Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88656 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
“She said to tell you she loves you, and that she’s glad you have a friend like me.” He chuckled. “That part was a little embarrassing.”
“That’s because you don’t know how to take praise unless it’s about fighting.” I noticed Kage had set my toothbrush out on the counter for me. I picked it up, squirted toothpaste onto it, and started to brush, watching Kage in the mirror.
“Jennifer is bringing her boyfriend, too,” he said, emphasizing the word her.
I paused and stared at him for a second, then started brushing again, hopefully before he noticed my reaction.
“Chase?” I mumbled through a cloud of toothpaste bubbles. I finished brushing, rinsed, and splashed my face with cold water.
“I guess that’s his name. Does your family like him?”
I shrugged, turning to face him. “They’re fine with him, I think. I personally think he’s a bit of a tool. Why?”
“I’ve never met anyone’s family before.” Kage shuffled his feet, looking about as uncomfortable as I had ever seen him. “Do you think they’ll mind that I’m a fighter? I know some people don’t like fighters. They think we’re mean or crazy or something.”
I smiled. Maybe it was because it reminded me that he wasn’t perfect, but his sudden show of vulnerability was touching.
“Don’t sweat it,” I told him. “My family is gonna love you. All you have to do is flash those dimples, and they’ll be bitten by the Michael Kage love bug. I don’t know what it is about you, but everybody adores you, even when you treat them like shit.”
“Yeah?” He sat on the bed and started pulling one of his boots on, bunching his jeans down around the top in that casual, sexy way he seemed to do everything. His button-up shirt wasn’t buttoned up yet, and the top snap on his jeans was still unfastened, revealing the caramel fuzz of his happy trail. “Do you?”
“What?” I startled and snapped my gaze away from his body. “Do I what?”
He watched me closely as he pulled on the other boot, and there was nothing on his face to give away what he was feeling. “Do you adore me? You say everyone else does. I want to know how you feel.”
I stared at him, stunned into awkward silence. What exactly was he asking me? Did he want to know if I felt the way everyone else did about him? Because that one was easy to answer; I was just as enamored of Michael Kage as all of the fans he’d been racking up, and every person who got pulled into his gravity just by being near him. He was magnetic, irresistible, and special in a way I couldn’t quite put my finger on.
But if he was asking something else, something more…
But he couldn’t be. I was the one acting like I had a schoolgirl crush. The one whose knees got wobbly every time he got too close.
“Do you mean—” I took two faltering steps toward him on rubber legs, wondering what had happened to my muscles. They’d been there a moment ago. “I don’t— I can’t—I don’t know—”
Oh, Jesus. This is… impossible. I can’t tell him how I really feel.
“You don’t know?” He tilted his head at me, like he was trying to read me from a different angle. “It’s not exactly rocket science, Jamie. Stop over-thinking for once. It’s either yes or no, simple as that. Yes. Or. No.”
“Fuck you, Kage.” I don’t know why those were the words that came out of my mouth. They weren’t at all what I was thinking, but the way he was pressing me had me ready to bolt. I wanted to escape, so that I didn’t have to admit the uncomfortable truth that I felt more for Kage than I was supposed to. That I was some sort of freak.
“Hey, come here,” he said, his eyes softening. But instead of waiting for me to come to him, he stood up and closed the distance between us himself. His open shirt fluttered at his sides, exposing those ungodly abs and those smooth flanks that always seemed to draw my eyes.
“Uh…” I made a sound, a helpless little squeak, and felt my face flood with shame.
Kage stopped directly in front of me. “I just want to know how you feel about me is all. I’m not sure how else to find out besides asking.” He chose his next words carefully, slowly. “I know I’m reckless, at least when it comes to my life. But when it comes to something that really matters, I can’t afford to be reckless. I have to be careful, you know?” He took a deep breath, ran a hand over his head. “I’m trying to say something here, if you’ll let me. You know I have to be careful, but I’m asking—”
“Yes.” I hadn’t wanted to say the word, but it came out anyway. And there it was, on the air between us.