74. Aiyana

Chapter seventy-four

Aiyana

Friday, February 2, 2024

A broad smile spreads across my cheeks, my heart racing with excitement as my fingers curl around the keys of my beat-up old pickup truck. When I get to it, I haul myself inside and hurry to turn it on, the bite of winter chilling my bones, but not even that can dampen my mood.

Things went exactly as Gloria and I had hoped, better even. We had put together a plan to get back at the reporter who caused so much damage. The plan went off perfectly, and the media blew up with praise for Kat and Alessandro. Some news stations even outwardly shamed the reporter who started this whole mess, Carol Strobof. We even found out that she was fired, so she hasn't made any statements since that day.

Kat and Ale have mended things and then some, falling gracefully back into each other's arms, and I'm shaking with excitement for the night ahead.

I love game nights! It's also the first time I've gotten to see Kas in a couple of days, and as much as seeing him shouldn't excite me, it does. Immensely so.

Heading toward the penthouse, I turn the knob on the radio, finding a station playing upbeat pop to match my current mood.

As soon as I see the huge building in front of me, I hurriedly park, not bothering with the complimentary valet as I grab my purse and haul ass toward the lobby.

Impatiently, I wait for the elevator, and as soon as it lets me off with a ding , I bound toward our door, entering the code, and letting myself in. I hurry to change, tossing my shoes in the coat closet as I head to my bedroom door, looking over my shoulder at the stove to check the time. I let out a quick breath—I've got five minutes before Kat gets home and probably fifteen before the guys get here.

My hand wraps around the doorknob, turning it and pushing the door open. I search for the light switch and flick it on. A loud screech leaves my throat, my hand clutching my chest, eyes wide with fear as my heart pounds. Lying in the center of my bed is Kas, clothed in dark-wash jeans and a black T-shirt that hugs his bulging muscles, showing off the dark tattoos winding down his forearms.

"What the fuck, Kas?" I shout at him as he laughs, the sound booming throughout the room, his head thrown back against the mattress as it shakes with his movements.

"I figured you'd miss me, so I wanted to surprise you," he finally answers, a wide grin spread across his face.

Shaking my head at him in annoyance, I point at the living room. "Get out!"

He throws his long legs over the side of the bed, working to stand and head over to me. As he approaches, my fist clenches, darting out to jab his abdomen, and I have to fight the string of curses trying to make their way across my lips. His abs are hard as stone, and my tiny fists are not made for fighting.

He notices the pain stricken across my face despite my best efforts, and he reaches out to pull my hands into his as he brings them up to his mouth, pressing a kiss to the knuckles of each one. "I'm sorry I made you hurt your little fists of fury." He chuckles, but there's sincerity in his tone.

I do my best to stay upset at him, but I've never been that good at denying this man anything, even when I know I have to.

Lowering my hands back to my sides, Kas trails his calloused hands up my forearms to my shoulders, my neck, and finally, my face, cupping my cheeks tenderly in his grasp. He bends down, our immense height difference making it difficult for him to angle himself the way he wants, but he manages, pressing his forehead against mine. Closing his eyes, he breathes me in before greeting me with those murky green irises. His lips descend upon mine in a soft, achingly slow kiss that leaves me breathless, and just as he pulls away, we hear the front door burst open, sending my body jolting away from his, eyes darting to the open door, ensuring Kat hasn't seen us.

"Aiya!" she calls to me. "You home yet?"

"Hey, babe, I'm in here. Kas just got here too," I tell her, padding out into the living room to meet her.

Kat's dark waves are gathered into a slicked-back ponytail, her dark-purple scrubs indicating the end of the week. She always reserves her purple scrubs for Fridays.

Kas follows behind me, rushing over to his sister and wrapping her up in a bone-crushing hug as he twirls her around in the entryway. The smile that's overtaken her face makes my heart clench inside my chest. She was miserable for what felt like ages but was really less than two weeks, and I find myself taking note of every smile that has graced her lips since then.

"Hey, Kitty-Kat, how was work?" Kas asks her, placing her back on her feet before heading into the living room to plop down on the couch, his long legs draped over the side.

"It was good—actually a little slow, but that's good. It means fewer people in need of urgent care, so I can't complain," she tells him, heading to her room. "I'll be out in just a minute. I'm gonna get changed."

Kas turns his attention back on me as soon as she's closed the door behind her. "What do you want for dinner, little viper?"

"Chinese," I answer immediately, having thought about it all day. I'd also kill for some sushi and wings, but I know Chinese food will be the cheapest option and the easiest to order for the four of us.

He gives me a smirk. "Uh-huh, and what else?"

I shake my head at him. "Just Chinese," I say, hiding the surprise in my voice that he knew I'd want multiple types of cuisine.

