The possibility of getting caught had added an undeniable thrill, but actually getting caught would’ve been disastrous.
“They wouldn’t have. Security knows not to let anyone back here until I give them the signal,” he said with a shrug. “Five hundred dollars goes a long way toward motivation.”
My jaw unhinged. “You had someone standing guard the entire time?” And he’d led me to believe we were one drunken partygoer away from flashing the entire club. Unbelievable.
“Of course. I couldn’t very well have someone walking in on us.”
“Because photos of the Young heir engaging in carnal activities at a bar would put his CEO
candidacy at risk.”
“No. Because if anyone saw you like that, I’d have to kill them.” He said it so simply, so casually, it took a moment for the words to sink in.
Once they did, the air vanished from my lungs.
It suddenly hit me that I’d had sex with Kai Young. In the back of a bar, no less. If anyone told me I’d be in this situation mere weeks ago, I would’ve laughed in their face.
Now my man ban lay in pieces at our feet, and I was in danger of getting caught in the post-sex trap, a.k.a. reading more into the situation than what was there.
Old Isabella would’ve gone along with it and taken whatever scraps she could get. Sometimes, ignorance was bliss, especially when you were young, inexperienced, and desperate for love or some approximation thereof.
But I’d walked that road, and it’d led me somewhere I never wanted to visit again. So even though I hated being the person who initiated serious talks right after sex, I cut straight to the point. Our relationship was too complicated to let things linger without clearing the air.
“So what happens next?” My heart pounded so hard it almost bruised.
A quizzical line formed between Kai’s brows.
“This.” I gestured between us. “Us. What are we doing?”
“Recovering from excellent orgasms, I presume.”
The full weight of disappointment anchored my stomach. “You’re too smart to play dumb,” I said, hurt by his cavalier attitude.
I’d broken a years-long vow to myself for him, and he couldn’t take me seriously enough for one meaningful conversation.
Kai’s smile gradually dissolved. His eyes searched my face; whatever he saw made him wince.
“You’re right. I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “But I thought you knew.”
This time, I was the confused one. “Knew what?”
“That there’s no going back after this.” His admission was a warm breath on my skin. “You should’ve never let me take you, Isabella. Because now that I have, I won’t be able to let you go.”
CHAPTER 19
Kai
I was fucked, both literally and figuratively.
If Isabella had dominated my thoughts before we had sex, she’d utterly consumed them after. It’d been a week since I took her to the Barber, and not a minute had passed without the memory of her taste haunting me.
I rubbed a hand over my mouth and tried to focus on my mother’s closing speech. It was the last day of the company’s annual leadership retreat, which took place in our Manhattan office this year.
High-level executives had flown in from all over the world for four days of seminars, workshops, and networking, all of which I’d breezed through.
I may have been distracted, but I could still outsell, outsmart, and outperform every other member of the Young Corporation with my eyes closed.
My phone buzzed with a new text.
“…lean into your individual strengths as leaders to build an even bigger, better company that reflects the direction of the market…” My mother’s voice faded in and out as I checked my messages.
Isabella: are you alone right now?
A small smile curved my lips.
Me: No. I’m at the company retreat.
I hadn’t seen her since the retreat started, but we texted every day. Our conversations consisted mostly of memes and funny videos (sent by her), interesting articles and food recommendations (sent by me), and flirtatious subtext (sent by both of us). Normally, I wasn’t a huge fan of long text conversations because they inevitably lost their point, if there was one in the first place, but I looked forward to her messages with embarrassing anticipation.
Isabella: perfect. then i have a picture for you;)
A photo popped up onscreen. I instinctively swiped my phone off the table, but to my relief and disappointment, it wasn’t anything scandalous.
Isabella lounged on the couch in the library’s secret room, her cheeks dimpled with a mischievous grin and her hair fanning around her in a spray of amethyst-tinted silk. Her free hand clutched a bottle of Mexican Coke.
Isabella: behold, a future bestselling author working hard
My smile ticked up another inch.
Me: I see that. Your hands must be tired from typing on your invisible keyboard.
Isabella: first of all, brainstorming is working too, judgy mcjudge
Isabella: second of all, i’ve come up with an incredibly detailed sex scene that i was going to tell you about
Isabella: but since you’re being so rude, i’ll keep it to myself
Heat raced to my groin, but I marshaled my emotions into a neutral expression.
Me: Perhaps you should spend an equal amount of time on proper punctuation and capitalization. I’ve heard they’re necessary skills for writers…
Isabella: …
Isabella: how dare you
Isabella: im texting you not writing a college thesis
Isabella: and yes i removed all the punctuation on purpose
Isabella: i hope it triggers you :)
A laugh rustled my throat, the soft noise unnaturally loud in the silence.
The meeting. Fuck.
I looked up to find the rest of the room staring at me. My mother wore a disapproving frown, which meant I would get an earful later.
“Is there something you’d like to share?” Tobias drawled from his kiss-ass seat next to her. “An exciting new deal, perhaps? Things finally work out with DigiStream?”
On his other side, Richard Chu smirked. Typically, board members didn’t attend the leadership retreats, but the CEO voting committee had opted in this year so they could “better evaluate their options.”
Richard’s presence was the only reason Tobias was bold enough to call me out. The little sleaze hid behind his board benefactor like a child hiding behind his mother’s skirts. It was probably why Richard liked him so much; he knew he could control him.
“We’re on track to close soon,” I said smoothly. “Big deals like DigiStream take time. I understand this is not an area you’re experienced in, but that’s what these retreats are for. Learning.”