And she counted the coffee cake that was sitting on its cake stand on the counter.
He was that good of a kisser.
“How did you get into security?” she asked after taking a sip of soda.
“It’s just what my family does. We have a natural knack to protect. It’s pretty much a biological need for us to protect what is ours. My grandfather and father just took it and created a job that fit their strengths.”
“Do you like it?”
Kai pushed a piece of bacon around his salad plate. “I like it enough. We got the F&D contract a little while ago. It was a big change from what we used to do. It means good things for the company. The contract brings in a lot of money for my parents’ retirement and my brother’s growing family.”
“That doesn’t sound like it’s a passion of yours.”
He shrugged, popping the bacon into his mouth. “It’s fine. I’m not a fan of the network’s bullshit politics. Or dealing with the types of people who work on the lot. There are many self-important people who drop “do you have any idea who I am” every time they roll up to the gate. They think the rules don’t apply to them because they’re on TV.”
“Yeah, I can see that. I love my sister, but she has been in the limelight since she was 14 years old. She’s not a snob, but she has grown up with preferential treatment. She’s not a bad person, but she does expect to be treated with kid gloves. I think, in her head, it’s just how the world works — through no fault of her own. My parents tried really hard to continue giving her a normal childhood when she was cast on The Town. But she had to drop out of school and get a bunch of tutors instead. She studied her ass off when she wasn’t filming. She got her GED when she was sixteen, and she took a few college correspondence classes. But the whole experience just changed her.”
“Was it hard, growing up with a famous sister?”
Ember considered the question. “Not so much for me, no. I was already doing my own thing by then. It had more of an impact on Cinder. She looked up to Sparx, and she really wanted to be famous like her. Of course, Cinder can’t act to save her life. Even when she tried to lie to our parents to get out of trouble, she was always caught.” The memories made her chuckle. “She’s famous, too, but as herself. Not as a character.”
Kai’s watchful eyes studied her face carefully. “Is that why you want to be on the show? To be famous like your sisters?”
“God, no! I’m terrified of the cameras. If there had been a competition off-camera to win a bakery, I would have done that instead. I love my job, but running someone else’s business is hard. My boss gives me a lot of creative license, but I wish to build my own brand. I would love to just get to work in the morning, create a pastry, and serve it to my customers without having to ask someone else if it’s okay. You know?”
“Independence,” Kai said with a head nod. “I get it.”
“That is exactly it. Independence to create and be my own baker.” She shrugged. “One day. Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” His answer was more intense than the situation warranted.
“I’m just wondering, if your family wasn’t in security, what would you have done?”
“Honestly, I probably would have gone into security. I’m not like you. I don’t have a passion, a goal. I just need a job. I have other things that feel like my purpose.”
Ember frowned at his choice of words. “What is your purpose, then?”
“I suppose the best way to explain it is family. My family, not just my parents, my brother and his brood, but my extended family, as well. We’re like a pride. That is important to me. That is what I live for. To make sure they’re all happy, healthy, and safe.”
“A pride, like a grouping of lions?” The comparison was a strange one, and Ember wanted to understand.
His smile was secretive as if he were hiding something from her. “Something like that. There are a lot of us, and it’s kind of my place to lead them.”
Not understanding his meaning, Ember cleared the dishes from the table. Kai followed her into the kitchen and helped her rinse off the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher.
“So, you’re like the head of the family?”
“Yeah. We have a lot of traditions, and it’s up to me to uphold them. That’s what I love to do.”
A man who was passionate about his kin and their family history was noble. Ember had the feeling that he was keeping some critical detail from her, something that would help her make sense of his words. She couldn’t shake it, but Kai didn’t seem too forthcoming.
It’s not like he owed her any more of an explanation. They weren’t lovers. Were they even friends? They had shared a few kisses because they had been roped together because of the threatening letter. Without that, would there even have been a connection between them?
Ember thought so.
Their kisses were electric and primal. That kind of thing didn’t just happen with anybody.
“So, you’re like the leader of the family, like in a mob movie? You’re the godfather?”
His laughter was a loud, cheerful boom. “Something like that, yeah. When there is a problem within the family or someone needs help, they come to me. I look at the problem and rally the troops, so to speak. When there is a new baby in the family, I make sure everyone is around for the christening and that the kid is welcomed into the family.”
That made a bit more sense. Ember nodded. “That is a nice role to have.”
“It really is. I inherited it from my father, and one day, I hope to pass it down to my own son.”
Her heart clenched at the thought of a miniature Kai running around. Whoever the mother would be, she would be one lucky lady.
“That is why you came over to check up on the apartment for me. You’re a caretaker, a protector.”
He nodded. “I look after my own. And the fact I wanted to make sure your head injury wasn’t more than the paramedic suggested.”
Her cheeks heated. His words were intense. She wasn’t his, but after hearing him say that, she sure wished she was.
“Thanks for feeding me, Ember. I had a wonderful time hanging out with you. I should let you get some rest. It has been a long, stressful day.”
Reluctantly, she walked him to the front door. It was inching toward eleven. It was way past her bedtime. The fact that she wasn’t yawning right in Kai’s face was a testament to just how exhilarating his presence was.
“Have a good night, Ember Brady.” Kai leaned down to kiss her. His lips moved softly against hers, his tongue dipping into her mouth. Her hands went up to tangle in his hair, bringing him closer to her.
Her bedroom wasn’t that far away. If Kai wanted a quick roll in the sheets, she could oblige.
She would probably end up wanting more, but that was something she could deal with later.
He slowly pulled away. “Sweet dreams, love. I’ll see you in the morning.”
With that, the mysterious man she barely knew was gone. She didn’t understand how, but he took her heart with him.
Chapter Eight
Kai