Hideaway
Page 77
If Kai signed the contract, then maybe Damon got word and would be home anytime. I needed to talk to him. Had he told Kai the truth about Natalya?
“You have nothing to do,” she called, her voice getting closer, “nothing to worry about, and nothing to think about. Kai’s handling your boss, there’s no word about Damon’s return yet, and Kai has absolutely nothing for you to do today. So, eat.”
I walked back into the bedroom as she set the tray of food on the bed.
“I can’t eat,” I told her. “I can’t stay here. I…”
I trailed off, heading over to the chest of drawers. Yanking open a couple of them, I checked for some kind of clothes, finally locating a pair of lounge pants in the third drawer down.
“You can do anything you want,” she told me, her tone stern. “And I’d say we’re all due for some fun, don’t you?”
I half-smiled, unable to help myself. What is this thing you speak of? Fun? Never heard of it.
“If you leave,” Alex said, “Kai’s just going to follow you. And then all of us will follow him. And I think trouble knows where we are and has always known, and one night will make no difference.”
I paused. Yeah, Kai would follow me. I had no doubt that was true. If, by some miracle, I found Damon, I needed him alone.
“Now…” She smiled while walking over to the boutique bags sitting on the chair, a light in her eyes as if she’d won the argument. “Knowing your shyness, I took the liberty of picking out special PJs for you for the party tonight.”
Hours later—and a couple drinks coerced into me by Alex—I guessed I was ready to head down to the party, which was already in full swing. Kai had left the house after I ate the late lunch Alex had brought me, so I hadn’t seen him at all since last night.
I wondered if he was worried. Or in a bad mood over the fight with Michael last night. Or if he was angry with me. He might see it as my fault, feeling forced to sign that contract, and even though I knew it wasn’t, I also knew we kept digging ourselves in deeper. And that was definitely, in part, my fault.
If he knew Damon was my brother, he might understand why my feelings were so strong for him and not expect me to make choices he knew I couldn’t make.
I should tell him. One less secret, right? But there was no guarantee he’d give up the vendetta, and what’s more, he hadn’t used me as leverage yet, but he could. I didn’t want him knowing exactly what he had in his grasp.
But I definitely needed to talk to Kai. What was he going to do about the contract? What if Vanessa showed up here?
And why had he kept this house off the radar? Why the secret entrance?
Ugh. Maybe I should wear those “pajamas” Alex got for me, after all. Perhaps his one-track mind would kick in and he might be more forthcoming?
Yeah, no. There was no way I was wearing a black halter top with panties clearly visible underneath a long sheer skirt. She even tried to get me into heels, for crying out loud.
I ripped everything off and dug in Kai’s drawers until I found a pair of boxers. I slipped them on and donned a fresh, white-collared shirt of his from the closet. I let her put a little make-up on me—some eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick—but my hair stayed messy. I told her I was going for the cute bedhead look, but really, I just wasn’t ready to go full force. Not that I might not like dressing up and having my hair done, but one thing at a time. I needed to feel some semblance of familiarity. Too much was happening too fast.
But at least I was more covered than she was in her tiny, red silk boxers with lace trim and pinstriped corset. I might try on something like that but definitely in private.
“Come on.” She pulled my hand.
Stepping into the hallway, I was taken back by how dark it was. I looked both ways, noticing how the lights from earlier were now turned down and, instead, lit candles glowed atop holders on small tables lining the hallway. Music drifted up from below, and I could hear the doorbell ringing.
Laughter and faint chatter mixed with the clacks of heels and tinkling of glasses.
We headed down toward the staircase, but as soon as we reached the top step and I saw all the people, some I recognized as old classmates of Damon’s from Thunder Bay and others as Storm players from Michael’s team, I locked up.
“I don’t like…” I pulled my hand away from hers. “I’m not sure I belong here. I don’t like this. I feel…”
I didn’t know what to say. My body was covered, and I’d run around The Pope all those years ago in boxer shorts, too, but now…
Look at all those women. Dressed in lingerie. Sexy. Tan. Beautiful. I didn’t want to dress like that, but I also didn’t feel like I fit in like this, either. The only person I wanted to wear stuff like that for was Kai, and I couldn’t do this. This was his scene, not mine.
I took a step back. It would be more fun to stay up here and explore the rest of the house anyway. There were dozens of rooms, and an attic, I was sure. Not to mention, if there was one secret passageway in the study, there were bound to be more. Anything would be more fun than this.
But hands caught my hips from the back, and Kai’s whisper was suddenly in my ear.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I folded my arms over my chest. “I don’t flaunt myself for the enjoyment of men.”
His chest shook with a laugh behind me. “Well, good. Happy to hear it, because I’m the only man whose attention you should be trying to get, and baby, you got it years ago while wearing another man’s clothes.” He kissed my temple, his hot breath sending chills down my spine. “So, you can imagine how fucking beautiful you are to me right now wearing mine.”
