Impossible Love: An Unforeseen Destiny Novel Book One (18 page)

“Hello,” Cara answers frantically.

“Ms. Cannon, this is Kai. Kayla’s safe.”

“Oh, thank God.”

Guilt clenches my gut from the relief in her voice. “I’m sorry for not calling sooner. But Kayla fell asleep, and I hated to wake her.”

“Is she doing all right?” Ms. Cannon sounds a little exasperated.

“She was pretty upset when she first arrived, but she’s relaxed now.” I cringe at my word choice and pray Cara doesn’t figure out what eased Kayla’s tension. “Do you want me to wake her and drive her back to your condo? I don’t want her driving on these roads this late at night.”

“No, you shouldn’t have to go to all that trouble. Besides, it’s late.”

“I don’t have to be at work tomorrow until nine. It’d be no problem.”
Why am I pushing this?
It’s not like I want her to leave.

“No, she’s better off staying asleep. You don’t mind if she stays?”

Do I mind? Is she kidding?
Refraining from saying something inappropriate, I settle for a “No ma’am.”

“Can I ask a favor, though?” Cara asks.

“Of course.”

“She left before I could tell her everything. And what I have to tell her, she’s‌…‌going to need someone to lean on the next few days. Can I count on you to be there for her? I’m assuming you care about her.”

“I do care for her. And if she needs me, I’ll be here, but I don’t understand.”
What on earth could be worse than her finding out about her mom dying?

“I can’t explain right now, but I really do need to talk to her.”

“I’ll make sure she gets home tomorrow,” I assure her. “And Ms. Cannon, I’m very sorry for your misfortune.”

“Thanks, Kai.” Her voice sounds tired. “I’m counting on you.”

I close my eyes momentarily after saying goodbye. That was one hard conversation. For many reasons. Replacing the phone on the coffee table, I turn off the lamp and return to the bedroom. Kayla’s silhouette makes me pause at the doorframe as I take in her sight. Damn. She sure looks good in my bed. A man can get used to seeing this every night. I can get used to seeing this. My dick stirs. S
ettle down buddy. You’re done for the night.

I drop my shorts and ease into bed. As I snuggle against her, my hand rests on the curvature of her waist, and I nuzzle my nose in the crook of her neck, breathing in her sweet scent.

She stirs, and a contentedness envelops me at how right this feels. But man, what have I got myself into? Leave it to me to fall for a girl who lives four thousand miles away, topped with a terminally ill mother, and a father she’s never met.

The next few months will be the hardest times of Kayla’s life, and I’ll be stuck on this island unable to be there for her. Why does that make me feel like the biggest dick this side of the ocean?

I push aside that worry and drift to sleep, still holding on to the hope that in the morning, she won’t have any regrets.

Chapter
Twenty-Seven

Kayla~

The sun’s warmth upon my backside is like a furnace radiating heat. Or is it coming from the front? There’s also a warm heaviness resting on my waist. And is my leg hooked over a thigh? I would be confused, but the woodsy scent filling the thickened air is unmistakable. My eyelids spring open to Kai’s sleeping body. Oh my God, I spent the night with Kai.

My heart races as I spring to a sitting position half panicked. My mom has to be worried sick about me. A vise grip clamps around my waist‌—‌a very bare waist‌—‌preventing me from scooting off the bed.

“Calm down, I called her,” a raspy voice says beside me.

I sag back onto the mattress and turn to my right side, facing Kai. “You called my mom?”

Kai’s eyes are still closed, but in a soft circular motion, his fingertips rub against my back. I shudder with the realization we’re lying next to each other completely naked.

“Yeah, last night. She was cool with you staying.”

“Thanks for doing that.” My heart melts at his thoughtfulness, and I wish I could snuggle closer to him. If I flipped, we could spoon together, but then my bare bottom would be against his‌…‌junk.
Oh boy, bad idea
.

“No problem,” he murmurs.

