Page 76 of Wild King
“I think I like not hating you.”
He falls silent again for about a minute before asking, “Would it kill the moment we just had if I ask you if you want to head up to my room now?”
Sometimes he can be so charming. I don’t even think he realizes it. He’s his most charming self when he’s not trying to impress anyone and just being who he really is deep down.
“I’m not sure. We’re in uncharted territory here.”
Kellen stands from the table wearing a huge smile. “I like the idea of being an explorer. How about you?”
He sticks out his hand, and I take it in mine as the idea of uncharted territory fills my head. I’ve never slept with a client I’m working with. I’ve never forgiven any man for anything like Kellen did.
And I’ve never been this crazy about anyone before him. Definitely a brand new world for me.
As we walk upstairs, keeping quiet so we don’t disturb Ava or the baby, I tug on his arm and whisper, “I want to peek in on her to make sure they’re okay.”
“I get it. Sort of like a doctor checking in on one of his patients.”
I shake my head, sure it’s nothing like that. “You’re giving me far too much credit,” I say quietly as we walk toward her room. “Ava did all the work. I just made sure the baby didn’t get himself in any trouble on his way out.”
He opens the door, and the two of us stick only our heads into the room to see how Ava and her newborn son are doing. Asleep in her arms, Theo looks like an angel sent from heaven. As for his mother, Ava rests her head on the pillow I placed behind her earlier and appears to have just drifted off to sleep.
It’s the most serene scene I’ve ever witnessed.
Kellen and I tiptoe to his room down the hall and quietly close the door behind us. He walks directly over to his bed, but I stop just a foot into the room and look around at what I believe is evidence of the life he’s led. Pictures of him playing sports and posters of his favorite bands and teams hang on the light gray walls, and a giant glass jar full of change sits on his dresser over near the window. Immediately, I think to myself how odd that is.
“Welcome to Chez Kellen. Make yourself comfortable,” he says as he beckons me to him sitting on the bed covered in a blue and grey striped comforter.
When I don’t say anything and continue to study his bedroom, he says, “You look disappointed, like you expected something else. Were you thinking I’d have solid gold fixtures or something?”
The thought of that makes me cringe. “God, no. I swear if I go into that bathroom and see a gold toilet or sink, I’m walking right back out and heading to the room Eleanor made up for me.”
He laughs at that horrible idea. “Yeah, tacky isn’t really what my parents were going for when they designed this house, so no gold anything.”
I point to the glass jar of coins and ask, “What is a billionaire doing with a change jar? Saving up for your next vacation?”
Shaking his head, he smiles. “No. I just always seemed to have change on me when I lived here, so I started tossing it into that jar. I should cash it in and give the money to charity, but I always forget to take it when I’m here. I guess it’s time for me to admit this isn’t where I live anymore.”
I sit down next to him on the bed. “Once Matthias and Ava decide to give little Theo some sisters and brothers, they’re probably going to be changing this into a room for one of their kids.”
Kellen lies back and folds his arms behind his head. “This room could tell some stories. They might want to fix it up before they put a child in here.”
Nudging his thigh, I ask, “Lots of nights sneaking girls in here?”
He looks at me and smiles. “Believe it or not, you’re the first woman I’ve ever brought up here.”
Not believing that for a second, I chuckle. “Let me guess. You don’t call high school dates women, so they don’t count.”
“Nope. Never a girl or woman in this room for as long as it’s been my room.”
Tugging me down onto the bed next to him, he slides his arm around me and pulls me close to him. I’m still not buying I’m the first female to be invited into this inner sanctum of maleness, though.
“I hope you won’t be offended when I say I don’t believe for a second I’m the first woman or girl to be here with you.”
He rolls onto his side to face me and props his head up on his hand. “You have no idea how nosy four brothers can be, Salem. Just the act of sneaking anyone up here would have been a feat worthy of Houdini. None of us ever slept at the same time as the others, and the five of us were constantly in and out of the house at all hours. On top of that were my parents and Eleanor and her staff, so trust me when I tell you getting anyone up here without everyone else in this house knowing was next to impossible.”
“But this house is huge. It couldn’t have been that hard.”
“Lots of kids and lots of adults meant it was. Believe me when I say you’re the first female to ever be here with me. I mean, look around. Does it look like younger me or even current me has been entertaining women here?”