My heart fluttered, and all of a sudden I felt braver.
Without another word, he walked past me, down the stairs, to greet his guests. I stared at the muscles in his back, visible since he only wore pajama pants like a lot of the other guys, and felt myself heat up again.
But I no longer felt nervous. I started down the stairs with Alex.
The party wasn’t actually as busy as I thought. He could’ve easily packed over a hundred people on the bottom floor, but there seemed to only be about seventy to eighty of their gang’s close, personal friends. Basketball players, business associates, old high school friends…
And the place was set up like a slumber party, in keeping with Will’s theme of pajamas.
Tables filled the dining room, covered with an assortment of snacks, and Heavy In Your Arms played over a sound system around the house.
Servers circulated with more hors d’oeuvres, including wine glasses filled with milk, topped with a huge, chocolate chip, M&M cookie. I smiled, loving how it reminded me of being a kid. Not any of my memories of being a child, per se, but how a kid ought to grow up. Massive pillows were also flung in piles, while young women, some in sexy little nighties and some in men’s pajamas like me, laid down, snacked, and chatted.
There was even a beautiful tent in the corner of the living room made out of sheets and strung with white Christmas lights on the inside.
“This seems so unlike Kai.” I looked around, noticing how the atmosphere had made people kind of playful. Some guy, well over six feet, was diving into the tent after his squealing girlfriend.
“It’s not like him at all.” She downed a shot of Patrón and sucked on a lime wedge. “I planned this.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Will needed to have some fun with his friends. Kai thought it was a good idea, so he opened up the house. Finally.”
She handed me a shot, but I waved her off. I was still nervous, and I wanted to keep my head clear.
“If Kai had more skill,” a man said, “he would figure out how to have you without signing a contract.”
I whirled around, seeing Michael approach me. And he didn’t look like he was teasing.
But Kai followed, shaking his head.
“Shut up,” he grumbled.
Michael wore black pajama pants and no shirt, scanning me up and down. “You clean up nice,” he smiled, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Even better than the last time I saw you in pajamas.”
I stopped breathing, and he turned toward the party, both him and Kai watching everyone as I waited for the shoe to drop. The last time he saw me in pajamas was six years ago, and while Kai would assume he was talking about all of us at The Pope that night, Michael’s hushed whisper was insinuating how he’d sneaked into Damon’s bed and on top of me before that. How he discovered I was Damon’s sister.
“You have nothing to do,” she called, her voice getting closer, “nothing to worry about, and nothing to think about. Kai’s handling your boss, there’s no word about Damon’s return yet, and Kai has absolutely nothing for you to do today. So, eat.”
I walked back into the bedroom as she set the tray of food on the bed.
“I can’t eat,” I told her. “I can’t stay here. I…”
I trailed off, heading over to the chest of drawers. Yanking open a couple of them, I checked for some kind of clothes, finally locating a pair of lounge pants in the third drawer down.
“You can do anything you want,” she told me, her tone stern. “And I’d say we’re all due for some fun, don’t you?”
I half-smiled, unable to help myself. What is this thing you speak of? Fun? Never heard of it.
“If you leave,” Alex said, “Kai’s just going to follow you. And then all of us will follow him. And I think trouble knows where we are and has always known, and one night will make no difference.”
I paused. Yeah, Kai would follow me. I had no doubt that was true. If, by some miracle, I found Damon, I needed him alone.
“Now…” She smiled while walking over to the boutique bags sitting on the chair, a light in her eyes as if she’d won the argument. “Knowing your shyness, I took the liberty of picking out special PJs for you for the party tonight.”
Hours later—and a couple drinks coerced into me by Alex—I guessed I was ready to head down to the party, which was already in full swing. Kai had left the house after I ate the late lunch Alex had brought me, so I hadn’t seen him at all since last night.
I wondered if he was worried. Or in a bad mood over the fight with Michael last night. Or if he was angry with me. He might see it as my fault, feeling forced to sign that contract, and even though I knew it wasn’t, I also knew we kept digging ourselves in deeper. And that was definitely, in part, my fault.
If he knew Damon was my brother, he might understand why my feelings were so strong for him and not expect me to make choices he knew I couldn’t make.
I should tell him. One less secret, right? But there was no guarantee he’d give up the vendetta, and what’s more, he hadn’t used me as leverage yet, but he could. I didn’t want him knowing exactly what he had in his grasp.
But I definitely needed to talk to Kai. What was he going to do about the contract? What if Vanessa showed up here?
And why had he kept this house off the radar? Why the secret entrance?
Ugh. Maybe I should wear those “pajamas” Alex got for me, after all. Perhaps his one-track mind would kick in and he might be more forthcoming?