"Yeah, right. I've never known you to be satisfied by just one type of food. Remember when you used to make me take you to the buffet that had hibachi, sushi, which was extremely questionable by the way, Chinese, seafood, tacos, and pizza?" He chuckles. "Until we got fucking food poisoning, and Kat and I finally convinced you to stop dragging us there."

My smirk twists with the memory. He's right; that buffet was disgusting, but the food was delicious, and they had an ice cream bar. Though I haven't gone to a buffet in years; some things you just can't overlook once you've learned about them.

"Fine." I huff at his knowing gaze. "Chinese, sushi, and wings."

His lips curl up into a smirk, eyes crinkling at the sides as he says, "That's my girl." His voice takes on a sultry quality that doesn't match the current conversation.

His words send sparks of heat zapping their way down my spine, my thighs clenching together to soothe the ache in my core as dampness floods me. As soon as he takes in my reaction to his words, heat sparks in his gaze, and he makes a move to stand just as Kat's door bursts open. She steps out, now wearing an oversized sweater and leggings, and her hair hanging down her back in loose, wet waves.

"Hey, what should I order for dinner?" she asks us, but Kas is quicker to answer than I am, still in a daze from the remnants of lust swirling around inside me.

"I'm already on it." He smiles up at her, relaxing back against the couch cushions and throwing his legs up again as he pulls out his phone, turning his attention toward the screen in search of dinner.

***

"Aiyana, we're at a point where I'd genuinely consider you one of my best friends, but this shit has got to stop!"

I glare up at Alessandro's hulking form, sizing him up from his place seated beside Kat on the other end of the velvet couch. "What shit do you speak of?" The thing is, I know exactly what he's talking about, but this is half the fun of the game. The arguing.

Kat and Kas roll their eyes at me in unison. "You know what you're doing," Kas tells me with a smirk.

"Mhmm," Kat agrees. "She sure does."

My glare falls, laughter bubbling out of me. "Okay, fine ," I concede, tossing my cards down on the ottoman. "You better watch it, Ale. I used to be able to get away with this before you came around."

"You've gotten away with murder your whole life. It's time for a change," Kas pipes in with a smirk that makes my heart flutter.

"I don't like getting teamed up on. You're gonna make me cry," I whine.

"You're a brat." Kat chuckles, leaning into Ale. I watch as he smiles down at her, adoration clear in his gaze as he pulls her more tightly to his side and presses a kiss to the top of her head.

"I won't deny that simple fact, but what I said still stands. House rules! Pick up twenty cards or kiss the person to your left." I sit back, feeling smug.

"You're insufferable. You know damn well I'm not picking up twenty cards."

"Then kiss." My brow lifts, antagonizing him.

Ale lets out a huff of air, running his fingers through his dark waves before placing both palms on the tops of his thighs. He directs his attention to his left. "Do I have your consent to kiss you?" he asks.

"Whatever."

Looking to his right toward Kat, she smirks and gives him a nod, answering his silent question.

Alessandro leans forward, both hands reaching out to cup Kas's cheeks before he plants the world's most chaste kiss right on Kas's lips. Simultaneously, Kat and I drop to the cushions, barreling over in laughter.

I fight to suck air into my lungs, Ale's disgruntled expression sending me into another tizzy of laughter.

Kas sits comfortably on the edge of the ottoman, a wide smile spread across his freshly kissed lips as he chuckles. "God, you're a fucking idiot," he says, shoulders still shaking with laughter.

Ale's eyes widen, swinging between the three of us. Kat is still lying on her side, seemingly unable to get enough air in her lungs. "What am I missing?" he asks.

"Man, you could've just kissed my damn cheek or even my hand. She never specified a body location," Kas clarifies.

Ale groans. "Good fucking lord, woman. If Kat doesn't do it first, you will be the death of me."

"Oh, come on. You mean to tell me you've never wanted to plant one on those full, kissable lips of his?"

From the way his brow quirks and the sly grin that spreads across his lips, I know I've fucked up.

"Can't say I have, Aiya, but it sure seems you've given it some thought."

Rolling my eyes, I deflect. "I was just joking; don't be gross."

"I don't know, his lips were pretty soft. Maybe you should give it a go." He winks at me, and I feel my cheeks heating. I never blush, but this asshole just called me out.

"You better watch it, Alice , or it'll be thirty cards and something much more interesting on the next round."

***

Alessandro's arm is slung around Kat's waist, some part of him always touching her as if by breaking that physical connection, he'll somehow lose the emotional one. Though I imagine he just likes being near her; it's how I feel about Kas, though our situation is so wildly different from theirs.

When they first met, they couldn't date due to a provider-patient relationship rule, but that was easily fixed by having Alessandro swap providers. The same can't be said about Kas and me. Nothing is going to change the fact that my father explicitly told me not to marry outside of our culture, and as much as it pains me to hurt Kas, going against my father's wishes is something I'm just not prepared to do.

