chapter 14

"You're gonna kill me," he murmured into her neck.

"You like it."

"I love it."

They didn't go all the way. But it was messy. Hot. So many unplanned moans. So many hands. Her lip gloss smeared. His shirt half off. At one point she licked whipped cream off his finger from the cocoa he made her and he nearly blacked out.

And when she finally left later that night with swollen lips and a dazed smile?

He texted her.

Jamie: If you ever do that thing with your hips again I will combust

Mia: Noted

Jamie: I'm still tasting your lip gloss

Mia: I wore it for you

Jamie: Marry me

She stared at that last text and screamed silently again.

(Kai's POV)

If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be crushing this hard on a college boy with a pretty mouth and enough chaos energy to power an entire city I'd have laughed, shut my laptop, and gone back to debugging someone else's broken code.

But now? Now I was head over heels in slow motion.

The kind of crush that creeps in when you're not looking. The kind that builds, bit by bit, with every passing smile, every impulsive hug, every time Zach shouted my name down the hall just to ask if cereal counts as dinner.

I didn't even know when it started exactly. Maybe the day he showed up at Mia's wearing mismatched socks and called it fashion. Or when he brought me coffee just the way I like it, unprompted, just because "I looked stressed and he Googled my order." Or maybe it was the time he called me his favorite person while high on cold meds.

Whatever it was he got me. Got under my skin. Into my blood.

I wasn't supposed to like him like this. But I did. Quietly. Slowly.

And tonight? Tonight didn't help.

It was 7:43 p.m. when I finally unlocked the apartment door, dragging my briefcase and a burrito the size of my face. Work had drained me. I was running on fumes and cheap coffee. My only plan was to faceplant into my bed.

Instead, I opened the door to Zach.

Zach. In my hoodie.

Just the hoodie.

Thighs out. No pants. Just long legs, black socks, and my oversized black hoodie drowning his frame like it was made for him. Which okay technically it was. But not like this.

My brain stopped working. Everything went static.

He was curled on the couch like a damn housecat, scrolling through TikTok, earbuds dangling, hair messy. And when he looked up and saw me?

He smiled like he'd just won a bet with the devil.

"Hey stranger."

I blinked. "...You're wearing my hoodie."

He stretched, arms above his head, that hoodie rising just enough to make my jaw clench. "Mhm. You left it on your chair. It smelled like you, so I stole it. Arrest me."

"Zach."

"Yes, Kai?"

"I just worked nine hours. My tolerance for flirtation is low and my self-control is nonexistent right now."

He grinned wider. "Perfect. Then let's play a game."

"No."

"C'mon. Bet you won't kiss me."

I paused.

"What?"

He sat up, legs crossed, eyes gleaming with challenge and something else something that made my chest feel too tight.

"I bet you'll chicken out. Even if you wanted to. Which, let's be honest, you do."

I dropped my bag. "You're testing me."

"Yup. And you're gonna fail. 'Cause I'm too pretty and you're too logical."

He bit his lip.

That's it.

I crossed the room in three slow, deliberate steps. He blinked, laughter faltering slightly. My hand cupped his jaw, thumb brushing his cheekbone, and for once he was quiet.

"You think I won't kiss you?" I asked low.

He swallowed. "I think you're all talk."

I leaned down.

And kissed him.

Not soft. Not quick. Not gentle.

It was molten.

Hands in his hair. His mouth parting for me like he'd been waiting for this moment forever. He made a small noise half gasp, half moan and my pulse skyrocketed. I tilted his chin up, deepening it, tasting the vanilla on his lips, the way his breath hitched when my fingers gripped the back of his neck.

Zach melted.

Straight up melted into me like he didn't have bones. One hand fisting the front of my shirt, the other tangled in my hair, kissing me back with all the fire and recklessness he was known for.

It was chaos. It was heat. It was perfect.

And then

He pulled back. Blinked. Realized what just happened.

Face flushed redder than a cherry popsicle.

He made a squeaking noise an actual squeak and bolted off the couch, hoodie flapping as he ran into my room like it owed him money.

SLAM.

The door shut behind him.

Silence.

I stood there. Breathless. Shocked. A little stunned. A lot turned on.

Then:

"KAI! I HATE YOU!"

I laughed. Heart pounding. Voice hoarse.

"No you don't."

"YES I DO!"

"You liked it."

A beat.

Then, quieter:

"...maybe."

I leaned back against the wall, staring at the closed door with the dumbest smile on my face.