Tw
enty-Five
Kas is here again, outside the station, waiting for me. I don’t even bother to fight it. I just walk over to his car and get inside.
“Hi,” I say quietly as I click my seat belt in.
“How was your weekend?” he asks, pulling the car away from the curb.
“I saw Jesse.” I chance a glance at him.
He meets my eyes, a softness in his. “How did it go?”
“It was good.” I smile at the memory of my day spent with Jesse. It was the best day I’d had in a long time. “We went to Brighton for the day. Hung out on the beach, ate ice cream, rode rides at the fair.”
“Sounds fun.”
“It really was.”
“I’m glad for you, Daisy.”
“Thanks.” I swallow. “How was your weekend?” I ask, looking away.
“It was okay.”
He offers nothing more. I could ask to know more about what he did, but I don’t.
My mind is feeling all jumbled up from being here with him.
I had a great weekend. I spent all of Saturday with Jesse. And I spent Sunday with Cece. We went shopping and caught a film at the cinema.
I didn’t allow myself to think about Kas…or Haley. But, now, sitting here with him, it’s all I can think about.
I’m filled with empathy and compassion for this man sitting beside me. All the anger and resentment I felt last week are now gone.
But I still feel confused and guilty over what I know. I feel like I’ve somehow betrayed him with my curiosity and snooping into his life.
We don’t talk for the rest of the short ride to the estate.
He parks outside the house.
“Thanks for the ride.” I take off my seat belt and let myself out of the car.
I walk toward the front door. Kas is behind me.
Inside the house, I take my shoes off and hang my coat in the closet.
When I turn around, Kas is standing in the middle of the hallway, his hands in his trouser pockets. He looks unsure.
And I hate this animosity between us.
“Do you want me to get you a coffee?” I ask, offering an olive branch.
He seems surprised at that. “Coffee would be great. Thanks.”
I give him a brief smile and then head for the kitchen. I smile again when I hear him following behind me. I thought for sure that he would go straight to his office.
I busy myself with making the coffee. Kas takes a seat on a stool at the kitchen island.
When the coffee is ready, I take his over to him.
“Thanks.” He offers a smile.
Still standing, I lean my hip against the island and take a sip of my coffee.
Kas wraps his hands around the mug and stares down into it. “I’ve thought a lot this weekend.”
“About?” I ask quietly.
“You.” He lifts his eyes to mine, and the look in them makes my heart beat faster.
“I can’t change the way I behaved, and I can’t explain why I walked out on you. It was the truth when I said I didn’t know how to do this kind of thing, how to treat someone I like. Because I do like you, Daisy. A hell of a lot. I think you’re smart and strong and challenging—”
“Challenging?” I lift a brow.
“I mean it in a good way.” His lips tip up. “I like that you don’t take my shit. You’re a fighter, and I fucking love that. And the way you love your brother and have sacrificed so much for him…it’s inspiring. You’re compassionate and loyal and beautiful. So very fucking beautiful.”
He thinks I’m beautiful. And he sees me in this crappy work uniform, stinking of cleaning products.
My cheeks flush at his compliment.
“And I know you said that you were done, but I’m asking you to reconsider. To give me another chance. I’ll beg if I have to.”
He grins, and I smile.
“Give me a chance, and I promise, I won’t fuck it up.”
My smile turns skeptical, and I lift my brow again.
“Okay.” He chuckles, holding up his hands in surrender. “I can’t promise I won’t fuck it up because this is me that we’re talking about. But I do promise that I will try my very best not to fuck it up.” He lowers his hands to the countertop. “I know I’m difficult and a total arsehole at times—”
My brow lifts higher, and he laughs.
“Okay, I’m an arsehole most of the time. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want you…because I do. I want you like you wouldn’t fucking believe.”
He wants me.
“Just give me another chance. Let me take you out on a date. I want to spend time with you, away from this place. So, what do you say? Go out with me, please.”
Now that I know what he had to deal with when he was younger—well, I don’t know for sure exactly what happened, but from what I’ve put together, it was bad—it makes him a hell of a lot easier to understand.
And I do want him.
