Page 5 of Securing Her Innocence
"Another winner! You’re just a fountain of information, Kai."
"Now that I've shared my life story, tell me about yours, Annika." His voice is a low demand, the shift in focus instant and unsettling.
I swallow hard. I don't love the tables being turned on me, feeling suddenly exposed under his gaze, but I know I have to answer him. He deserves honesty after what he just risked.
"It's not as exciting as bear wrestling," I admit as I wrap his knuckles in gauze. "I’ve always wanted a little flower shop, and a few years ago, I finally made it happen," I tell him, a wistful smile on my face. I wonder how my shop is doing right now. It’slocked up, the flowers not in the cooler probably already starting to wilt. I’ve missed two major orders since being under Kai’s protection, but I’m trying not to think about it.
"Why flowers?" The words are rough, like he’s trying to keep the conversation going but doesn’t have much experience talking to other people. That’s okay. I have enough words for both of us.
"Flowers are simple and beautiful, but also strong and resilient. It’s amazing what nature can do when given the chance. Wildflowers are just as stunning as a perfect, genetically enhanced rose, in my opinion.” I pause, nibbling on my bottom lip and looking up to the ceiling to try and gather my thoughts. “Plus, there’s so much variety, from the delicate petals of a ghost orchid to the spiked petals of the cactus dahlia. If you haven’t found your favorite flower yet, you just haven’t looked hard enough. At least, that’s what I tell my customers.”
“Do you have a favorite?”
I turn my attention back to the mountain of a man in front of me. His chest is no longer heaving with ragged breaths, and his eyes aren’t darting around in search of a threat. Kai is calmer now, as if listening to me soothed him in some way.
“I do, but it’s a secret,” I tell him with a grin. “You’ll have to earn that information, mister.”
“Is that right?” He raises a thick eyebrow in question, the look almost playful. It ignites the flame that never really went out in my veins.
“Your parents must be proud.”
I look away from him, focusing instead on bandaging up one of the cuts on his ribs. I don’t want him to see the pain I still carry around from their disappointment. “My parents never understood my dream. They kept telling me to be practical. To get a real degree," I sigh, pushing a stray curl back from my face as I peer back up at Kai. I’m downplaying their harsh words and warnings that no one will want a wife who is distracted byrunning her own business, but Kai doesn’t need to know all of that. Still, his brow is furrowed in concern. "Even now, they keep asking why I can't be happy settling down and finding a man."
The air pressure in the small room drops. Kai’s eyes darken instantly, his massive hands clenching into fists at his sides. The low growl starts deep in his chest, a terrifying sound that has nothing to do with the outside threat and everything to do withme.
“You don’t need to find a man, little flower,” he rasps, stepping toward me until he blots out the light. "You already found one."
Kai gathers my hands in his, stopping my flurry of applying ointment and bandages to his skin. My breath catches in my throat as I look up into those dark eyes. His stare is intense, and I get the sense he’s fighting himself.
“I shouldn’t… I shouldn’t be so obsessed with you,” he says, surprising me. His tone is soft and introspective. Those dark eyes change from curious to serious in an instant. “It’s distracting me,” Kai finishes, his voice back to the deep, gravelly tone I’m used to.
“But–”
“That man shouldn’t have gotten so close. I should have been paying more attention. I’m not… I don’t… I don’t do this kind of shit.” He motions between the two of us.
“I don’t have much experience withthis shiteither,” I say with what I hope is a disarming smile. “But, I must admit… I’m obsessed with you, too, Kai.”
Wide eyes meet mine before he schools his look over into one of practiced distance. “It’s just an infatuation,” he says dismissively. “I protected you, so you think you have a crush on me. When this is all over, you’ll go back to your life, and I’ll go back to mine. Let’s not make things more complicated.”
My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. He doesn’t really mean that, does he? Kai takes a step away from me, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “Kai, we can–”
“I’m no good for you, anyway. I’d ruin you.”
“That’s not your call to make,” I counter, finally able to get a full sentence out. “Besides, this isn’t just a crush. Is it a crush for you?”
He opens his mouth, then closes it again. The giant man shakes his head no, then storms out of the bathroom, leaving me more confused than ever.
4
KAI
The morning air is cold and crisp, a welcome slap of reality. I patrol the perimeter of the safe house, checking the infrared sensors and ensuring the reinforced doors are still secure. Occupational habit, I tell myself, trying to focus on the work, on the threat.
But the threat feels distant, secondary.
I didn’t sleep last night. Not a single minute. My mind has been replaying the scene in the bathroom, Annika's small, warm hands tending to my busted knuckles. The way she fussed over me, her brow furrowed in genuine concern, was wholly unfamiliar. I'm used to fear, respect, or contempt. Not care. And her sunshine personality, the rapid-fire teasing, the easy smile… I would have dismissed it as weakness or annoyance from anyone else.
But coming from my little flower? I find I want every sweet word, every flash of that smile, every moment of her loving, tender care. She's a sharp ray of light cutting through the perpetual gloom of my existence. It's unsettling, but more than that, it’s all-consuming.