His gentle stroking slows to a halt, and I study him as his breathing becomes shallow. His chiseled face takes on softer planes when he’s relaxed. He’d look younger if it weren’t for the light stubble giving him a manly appearance. Heat rises in my cheeks at the thought of the roughness chafing my skin. My gaze drops to his ripped chest and sculpted arm that’s draped across me. The tattoo inked on his right deltoid shimmers in the sunlight, and I shift to get a better view to study the wide black designs. Biting my lip, I refrain from reaching up and touching his skin. I want so badly to trace along each segmented line. They flow in coordination with each other, curving to a narrow point. The tips remind me of flames. Weaved within the center of the design are red lines that form a symbol of some type. I frown. This ink must mean something more than just decorated skin.

“It’s tribal.”

My gaze cuts to his, and the smirk on his face should embarrass me to be caught ogling. But I’m way too curious.

“The tattoo is a tribute to my father.”

“A memorial,” I whisper. “The red lines almost form a cross.”

“Ah, very perceptive. It’s called a Marquesan Cross. It symbolizes a balance between the elements and harmony. I had the tattoo artist substitute the fireman’s Maltese Cross with the Marquesan to keep our culture represented.”

“Your dad was a firefighter?”

“Yeah, he died on the job.”

“Oh, that’s so sad but heroic.” Thoughts of Mom infiltrate my mind, and my eyes close as I process the new wave of sadness smashing against my chest. I hate that Kai lost his father, but part of me respects the fact that he can relate to what I’m going through.

“I wish I could tell you everything will be okay, but it won’t. At first, anyway. It’s going to suck. Big time.”

I let out a small laugh and reopen my watery eyes. “Yeah, it will.”

“You have to go back and talk to her today.”

“I plan to. I hate the way I left yesterday, but I couldn’t handle it. I needed time to think.”

He says nothing, but the way his fingers glide along my skin again makes me very aware of his presence.

“You know what pisses me off?” I ask.

His dark eyebrows rise, encouraging me to go on.

“She’s been showing all the signs. Fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing fits.” I turn away from him and shake my head. “How’d I miss all that? I’m going to suck as a nurse practitioner.”

“Hey,” he says.

My head turns back toward him and peers into those dark, brown eyes.

“You’re going to make a wonderful nurse.” His face grows serious as he stares back at me. “The signs are harder to recognize when the patient is someone you love.”

I turn to liquid again. This overly confident guy always says the sweetest things. Whether he’s aware or not, there’s so much more to Kai Hale than his swoon-worthy abs. Beneath his masculinity lies a genuinely caring guy.

“Thanks,” I murmur.

A moment passes, and my thoughts drift to our actions last night. As if on cue, my body responds accordingly, becoming electrically charged as a shiver ripples through me. A section of hair falls forward, and I try not to cringe at the way I must look.

Kai’s hand reaches to my face and tucks the errant strands behind my ear.

“You’re so beautiful,” he practically moans.

“Messy hair and swollen eyes turn you on?”

Kai chuckles. “No, but you’re sexy as hell. Especially in that thin cotton shirt you wore yesterday.”

I groan, but he continues talking.

“And I kind of like the bedhead look on you.” He ruffles the top of my hair. “Like I said, you’re beautiful.”

“Thanks for last night, for what we did. You’ll never know what that means to me.”

Kai shifts so fast on top of me it takes a moment to realize he pinned my arms above my head. With no barrier between us, his hardness rubs against my clit, fully waking my lower half.

Kai stares deep into my eyes for a moment. My breaths become short and labored underneath him.

“You don’t regret what we did?” he asks, apprehension thick in his voice.

“Not at all,” I say with assertion. “It was perfect.”

The concern in his eyes lifts; overshadowed by a darker, sinister look. I’ve seen desire in his eyes, but this is so much more. Almost predatory-like. I have a feeling Kai Hale is going to own me when it’s all said and done.

A guttural sound breaks the silence before his lips crash upon mine. His kiss ignites another wave of heat through my body, and my hormones practically beg for him to take me.

My arms, still above my head, are secured against the mattress, while his body dominates control. Kai scoots my hands together and wraps his long fingers around both of my wrists. His free hand works its way to my breast, cupping a handful and gently massaging. His thumb grazes my nipple before rolling the hardened nub between his fingers. With a hard squeeze, he tugs, and a wave of tingles rush straight to my core, wetness pooling between my legs. His mouth lowers to the neglected breast, and he flicks his tongue over the hardened flesh. I moan, and my hips involuntarily rise against his cock. If he doesn’t find a way to release this pressure soon, I’m going to explode.

