driver’s seat, I’m beginning to have doubts about my choice.

“It’s about an hour drive,” he mutters as the car roars to life.

I nod then realize he can’t see me, so I clear my throat and murmur a quiet, “Okay,” as we pull away from the house. “Is Pika okay?” I ask, wanting to fill the silence. I turn my head to look at Kai.

His eyes come to me for a moment before he focuses on the road again. “He’s fine. He has a bump, but he’s had worse.”

“Oh,” I mutter as my eyes drop to my lap, and I begin to turn my ring around on my finger, watching as the light bounces of the diamonds. “Why did you have him working with Thad?” I ask when he doesn’t say anything else.

“Your father was a very good friend to my dad.” He lets out a breath, and his hand wrings the steering wheel. “Before your father passed away, he told mine his plan for keeping you safe.” He pulls his sunglasses over his eyes, turns his head, and looks at me before turning towards the road. “Your father asked mine to help keep an eye on you. He knew that, even with everyone believing you had also been killed, there would still be some who would be looking for you.”

“What do you mean they believed I was killed?” I whisper.

“Your parents’ remains and the remains of a child were found after they put out a fire in your parents’ home,” he says, and I turn my head to look out the window as a loan tear slides down my cheek.

I have small memories of my real parents. Every time I pull a batch of snickerdoodles out of the oven and the smell of vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar hits my nose, I think of my mom. I can remember her baking them often when I was little and the way she would yell at my dad when he came into the kitchen to steal them off the counter when they were fresh out of the oven. I can remember laughing when he would quiet my mom with soft words and a few kisses before leaving and going back to his office.

I remember the way my dad was so large and everyone seemed so afraid of him, but to me, he was so gentle. He always smelled like mint, and if I were around, he would pull me up against his chest and kiss my hair no matter what he was doing.

I know that my mom and I were his whole world. Even if I can’t remember much from my childhood, the memories of my parents always bring me comfort. So even though I have known for years that they are gone, hearing that their bodies were found has the already-shattered pieces of my heart crumbling a little bit more.

“Who was the child?” I wonder out loud as I watch a group of seagulls fly off in the distance.

“I would guess they got a body from a morgue,” he says easily, and my stomach turns as I wonder what kind of people would do something like that.

“My dad was a bad guy, right?” I ask as some puzzle pieces begin to fit together.

The car slows down suddenly and veers off to the side of the road. My head turns and I look over at Kai, who now has his sunglasses up on top of his head and his eyes on me.

“Your father was a good man. He was a man of honor and a man who loved his only child enough to make sure she’d have a future. He may not have been a man who lived on the right side of the law, but he was not a bad man,” he says firmly, making me feel instantly relieved.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 8



“Why is this happening now, then?” I don’t realize I ask that question aloud until Kai’s eyes soften, his hand comes up to my face, and his thumb runs over my cheek, sliding away another tear.

“There is so much you don’t know, Myla.”

“Like what?” I whisper.

“When the time is right, I will tell you.”

A part of me wants to demand him to tell me what he knows, but there is another part of me that wants to ignore everything happening around me and leave all of this behind.

“How difficult is it to get a new identity?” I mutter, surprised when I hear a chuckle come from Kai. “I’m serious,” I complain, turning my head to catch a smile that makes my heart constrict from how beautiful it is on Kai’s face. I swallow hard and look back out the window, trying to ignore the feeling I have from knowing I made him smile.

After a moment, the car fills with music, and my body relaxes into my seat as The Fugees’ “Killing Me Softly” fills the air. When I peek at Kai out of the corner of my eye, I wonder if he’s hearing the song like I am in that moment and if he knows that the lyrics of this song say so much more than I ever could.

Chapter 3

Looking in a Mirror

“Myla.”

My shoulder is nudged. I lift my head just in time to see a group of laughing kids run in front of the car.

“Where are we?”

“A luau.”

I turn and look at Kai, who is watching out the front window of the car. When his head turns and his eyes meet mine, he smiles, and then his hand lifts and his finger runs down my cheek.

“You need to learn not to sleep on your hand. Every time you wake up, your ring is imprinted in your cheek,” he mutters.

My hand goes to my face, my fingers running over the skin. I swear I can still feel the tingle from his touch.

“It’s a big ring,” I point out and glimpse at him when he doesn’t say anything. His eyes are on the ring on my hand, and regret is bright as day in his eyes.

I pull my eyes from him, tug the visor down, and look at myself in the mirror, wanting to ignore the feelings seeing that look on his face caused. I thought at first that the ring was just something he had picked up in Vegas, but then I noticed an inscription on the inside of the band that reads, In this lifetime and the next, with the initials B and N.

After I saw the engraving, I knew that the ring that now sits on my finger had once meant a lot to someone, and even if I had hated it at first, there was something beautiful about it now. I also understood why Kai hates that I have the ring. Before me, the ring was a representation of love, and now, it’s the symbol of a lie.

“Are you ready?”

Without looking at him, I nod and unbuckle my seat belt, and once I’m out of the car, I look around. Kids are playing in the sand, building sand castles, or chasing each other near the water’s edge. There are teenagers in small groups scattered along the sand, some sunbathing, others talking in groups, while the adults stand around chatting and laughing. I run my hands down my dress, feeling a little overdressed since a lot of the women are only in their swimsuits while the men are dressed similar to Kai.

“Ready?” Kai asks again when he reaches my side.

“Yep,” I tell him with more certainty in my voice than I actually feel, shocked when he takes my hand. “What are you doing?” I ask, trying to pull my hand free from his grasp.

“Holding your hand,” he replies, entwining our fingers.

“We’re in public,” I hiss.

His head dips, his sunglass-covered eyes meet mine, and his energy changes, beginning to beat against me. “What does that have to do with anything?”

I look at him like he’s crazy and then around at the people on the beach. “All of these people can see us.”

His frown grows deeper. Then he drops my hand, lifts his sunglasses to the top of his head once more, and turns his body so he’s standing right in front of me.

“You’re my wife.”

“Pretend wife,” I remind him quietly.

His eyes flash with something I haven’t seen before and his jaw goes hard, making my breath catch.

His face dips and he whispers against my ear, “None of these people know that it’s pretend.”

It wouldn’t be so bad if the effect he has on me was also pretend, but when he’s touching me in any way, it’s difficult to keep things separate.

I let out the breath I was holding and pull back so I can look into his eyes. “You’re right,” I acknowledge, hoping he will let me go.

He searches my face, and without another word or giving me any other option but to walk with him, he takes my hand, intertwines our fingers, and leads me towards a giant fire that is set up in the middle of the beach. As we approach the bonfire, I notice the men lifting their chins to Kai. He does the same in return. I also notice that the women we pass all devour him with their eyes before shooting daggers at me.

I’m so caught up in watching the people we pass that I don’t notice that Kai has stopped until my hand is tugged. I turn my head to see what’s holding him up.

“Kai!” a beautiful woman wearing a gold bikini yells, running up to us, looking like she just stepped out of an episode of Baywatch. Her hair is dark brown and down around her shoulders. Her body looks like she spends her days counting calories and working out. Even from just looking at her, I feel insecure.

As she nears us, a smile lights Kai’s face up, and he drops my hand just in time to catch her as she throws herself into his arms. Jealously like I have never felt before ignites in my stomach as I watch them embrace. She is the first to release him, but even then, his arm stays around her. I have never been one for violence, but the urge to rip his arm off and beat him with it causes me to fist my hands at my sides.

“Myla.” Kai says my name and the woman’s face lights up again.

She catches me off guard when she steps away from Kai and throws her arms around me. My hands go out to my sides, and I stand there awkwardly, not knowing what I should do.

“I’m so happy to finally meet you,” the woman tells me as she releases me and steps back to stand near Kai.

“I—” I look at Kai when I have no idea what I should say or who this woman is.

“Meka,” Kai says warningly, grabbing my hand again and pulling me closer to his side.

The woman looks up at him, and I realize she is not quite as old as I first thought she was. And she has the same lips and eyes as Kai.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 9



“Myla, this runt here is my sister, Meka. Meka, my wife, Myla,” Kai says, making me feel instantly nauseated.

I didn’t realize I would be meeting his family, let alone meeting them as his wife. I can’t imagine that this will be easy to explain or easy to undo when the time comes, and having other people involved will only make it that much more difficult.

“It’s nice to meet you, Meka,” I finally get out.

