Page 50 of Brutal King

“Thank you for bringing up another clumsy moment from my youth,” I said with a wry grin.

“It was adorable, Kobe.”

“You mean the fact that you told me I tasted like ketchup?”

She laughed. “Oh. I’d forgotten about that part. I was thinking more about how you turned one way then the other. We knocked noses, then your kiss landed on my ear, a little in my hair and finally, you kissed my cheek.”

I leaned in and kissed her cheek and ear and hair, but then worked my way down her neck, over her shoulder all while pulling off her belt and unbuttoning the front of her pretty white dress. I peeled the fabric back, exposing the porcelain like skin, so soft, so warm. I lowered myself over her and kiss my way down to the swell of her breasts. “You’re so beautiful, Kat,” I let out. She was. She was like no other women I’ve been with. So elegant, so classy, so pure. She was exquisite and so special.

As a kid, I’d been happy just to kiss her cheek and hold her hand on occasion, but since seeing her that day at the Academy... All I could think of was seeing, kissing, touching the woman she’d become.

I kissed my way to her navel and couldn’t believe I finally had her in my arms.

“I’ve waited so long for this,” I murmured as I kissed my way back to her lips.

She cupped my cheeks and pulled back to look at me. “You could have fooled me.”

Looking into her eyes, I thought of all the time wasted. All the years I couldn’t see her and talk to her. Over the years I’d known plenty of girls; girls that I’d kissed and girls that I’d gone to bed with. But it was never like this.

As much as I wanted Kat, to make love to her, to devour her, a part of me wanted to take it slow. I wanted her to know that she wasn’t just another hop into bed.

“What are you thinking, Kobe?” she said. “You’re looking at me as if I were a mirage.”

“I guess in a way you are. I just can’t believe that I’m here... with you. That you’re real.”

“What’s gotten into you? You’re being so sweet, like the old Kobe.”

I’m just so happy to be here with you, I wanted to say. For all the times I’ve had sex with girls, now I’m here with you and it’s not sex that I necessarily want. Not even a blowjob. I just want to be with you. I just want to be happy with you.

Would she laugh at me if I told her? Would she believe me?

“Kobe?” she said with an uncertain smile.

“You’re special. Do you know that?”

Special. Precious. Delicate. Angelic. And yet, so sexy and hot and alluring. I’d do anything to protect her, anything to keep her safe.

I looked into her eyes and wondered if that would make her happy. Could she possibly feel for me the way I felt for her? That all that bullying act I put on was because I wanted to distance my feelings from her, from admitting that I was really so deeply and so absolutely in love with her?

That she could even love someone like me? The second-rate son of Errol King? The son of a man who wants to destroy her family’s empire?

I love you, Katrina.

I searched for that same emotion in her eyes, and I could have sworn I saw something there. Hadn’t it always been there? Or had I just will it to appear that way?

Do you love me, Kat? Could you love me?

She rolled out from under me suddenly and got up. “Shoot. You made me forget; I have to go to Ginger.”

My sweet disposition was immediately bulldozed by suspicion and resentment. “Why? To go see that blonde loser?”

“Don’t call him that, Kobe. He’s our supervisor, remember? Show a little respect.”

“Respect for what? A guy in his position who would take advantage of a girl in yours?”

“You’re not being fair, Kobe.”

“No, Kat. He’s the one who’s not being fair.”