“I should punish you for thanking me three times this morning. But first, I need to know if you’re sore.” Kai places my swollen bud between his teeth and bites down just short of causing pain.

My back arches to him, and another moan rifles from me. Exasperated, I breathe out, “Just do me already.”

Chuckling, he replies, “Yes, ma’am.” Kai releases my wrists and slides off me to grab a condom. In no time, Kai’s back where he needs to be, taking charge, until we both find our release point.

Chapter
Twenty-Eight

Kayla~

The apartment’s quiet. Too quiet. I almost think Mom is gone until I notice her sitting out on the lanai from her bedroom. I ease to the sliding glass door and open it. She turns and half smiles at me. Guilt punches my stomach from the darkened circles plaguing her eyes. How could I have been so selfish in leaving yesterday?

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t handle that very well.”

“Oh, I can’t say I blame you. It’s not an easy pill to swallow.”

She looks so gloomy. It kills me that there’s nothing I can say or do to make her feel better.

“Let’s go inside. There’s more I need to tell you.”

Her somber tone brings a wave of dread through me. I nod and retreat to the living room.

“I’m getting a bottled water, do you want anything?”

“Sure, I’ll take one.”

I meander to the couch and wait for Mom. A few moments later, she returns, and I gnaw on my lip when the water splashes against the sides as she passes me the bottle. Her hands continue to shake after setting her water down on the coffee table.

“Mom, what else can be wrong?” I demand.

She sits beside me and throws me a glance before quickly averting her gaze. The familiar sickening sensations returns, but I don’t understand why. Mom already told me she’s dying.

“There’s a secret I’ve kept from you, and it’s going to upset you.”

I throw a questionable glance her way, but she still refuses to meet my stare. “Other than you being sick?”

“It has to do with your father.”

“What about him?” I instantly grow cold. That bastard hasn’t had one thing to do with me.
I’m not about to care for him now
, I think even though I know that’s a lie.

“I haven’t been forthcoming about the facts.”

“What do mean? I don’t understand.”

“Your father didn’t abandon you when you were little. He‌…‌he didn’t know you existed.”

A beat of silence passes. I feel as if I’m suspended in time before the hammering of my heart pounds loudly in my ears, snapping me back to reality.

“How can he not know about me? Didn’t you tell him?” I try to contain the anger brewing deep inside my gut. I’ve already left mad once. My mom is dying, I can’t keep putting her through my temper tantrums.

Mom takes a shuddering breath and closes her eyes. “Remember me telling you about the man I met when I first came here? The one I left behind?”

I nod, tears springing to my eyes.

“When I left to take care of your grandma, two weeks later, I found out I was pregnant. I knew it was impossible for us to be together, so I never told him.”

Her gaze cuts to mine, and for the first time in my life, I’m not seeing the same woman who raised me. My hands fumble for the water, and I take a drink. I have a
dad
?

“Does he still live on the island?”

She nods and takes in a deep breath which leads to a coughing fit. My heart breaks a little more. I can’t even be mad at her. Not in this condition.

“He owns the kayaking company we used,” she manages to say after regaining a bit of strength.

It falls into place. She kept looking for someone when we were there. Now her nervousness makes sense.

“What were you thinking by booking that tour? What would you have done if we ran into him?”

“I don’t know. I-I wasn’t thinking,” she stammered. “But it’s time for you both to know about each other. I shouldn’t have waited so long to tell either one of you.”

“Have you talked to him? Does he know about me now?”

“I told him the day you went to the beach by yourself.”

“The errand you had to run was him?” I shake my head in disbelief. “That’s been several days ago. Does he not want to see me?” I think back to the cruise date Kai took me on. I met his boss, John, the hippie dude with scraggly hair.
Is that bum my father?
He did act strangely around me. And if what Mom says is true, he would’ve known then. But he said nothing. In fact, he skedaddled so fast I’m surprised there wasn’t a blaze of fire left behind his trail.

“No, baby, don’t think that. He’s very much looking forward to meeting you. He was just waiting for me to tell you.”