So much more than I ever thought possible.
But I still wait a moment before answering. He deserves to sweat a little.
“Okay,” I finally say.
A smile breaks out across his face. “Okay?”
I can’t help but smile in return, but I fight to keep it modest. “Okay. You’ve got your chance. But this is your
last
chance, Kas, so try your hardest not to screw it up.” I smile.
His smile turns into a cheeky grin. It melts me.
“I’ll try really, really hard.” His voice accentuates the word
hard
, and my mind instantly goes in the gutter.
I feel my face heat, so I bring the coffee cup up to my lips and take a sip, trying to cover it up.
Kas puts his cup down and stands. He walks around the island to me. He takes the cup from my hand and puts it down.
Then, he takes my face in his hands, and my heart bumps clumsily in my chest.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asks softly. His thumb brushes over the corner of my lips.
“I’m working.” I give him a knowing smile.
His brow lifts. “And what about after work?”
I wait a beat and then say, “I’m free.”
He grins. “Good.” Then, he leans in and kisses me in the spot where his thumb just touched.
My whole body responds instantly. My legs turn to jelly from that one small touch of his lips against mine. I have to grip ahold of his waist to keep upright.
He moves back, smiling, like he’s fully aware of what he does to me.
“I’ll take you out straight after work. Bring some gym clothes and comfortable shoes with you.”
“You’re taking me to a gym on our first date?” I squint.
I mean, I like to run and keep fit, but sweating in a gym, in front of Kas, is not my idea of a fun first date.
“No.” He laughs softly. “I said, bring gym clothes, not that I was taking you to the gym.”
“Okay. So, where are you taking me then?”
He leans in and brushes his lips over mine, making me shiver. “You’ll find out tomorrow,” he whispers.
Then, he releases me and walks around the island. Picking his coffee up, he walks out of the kitchen.
I’m going on a date with Kas.
Oh my God…I’m going on a date with Kas!
Tw
enty-Six
Superhumans.
This is what the sign reads on the building where Kas is pulling into the car park.
“We’re here.” He turns off the engine and takes the key out of the ignition.
We’re in Brixton. I’m not sure whereabouts exactly, but aside from this nondescript building and a few factories we just passed, there’s nothing here.
“And where is here?”
His lips shift up into a panty-melting smile. “You’ll see in a few minutes.” Then, he opens his door and climbs out.
Following suit, I hang my bag on my shoulder and exit the car.
Kas has been in a really good mood the whole way here. I’m not complaining; it’s just not something I’m used to. But I really could get used to it.
He comes around the car. His tall, strong body is agile as he moves closer to me. He moves so quietly, considering the size and strength of him. Almost catlike. It’s almost as if Kas walks on different air than the rest of us.
He’s wearing black trackpants, a black T-shirt, and white trainers. He looks really hot.
So much hotter than me. I’m in yoga pants, my favorite pink running tank top, and my trainers. My hair is tied back into a ponytail. I have a little makeup on—mascara, blush, and gloss on my lips, which I quickly applied before we left the house to come here.
Stopping in front of me, Kas tucks some stray strands of my hair behind my ear. His fingers skim over my cheek, making me shiver.
He smiles as he takes ahold of my hand, lacing his fingers with mine, and starts to lead me over to Superhumans.
Butterflies start to riot in my tummy. Crazy how one small act can make such a big impact.
Kas opens the door, holding it for me to go through.
We walk up to the reception counter. The guy behind the counter looks up at our approach. I’d say he’s in his mid-thirties. He’s combated a receding hairline by shaving his hair off.
He grins when he sees Kas. “Hey, man, how are you doing?” he greets with enthusiasm.
Kas lets go of my hand as the guy stands and leans over the counter. They do that manly handshake thing that guys do.
“Yeah, I’m good. How are things with you?” Kas asks him.
“Ah, you know, life is always bright.” He smiles.
I watch with interest. I’ve never seen Kas interact with people in this way before.
And, by that, I mean, friendly.
“Alex, this is Daisy. Daisy, Alex,” Kas introduces us.
Kas steps back to me, and he takes ahold of my hand.