Another smile lights Meka’s pretty face up as she looks at her brother then back at me and shakes her head. “You said she was pretty, but you didn’t tell me how pretty,” Meka says, making butterflies erupt in my stomach as Kai’s fingers flex around my hand. She takes a step back then holds up her hands in front of her, forming a box with her fingers before squinting and closing one eye. “You guys look perfect together—her with all that blond hair and you with that long, womanly, dark hair.” She giggles, and I cover my mouth when an unexpected laugh explodes from it.

“Don’t encourage her,” Kai grumbles from my side, but I can see the side of his mouth tip up slightly in a smile.

“Seriously, you guys look good together,” she says as she looks at her brother, her eyes going soft.

“All right, kid, If you’re done annoying me, tell me where Kale is.”

“You’re never any fun.” She pouts, putting her hands on her hips.

“And you’re always a brat,” he tells her, but his tone is loving.

I have seen Kai be soft before, but I have never seen him the way he is with her.

“He was near the barbeque pit the last time I saw him.” She shrugs then waves off in the distance when someone calls her name.

“Thanks, runt.”

“Anything you want to know, Myla, you call me. I know all of his dirty secrets,” Meka says, making me smile before she walks off towards the water.

“I might do that,” I say under my breath as Kai begins walking again. “I didn’t know I was going to meet your family,” I tell Kai as my feet move double time to keep up with him through the thick sand.

“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugs.

I can feel myself frown at his words. I have no idea how he can say that it’s not a big deal when, to me, it’s huge.

“They know we’re married. We’re not staying married, so I think it is a big deal,” I say, tugging his hand and forcing him to stop.

“Myla, I’ve told you from the beginning that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I know what I’m doing.”

“This isn’t about you keeping me safe, Kai. This is about you lying to your family.”

“My family knows me. They trust me to always make the right decisions. So, no, it won’t be easy, but in the end, everyone will know I did what I had to do,” he says adamantly.

“Why don’t you just tell them the truth now? Be honest about it. That way, they’re not surprised.”

“I can’t. If that information falls into the wrong hands, then this whole thing was for nothing. Our marriage needs to seem as real as possible. Only my closest men know the truth,” he informs me.

“But it’s your family. Don’t you trust them?” I ask, feeling my eyebrows pull together in confusion.

“I do, but I also know they are not my employees. I can’t kill them if they disobey me.”

I feel my eyes widen and my mouth drop open with shock at his words.

“I’m kidding, Myla.” He shakes his head.

I search his face, but he doesn’t appear to be joking, and all of a sudden, I feel like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole.

“All you need to know is you’re safe. Trust me to keep you that way.”

“Alrighty,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.

“Are we done?” he asks impatiently, but I can tell that, if I wanted to talk, more he would put off whatever he needs to do and take some time to talk to me. I would be lying if I didn’t admit that that makes my heart lighten towards him.

“Well, it’s your soul, so sure.” I shrug.

His lips twitch, and I notice a small scar that slices through the middle of his full bottom lip. I also notice how his lips look so smooth. I have never been one who really enjoyed kissing, but I could imagine myself really enjoying kissing him.

“Myla?” he rumbles.

My eyes lift to his, seeing that they have darkened. I swallow and take a step back, needing to put some space between us. He clears his throat and lifts his hand to the top of his head, pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes, and I immediately feel like I have been blocked out.

Without another word, he takes my hand again and begins to lead me across the beach. This time, his pace is slower, like he’s more aware of me. As soon as we reach the bonfire, he pauses and begins to look around. I don’t know who he’s looking for, but my body is wound tight and the butterflies that erupted in my stomach earlier have not lessened. Plus, it’s not helping that his thumb is continuously moving in circles over my skin, causing my awareness of him to never calm.

“Kale!” Kai shouts, and I follow the direction of his gaze.

My eyes land on a man with short hair who is almost as handsome as Kai. He’s wearing a pair of swim trunks printed with large Hawaiian flowers on them. He starts towards us, his eyes locking on our entwined hands, and I can see trepidation in his gaze as he comes to stand in front of us.

“Mom and Dad are here,” the guy named Kale says.

I feel my body freeze, and I begin to look around, trying to pick people who also could be related to Kai out of the crowd.

“I thought they weren’t going to be home for another week,” Kai mumbles, holding my hand a little tighter.

“Did you really believe you could call Mom with news that you got married and she wouldn’t rush home to meet her new daughter?” The guy scoffs like Kai’s an idiot, and I’m beginning to believe that that might be the case.

“They were in Australia,” Kai says.

I twist my hand slightly to pinch his skin between my fingers as hard as I can, needing to get some of my frustration out. If I could knee him in the nuts without causing a scene, I would do it without a second thought.

“You got married,” Kale repeats.

I stop pinching and begin digging my nails into Kai’s palm. I’m so angry that I could spit fire. I can’t believe he brought me here knowing his family would be here, and I really can’t believe he at least didn’t tell me that he’d told his family we got married.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 10



“Where are they now?” Kai asks, forcing me to move in front of him, wrapping his arms around me, and causing me to become immobile.

I try to wiggle away, but Kale looks between us, frowning, so I instantly wrap my arms around Kai, making it look like we’re embracing.

“I’m not sure,” he mutters, looking around, and I do the same even though I have no idea what his mom and dad look like.

“Well, before they get here, let me introduce you to my wife,” Kai says as I return my gaze to Kale.

“Nice to meet you,” I tell him softly.

“You too,” he grunts then glances behind us, a smirk appearing on his face. “Good luck. You’re going to need it,” he says, looking at Kai before disappearing.

I’m just about to open my mouth and yell at Kai about how giant of an idiot he is when I hear someone take a sharp inhale. I turn my head to look over my shoulder and see an older woman who’s wearing a swimsuit with a sarong tied around her waist and a handsome older man wearing a linen shirt and shorts.

“Fuck,” Kai groans under his breath while turning me in his arms and wrapping his hands around my waist.

“Svezda,” the woman whispers, looking at me. Then confusion fills her eyes as she looks at Kai.

“Mom, I would like you to meet Myla. Myla, my mother and father, Leia and Bane Jr.”

Kai’s mother’s eyes travel from Kai to me then back again, and I can see hurt in her eyes, which I don’t understand.

“Nice to meet you,” I tell her, putting my hand out in front of me.

Her eyes drop to my hand then lift to meet mine again. “Bane?” she gasps quietly, looking from my hand to her husband.

I take my eyes off her and look at him just as he’s pulling his eyes off me, but I still catch the look of sadness in his gaze.

“Kai?” I ask as his father tucks his wife into his chest when she begins to sob.

“My mom and yours were very good friends,” he tells me softly in my ear, “and you look a lot like her, so I think it’s just a shock for her to see you here.”

“My mom?” I whisper back.

I don’t have any pictures of my family. I remember my mom having long, blond hair, but that’s all I can recall about her appearance. So thinking about the fact that I might have been seeing my mother every day when I looked in the mirror is shocking.

It takes a moment for Kai’s mom to pull herself together, but when she does, her head turns towards me, and she takes a deep breath before stepping away from her husband and coming to stand in front of me. Her hand lifts and she cups my cheek as tears fill her eyes.

“I didn’t know.” She inhales and closes her eyes when her gaze meets mine again.

I’m confused by the look on her face until she speaks.

“Your mother would have been thrilled. We would joke often when you were young that you and Kai would get married. At the time, it was just wishful thinking, but seeing that her wish has come true, I know she is still watching over you.” She whispers the last part, and I hate myself a little more.

I swallow over the sudden lump in my throat and notice that Kai’s hands have tightened around me so much that I can feel every one of his muscles against my back. I try to speak, but there are no words to describe the emotions I’m feeling right now. I can’t believe that his mother and mine were friends, and I can’t believe he knew the kind of effect this situation would have on everyone yet still followed through with it. He never even gave me a choice in the matter, and I feel worse now than I ever did.

“You knew my parents?” is the first thing that comes out of my mouth, and then I feel horrible when silent tears begin to fall from her eyes.

“I did. We did. I thought…” She pauses and looks over her shoulder at her husband then brings her gaze back to me. “I believed you were dead. If I had known, I would ha—”

“Leia,” Kai’s father says, cutting her off, and comes to stand next to her. “Maxim didn’t want that.”

“But—” she tries to argue.

“No, love. It wouldn’t have been safe,” Bane says firmly, and Leia dips her chin then looks up at Kai through her long lashes.

“How did you know?” she asks him quietly.

I tilt my head back to look at Kai. His sunglasses are now sitting on top of his head again, his eyes focused on his mother.

