Love Game

“It’s okay. You were right. But we have to be kind to ourselves and handle things in our own way. Our own time.”

“I think my time is up,” Kai said. “I have to deal with my shit, otherwise, I’m going to get the boot from tennis and then what the fuck will I do?”

“Teach. You’re great with kids. I’ve seen the highlight reel. You’re so good with them.”

“I’m not a complete arsehole.”

“I don’t think you’re an asshole,” I said and shot him a smile. “You just play one on TV.”

He didn’t smile back but moved in closer. His voice was a low rumble I felt in my chest.

“I have another confession, Daisy.”

“Yes?”

“I don’t want to be an arsehole at all. You make me want to be a better man. I don’t know if it’s the Reiki or just you. No…” His hand came up to touch my face. “I know it. It’s you.”

“Kai, I—”

“I’ve felt happy for the first time in a long time. In fact, these last days have been all kinds of firsts.”

“First Reiki,” I said.

“First goat yoga,” he said. “And last goat yoga.”

I laughed, and his brows came together. Somehow his hands were up, holding my face gently. “God, don’t laugh, Daisy. Don’t smile. You’re stunning, and I can’t stop looking at you when you smile. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“You think about me?” I asked, my voice a whisper. My eyes kept going to his mouth, so close to mine I could feel the warm breath over my lips that were wet with pool water.

“I think about you constantly,” Kai said. “Like right now. I’m thinking that I’d give it all up to kiss you.”

I swallowed hard. “Is that a line?”

“Aye, maybe. But it’s still true. Another first. Our first kiss…”

I shouldn’t have let it happen, but in that moment, on that perfect night, I wanted nothing else than to kiss Kai Solomon. And though I didn’t want to shut my eyes to the beauty of his face so close to mine, I sank into the darkness of the kiss that wasn’t smothering or frightening but warm and languid. His arms held me around my back, one hand in my hair. Mine slipped around his broad shoulders and the warmth grew hotter. The softness of his mouth on mine turned harder. The kiss grew deeper.

I fell back against the side of the pool, a little moan escaping me. Kai ate it up, his mouth working over mine now with delicious intensity. His hard body was pressed to my softness, and I found my thighs moving apart to let him in closer. To hold him tighter.

His lips tore from mine and we were both breathing hard as he put them to my neck, my throat, kissing the well of my collarbones and then nipping the skin.

“God, Daisy…” He whispered hotly against my flesh. “Just doing this…it’s better. Better than anything I’ve had…”

Better than his legions of women?

I brushed the thought aside. He was mine now. At least in these moments there existed no one but him and me.

His kisses became deeper, harder, and I loved the taste of him. The scent of his warm skin mixed with the salt water of the pool. I relished the heat of his lean, hard body pressed to mine and how he couldn’t conceal his deliberate care of me in his kisses. I felt his need pulsing through him like an electric current, but when he paused for breath his eyes held mine with a deeper intensity than mere lust.

He brushed a stray curl off my forehead. “Daisy, I…”

“Yes,” I breathed back, my heart pounding.

His brows came together, and I felt unspoken words on his lips when he kissed me again. Harder. With greater urgency, as if I were an elixir that he needed to drink down in order to live…

My arms wanted to wrap around his neck, but he slipped through them to submerge himself. Under the water, he put his mouth to the nipple of one breast, through the material of my bathing suit. I let out a little cry and glanced around the empty yard. Only Keanu was there, watching me sleepily. Alert to danger, but there was none. Only this intense pleasure that Kai was creating in me when I’d gone for so long without.

He came up for air, kissing me wetly. “This isn’t as easy as it looks,” he said. “Be right back.”