Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 75496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 252(@300wpm)
“You’re hurt,” Kai said.
“It’s just a broken arm.” I cupped his face with my good hand.
“I need you,” he blurted. “I didn’t want to need you in some ways because I knew in here, I did.” He touched his chest. “But I need you and I’m in love with you. I would pick you over Atlanta, culinary school, anything else, Marcus. I don’t care if that’s too much or if it’s irresponsible, and I know you; there are all sorts of things going on inside your head about love and life and everything else, but I’m listening to my heart, and I know you really want to as well. There are so many things you do for me, and I don’t want to be a burden, but I know I can take care of you too. We can take care of each other.”
I smiled. “Do I get to speak now?”
“Only if you say something I wanna hear.”
I grinned because how could I not? “You take care of me now, Kai. You have from the start. No one makes me feel the way you do.” I thought about the time he’d asked me if my house, if all the things I had, was enough. “Nothing but having you will ever be enough for me.”
He leaned close, kissed the bruise on my lip, then the other corner of my mouth. “Jesus, Marcus. I love you. You thought about going to Atlanta for me?”
I growled. “I hate my friends.”
“No you don’t…and you love me.”
“I do.”
Kai kissed my neck, and I leaned back to give him better access. “I’m going to take such good care of you while you’re hurt…won’t let you work at all. I hope you know that.”
“I changed my mind.”
Kai chuckled. “No takebacks. You’re stuck with me.”
“No,” I replied. “I choose you.”
Kai leaned back, looked at me, and smiled. “We’re so fucking cute.”
And that didn’t even bother me the way it should.
Eventually, he climbed off me. His family came back in first, his mom fussing over me and everyone treating me like I belonged. They didn’t stay long, but they didn’t need to. I was just honored they had come, that they knew Kai loved me, which made me important to them.
When the guys came back in, Sebastian and Elliott were there too. Apparently, when Sebastian Cole was around, they let you do whatever you wanted, and there were no complaints about the number of people in the room.
Kai sat on the edge of the bed, holding my hand while we all chatted—all of them not only loving me, but showing me, making me feel it, and that meant more to me than I could ever say.
“Do your parents know you’re here?” Declan asked.
“I didn’t call them.”
“Shit. I didn’t either. I didn’t have their number. I should do that now.”
I shook my head at Dec. “Nah, it’s fine. I’ll do it tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?” Kai asked, and I nodded.
For now, everything was perfect.
* * *
“I hate this. Where’s my laptop? We need to get me a new cell phone,” I grumbled at Kai the next day.
“We’ve literally been home for thirty-five minutes. You’ll survive.”
“You hid my laptop!”
“You did the same with Corbin’s phone once.”
“That was different.” I pushed up from the couch and went to look at the fish tank. It was calming, and I needed that. I had no idea what to do with myself. I had surgery scheduled in two days. I was in pain, my car was totaled, and…oh. I smiled when Kai wrapped his arms around me from behind, then slid a hand down my sweats to grab my cock.
This was nice. This made everything better.
“Do you want me to give you a blowjob? Will that help?”
“The answer to that question will always be yes.”
So he blew me, then fixed me lunch. I complained from the couch, but that was how I rolled, and he told me I was being an idiot because that was how he rolled, and it was actually fucking awesome in a way that had much more to do with my heart than my head.
I had soup because I needed to eat light things, and then Kai gave me a pain pill. Before I took a nap, I used his phone to send an email to my parents because he wouldn’t even let me have my laptop for that. I told myself I should call or at least text, but I just felt too good and I didn’t want to risk being brought down.
Before I knew it, I was curled up on the couch, the fuzzy edges of my consciousness drifting further away.
I didn’t know how much time had passed when I heard Kai’s muffled voice in the background.
“He can stay with us after surgery,” my mom said.
“No. He’ll want to be home. I’ll be here with him. I got time off work,” Kai told her.