I see Alex’s eyes go to our joined hands.
He grins, lifting his eyes to me. “Nice to meet you, Daisy.”
“Likewise.” I smile, suddenly feeling conscious.
“So, are you here for business or pleasure today?” Alex asks Kas.
Kas does business here?
“Pleasure,” Kas answers.
“Cool. Well, let me buzz you in.” Alex presses a button behind the desk, and a door buzzes.
Kas holds the door open, letting me through first.
“Have a good session,” Alex calls after us.
Session? Where the hell has Kas brought me?
I’m standing in a hallway. The first thing I notice is the music that’s playing. It’s dance music, like what you’d here in a club. And it’s loud.
Kas grabs my hand again and leads me down the short hallway.
On my right, I see a door marked
Men’s Changing Room
. The next door along is marked for the ladies’ changing area.
Kas pushes through the double doors at the end of the hallway, and then I find myself in…well, I’m not really sure what it is.
It’s a huge room.
And it’s filled with people doing what I can only describe as something like gymnastics.
The far back wall is covered with this amazing graffiti. To my right is an elevated area, and above that is a mezzanine-style balcony that runs right around the room. To the side of the mezzanine is a climbing wall. Directly above the elevated area, hanging from the ceiling, are gymnastic rings. Beneath the stage is a pit filled with cubes of blue foam. It reminds me of those ball pools at children’s play centers.
Directly in front of me is an area with a wooden floor, a ramp running down the side of it, and a mirror covering the whole of the left side. Above it is scaffolding suspended from the ceiling. Beyond the wooden floor is safety flooring, and to the right of that is a trampoline set up with a safety net. There’s also some wooden fixtures set over to the left of the safety flooring that remind me a lot of pommel horses.
“So…what do you think?” Kas’s voice comes from beside me. He sounds a little unsure, as if he’s nervous and anticipating my response.
I lift my eyes to his. “It’s great.”
“You have no clue what it is, do you?”
“No,” I admit, laughing.
He chuckles. “It’s a parkour academy.”
“The stuff you did when you jumped from your balcony and nearly gave me a heart attack?”
He chuckles again. “Yeah.”
“Wow,” I say, letting my eyes drift around.
I see a guy, about my age, standing on the edge of the elevated area. He backs up before running at full speed, and then he leaps from it and catches hold of the scaffolding bar with both hands.
I audibly gasp.
Kas chuckles. “Don’t worry; he knows what he’s doing.”
He lets go of my hand and moves to stand behind me. His chest is so close to my back that I can feel the heat emanating from him.
His fingertips lightly touch my waist. That barely there touch sends my body into overdrive.
He’s not even touching skin, but I can feel his touch like he’s burned through my clothes.
I’m watching this guy move over the equipment like he’s some kind of acrobat. But his acrobatics aren’t the reason why my heart is beating faster or why my body feels like it’s breaking out in fever.
It’s because of Kas. His nearness.
The guy jumps from a high board, about fifteen feet up, and I tense.
“You see how he evens his body weight out by spreading his arms?” Kas’s fingertips press a little harder against my waist. “That helps him keep his balance,” he explains.
The guy lands on his feet with only a slight stumble.
“It’s amazing,” I say, turning slightly to look at him. “And you do this?”
He nods.
“For how long?”
“Six years now.”
I feel like there’s so much I don’t know about him.
“So, I know you practice parkour, and you do MMA. Anything else I need to know about you? Crime-fighting superhero by night?” I laugh.
He does, too, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “No. I’m just me.”
“I like you,” I whisper.
His eyes darken. “I like you, too.”
Then, I hear him start to vibrate. Or I’m guessing that it’s his phone.
He lets out a sigh. “Sorry.” He pulls his phone from his trackpants pocket and looks at the display. There’s a shift in his expression. He looks uncomfortable. He swipes the screen and then puts the phone back in his pocket. “It was my mother. I’ll call her back later.”
“You could have answered,” I say.
“Once she gets on the phone, it takes ages to get her off.” He offers a smile. “I’m spending time with you. I don’t want any interruptions.”
He steps closer, and my breath catches.