Ale leans in, pressing a kiss to Kat's shoulder as she yawns. "You wanna head to bed, gattina ?" he asks her, indicating to me that she'll be spending the night at his place instead.

She nods her agreement, a sleepy smile grazing her lips as she looks up into his eyes. He smiles lovingly down at her before turning his attention back to me. Kas exits the bathroom and heads back toward us as Kat and Ale stand. "I think we're gonna head out," Ale says to us, walking over to me, arms out for a hug that I reciprocate, letting his muscular arms wrap around me briefly before he hurries back to Kat's side. She hugs Kas and heads toward the door, Kas making no real effort to leave with them.

I eye him quizzically as Kat and Ale make their way to the door, and Kat turns back to Kas. "You heading home soon?"

"Yep, just figured I'd help Aiyana clean up a bit before I go." He smiles at her, though we didn't exactly make a mess. There are a couple of dishes in the sink, and I'm working on putting the game we were playing back in the box.

Kat gives him a small, knowing smile as she turns, giving us a "goodnight" over her shoulder and heading across the hall.

The door snicks shut behind them, and the moment it does, I turn, my eyes meeting Kas's. His hands are in the sink, covered in soap suds, as he watches me. Taking several steps backward toward my bedroom, I watch as his eyes widen when my fingers reach the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head. Kas turns the faucet on, hastily rinsing his hands before drying them on a dishcloth and running toward me.

I turn on my heel, making a beeline for my bed, loving the thrill of having him chase me, literally.

As expected, I'm much slower than the pro athlete with a foot and a half on me in height. I feel his arms wrap around my waist from behind, pulling me into his chest. He nips my earlobe, dragging it through his teeth slowly. "Thought you could outrun me, huh?" He breathes into my neck, his voice low as it reverberates around me.

I chuckle, trying to lighten the mood as an out-of-sorts darkness seems to have descended upon us. "Was that a line from Twilight ?" I ask mockingly.

"Stop trying to deflect; me chasing you turns you on, and I know it," he grumbles, and a chill travels through me, my legs trembling with the desire suddenly pulsing through my body.

How does he know?

His calloused fingers run up and down my bare forearms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "While I was in your room, I was snooping," he tells me, and I immediately know what he's getting at. "My nasty fucking girl listens to audio erotica, huh? You want a stalker, someone who only wants you, my little viper?" His words cause my stomach to twist in the most delicious way. "I knew you liked it rough, but it turns out you like it really rough, don't you?" he asks, and for the first time in what feels like my entire life, I feel myself slipping into a role of complete submission. I'd never trust anyone else to dominate me, which is why I listen to those recordings in the first place, but Kas? He'd never intentionally go too far, which is why I find myself answering his next question the way I do.

"Can I fulfill a couple of those fantasies for you tonight?"

"Please," I whisper.

A hand slides up my abdomen, snaking up to my throat as his other arm keeps me pinned to his chest. His hand squeezes tightly, so tightly my eyes are burning with unshed tears. "Please, what?" he grits out.

"Please, Professor," I cry out. He groans as he lifts me into his arms, carrying me over his shoulder and back into the living room. He lands a firm smack to my ass, and I tense up, heat coursing through my core. He stops in front of the wall of windows, dropping me to the ground in front of him. My knees smack on the hard flooring, and I hide the wince of pain, not wanting him to stop the illusion for fear of really injuring me.

He steps backward until his legs make contact with the ottoman, unzipping his jeans. He fists his engorged cock, his eyes never leaving mine. Kas takes a seat, his legs spread wide as he leans back on one arm, stroking himself.

"Strip for me, and let the class watch as you do," he says, eyes darting behind me to make a point of the show I'm about to give anyone out on their balconies tonight.

I stand on shaky legs, reaching behind me to unclasp my black lace bra, letting it slide down my arms and onto the floor.

There's a look in Kas's eyes that I don't fully recognize. He's turned on, but something tells me he's also a little shaken at my willingness to be dominated by him.

My hands make their way to my waist, inching my sweats down my thighs, dragging my panties with them. Once I'm standing straight, completely bare to him, his head falls back, eyes closed as he grips himself so tightly that a bead of precum spills out. I fight the urge to crawl to him and lick it off.

As if sensing my exact thoughts, his eyes fly open, crinkling at the sides as he takes me in. "Look at you, standing there naked for me, your cunt fucking dripping while you wait for me to fuck you up against that glass for everyone to see," he taunts, shaking his head slowly. "What a nasty little slut my favorite student is."

Oh, for fucks sake, why is this turning me on so much? My thighs clench together, desperate for friction.

He stands, prowling over to me. "You're fucking salivating for my cock, aren't you? You want me to let you suck me off? We can call it extra credit."

I nod, but that doesn't appease him, his hand snapping out to weave into my hair. He uses the leverage to push me to the ground once more, this time with less force.