“We always knew,” Kai tells her.

I instantly wonder what else he could be keeping from me. I first believed he was doing this to help me, but a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach is leading me to believe that this has more to do with him than me. I just can’t figure out why.

“I know you have a lot of questions, but let’s put them off for another time. Myla hasn’t eaten.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him, hoping he will relent. I have a lot of questions of my own, and maybe his mom will be able to answer them for me.

“You need to eat,” he tells me on a squeeze.

“He’s right, honey. And we’ll have plenty of time to talk when we’re planning your real wedding.”

At her words, the nausea I was feeling earlier comes back in full force, making it hard to breathe.

“That’s not necessary,” I wheeze out.

“Of course it is. I don’t understand kids these days, all of you in such a hurry to get things done that you forget you need to remember the little moments. Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy you have fallen in love with my son, but as a friend of your mother’s, I know she would have wanted a big wedding, with you in a dress. I want to make that happen for her.”

I nod because I can’t say anything.

“We should find your sister. I know she will be excited to meet Myla,” Kai’s mom mutters, looking around.

“She met her earlier,” Kai states, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

Her eyes come back to us and go soft when she sees Kai press a kiss to the side of my head, which I stupidly feel all the way down to my toes.

“We’re both glad you’re here, Myla,” Bane says, looking between Kai and me. “I’m sure we will be seeing a lot of each other.”

“We will,” I agree, and he puts his arm around his wife.

“I’m glad you’re here, Myla. I will come over soon and visit with you,” Leia promises.

“I would enjoy that very much,” I tell her, feeling my face brighten.

Without thinking, I take a step towards her and give her a hug. When her arms close around me, I feel like she is somehow a link to my parents, and I will be able to find out whatever it is I need to know. That feeling alone is worth whatever messed-up crap is going to happen.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 11



“Do you have any photos of my mom?” I quietly ask her when I pull away.

Her face goes soft again, and she gently slides her finger across my forehead, moving a piece of my hair. “I do. I’ll bring them when I come visit you.” She smiles slightly then looks at Kai. “Take care of her.”

“You know I will,” he tells her, and I can hear the sincerity in his tone. “Are you guys going to stick around for a while?”

“Yes. Your uncle Frank is here,” his mom says.

Kai mutters, “great,” under his breath.

“I heard that,” she scolds then looks at me. “You’ll like Frank.” She smiles. “Your mom loved him. He’s funny.”

“No one thinks Frank is as funny as Frank thinks he is,” Kai’s dad says, shaking his head.

“He’s funny,” his mom tells me with a wink. “We will see you guys before we head home.”

“Sure,” I concur, watching them walk away. Once they are out of earshot, I turn in Kai’s arms, get up on my tiptoes, and pull his head down so I can whisper in his ear, “You have a lot of explaining to do.”

He leans his head back and looks down at me. His arms wrap around my waist, and he hauls me flush against him, making me inhale sharply at the feeling he ignites between my legs.

“You told me you would trust me.”

“You keep making that task very difficult,” I tell him honestly.

“Sometimes, the things that seem the most difficult end up being the most extraordinary,” he tells me quietly, dipping his face and running his nose across mine.

My breath pauses as his lips barely skim mine. “Please stop,” I murmur, dropping my forehead to his chest.

He is making it so difficult to separate real from fake, and I cannot let myself be pulled down any further than I already have been. Regardless of how much I want to get lost in this thing with him, I know I can’t.

“Myla?”

“No, Kai, please. This is already hard enough.”

“All right, makamae,” he says gently, letting me go, but not before I can feel his arousal against my belly, which makes my stomach dip.

“What does makamae mean?” I question as he takes my hand again, making a tingling sensation shoot up my arm.

“One day, I’ll tell you,” he says, leading me through the sand back towards the fire pit.

“Why not now?”

“Now, you need to eat,” he says, giving my hand a tug when my feet stop moving, because in front of me, on a table, is a pig that looks like it has been cooked whole. The outside is golden and glossy, and in its mouth is a bright-red apple.

“I’m not hungry,” I tell him immediately.

I love meat; hell, I love bacon as much as the next person. But seeing a pig whole like the one sitting in front of me makes my stomach turn over.

“You need to try it.”

“I can’t,” I whimper.

“I know you eat meat. I’ve seen you eat meat, including bacon.”

“I know,” I swallow as saliva fills my mouth.

“I’m going to make a plate for myself and one for you without the kalua, and if you feel like it, you can have some of mine,” he tells me, which makes my body relax. I don’t want anyone to think I’m being disrespectful of their culture, but I cannot imagine myself eating that.

After making our plates, he leads me a little ways down the beach, away from most of the crowd. He takes a seat in the sand, and I follow his lead, slipping my sandals off before sitting down next to him. Once I’m situated, he hands me my plate and I begin to eat, enjoying everything he chose for me.

“It’s really beautiful,” I say, looking out at the ocean.

“It is,” he agrees.

I turn my head and see that he’s not looking at the water, but at me, and there is a dark look in his eyes that makes my pulse speed up.

“Would you try something with me?”

“Like what?” I ask, turning slightly towards him.

“I want you to close your eyes and I’m going to feed you.”

“Kai.” I shake my head but then realize this might be the perfect opportunity for me to get some answers. “If I do this, then you have to do something for me,” I tell him.

“Like?”

“Answer a question for me.”

His expression closes off, and I can tell he is going to say no.

“One question, Kai,” I plead, sitting up a little taller.

His eyes search my face, and then he nods, making me feel like I just accomplished a huge feat.

“Turn towards me and close your eyes,” he orders, taking my plate.

I shift slightly and sit cross-legged in front of him. His eyes drop to my chest and then my legs, and I pull my dress down slightly so it lays over my thighs.

“Close your eyes.”

The rough, deep tone of his voice makes the butterflies erupt once more, and my pulse pick up. I bite my lip and close my eyes, feeling the intimacy of the moment wrapping around me.

When I hear a low growl from him, my eyes fly open and I see that his are locked on my mouth.

“Close your eyes.”

I do and inhale sharply when I feel the touch from one of his fingers on my bottom lip.

“Open,” he says, pulling down slightly on my chin.

My lips part, there is a cold, sweet taste on my tongue, and the flavor of ripe pineapple fills my mouth.

“Do you like it?” he asks, and I nod.

I have always enjoyed pineapple, but since coming to Hawaii, I have found out that it’s nothing like what I used to buy at the store back home. Here, it’s sweeter, and there are times when I swear I can taste the sun when I take a bite of it.

“Open again,” he tells me as soon as I swallow.

I do, and this time, the taste of ginger and chicken hits my taste buds. I chew slowly, enjoying the texture.

“Do you like that?” he asks.

“Yes,” I whisper as soon as I swallow.

“Again,” he instructs, pulling down on my bottom lip.

My lips part, and the taste of smoked meat fills my mouth. I block out what I saw and just enjoy the flavor.

“That is the taste of years of tradition. Men are taught at a young age how to properly prepare and cook the Kalua pig.”

I feel his finger on my bottom lip again, and my eyes open. I look at him and suck in a breath. His face is inches from mine and his dark eyes are on my mouth.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

I can’t say anything. I can’t even breathe. His lips brush lightly over mine at first. I turn my head slightly, not wanting it to be over, and he groans as his hand tangles into the hair at the side of my head, making me gasp. Then I feel his tongue on my bottom lip, and I open my mouth, losing myself in his taste and smell. He pushes me back into the sand, his body lying half on me. His hand not in my hair holds on to my waist, his thumb close to the edge of my breast.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 12



“Kai,” I moan into his mouth as my hands find the hard, smooth skin of his back under his shirt. My nails dig in and my hips lift as he slides one of his large thighs between my legs.

“TU Kai,” he groans when he pulls his mouth from mine and presses his forehead against my shoulder, ending what was one of the hottest make-out sessions of my life. “Ask your question,” he says as his chest moves rapidly against mine.

My mind is in such a haze that it takes a moment to decipher what he said. My brain goes over all the questions I have to ask, trying to pinpoint one that will help me the most.

“Why are you doing this?” I whisper, not realizing I spoke out loud until his body stiffens and his face rises above mine.

“When you were little, I found you crying in your tree house. I wasn’t very old then, but the moment I saw you with tears in your big, blue eyes, I knew you were something that needed to be protected.” He looks above me and out into the water before bringing his gaze back to mine, pulling his hand out of my hair, and running it down my hairline. “I have always needed to protect you,” he says softly.

