Crossing the Line(28)

I knew I shouldn't have asked him. He could lose everything.

But I'd never let that happen. I'd threaten to disown my dad if he ever booted Kye out for being with me. And if there's one thing I was sure of, it was my dad's love.

He'd do anything for me. And if it came down to a choice between punishing Kye and pleasing me, I was pretty sure he'd choose the latter.

It made me feel like a heartless bitch, toying with Kye's future like this. I had nothing to lose in our relationship; he had everything. But I'd fight for him, would defend him, if it ever came to a showdown between the two men in my life.

"Please don't say no." I guided his head lower and kissed him, a soft glide of my lips against his that made me yearn for so much more. "I need you."

He resisted for a few seconds, before leaning his forehead against mine and I knew I had him.

"Okay."

One, simple word, laden with so much promise.





Chapter 19




MIA





With some people, no words were needed. I had a study partner at college like that, Maggie, a girl I could sit with for hours and we only talked if we needed to. I liked that about her, her economy with words.

It was like that with Kye. When we got back to my villa, we didn't speak. Didn't need to. We peeled off our clothes, stepped into the shower and washed each other.

I soaped his back, his front, lower. He returned the favor until I was mindless and boneless and desperate to have him inside me.

He toweled us off, carried me to the bed, and lay me down on top of the covers, his gaze scorching every inch of my bare skin as he studied me from top to bottom.

I opened my arms to him and he made fast work of a condom before lowering himself on top of me. Raining kisses on my collarbone. My neck. My breasts.

He sucked a nipple into his mouth as he entered me, inch by exquisite inch, taking his sweet time, knowing it drove me crazy.

I arched upward when he reached the hilt, the fullness of him inside me almost too perfect, and it actually brought tears to my eyes. He kissed them away, not freaked like I expected him to be. Instead, his gaze locked on mine, steady and soft, as he slid in and out, setting a delicious rhythm that made me wish we could do this forever.

I had no idea how long we made love. Five minutes. Fifty. But all too soon the pleasure escalated and peaked, catapulting us to a place where lovers like us actually had a chance at forever.

When Kye pulled the covers over us, and I lay snuggled against his side, only then did he speak.

"You need to know about the blackness."

Not quite the opening line I'd expected after the incredible union   we'd just shared, but this was momentous. Kye wanting to share anything with me was a bonus.

I rolled onto my side and rested my hand on his chest, directly over his heart. "Tell me."

He didn't glance at me, his gaze fixed firmly on the ceiling. "It started when I was in my early teens and the boys at school ramped up their teasing. They said horrible things about Mum. About me. About the girls who worked at the club."

I felt him tense beneath my palm.

"Most of the women who stripped were single mothers supporting their kids, or girls trying to pay their way through uni. They didn't want that lifestyle but did whatever it took to make ends meet."

I remained silent, waited for him to continue.

"Those jerks at my school were so judgmental and I mostly handled their crap. But then the blackness would creep over me at times."

Did he mean depression? Or anger?

"I hated it. Made me feel helpless. I didn't want to be a victim to my rage and I sure as hell didn't want to hurt anyone, so I walked away time and time again. Wagged school when it got bad. Eventually picked up a tennis racket and figured hitting a ball hard was better than taking my frustrations out on some dickhead's nose."

"Is that how you started playing tennis?"

He nodded. "Yeah, at thirteen. Coaches couldn't believe I was a late starter. They marveled at my forehand." He snorted. "They didn't know I was imagining every prick's face who'd ever insulted Mum on those balls as I hammered them down the line."

"Sounds like good motivation."

"Tennis became my lifeline. Kept me sane even in the darkest times, like when Mum died."

My heart swelled with pity. How hard it must've been for this incredible guy to face insults and worse, the death of a parent alone.

While I'd always wished for a mom, especially those picture-perfect ones some of the girls had—the cookie-baker-lemonade-makers—and I'd loved hanging around Dani's outrageously flamboyant mom, I couldn't miss what I'd never had.

Mom had died when I was a toddler and I couldn't remember a thing about her. Sure, Dad showed me pics but it wasn't the same as having flesh and blood memories. Like what Kye had obviously treasured and lost.