Undeniably His(79)

“You should get your crew to clean up the drool on the floor, Kalin.” I say over the noise of the crowd.

“After that ugly display?” Kalin’s frown is betrayed by the amusement glittering in his eyes. He’s feigning innocence. Besides, Kalin’s a rock star to his employees, especially the females. I know that he’s smart enough to maintain his image that is the foundation of his company. Now his enemies just made him invincible.

“The wounded warrior has come home to a hero’s welcome.” I grin up at him.

“The wounded warrior has come home to plunder.” Kalin bends his head into my neck and slides his hands over my hips. “God, you always smell so fucking good,” he breathes in my ear. His warm, moist lips press into my neck, and heat rushes through me like liquid fire pushing through a broken dam. It’s been so long since I felt Kalin’s hands on me like this, and now my body is responding before I can resist.

“No, Kalin.” Kalin ignores me and sucks on my neck like he’s enjoying an ice cream cone. His teeth trap a thin layer of skin, and sting me with pain and pleasure that shoots through my body. His sensual touch and arousal makes it hard for me to resist, but I push him away so that he makes eye contact with me. “We have to talk.”

“Jesus, Annabelle, we’ve been talking for four weeks. I want to fuck now. What is it?”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Madison?”

“Annabelle, you drive me crazy and then torture me.”

I cross my arms and quirk my mouth at him. “We have to be honest with each other, Kalin. No amount of great sex can replace that.”

“Whatever it takes.” He takes my hand and kisses it. “Okay?”

I nod with a faint smile, and he sucks my finger into his mouth. The warmth bathes my whole body with longing for him, but I mask my desire and slap him on the chest. “Stop it, Kalin.”

An adorable smile spreads across his mouth. “A little taste is better than nothing,” he says while brushing the back of his hand over my cheek. “We’ll talk later?” I nod and a smile slips over my face before I can stop it.

Kalin plants a soft kiss on my lips, and mixes into the crowd to entertain his guests. I watch him motion to his parents about the scar, shrugging with innocence, no doubt defending himself from his unabashed display. I bite back a smile and know that I want to give all of myself to him if only he would do the same for me. Why didn’t he tell me about Madison?

A girl touches my arm and introduces herself. “You’re Annabelle, Kalin’s marketing assistant, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Tina Caldwell.”

I snap my fingers. “Fudge brownies.” I point with a smile of recognition.

“Yeah. Amazing,” she says.

“Those were so incredible. Thank you so much for those. I remembered who you were because I wanted to get the recipe too.”

“The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?” Tina smiles at me. “The recipe is kind of a family secret. I can give it to you if you promise not to share it. If it keeps Kalin happy, it’s worth it.”

“He certainly has a lot of fans,” I mutter.

“You have no idea.” An adoring smile brightens her face.

I give Tina my email and continue to meander through the crowd, remembering who gave us what, and thanking them for the many gifts we received. I spot Kalin and he just keeps going, even though I know he has to be exhausted. He starts to say his goodbyes, and I take the cue and do the same. When the house is finally empty, Kalin smiles at his parents, Madison, and me. “You sneaky devils.”

“We tried to keep it small, Kalin. But so many people had been asking about you and wanting to do something for you,” Lauren pleads.

“Oh, no, Mom, it was great. It was wonderful. I wanted to thank all of them personally anyway, and this was perfect for that.” Kalin kisses his mom on the forehead and leans his head on top of hers. “So thank you. All of you. Madison can throw a party like the best of them.”

Madison smiles up at him. “You make it easy, Kalin. Your raving fans demand it.”

We laugh at the comment, and I take some of the dishes to the sink. “I had no idea,” I confess.

“There was no way we could tell you, Annabelle. You were with Kalin every day,” Madison insists. “We had to keep it from both of you.”

“You guys sure know how to keep a secret.” My face blushes as I realize what I just said. Kalin and Madison glance at each other. I rinse the dishes off and scrub at one to dissipate some of the tension racking at my nerves.