I feel my world tilt once again. Without thinking, I lift my head and press my mouth to his. He groans, and his hand slides behind my back, pulling me deeper into his embrace. The sound of the ocean off in the distance and the feel of the warm sun on my exposed skin makes the moment feel even more surreal.

He slowly pulls away, placing one last kiss on my lips before lifting his head and looking down at me. There is something in his eyes now that I didn’t notice earlier, but before I can read it, he looks away and sits up, pulling me along with him.

“I don’t think we can eat that,” I say, laughing when I see that our plates have been sprinkled with sand.

“I think we should head home,” he says, ignoring my comment.

As I watch him stand, I suddenly feel awkward when he doesn’t look at me. I get up, dust myself off, and then pick up my sandals and my plate, heading towards a trash can. I have no idea how he can create such a tornado of feelings inside me.

I don’t like that he has the ability to make me melt with a kiss or become so mad that I swear I could spit fire. With him, I feel like he causes me to become two different people. And I don’t even know if I like one of those people.

“Are you ready?” he asks when his hand takes mine as soon as I have dumped my plate into the garbage.

I look around and notice once again that people are watching us, so my stomach drops when I realize that, to him, this is probably all just a show.

“Sure.” I shake my head and wish I had a pair of sunglasses so I could block him out. I know that, if he were to look into my eyes, he would see much more than I want him to.

Chapter 4

Popcorn

“How long are you going to pout for?” Aye asks.

I look over at him and glare. It’s been a week since I went with Kai to the beach and met his family. One would think that things would have been different after our awkward moment¸ but they haven’t.

The man confuses the hell out of me. One moment, he is kissing me senseless, and the next, he is standoffish and making me feel like I had made a giant mistake. But then he’s back to being his regular charming self while acting like he didn’t rock my world.

“I’m not pouting,” I sigh.

“Your bottom lip tells a different story. Now be a big girl and tell Daddy what’s wrong,” he says, taking a seat next to me on one of the oversized loungers as I fight back the smile threatening to take over my face.

“Please stop referring to yourself as Daddy,” I say, but I end up laughing at the end, which makes him smile.

“Please stop telling my wife to call you Daddy,” Kai growls, walking up behind us, which makes me jump.

“Yes, sir,” Aye says, standing quickly as I tilt my head back and put my hand above my eyes to block the sun so I can look at Kai.

“Are you still upset?” he asks then looks at Aye and flicks his head in a sign for him to leave us.

“No,” I tell him, watching Aye go, even though I still feel a small amount of anger over the news he gave me this morning.

“It’s for the best,” Kai assures me.

“Is it?” I ask, tilting my head when he comes over to sit down at my side.

“Yes. Your mother and father have been worried, Myla.”

“So you”—I press my finger into his chest—“took it upon yourself to tell them that I ran off and got married, and then you paid for their plane tickets to come visit. So now, not only am I forced to lie to your family, but I have to lie to the people who raised me since I can remember. Not to mention, their son is Thad, so you have just told him where I am,” I say, trying to keep the fear over the last part out of my voice.

“Thad won’t get near you,” he growls, grabbing my thigh.

“Okay, Kai. You know everything.” I shake my head and look out at the ocean, trying to ignore the feelings his hand on my skin is giving me.

“It’s a few days, Myla,” he says gently.

“It’s a few days of lying to their faces,” I clarify. “How are we going to explain sleeping in separate rooms?” I question, raising a brow at him.

“We’ll be sleeping in the same room while they’re here.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“What?” I whisper, feeling the color drain out of my face. It’s difficult enough seeing him every day. I have no idea how I will deal with him sleeping in the same room as me, let alone the same bed.

“It will be fine. You’ll see.”

“You’re delusional,” I breathe.

“Pardon?” he asks, taking on the same tone I hear from him when he’s speaking to his men.

I gather some much-needed courage and look him dead in the eyes before repeating myself more slowly. “I said you’re delusional. You actually believe this is going to turn out okay, when I know that it won’t. Haven’t you ever watched a movie before? There is always some huge lie that is being kept hidden, and in the end, the truth comes out.” I suck in a breath. “I don’t want to be there when this hole caves in.”

“The difference is this isn’t a movie, Myla, and I know what I’m doing.”

“If you say so.” I shake my head again and pull my eyes from him.

When we were just lying to ourselves, I was able handle all of this, but now that we have gotten people we both care about involved, I know that this is going to be something I end up regretting. I just hope I don’t regret it for the rest of my life or that my choice doesn’t have a negative effect on the people who are innocent in this whole thing.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 13



“Your mom misses you,” Kai says, breaking into my thoughts.

“I know, and I miss her too, Kai, but this isn’t the time or place for a family reunion.”

“You need to learn to trust me.”

“And you need to learn to talk to me before taking it upon yourself to just do stuff you have no right to do,” I argue.

“You’re right,” he says, and I’m completely taken aback by his words and the fact he just agreed with me. “You’re right, but I’m also right.”

I let out a defeated breath, realizing once again that he just doesn’t get it.

“So much for that,” I think and don’t realize I’ve said it out loud until I see his lip twitch.

“It will all work out.”

“You keep saying that, Kai, but you and I both know that your mother has built it up in her head that my mother’s wish has come true. She is so happy that she has this relationship to reconnect her with her friend who is long gone that she is not going to be very understanding about the fact we have lied to her and everyone else.”

His eyes search my face, and for the first time, I get the feeling that he finally understands what I have been saying all along.

“So we try to make this into a real relationship.”

My lungs freeze and my mouth goes dry as I sit there in stunned silence, looking at him and trying to think of a way to come back from that.

After a moment, I sit up in the lounger. “Are you insane?” I screech.

“You’re attracted to me,” he states.

“I…I’m attra—attracted to you?” I stutter out.

“And I’m attracted to you,” he says as his eyes travel over my body, and I feel my nipples pucker against the thin material of my bikini.

“Be serious.” I cross my arms over my chest.

“I’m being very serious.”

“It won’t work,” I argue.

“Why won’t it? Every relationship starts with attraction. You’re attracted to me, and I’m attracted to you.”

“Stop telling me that I’m attracted to you,” I growl, trying to stand up, but before I can, I’m down in the lounger and Kai is leaning over me with his face inches from mine.

“Why not try, Myla?”

“Because it’s a very, very dumb idea, Kai.” I roll my eyes.

“We don’t even have to have sex until you’re ready,” he says, ignoring what I just said and moving his face closer to mine. “Let’s try it while your family is in town. After they leave, we will reevaluate everything and then decide if we want to keep moving forward in our relationship.”

“I can’t believe I’m even considering this,” I say.

A small smile appears on his face right before he lowers his head and takes my mouth in a kiss so hot that I feel it all the way to my toes. When he pulls his mouth from mine, his lips go to my forehead, my nose, then my chin. I’m surprised by the sudden feeling that ignites in my chest from his soft show of affection.

“We need to have a first date,” he tells me, and I don’t even try to fight back my smile this time. “What?” he questions as his eyebrows pull together.

“I get to pick our first date,” I tell him and then bite my lip when his eyes narrow.

“All right, Myla. You get to pick the first date,” he agrees.

I can tell he is trying to figure out what I’m up to, and it takes everything in me not to smile or tell him that he’s in for it.

“In the meantime, would you like to watch a movie?” he asks, catching me off guard.

“I…” I pause and search his face before lowering my voice and asking, “A movie?” Aye, Pika, and I watch movies often, but Kai has never even asked to watch one with us. And he honestly seems annoyed when he finds us all lazing on the couch together.

“It’s Saturday. There isn’t much going on, and I don’t need to work, so uh—”

“Okay,” I agree, cutting him off, seeing how uncomfortable he is with asking me, “but I get to pick.”

“No!” He shakes his head. “I’m not watching a chick flick.”

“I never said anything about watching a chick flick. I said I get to choose the movie.”

“Nope. I’m picking,” he says firmly.

I roll my eyes and hop off the lounger before he can stop me again. I look over my shoulder when I notice he’s not following me. “Are you coming?”

“Yep,” he mutters with his eyes glued to the waist of my bikini.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, looking down to where his eyes are locked.

“Your color is changing,” he says, his eyes traveling up my body, making me feel like I’m not wearing anything.

“I’ve been using sunscreen,” I tell him when the look in his eyes doesn’t change.

“I can see that,” he says so quietly that I almost don’t hear him.

I’m just about to ask him what his problem is, but then his hand goes to my waist and he pulls the side of my bikini down.