"Use your words, little viper. Do you want me to fill your throat while you gag around me?" he asks, his voice rough and firm.

"Yes," I beg.

"Yes, what?" he grits out again.

"Yes, Professor," I moan.

"Good girl." He snickers, tsking at me as he lines the head of his swollen cock up with my mouth, swiping his cum on my lips. His hand moves to my mouth, and slipping two fingers inside, he curls them into my throat, causing me to gag, sputtering as I gasp for air, my clit aching to be touched.

Removing his fingers from my throat as drool pools in my mouth, he realigns his cock against my lips and mutters, "I can't wait to watch you slobber all over my cock like the little whore you are." Immediately after the words leave his lips, he plunges into my mouth, fucking my throat with his cock as my own arousal drips down my thighs.

His motions are relentless. I'm gripping the back of his thighs to support myself, heaving as he uses my body, and I couldn't be more turned on than I am in this moment.

Abruptly, he pulls out of me, gripping my chin as my hands slip down his thighs, landing on the floor beneath me while I fight for oxygen to flood my lungs. "Get up," he grunts.

I work myself into a standing position, and his hands grip my hips as he spins me to face the wall of windows. He walks us forward, my body plastered to the glass, and my cheek squished against it. Kas's warm breath skates across my flesh. "Touch yourself while I fuck you from behind and make everyone watch."

Instinctively, my hand reaches for my clit, the pressure jolting me as my legs quiver. Kas's hands glide down my thighs as he pulls them apart, spreading me wide for him. "I'm gonna fill this tight little cunt with my cock, stretching you out as you come undone for me, but you can't come until I fucking tell you to."

"Yes, Professor," I moan.

Without warning, he plunges into me, fucking me roughly against the window. A new fear of this glass fucking cracking beneath his brutal pounding fills me in more ways than one.

I'm teetering on the edge, my eyes clenching closed as I work my clit, chasing the high that I so desperately need. Kas is degrading me, then praising me in the next breath, his massive cock stretching me relentlessly as he does.

He's grunting behind me. "Fuck, little viper, you take me so well," he says like it's a curse, one hand reaching forward to grip my face as his fingers dig punishingly into my cheeks. "I plan to fill you with my cum, and when I'm done, I'll let you finish, but if you come with me, I'll pull out and finish myself."

An unfamiliar whimper leaves my lips, my body humming with need. His hips slam into me once more, stilling as he fills me. My own orgasm fights to take hold of me, but I refuse to let it. When he finishes, he rips my hand away, pulls my clit between the pads of his fingers and says, "Come for me, little viper." Those same fingers clamp down on my clit, pinching it so hard my body skyrockets to another dimension, waves of euphoria crashing through me as I quake against the glass.

Several moments pass as we just stand there, allowing the filthy, depraved feelings that had come over us to float away, dissipating.

Kas loosens his grip on me, spinning me back around to face him as his eyes search mine. "Was that okay?" he asks me softly, and my heart cracks infinitesimally.

"I promise it was," I assure him, and a glimmer of something lights his hazel eyes, his mood shifting back to the normal teasing I'm so familiar with.

His full lips pull into a smirk; gripping my waist, he heaves me up, my legs and arms wrapping around him as he carries me to bed and drops me on the mattress. "Stay right there," he says, heading into the bathroom and returning a few moments later with a warm, wet washcloth and a dry one. "Spread your legs." I do as I'm told, and he takes his time, wiping away the mess he made and patting me dry with the dry cloth. When he's satisfied, he returns to the bathroom and reappears in nothing but his tight black briefs.

His eyes search the room and land on my dresser. Kas pulls out a sleep shirt and heads back to me, kneeling on the bed. "Arms up," he instructs. He slips the shirt over my head and arms, then pulls the covers up and nods for me to crawl in.

As soon as I'm under, he turns out the lamp and starts walking toward the door. My heart suddenly races with the thought that he's leaving me after that, but I know I can't say anything. We aren't together, and we never will be. It's my rule, not his, so I'll be damned if I make him feel like shit for doing exactly what I've asked him to. Though as I wait for the telltale sign that he's gone, it never comes. The door doesn't slam shut; instead, he reappears with his arms full of our clothing from earlier. He slides the closet door open and dumps the clothing in my laundry basket before closing the bedroom door and climbing back into bed with me.

His arms wrap around me, and his chin rests on the top of my head. A few quiet moments pass before he speaks again. "You know those windows are one way, right? I'd never actually let anyone see you like that." 1

A small smile lights my face. "I do know that, Kas."

"Good," he says, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "Goodnight, my little viper," he whispers, and another crack fissures my heart.

Someday, it'll be broken beyond repair. I should probably come to terms with that before it happens.

"Goodnight, Kas."

1. Wicked Games – Kiana Ledé