Chapter 161: Revenge

Ivy

I knew that bike. I knew that man.

He stood against his bike, one boot hooked behind the other, head tipped back. He glanced up and across the dark lawn, hazel eyes met mine.

In a blink, I was running, bare feet slapping the floor, fumbling the lock and yanking the front door open. I stumbled out onto the porch into the cold night air, shivering in a night dress.

"K-Kai." It was really him.

He was leaning against the bike with his arms crossed now, the cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, watching me climb down the steps warily.

He was breathtaking. My porch light fell right on him like a spotlight. Black jacket, black jeans, those golden curls were a total mess and I wanted to feel them slip through my fingers again.

I stopped at the bottom of the porch steps, a few meters away, wringing my hands because I didn’t know what else to do. My throat was too tight to speak.

I wanted to run to him. Everything in me was screaming for that. My whole body leaned toward him, aching, yearning, like he was the sun and I was a starving little plant needing his air to breathe.

My fingers itched to touch his face, to check that he was real, bury my nose in his neck and breathe in his smoke and leather scent.

Kai took a long drag of his cigarette. The tip flared red. He blew the smoke out slowly through his nose, and his eyes never left mine.

"I... you shouldn’t smoke so much. It’s bad for your lungs," I mumbled, wringing my hands harder.

"Gee, tell me something I don’t already know," His voice came out all raspy and my feet carried me a few steps forward before his voice stopped me cold. "Not another fucking step."

My foot stopped midair. I set it back down slowly, my heart was pounding in my ears.

"That’s better." He flicked the ash off his cigarette. "Wouldn’t want you getting too close. I hear you’ve got a thing about stalkers."

My stomach dropped.

"So that’s the story, huh?" His mouth curled. "Stalker. Hell of a plot twist, isn’t it? You can’t imagine my surprise watching you look right into the camera and sell my brother out for a fucking round of applause." He pushed off the bike.

"Funniest shit is if anyone’s a stalker around here, it’s you. You crawled into our house under a fake name and went through our shit for months."

"I never wanted to do that. Kai, I swear. I didn’t want to, I had no choice,"

He barked out a short sarcastic laugh. "Jesus Christ, Ivy when do you ever have a fucking choice? You never do. It’s always you’re the victim, you didn’t mean to, who do you think is buying that sappy bullshit?"

"But it’s true!" I choked out, and then the tears broke loose. I couldn’t stop them.

They streaked down my face, hot in the cold air. Crap, I shouldn’t be crying, I should be explaining myself. "Look, Kai, I know you’re mad, but if you would just let me..."

He was suddenly in front of me. One second he was ten feet away. The next, his hands were on my face, big, warm and rough with calluses, cupping my jaw and tilting my head up.

My breath failed me and without thinking I nuzzled deeper into his palm, inhaling his scent greedily.

"Aww. Look at that." His cold voice had my eyes flying open. His eyes were cold and mocking. "The waterworks. You really thought crying would work, huh? That I’d just melt like a dumbass? Like all the other times?"

I shook my head, or tried to. His right hand gripped my jaw holding me still. His thumb moved slowly, brushing the tears from my cheek, so gently it didn’t match a single word coming out of his mouth. Then it drifted down and glided across my bottom lip.

A shiver ran through me, head to toe.

I suddenly remembered how little I was wearing. I had just my thin silk slip, barely to my thighs, one strap already sliding off my shoulder.

His eyes followed it then his hand tightened on my jaw, hard enough to make me gasp.

"What is this, huh?" he hissed. "Do you just run out half-naked to every man who stands in front of your house?"

The words hit like a slap. Hurt flooded my chest, and I shoved at him with both hands. "Let go of me!"

He didn’t budge. His grip only tightened, and he leaned in until his forehead was almost touching mine.

"Answer me. Any man would do, right? Doesn’t matter who. Long as he’s standing there ready to fall for the tears like every other sucker."

"You know that’s not true!" I cried.

"It’s not? Right. I’m supposed to believe that when you were cozying all up to Montagne this evening? Don’t look so shocked. I know about your little dinner. Bartenders talk. Is he your next target? Does your precious daddy want you spreading your legs for him too-"

I hadn’t meant to smack him in the face, but he was asking for it. My palm hit hard across his cheek, turning his head to the side.

"I know you’re mad at me," I whispered, fighting the urge to cry. "But that doesn’t mean you can call me a whore."

His fingers flexed against my jaw, hazel eyes blazing with fury. "Oh? Do you need a fucking reminder, little Ivy?"

My eyes widened, my whole body shamelessly coming alive, burning helplessly. His forehead dropped back to mine, as he pushed my head back.

Everywhere his skin touched mine had gone molten with heat. "You’re a slut. My little slut,"

My pulse pounded under his palm and my thighs quivered as heat pooled low in my belly. "Maybe I should give you a reminder," he repeated softly, his breath warm against my mouth. "That’s cute. Are you shaking like this all for me? Or are you just cold?"

For you. Only for you.

I had forgotten all about why I was mad in the first place. My mouth suddenly felt very dry, my nipples tightening against my night dress. He stepped closer, his chest brushing against me and a little whimper left my lips.

His lips curled in a smirk. I wanted him so badly it hurt. Weeks of missing him, Ro and Deon, aching and lying awake, and now he was right here, so close I could count every one of his dark lashes. I had no pride left. I had nothing but the desire flooding my veins.

I rose onto my toes and pressed my lips against his. Kai went stiff and for a second, the icy look in those hazel eyes cracked. I kissed him again, wishing he would just part his lips and devour me like he used to. I pulled away panting slightly.

"Kai... please,"

His eyes hardened, and the corner of his mouth tilted up.

"Did you get that?"

My brows furrowed confused who he was talking to when someone stepped out from the side of my building.