“What are you doing?” I ask, stepping away from his touch.

“Your tan lines…” He shakes his head like he’s coming out of some kind of trance.

“What?” I ask confused.

“Nothing. Are you ready?”

“Sure.” I bite my lip and walk into the house in front of him. The whole way, I swear I can feel his eyes roaming over my exposed skin. “I’ll be right back,” I mumble, running up the stairs and into my room, where I quickly grab an oversized shirt and slip it on before I run back down to the movie lounge. “What did you pick?” I ask, plopping myself down onto one of the overstuffed sofas.

“You’ll see.” He smiles at me over his shoulder, and that image alone is enough to make me want to go to him and kiss the smile off his face.

For a man who doesn’t smile often, when he does, it’s always stunning. It astounds me that someone who gives off the energy of a person you wouldn’t want to cross is the same man you would pray to spend a moment with just to see if you could get him to smile at you.

“Myla?”

“Hmm?” I ask.

“I asked if you would like something to drink?”

I feel my face heat up, realizing I was staring at him, and know that I need a moment to gather my wits before sitting alone with him in a quiet room. “Oh, I can get it.” I hop up off the couch and make it to the edge of the movie room before turning around and asking, “Would you like something?”

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 14



“A beer.” He smiles and I feel my already-hot skin become even hotter.

“Got it. Beer,” I say under my breath, quickly going to the kitchen.

By the time I make it back to the movie room, it has been a good fifteen minutes. I got drinks, made some popcorn, and dug around in the cupboards until I found some gummies and chocolate. I was killing time, but I knew that, if I was going to be around him, I would need to have provisions that would keep my mouth and my hands full while I was in such close proximity to Kai.

“So, what did you pick?” I ask him again before grabbing a handful of popcorn and shoving it into my mouth.

“You’ll see,” he says once more, coming to sit down right next to me.

I try not to look at him, but I can’t help it. I swear my eyes have a mind of their own. When I turn my head, he has what looks like an iPad in his hands and is pressing the screen.

I study him for a moment when I know he is completely caught up in what he’s doing. His hair is tied back like it usually is, and his jaw is locked in concentration. The slight bump in the center of his nose is more pronounced with the downward tilt of his chin. My eyes lock on his lips, and even from his profile, they look full and completely kissable.

“You’re staring at me.”

“Am not,” I tell him, putting popcorn into my mouth while turning my face towards the TV.

“I told you you’re attracted to me,” he mutters.

“Whatever.” I smile then look over at him when I feel his eyes on me. “What?”

“Nothing.” He grins, making my belly dip.

“So, what are you torturing me with?” I ask.

His eyes heat at my words, which makes me squirm in my seat. Without answering, he presses another button. Then the TV lights up and Die Hard begins to play.

“Oh my God! I love this movie,” I beam at him, and his hand comes up, his finger running over my lips before he drops his hand and turns to face the television again.

I inhale a deep breath, letting it out slowly before turning back to face the screen. We spend the rest of the day watching movies and relaxing, and by the time we’re both ready for bed, I have found something out about Kai that I never expected: he is definitely someone I can see myself falling head-over-heels in love with.

I also realized that, with him, it would never be as easy as just love. Love seems too simple of an emotion to describe what I’d feel for him if I allowed myself to go there.

Chapter 5

Swimming with the Sharks

“Are you sure about this?”

No, I’m not sure now that we’re out in the middle of the ocean, but there’s no way I’m backing out. When I woke up this morning, I was surprised to find Kai sitting on the side of the bed, watching me. I was even more surprised when he told me that we were going to have to have our date today because my parents would be here in two days and he wouldn’t have much time to get away during the week.

Although I’m excited to see my parents, I still have a fair amount of anxiety about their visit. Even if Kai and I are going to be seeing where this thing goes, I have no idea how it will play out with two people who know me having a front-row seat at the start of our relationship.

I look from the ocean, where a cage has just been placed into the water, to Kai and give him a shaky nod. When I was around ten, I watched Jaws for the first time and instantly became obsessed with the ocean and all the creatures that live in it. One of the things I loved the most about the ocean was sharks, and I promised myself that, if I ever got the chance, I would go swimming with them.

This plan always seemed like a good idea. That was before I was sitting on a large boat, wearing a diving suit, getting ready to be lowered into the ocean in a cage, where fish blood and body parts will be tossed into the water with me, at which time I’ll come face-to-face with one of the world’s greatest predators.

“I promise you will love it,” he tells me, grabbing my hand, running his fingers over my skin.

“I want to do it.” I swallow thickly.

When I told Kai what my plan for our first date was, his face lit up and he looked like I had given him some kind of gift. He told me that shark diving is one of his favorite things to do, next to surfing. He said that he doesn’t get to go often but his friend would be willing to take us out on his boat. I can’t believe how fast everything happened. It felt like all I had done was snapped my fingers, and then I was on a boat, wearing a wetsuit.

“Do you remember what to do once we’re in the cage?” he asks.

I nod again, my voice seeming to be lost. Luckily for me, I took diving lessons a couple of years ago, and when Kai and his friend went over everything with me and asked me questions, I still knew all the right answers and what to do in case of an emergency.

“All right. Let’s get the rest of your gear on, makamae.”

He takes my hand and leads me to the ledge, where I don the breathing mask and the rest of my gear. After Kai gets me ready and has checked me over at least three times, he quickly puts on his own, gives a thumbs-up, and then signals me to place the breathing apparatus in my mouth. I do and immediately feel the flow of air that will allow me to breathe underwater.

As soon as I’m set, Kai pulls me over to the side of the boat, where a set of stairs leads into the water and down into the cage. He goes ahead of me and waits at the bottom of the steps for me to follow him down. When I reach the step that has half my body in the water, I become fully aware he is there, his body caging me in. His hand gives my waist a squeeze of reassurance before he submerges himself fully into the water.

I follow him under and am instantly stunned by the serenity. The ocean is so blue from above, and the water is so clear from below that I swear I can see for miles. The silence is like nothing I have ever known. The only sound I can hear is the noise coming from my own concentrated breathing.

I spin around slowly and come faceto-face with Kai, who points to his eyes then up to the top of the water. Suddenly, the water turns red and there are specks of white, which I know are fish particles filling the area surrounding us. Even though I know what’s coming, I’m still in awe when small fish swim near the cage and begin to eat up the smaller pieces of chum.

As I watch them, I realize they are almost moving in slow motion up until the moment their mouths open, and then they move suddenly, snatching up the food they were after. I don’t know how long it takes—it could have been minutes or maybe even hours—but Kai taps me on my shoulder. When I look over at him, he’s pointing to the far end of the cage, where there is a large, black mass heading towards us. I grab Kai’s hand and try to keep my breathing even as the fuzzy image clears up and the black mass becomes a large shark. I know right away that it’s a tiger shark, one of the deadliest animals on Earth.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 15



I grab Kai’s hand tighter as the shark swims around the cage a couple of times. The moment seems almost suspended in time, but before I have even really had a second to appreciate the beauty of the magnificent creature in front of me, he’s gone. We float around the cage for a few more minutes, but when Kai taps his wrist, I know that it’s time to head up.

Once we reach the surface, Kai’s friend helps me onto the boat and begins getting my gear off me. When my mask is off, I take a deep breath of the salty ocean air and look around for Kai. When our gazes connect, I try to convey with my eyes how much this moment means to me. It’s not every day you get to live out one of your childhood dreams, and I couldn’t be more thankful that he is the one who gave this to me.

I finish getting everything off and put away while trying to understand the feeling I have in my chest. It’s not until Kai comes over and drags me from where I was sitting to a large couch at the back of the boat when I realize what it is: Happiness.

I have always considered myself a happy person, but I didn’t know that, deep down, I really wasn’t, and since the moment I arrived in Hawaii, I have been truly happy. I miss my shop and my girls, but to me, I was just getting by before. And now that my life has evolved, I’ve been forced to do something I never would have done before, and I’ve left what I’d thought of as the security of my home, I’m finally, really, and truly happy. With that thought, I curl into Kai’s side, lay my head on his chest, and drift off to sleep with the smell of the ocean and the rocking of the boat lulling me into dreamland.

*

I wake up and attempt to roll over, only to find myself tethered to the bed by an arm over my waist and muscular, hairy legs tangled with mine. And then I remember that my parents are in Hawaii, sleeping a few doors down from our room.

“Go back to sleep,” Kai rumbles against my neck, causing goose bumps to break out all over my body.