Yeah, no. There was no way I was wearing a black halter top with panties clearly visible underneath a long sheer skirt. She even tried to get me into heels, for crying out loud.
I ripped everything off and dug in Kai’s drawers until I found a pair of boxers. I slipped them on and donned a fresh, white-collared shirt of his from the closet. I let her put a little make-up on me—some eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick—but my hair stayed messy. I told her I was going for the cute bedhead look, but really, I just wasn’t ready to go full force. Not that I might not like dressing up and having my hair done, but one thing at a time. I needed to feel some semblance of familiarity. Too much was happening too fast.
But at least I was more covered than she was in her tiny, red silk boxers with lace trim and pinstriped corset. I might try on something like that but definitely in private.
“Come on.” She pulled my hand.
Stepping into the hallway, I was taken back by how dark it was. I looked both ways, noticing how the lights from earlier were now turned down and, instead, lit candles glowed atop holders on small tables lining the hallway. Music drifted up from below, and I could hear the doorbell ringing.
Laughter and faint chatter mixed with the clacks of heels and tinkling of glasses.
We headed down toward the staircase, but as soon as we reached the top step and I saw all the people, some I recognized as old classmates of Damon’s from Thunder Bay and others as Storm players from Michael’s team, I locked up.
“I don’t like…” I pulled my hand away from hers. “I’m not sure I belong here. I don’t like this. I feel…”
I didn’t know what to say. My body was covered, and I’d run around The Pope all those years ago in boxer shorts, too, but now…
Look at all those women. Dressed in lingerie. Sexy. Tan. Beautiful. I didn’t want to dress like that, but I also didn’t feel like I fit in like this, either. The only person I wanted to wear stuff like that for was Kai, and I couldn’t do this. This was his scene, not mine.
I took a step back. It would be more fun to stay up here and explore the rest of the house anyway. There were dozens of rooms, and an attic, I was sure. Not to mention, if there was one secret passageway in the study, there were bound to be more. Anything would be more fun than this.
But hands caught my hips from the back, and Kai’s whisper was suddenly in my ear.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I folded my arms over my chest. “I don’t flaunt myself for the enjoyment of men.”
His chest shook with a laugh behind me. “Well, good. Happy to hear it, because I’m the only man whose attention you should be trying to get, and baby, you got it years ago while wearing another man’s clothes.” He kissed my temple, his hot breath sending chills down my spine. “So, you can imagine how fucking beautiful you are to me right now wearing mine.”
My heart fluttered, and all of a sudden I felt braver.
Without another word, he walked past me, down the stairs, to greet his guests. I stared at the muscles in his back, visible since he only wore pajama pants like a lot of the other guys, and felt myself heat up again.
But I no longer felt nervous. I started down the stairs with Alex.
The party wasn’t actually as busy as I thought. He could’ve easily packed over a hundred people on the bottom floor, but there seemed to only be about seventy to eighty of their gang’s close, personal friends. Basketball players, business associates, old high school friends…
And the place was set up like a slumber party, in keeping with Will’s theme of pajamas.
Tables filled the dining room, covered with an assortment of snacks, and Heavy In Your Arms played over a sound system around the house.
Servers circulated with more hors d’oeuvres, including wine glasses filled with milk, topped with a huge, chocolate chip, M&M cookie. I smiled, loving how it reminded me of being a kid. Not any of my memories of being a child, per se, but how a kid ought to grow up. Massive pillows were also flung in piles, while young women, some in sexy little nighties and some in men’s pajamas like me, laid down, snacked, and chatted.
There was even a beautiful tent in the corner of the living room made out of sheets and strung with white Christmas lights on the inside.
“This seems so unlike Kai.” I looked around, noticing how the atmosphere had made people kind of playful. Some guy, well over six feet, was diving into the tent after his squealing girlfriend.
“It’s not like him at all.” She downed a shot of Patrón and sucked on a lime wedge. “I planned this.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “Will needed to have some fun with his friends. Kai thought it was a good idea, so he opened up the house. Finally.”
She handed me a shot, but I waved her off. I was still nervous, and I wanted to keep my head clear.
“If Kai had more skill,” a man said, “he would figure out how to have you without signing a contract.”
I whirled around, seeing Michael approach me. And he didn’t look like he was teasing.
But Kai followed, shaking his head.
“Shut up,” he grumbled.
Michael wore black pajama pants and no shirt, scanning me up and down. “You clean up nice,” he smiled, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Even better than the last time I saw you in pajamas.”
I stopped breathing, and he turned toward the party, both him and Kai watching everyone as I waited for the shoe to drop. The last time he saw me in pajamas was six years ago, and while Kai would assume he was talking about all of us at The Pope that night, Michael’s hushed whisper was insinuating how he’d sneaked into Damon’s bed and on top of me before that. How he discovered I was Damon’s sister.
