He heard Jessie let out a soft grunt of annoyance. “Oh, um…damn it,” she muttered.
He cracked an eye open to look at her. She seemed mortified, and he couldn’t help but smile. Had she really not seen the sexiness in her statement and her face until just then? God help him if she was clueless about her effect on men. Or maybe just her effect on him. He shook his head. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that, cousin.” He said the word teasingly, wanting to dissipate the tension that always seemed to build between them, but she raised an eyebrow at hearing it.
Her face warmed into a beautiful smile. “Right…cousin.”
Her body was blocking the set of knives that he needed, but instead of just reaching around her, like he’d do with any other beautiful girl, he pointed at them. “May I?”
She glanced behind herself, then moved out of the way. “What are you doing?”
Grabbing a knife, he held it up to her. “I’m hungry, and I owe you big, again, so I thought I’d prove a point.” Her features scrunched in confusion and he laughed at how adorable the expression was on her. Opening his cupboard, he grabbed the can of Spam. She immediately frowned and he laughed even harder. “Deal’s a deal…cousin.”
Kai found that the more he called her that term, the more distance he could put between them. Like an unflinching reminder. Jessie smiled at hearing him say it again; maybe she enjoyed having the verbal barrier there, too. Maybe she needed it as much as he did. A part of him wanted her to need it as much as him, and that made him feel horrible as he started slicing open the pineapple. A part of him actually wanted his cousin to want him as badly as he wanted her. Jessie had nailed it yesterday, when she’d said their situation was messed up. It definitely was.
While he instructed her on how to slice and fry up the Spam, he called her cousin about five more times. She followed his instructions with a laugh, mocking his deli choice the whole time. The smell of spiced, processed, ham-like meat soon filled his small home, making his mouth water. Grabbing some bread that she’d bought for him, he toasted some slices and prepared the mayonnaise, lettuce and tomato. Jessie had brought over everything he could have asked for and more.
After setting their finished sandwiches next to a pile of fresh pineapple, Kai handed her a plate. Then they walked to his bedroom, sat on the edge of his mattress, and began to eat their lunches. Kai smiled as he watched her take her first bite. She’d been grimacing as she did it, until the taste hit her. Then she smiled, and she made an almost erotic pleased noise in her throat. He tried to ignore the sensuality of the sound and laughed at her reaction. He knew she’d like it. Everyone did, once they gave it a chance.
Jessie was studying his bare walls as she ate her meal. He thought to ask her why, but he didn’t; he was enjoying the silence of her company too much. Once they finished their meal, Kai grabbed her plate and took it the few steps to his kitchen. He started to set their dishes into the sink, vowing to clean up later. Ceramic plate in hand, he glanced back at Jessie still sitting on his bed, looking around his room. She was leaning back on her elbows now, and the comfortable position was emphasizing her curves. Her body strained against her shirt, one key button just about to pop open if she moved back any farther. Kai thought he could see a trace amount of snow white skin through the seams of the dark fabric. Suddenly remembering that creamy skin in all its fully naked glory, he dropped one of the plates into the sink.
Jessie’s gaze snapped to his at hearing the loud clatter. As Kai turned back to the sink, cursing, she sat up on the bed with furrowed brows. The plate in the sink was now cleanly split in half. Great. Kai didn’t know how to smoothly talk his way out of this one; he turned on the faucet simply to give himself something to do. He was pretty sure his cheeks were bright red. They felt on fire. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Sometimes it was so easy and causal to be around her. Other times…it was the exact opposite. Kai hung his head as the situation suddenly overwhelmed him. Why her? Of all the girls that he’d ever slept with, which really wasn’t all that many, why did she have to be the one who stirred his desires the most?
Kai leaned against the counter, his head still down as he watched the water swirl some of the smaller chips down the drain. A hand came up to rest on his back, and he closed his eyes and sighed. Why her?