“I thought you were going to stay on your side of the bed?” I whisper, rubbing my legs together, which have suddenly become restless.

“It got cold. I needed your body heat to stay warm.”

I smile at his reply and turn in his arms to face him, noticing that it is much colder in the room than it normally is. As soon as I’m facing him, he wraps an arm back around my waist, places his hip over mine, and begins to play with my hair. It has gotten easier over the last couple days to be this close to him, and if I’m honest with myself, I have come to crave his touch and presence. He’s like a drug I know is bad for me but can’t help wanting more of.

After a moment of enjoying the ease of the moment, I tilt my head back and ask, “Do you think it will be weird today, having my mom and dad and your parents here?”

His gaze travels from the piece of hair he’s playing with to mine, and then he looks over my head before replying, “No. My mom and I talked. She won’t even be bringing up the fact she knew your mother.” He tucks my face under his chin, forcing me to inhale a lungful of his scent.

“I still think it’s going to be awkward.”

“I’ll be with you for most of the day. I have to leave for a couple of hours around noon, but after that, I’m all yours,” he tells me, and I ignore the feeling I get from him telling me that he’s mine and pull my face out of his chest so I can look up at him.

“You know, if your mom brings up planning a wedding while my mom is here, we’re completely screwed,” I sigh.

“If that happens, we will deal with it when the time comes.”

“You act like it’s not a big deal, Kai. It was bad enough that I got married once and it wasn’t real. I don’t want to do it again, only this time wearing a white dress and doing it in front of my parents.”

“Don’t worry about that right now. Just enjoy the time you have with your parents while they are here,” he encourages.

I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from saying more. It seems like, no matter what I say, he’s not understanding that that, for me, is way more than I can handle right now. I have never been a good liar, and it’s not something I want to become good at.

“We should probably get up.” I pull away, take the blanket off, and shiver when the cold air hits my skin. “Did you turn on an air conditioner?”

I look over my shoulder, and though his back is to me, I hear him mutter, “No,” under his breath as he stands. I try to pull my eyes away from him, but seeing the muscles of his back flex when he raises his arms above his head keeps my eyes in place.

“Do you need to shower?” he asks, smiling when he catches me staring at him.

“I do.” A cold one, I think but don’t add as I stand and go to the bathroom.

I shut the door, go to the sink, get my toothbrush, and see that Kai’s toothbrush is next to mine in the holder. I ignore the feeling that gives me, squeeze some toothpaste onto the toothbrush, and brush my teeth before going over to the shower.

“What are you doing?” I ask him as he walks into the bathroom just as I’m turning the water for the shower on.

He ignores my question, walks over to the sink, and begins to load his toothbrush up with toothpaste.

“I’m going to shower,” I say, looking at him through the mirror and frowning when he begins to brush his teeth. “Do you need to do that right this moment?”

Our eyes connect and he pulls the toothbrush from his mouth. “Feel free to get in,” he tells me, and I can hear the challenge in his voice.

Something in me snaps, and I pull off the pair of panties I have on then rip my nightshirt over my head and get into the shower, keeping my back to him.

The glass doors are mostly fogged, but I know he can still see me. I honestly can’t believe I did something so ballsy, but I feel like he is constantly pushing me, maybe even testing me. I peek over my shoulder and find his gaze locked on me through the mirror.

My nipples harden and I feel my pussy contract from the look in his eyes. I start to think I’m an idiot when all he does is stare, but when his body turns to face me, he starts to take a step in my direction. Instead, he stops and shakes his head, adjusting the bulge in his pants and then leaving the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. I let out the breath that was locked in my chest and turn the water temperature to cold for a moment, needing to cool down before switching it back to warm, quickly washing up, and getting out.

By the time I make it into the bedroom, Kai is gone, but the scent of his cologne is still lingering in the air. I put on a pair of navy-blue shorts that fold at the hem and a white, linen button-down shirt over my navy-blue bikini before toeing on a pair of white flip-flops that have rhinestone studs across the straps and putting my hair into a quick braid. Then I leave the room.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 16



“Hey, Pika,” I say when I open the door to our room and find him leaning against the wall across the hall.

“Kai asked me to take you to the dining room.”

I nod and begin to follow him down the hall. Things have gotten a little easier between Pika and me, but I still hate the look of pity I sometimes see on his face when he’s looking at me. I guess it helps that he doesn’t talk much, and honestly, half the time, I forget he is even around.

“Did you have a good night off?” I ask, trying to fill the silence between us.

His eyes come to me over his shoulder, and he shrugs. “Didn’t do much,” he grumbles then turns around and continues walking.

“Sounds like fun,” I mutter then bite the inside of my cheek, wondering why the hell I said that.

Normally, Aye is with us, so it’s easier to deal with Pika and his cold demeanor. He seems like an all right guy—if you like the silent, broody type who would be more inclined to watch paint dry than to talk to you.

We walk the rest of the way in silence, and as soon as we make it just to the entrance of the dining room, I hear my mom ask if I’m coming and Kai tell her that I was getting out of the shower when he left the room. I duck my head and fight back a blush that is getting ready to take over my face, remembering what I did.

When we enter the dining room, I take in my mom, who is sitting next to the large open doors that lead out to a balcony. If you didn’t know any better, you would think I’m her biological child. We have the same blond hair and blue eyes, and she is also tall and lean.

My dad is sitting at the table with a newspaper open in front of him. He shaved his hair off when I was fifteen and hasn’t grown it back since. He is also tall, but his body is larger, and where he used to be fit, his body has started to go soft with age. His dark-brown eyes meet mine and he smiles, pushing back from the table and coming towards me.

“There’s our girl,” he says quietly, wrapping me up in a hug.

“Hey, Dad,” I reply just as softly, wrapping my arms around his back while soaking in one of his wonderful hugs—one of my favorite things in the world.

“You doin’ okay this morning?”

“I am.” I lean back and smile up at him.

His face goes soft, and he leans in and kisses my forehead.

“I can’t get over how beautiful you have become,” my mom whispers.

I turn towards her just as she engulfs me in a hug. Even though she said the same thing yesterday when we picked them up from the airport, my head soars from hearing her words. I hadn’t realized just how much I missed them. They are the only parents I have ever known, and there was never a moment growing up that they didn’t make me feel welcome and loved.

“I’m happy you’re here,” I whisper back honestly.

“You know, wherever you are in the world, if you needed me, honey, I would go through hell to make it to you.”

A sob climbs up my throat. I know she is telling the truth, and that is why I have always tried to protect both my parents. The thought of something happening to them because of what their son has done has always made me fearful.

“Don’t cry. We’re here now.” She holds me tighter then whispers in my ear, “Your husband looks like he’s going to murder someone. I don’t think he likes it when you cry.”

I pull my face away from her chest, and my gaze collides with Kai’s. “I’m okay.” I wipe my face with a tissue my dad hands me.

Kai comes over to me and wraps an arm around my waist before kissing the side of my head. “I was telling your mom about our shark diving trip.” He looks down at me and smiles.

“I told him about when you were little and you were fascinated with the ocean but how the closest you ever got to sea life was at the aquarium,” Dad says.

“Dad used to tease me about him having to work more hours just to afford my obsession with the aquarium.” I smile at the memory.

“I loved having that time with you,” my dad says then looks at Kai. “My sons were always doing one sport or another, and life was always hectic. It was nice to spend a quiet afternoon once a month with a little girl who wanted nothing more than to sit in the observatory of the aquarium, watching the fish swim around.”

“I loved that time with you too—just as much as I liked helping you in the bakery on Saturdays when I got older,” I tell him.

“You were always a good kid.” He looks at me with eyes full of sadness then takes my mom’s hand. “I don’t know what we did, but whatever it is, we’re sorry. We tried to be good parents.”

“Oh God,” I choke out. “You didn’t do anything,” I get out around the lump in my throat. “You were amazing parents—the best. I just… I just…” I pause, not knowing what to say. There is no way to explain to them why I left home and never looked back without calling out their son, and I’m not willing to risk telling them what he did to me.

“I know there is much to talk about, but if we could put all of that off until another time, I would be grateful. Myla has been very stressed since we got married, and I really don’t want my wife to spend the first few weeks of our marriage depressed,” Kai says.

My face goes soft, and I lean deeper into his side.

“This should be a happy time for us, makamae,” he adds, tilting his head down towards me.

I look up at him in wonder and know that this is one more reason why I could fall in love with him so easily. He has a way of reading me that no one has ever had before.

