Obligation (Underground Kings 2)

“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.

“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.