“Huh?” Confusion etched across his face, but I didn’t bother to explain my brother’s favorite method of torturing anyone who messed with me.

Every muscle in my body tightened so hard they burned, and I raised my fist, knocking him on the side of the head. Off target and sloppy, but he stumbled back and winced. I pushed him in the chest again, knocking him on his ass.

“Help!” Jumping up, I slapped my palm against the dirt wall. “Let me out of here!”

“Ow, fuck!” I heard the growl from up top, but I couldn’t see anyone all of a sudden.

I breathed hard, glancing nervously between the asshole crawling to his feet next to me and the top of the grave, now vacant. Where the hell were his friends?

And then someone stepped up to the edge of the grave, looking out of breath as he gazed down.

Kai? Why wasn’t he off with his blonde prom queen?

He took a step, falling into the grave and landing on both feet. I ignored the skip in my heartbeat as he looked at me, his eyes scanning worriedly down my body.

“Kai, Jesus, what the hell?” The other guy said, still holding the side of his head. “We were just playing around.”

But Kai just turned toward him, walking into his space. “Five…four…three,” he gritted out, and the guy’s expression fell.

“Two,” Kai continued, “O—”

And Leather Jacket bolted before he finished counting, running up the wall and climbing with his hands and his feet until he was over the edge.

Gone.

Kai turned to me, reaching out for my face. “You okay?”

But I slapped his hands down, backing up. What the hell was the matter with all of them? Sick, sadistic…. I should’ve stomped right on his dick when he was on the fucking ground.

“Hey,” Kai said, snapping his fingers in my face. “They’re gone. It’s okay. Are you hurt?”

I blinked, trying to process what he asked me through my anger.

No. No, I wasn’t hurt. But my nerves were shot.

I brushed past him, jumping up and grunting as I tried to grab onto anything to get myself out of here. How did that asshole do that so easily?

“That’s not going to work,” Kai told me.

I stopped, fisting my hands and seething. “Then get me out of here.”

“Alright, just hold on.”

He backed up to a short side of the grave, looking like he was making room to get a running start, so he could scale the wall.

But then he reached over and grabbed my arm. “Wait, what happened?”

I twisted my arm around, seeing blood trickle down from my elbow.

Huh. I hadn’t even felt that happen. Must’ve been during the struggle.

Kai took his shirt out of his back pocket and wiped off the blood.

“Banks!”

I sucked in a breath and shot my eyes up at the call of my name. “Shit,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Banks! Where are you?”

I lowered my eyes to see Kai looking at me, his brows narrowed. “Is that your name?”

Dammit. They wouldn’t walk away if they found me with him, even though this wasn’t my fault. They’d tell Damon, and I’d never get out of the house again.

Kai dropped my arm and ran, leaping up to the ledge and peeking over. After a moment checking it out, he fell back to his feet.

“Who are those guys?” he asked. “They’re the same ones who picked you up on the road earlier today.”

“Just let me out.”

“Who are they?”

“Brothers,” I replied sarcastically. “They share me, okay? Sometimes they loan me out for parties. You want a piece?”

“Banks!” I heard David bellow, the patience in his voice now gone. I glanced worriedly to the top of the grave, shrinking back into the corner.

Dammit.

But Kai just rolled his eyes, amusement crossing his face.

“She’s here!” he called out.

What the—? I lunged for him, putting my hand over his mouth while holding the back of his neck with my other hand. “Shut up!” I whisper-yelled.

I pulled him back with me, shrouding us in the darkness of the corner.

“Shhh,” I pleaded in a whisper. “If they find me with you, I’ll be on lockdown until I’m old and gray.”

I felt his mouth spread into a smile behind my hand, and he planted his palms against the dirt wall behind me, his dark gaze making my stomach somersault.

He twisted his head, nudging my hand away. “You’re a lot of trouble.”

“So, stop taking an interest.”

We stared at each other, locked in a challenge. His body was pressed to mine, and I could feel it move as he breathed. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

I dropped my eyes to his lips, wetting my own.

He leaned in, the caress of his breath falling on my face, and I knew he was going to kiss me.

But someone called out, stopping us. “Kai!” A woman’s voice pierced the night air.

And I saw his eyes close as he mouthed “Fuck.”

Reality came crashing back down.

“Would that be Chloe?” I teased.

His eyes popped open, studying me. “Do you know her?”

“I know you’re hers.”

“Who told you that?”

I remained silent, noticing the deep etch of confusion across his face.

“No.” He laughed, shaking his head. “Okay? No. We were off again and on again for a long time, but…”

“But…?”

“But we’re off,” he maintained. “Have been for a long time.”

“But you still screw around with each other, right?”

He averted his eyes, looking uncomfortable as an embarrassed smile peeked out.

“Kai?” I pressed.

And he shrugged, looking apologetic. “The devil I know is better than the devil I don’t, okay?”

Whatever. She couldn’t be all bad if he still liked sleeping with her. It was just more convenient to bank on a sure thing than to do the work to seduce someone new.

Typical.

“Look.” He took my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I would never have tried anything with you in the Bell Tower if I had a girlfriend. She’s seeing other guys. We are not together.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

I darted around him to try to climb my way up the wall, but he grabbed the back of my jeans and yanked me back into his body, searing my ear with his hot breath. “I like you more.”

My lids felt heavy all of a sudden, and tingles spread over my body. But I forced myself to stay angry. “Like I care,” I said. “If I weren’t here, you’d be ‘liking’ her a lot in the backseat of your car right now?”

He laughed in my ear. “You’re so mean.” And then he quieted, his voice turning soft and sincere as he turned me around to face him. “I really like you, though.”

I didn’t know what to say. What could I say? For some reason, though, it was really nice to hear. Kai was nice.

“Let me touch you,” he whispered, holding my eyes and pulling me in.

I saw him come in, and I slowly dropped my head back to give him access to my neck. His lips touched my skin, and my eyelids fluttered. He was the best feeling in the world.

“I don’t want to go on dates,” I told him, laying it down straight. “I don’t like a lot of people.”

I felt him smile against my skin as he continued his path. “Me neither. How about you, me, and Netflix?”

Hell, yeah. “And no one can know I’m messing around with a pansy-ass rich boy, okay? I’d lose my street cred.”

He snorted, shaking with laughter. “Hey, it’s not the label on the jeans but what’s inside that matters.” And he hefted me up, gripping my ass and pressing me to him.

I moaned, feeling the heat between us. Yeah, okay, smart ass.

Leaning in, I parted my lips, and he dived in, capturing them. I groaned into his mouth. Oh, my God. The warmth, the taste…. He was slow but strong and deep, and I melted into him, following his lead and sucking and nibbling.

My entire body was alive, an electric current spreading from my lips down the rest of me, and I wanted him to kiss me everywhere.