“I agree,” my mom says quietly, and my eyes go to her. She is looking up at Kai with her eyes shining. “We have plenty of time to talk about everything. Let’s just have a good time while we’re here.”

“Thanks, Mom,” I whisper.

She smiles at me and reaches out to gently hold my cheek before dropping her hand to her side.

“I, for one, am starving,” my dad chimes in, and the energy in the room becomes lighter.

Kai presses another kiss to the side of my head then leads me over to the table and pulls out a chair for me before taking a seat at my side.

“Thank you,” I whisper, looking at him when the servers come in to take the breakfast orders.

“Any time.”

He leans in and I tilt my head back without thinking, accepting his kiss. When our lips part, his eyes stay locked on mine and the look I have been trying to decipher appears on his face again before he turns away, not giving me a chance to figure it out.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 17



*

“I’m glad you found a good man.” My dad smiles at me as we walk down the beach.

After breakfast, we decided to take a walk while my mom went to lie out in the sun.

“You have always put everyone before you. I’m glad you found a man who makes sure you’re taken care of.”

“He’s good to me,” I say while taking in a lungful of ocean air.

“You can see it when he looks at you that he adores you.”

“Really?” I question, then wonder if I should have said something different.

“When you picked us up at the airport yesterday, your mother and I paused the moment we saw you at the baggage claim. We were, quite frankly, in awe. Kai is…well, kind of intimidating.”

“No, he’s not.” I shake my head. Kai is beautiful to me.

“He is, but he was looking at you with a softness in his eyes that I have only ever seen once before, and that was from you father when he looked at you or your mother,” my dad whispers.

My head swings his way. I’m in shock because we have never, not even once, spoken about my father before.

“You were his star.” He shakes his head before he looks out at the water and then back at me with a deep sadness in his eyes. “When he asked me to take you in, I knew how hard it was for him to do. Your mother and he loved you. You were the reason they were put on this Earth.”

“I hate that I don’t remember them,” I say through tears.

“You do…” He pauses, takes my hand, and then places it over my heart. “In there, you remember them. They have always been with you, will always be with you.”

“I know they loved me,” I tell him after a moment, when I finally find my voice again.

“I know they did too,” he says as his face softens.

“No, I know, because they gave you and Mom to me.”

“Oh, Myla.” He shakes his head and tugs me into a hug. “We miss our girl.” I can hear tears in his voice, and it kills me that I have done this to him.

“I miss you guys too,” I sob, wrapping my arms tighter around him.

“Let’s make this the last time we wait so long between visits.”

“Okay,” I agree, holding on to him tighter.

We stay like this for a long moment. I have missed both of my parents, but my dad and I have always been close, so not having him in my life over the last few years has really hurt.

“Love you, Dad.”

“Love you too.” He pulls away then looks at my tear-stained face. “You need to stop crying before we get back to the house and your husband sees you.”

“I’m done,” I smile at him through watery eyes.

He wraps his arm around my shoulders, and we walk the rest of the way back to the house in silence. I feel like, over the last few weeks, I have been bombarded with things from my past—some good, and some bad. But I’m also grateful for the closure I’m getting from it.

Chapter 6

Tethered to Him

“I told you the moment we got them together it was going to be bad,” I growl at Kai, who has the nerve to smile at me.

After my dad and I got back from our walk on the beach, Kai’s mom showed up and instantly began talking to my mom about weddings and how she believes we should have another ceremony where everyone can come to witness us exchange vows. Then my mother started telling her that they would only be able to stay until the weekend but she would love to have some kind of celebration before she went home. So now, my mother and Kai’s have just told us what is going on and how we will be having a party with over one hundred and fifty people.

He shrugs. “It’s just a party.”

“Did you hear them?” I practically shout. “They said a hundred and fifty people. A hundred and fifty people is more than a party. That’s like…a concert or something.”

His eyebrow rises, and he shakes his head. “What kind of concerts have you gone to?”

“That doesn’t matter.” I roll my eyes, completely exasperated.

“I know you don’t want to do this, but look at how happy our mothers are right now. And it will be good for everyone to meet my wife. I should have done something as soon as we got home, but with everything that happened, I didn’t want to put to much pressure on you.”

“I don’t need to meet everyone, Kai,” I tell him, feeling nervous from even thinking about it. “We don’t even know what we’re doing. Things between us are still up in the air.”

“Stop,” he growls, turning to face me. “Every time you talk about us, you make it seem like we have an expiration date. We agreed to try to make this work, but in order for that to happen, both of us have to be involved. You can’t have one foot out the door already, Myla.”

I swallow, close my eyes, and drop my forehead to his chest, realizing that he’s right. I agreed to see where things go with him, while at the same time, I have been counting on us coming to an end.

“You’re right.” I open my eyes and look up at him. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

His hands come up, and he gently holds my face between his palms. “Let’s worry about one thing at a time.” He kisses me softly then leans back just enough so he can look me in the eye. “Let’s give our mothers this party. I know it will mean a lot to both of them.”

I nod and lean into his touch.

“I’ll be with you all night.” He kisses me again, but this time, before he can pull away, I nip his bottom lip.

He growls deep in his throat and his hand tangles in my hair, forcing my head to the side. My mouth opens under his, and the moment his tongue touches mine, I whimper. I have never been with someone like him, and as much as it scares me, I still want him more than I have wanted anything in a very long time. He slows the kiss and pulls away, resting his forehead against mine.

“You’re right.”

“I’m right?” he asks, surprised.

“Well, it would mean a lot to my mom to be involved, even if it is just a party.”

“And us?” he questions.

I debate for a moment how to answer him before pressing my chest against his. “I know you don’t think I’m giving us a chance, but I am. I have never been with someone like you before. You scare me.”

“Myl—”

“Oh, honey, I’m so excited!” my mom says, interrupting Kai. “Do you think we should have a photographer?”

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 18



“I don’t think that’s necessary,” I mumble, gaining a squeeze to my waist from Kai.

“I’m sure your brothers would love to see some pictures of you.”

My body freezes and I feel the blood drain out of my face as Kai’s arms band around me.

“You don’t look so well. Are you okay, honey?” my mom asks.

I nod, not able to speak.

“She’s had a long day. I’m going to get her to bed. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day,” Kai says.

“Of course,” Mom mutters, looking me over.

I give her a shaky smile and a quick hug before Kai leads me back towards our room. Once we’re inside and I hear the door close behind us, I walk to the bed, sit down, and then kick my shoes off before pulling my feet up onto the bed and tucking myself into a ball.

“Do you know that Rory was once my best friend?” I ask Kai as I watch him slip his shirt off over his head then pull his pants off, leaving him only in his boxers, which shows off the tattoo on his right hip that disappears into his underwear, the bottom of the ink ending just above his knee. I wish I could see the full extent of the artwork and get up close to the very detailed work.

“Thad’s brother?” he questions, pulling me out of my thoughts as he walks towards me, holding a shirt in his hand.

I nod as I watch the muscles in his stomach flex.

“Do you still keep in touch with him?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. When I moved away from Nevada, I just left everything behind,” I say, sitting up on the side of the bed.

When he mutters a quiet, “Up,” his hands go to my stomach. Then he pulls my shirt off over my head and then quickly tugs the new one down. I reach behind my back and unhook my bra, pulling it off then out one of the sleeves of the shirt.

“Why did you run after graduation?” he questions.

I look up at him, and he searches my face. Part of me wonders how he could know about that, but I’m starting to understand that Kai knows a lot more than I could even begin to realize. And I wonder if his question now is more of a test than him just asking out of curiosity.

“I got accepted into culinary school,” I say softly, watching disappointment flash in his eyes.

I quickly slip my shorts off, watching as he walks around the bed and gets in behind me. I don’t know why, but I expect him to ignore me, to just turn his back to me and go to sleep, but instead, he comes to me, pulling me down with my back to his front. Then he slides one arm under my neck and wraps the other around my stomach.

“So, you guys were friends?” he asks softly after a moment.

I feel his breath on my neck, so I close my eyes for a moment, memorizing the feeling.

“We had all the same friends, and when we were home, it was like living with my best friend. I think it was harder leaving him behind more than anything else.”

“Huh,” he grunts, and a small thrill fills me that perhaps he’s jealous, but I squash it immediately, knowing he would never be jealous.

“I got an engagement announcement from him about a year ago, and I sent a congratulations card back in return, but I just couldn’t find it in myself to even pick up the phone to call him.”

