“Well, are you going to answer my question or not?”
With a dramatic sigh, she said, “If you insist. I have reached a decision.” She paused for effect. “I think my dresser is going to clash horribly with yours, unless you want to buy me a new one.”
Kye dropped his head and took her lips in a long, hot kiss that had her wanting him all over again. He finally pulled away and locked gazes with her. “I’ll buy you one and anything else you want. I’ll make sure you never regret moving in with me.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and played with the back of his hair. “How could I when I’ll be with the man who somehow won my heart in a matter of days?”
“And I promise to keep you safe.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Just so you know—you won mine the first time I saw you. I love you, Michaela. Don’t ever doubt it.”
“I love you too, Kye. And I won’t.”
Hoping he’d do more than kiss her after they’d just confessed their feelings for one another, Michaela groaned when Kye pulled out of her embrace and slipped off the bed. She ran her gaze over his body, lingering on his once again hard cock.
“Forget it,” he said. “We’re going to get dressed and find something to eat downstairs. Then once you’re fed, we’re off to your apartment to pack your clothes.”
She sat up. “You want to start moving me in today?”
Kye walked over to the closet and disappeared for a few seconds. He came back out with a fresh pair of jeans. “Damn right I do. I can’t sleep without you now. I’d probably lose my mind if I did.” He pulled on his pants, but left it undone.
He sounded so serious she had to laugh. “Well, I guess that’s a good thing, being wanted and needed that much.”
“Good, because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer.” Kye leaned over and caressed her cheek. “Where you go, I go.” He then straightened and went to his dresser.
Michaela watched him take out a gray t-shirt and tug it on. “Okay, but how are you going to manage that while I’m at work?” she asked with humor in her voice. “Are you going to follow me around the zoo all day?”
Kye turned in her direction and Michaela felt her smile disappear by degrees at the serious expression he wore. “Quit,” he said simply.
“Quit?”
“Yes.”
“You want me to leave the zoo and do what?” She’d just come to terms with moving in with Kye, and now, he dropped another bombshell on her.
He crossed to the bed and sat on the mattress beside her. He cupped her face and stroked his thumb along her cheek. “And do nothing, if that’s what you want. I’m not exactly hard up for money, as you know. I want to look after you. Let me. Please.”
“I don’t know if I like the idea of having to depend totally on you financially. Plus, there’s the fact that I love my job. I love working with the animals. I’d miss it, and I’d hate to quit, then later on down the road regret that decision.”
“What if I were to come up with some kind of alternative? Something that would allow you to do what you’re doing now, but only here at the mansion?”
She looked at Kye as if to say she didn’t think that would be possible. “What would that be? Unless you’re willing to open some kind of wild animal rescue or something.”
He smiled. “We’ll figure something out, but I want you to seriously consider quitting.”
“All right.”
“Good.” He released her and stood. “Get dressed, then we’ll go see what I can whip up for us in the kitchen.”
Michaela slipped off the bed and headed for the bathroom. If Kye didn’t stop throwing life-altering offers at her, she’d be a basket case in no time.
Chapter Ten
After they’d eaten, Kye had driven them back to her apartment. Surprisingly, it didn’t take too long for Michaela to pack the two large suitcases she owned with her clothes. What didn’t fit, she’d put in black garbage bags. The things hanging in her closet, Kye just took out in bundles and placed them on the backseat of his car. She’d also packed a few other necessities. The rest of her things could stay in her apartment for now until she figured out what she wanted to do with them. She’d have to give the landlord her one month’s notice as well.
With her suitcases loaded into his trunk, they made the drive back to Marin County and the mansion. Kye parked closer to the front door and Michaela got out. She gathered some of her clothes from the backseat while he went around to the trunk and took out one of her suitcases.
They’d just made it through the door when a woman with blonde hair so light it was almost white, stepped into the foyer. She smiled as she came closer. “You must be Michaela.” Her gaze skipped over the things Michaela and Kye held. “And it looks as if you’re making a good start of moving in. I’m Saskia.”
“Nice to finally meet you,” Michaela said. “And yes, but it’s just my clothes for now.”
“It’s something.” Saskia’s gaze skipped over to Kye. “Just to give you the heads up, Miles is here, so behave yourself.”
Kye groaned. “Saskia, are you sure this is really wise?”
“Yes, I do. He’s my brother, Kye. If being with Jaden like this will help keep him on our side, I’m not going to deny him.”
Michaela looked from Saskia to Kye. She had no idea what this “on our side” meant, but from the expressions on their faces, it had to be something pretty serious.
“I know,” Kye said. “But we can’t let our guard down. For me, the bastard has to prove himself—that he’s no longer what he used to be—before I even think of welcoming him back.”
“I never said we shouldn’t stay vigilant. I know exactly what Miles is capable of as much as the rest of you. I just want this to work, so in other words, no going out of your way to fuck things up. Got it?”
“Yes, boss. I guess when Michaela and I finish unloading my car, then we’ll come down and join everyone else.”
Saskia nodded. “When you’re ready, were sitting outside on the patio.” She then turned and walked toward the back of the house.
“Are you going to tell me what that was all about?” Michaela asked as she and Kye walked up the stairs to his bedroom.
“Ha…not right now.”
Hearing the hesitancy in Kye’s voice, Michaela put the clothes she held on the bed and turned to face him. “Does it have something to do with your protecting Roxie and her family?”
Kye closed the distance between them and put a hand over her mouth. “Shh. We don’t need Miles to overhear you talking about Roxie, all right?”
She nodded, even though the chance of anyone hearing what she’d said was impossible. Kye and she were alone in his room and the others were outside. And even if someone were downstairs, they still wouldn’t have been able to hear her.
He took his hand away. “There are some things I have to explain to you, but not while Miles is here.” Kye took a deep breath and let it out on a long sigh. “Once he’s gone, we’re going to have a little chat, you and I.”
“Okay. And I promise I won’t say anything about…you know who.”
Kye smiled. “Good. You’ll understand more once I tell you everything.”
They finished taking the rest of her clothes up to Kye’s room. Until she picked out a new dresser—Kye insisted she get one—she’d be living out of her suitcases. The things that could be hung up were now in his walk-in closet along with his stuff. It was a start to making Michaela feel as if it were her room too.
After Kye moved his car to the garage, they headed for the backyard patio. It was later in the day, but darkness hadn’t yet descended. There were five people sitting around the wrought-iron table, talking. Saskia was there, but the others, Michaela hadn’t met yet. Her gaze landed on the man who she recognized from the restaurant the night before. He had the same light blond hair and similar features as Saskia. Michaela assumed the man had to be Miles, Saskia’s brother.