“Something must have happened to make you cut off all ties with the people you considered family.”

“I think I was just trying to find my own way in the world,” I lie, gaining a squeeze from him.

“I wish you would talk to me,” he says quietly.

I turn to face him and bury my face in his chest, wishing I had the courage to share what happened to me with him.

“I’m so tired,” I tell him instead, breathing him in.

“Sleep, makamae,” he says, wrapping his arms tighter around me.

Even though I try to talk myself out of it, and even though I know it’s a huge mistake, I fall asleep feeling safe and wanted.

Kai’s face is between my legs, his large arms holding me in place, his hands holding mine against my thighs, making it impossible to touch him. I cry out in frustration as I feel my clit pulse in his mouth.

I wake up breathing heavily, and I remember the dream I was having. I was begging him to make love to me, but he just kept me on the edge. I go to get up and realize Kai’s hand his cupping me over my panties, and I can feel the hard length of him against my back.

“Oh, God,” I moan quietly, squeezing my eyes closed. I know that all I need is the smallest brush against my clit and I will explode. I go to move again and his fingers press in. “Kai,” I whisper, unintentionally rolling my hips forward into his hand.

“TU Kai,” he rumbles, pressing into my back.

My hand goes to his thigh and my nails dig into his skin as his fingers slide my panties to the side and his middle finger circles my clit.

“Drenched,” he growls against my neck as his finger does another circle.

My hand on his thigh goes behind my back and down into his boxers, my fingers attempting to circle his width without coming close. From the feel of him in my hand, I can imagine how large and beautiful he is. I slide down then up, and he growls, his teeth nipping my neck.

He feels like steel covered in smooth silk. My thumb runs over the tip, catching the bead of pre-cum before doing another downward stroke.

“Makamae,” he says, and without warning, two fingers swiftly enter me.

“Kai!” I cry out and turn my head over my shoulder in time for his mouth to capture mine in a kiss that takes my breath away.

His fingers move in sync with the hand I’m pumping him with. I pull my mouth from his and cry out again as his thumb rolls over my clit, causing the orgasm that had been building since I woke up to explode through my body.

I squeeze my eyes closed as my pussy convulses around his fingers, and his teeth take hold of the skin of my neck as my hand fills with cum from his release. After a moment, I begin to come back to myself, and I can feel my face turn red from embarrassment. I never expected that to happen. It normally takes a while for me to feel okay with any kind of intimacy, but as with everything about Kai, he brings it out of me so easily.

“I could go again,” he says.

I feel that his cock is still semi-hard. I let him go when I realize he is still in my palm. He flips me over to my back, and his fingers sink deeper inside me, causing me to moan loudly as aftershocks from my orgasm fill my lower belly.

“You’re my wife, Myla.”

“I know.” I squeeze my eyes closed.

“This is natural.”

“I’m not ready for this,” I say then feel the bed begin to shake. “Are you laughing?” I ask in disbelief, popping one eye open.

 

Obligation
Obligation Page 19



“You might not think you’re ready, but you were begging me for it…even in your sleep.”

“No,” I whisper, feeling my eyes get big and my face turn even redder.

“I haven’t come from a hand job since I was thirteen. I’m just as surprised by what happened as you are. But I don’t regret it. I don’t regret anything that has happened between us.”

I feel my face go soft, and I lean up, pressing a kiss to his mouth. Then I moan down his throat as his fingers begin to slide in and out of me again. He pulls his mouth from mine then looks down into my eyes.

“This time, I want to see you when you come. I’ve imagined it a hundred times, but now, I will have the memory of the way you look, the way you smell, and the way you taste,” he says, lowering his face to my stomach, and then his teeth pull my shirt up, exposing my breasts. “I think I’m obsessed with your tan lines,” he says, licking my breast and making me whimper. “One day, I’m going to strip you down and trace every inch of them with my tongue and teeth.”

His mouth moves to my other breast, and I feel him lick it as well, his mouth avoiding my nipple with each stroke of his tongue.

“Kai!” I cry, my fingers threading through his hair when his lips lock on to my nipple.

His tongue flicks over the tip as his fingers stroke into me harder and faster, his thumb zeroing in on my clit. My head digs back into the pillow. My eyes squeeze closed, but then they fly open when he demands, “Open your eyes.”

When our gazes lock, I fall apart in his hands, my insides becoming liquid as another orgasm explodes through my body. My eyes stay locked on his as I float off before slowly coming back to myself.

“I now understand what beauty really looks like,” he says, pulling his hand out of my panties and curling himself around me.

“Thank you,” I whisper, and he pulls away so he can look at me.

“I will do that for you any time you ask.”

I feel my lips twitch, and I’m just about to say something when there is a loud bang on the bedroom door.

“Kai!” a woman yells. “Let Myla up! I have strict orders to take her from you, even by force. I need to get her ready for the party tonight.”

“You’re going to have to come back,” Kai grunts, rolling us over so that I’m sprawled out on top of him.

“I’m telling Mom!” she yells dramatically.

I begin to laugh then quickly gasp when one of his hands slides up under my shirt then down into my panties before it cups one cheek of my ass.

“I should get up,” I say quietly, looking down at him.

His hand goes to the side of my face then slides around as his fingers circle the back of my neck. He tugs gently, forcing my mouth down to his. His teeth nip at my bottom lip. Then he soothes it with a swipe of his tongue.

“You should spend the day in bed with me,” he says, causing a tingle to shoot right to my core.

“Myla, if you can hear me, I really need you to come out here,” Meka yells, and I begin to laugh against Kai’s mouth.

“I’ll see you later,” I tell him.

His hand gives my ass a squeeze as his hips lift. I feel the hard length of him against my belly before I’m rolled again and he’s over me, his hair like a curtain, making the moment seem even more intimate. His face lowers and he takes my mouth in a deep kiss then quickly pulls away. Then he hops off the bed. His eyes look me over before he walks over to the dresser, grabs a pair of sweats, pulls them on, and then opens the door to the bedroom, where Meka comes flying in.

“Oh, thank God. I thought I was interrupting,” she says, and I bite the inside of my cheek, because she is obviously oblivious.

“You did interrupt us,” Kai growls then looks at me on the bed again, and I can see the silent promise in his eyes.

“Are you leaving?” she questions, ignoring his last comment, coming to the bed, and flopping down next to me.

Kai grunts at her then looks at me, and his eyes change, appearing softer. “I’ll see you at the party.”

“See you at the party,” I reply softly.

His eyes stay locked on mine for a moment then travel to his sister. “Take care of my wife.”

“Will do,” she tells him on a whisper.

I watch him leave and don’t pull my eyes from the door until Meka pats my leg.

“It’s going to take some time to get used to him being in love,” she says.

My gaze goes to her. “Pardon?”

“I have never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”

I stare at her, unsure of what to say and not wanting to get my hopes up. But the feeling I have had in my gut since the moment I met Kai is causing a warm feeling to spread throughout my body.

“Anyways, you already know he’s in love with you.” She smiles then jumps off the bed. “Okay, go shower, We have a lot to do.”

I get off the bed, stumble to the bathroom, and shower quickly. When I come out, the room has not only Meka waiting, but also my mom, Kai’s mother, and a large woman wearing a very bright floral dress that accentuates her dark skin and fuller figure.

“You’re here! Let’s get started.”

I begin to take a step back from the woman when she starts towards me holding a bag in her hands.

“Come on, child. We don’t have all day.” She rolls her eyes.

I look at Kai’s mom, but she just smiles.

“Marcy is going to get you dressed and make sure your dress fits you. She can size it while we go out and get your hair and makeup done.”

“Um…I thought we were just doing a small get-together.”

“We are, but there will be a photographer and I would like to have some pictures of you and Kai,” my mom says, making me feel guilty.

I swallow down my own personal feelings and walk towards the woman. “Where would you like me?”

“Here is just fine.” She stops in front of me, sizes me up, and then opens the garment bag, pulling out a white dress. “You’re much smaller than he normally likes,” she mutters to herself.

I shake off the feeling I get from her words and look at my mom.

“You’re going to look beautiful.” My mom smiles then begins talking to Kai’s mom and sister.

Even though I’m in a room full of people, I feel alone. I close my eyes and wish that I were back in bed with Kai again.

*

“Makamae.”

I lift my head and my eyes crash with Kai’s. His eyes run over my hair and body then land on my feet before meeting my gaze again. When I looked in the mirror after his sister and Marcy finished with me, I was shocked. I looked like a model—nothing like myself at all.