7. Kael

7

KAEL

I wake up at five in the morning, like I always do, and leave Paige's brownstone, using the key that Declan gave me to lock the door behind me.

I'm wearing just a pair of basketball shorts and my jogging shoes, going for a run.

The streets are unfamiliar to me, and it takes me a couple of miles to get my bearings in the large suburb that Paige lives in.

It is pretty nice, I have to admit, with greenery and foliage everywhere. It's also remarkably clean on the sidewalks, no cracks, no cigarette butts.

It's nothing like my neighborhood, which has been called colorful at the very least. There even seems to be less smog in this area, and I breathe the clean air as I run.

I make a round trip at about five miles, and I'm sweating profusely, my thigh muscles aching. As much as I'm trying to bulk up, I also want to keep my agility and stamina, and running is the best way to do that.

When I unlock Paige's door, I'm quiet. She said she was going to sleep in, and it's only about seven-thirty .

As I walk into the kitchen, a scream pierces my eardrums.

I wince as I immediately reach for the weapon on my thigh and pull it out, pointing it to where the scream came from.

Paige's wide eyes are on me as she holds a hand to her heart, standing at the refrigerator. "Jesus Christ, you scared the shit out of me!"

I chuckle as I release the breath I was holding, pulling the gun away again.

"You knew I was here." I roll my eyes and move past her to grab a bottle of water from her fridge.

"What are you doing? That's mine." She makes to grabs it, but I hold it over her head, smirking.

The growl that comes with her foot stomping near has me on the floor laughing. Does she think that will scare me?

Finally, she gives up, just glaring at me like she hopes looks can kill.

"I'm sure you can spare a bit of water, your highness."

"Oh, fuck off."

"Thought you were going to sleep in."

She rolls her eyes. "So did I."

I tilt my head. "Why didn't you?"

She sighs. "None of your business."

I look at her a moment longer. There are circles under her eyes. "You're not sleeping well."

"I'm sleeping fine."

I let a long breath out of my nostrils.

She's lying, but that's not my business. I was hired to watch out for her, not to baby her like her siblings do. If she's sleeping or not, it's no skin off my back.

I shrug. "Whatever you say. "

I take a few gulps of water and look at the fruit on the counter before grabbing an apple and biting into it.

She slams the refrigerator door after grabbing herself a yogurt.

"Fine. I'm having trouble sleeping. Any tips?" She flips open the coffee maker.

"No caffeine after three p.m.," I tell her. "Lots of water. Exercise."

She huffs, throwing her hair over her shoulder. "I don't exercise."

I look over at her.

Tight little body. Curve of her hips, plenty of ass. Thick thighs and calves, the little pouch of her belly.

She doesn't look like she never works out, but she's not crazy athletic, either. Not that I've ever been attracted to those gym rat chicks. They're too skinny, not enough to hold on to. Unlike Paige, who has curves for days. Lots to hold on to.

Wait a minute. Am I thinking about holding on to Paige Burke, my best friend's little sister?

I look away quickly. "You asked me for tips."

" Useful tips."

"They are useful." I glare at her. "You're just difficult."

She grins and licks the lid of her yogurt, and seeing her pink tongue dart out from her dusky lips sends a weird shock through my body.

Brat.

"Exercise will help you the most, you know? You should definitely try it."

"Yeah, no thanks. Maybe I'll ask you for exercise tips when hell freezes over." She walks past me, and there are ducks on her pajama shorts. Such a little girl to be twenty-seven .

She walks up the stairs, and I make a concerted effort not to look at her ass.

I can't hit the gym since it'll be too far away from Paige, so I open the fridge and rummage inside for a few things to cook myself breakfast.

It's only a few moments after I've started the sausage and biscuits, that she peeks her curly head into the kitchen.

"What are you making?"

"I'll replace your groceries," I grunt, flipping the eggs.

"I didn't ask you because I don't want you to use my groceries," she mutters. "I asked because…"

I stare at her. Waiting. I have no idea what this is about, then.

Sometimes, I wish women would understand men are not mind readers. Just spill it out already. Jeez. "Well?"

She lowers her eyes. "I wanted to know if there's enough for two?"

"Let me guess. You don't cook."

"I can't believe you do."

"My ma is from Georgia." I shrug. "She'd kill me if I didn't know how to make a good sausage and egg biscuit with gravy."

"What's in the gravy?" She stares at it like one of those cartoons that goes all bug-eyed when they like something.

"Salt and pepper. Milk. Sour cream. Sausage."

"Sour cream?" She wrinkles her nose.

"Don't knock it until you try it." I put together the biscuit, cutting it in half, applying a little butter, and placing the fried egg on top of the sausage patty.

I place the plate down in front of her, and she looks at it for a moment before digging in.

I smile, sitting down across from her at the little breakfast nook and digging into my own food .

Paige moans, touching her mouth with the tips of her fingers to keep the gravy from escaping her lips.

It's an altogether uncomfortable sound, and it shouldn't make my heart speed up, but it does.

"It's so good."

I wink at her. "Told you."

She flushes red and stands up, taking the plate with her. I just watch her go, going back to my breakfast.

I'm still a little shaken up by thinking about her body earlier.

What the hell is wrong with me? It must be because I haven't gotten laid in a long time.

I told her the truth when I said I don't have girls on missions. When I'm working, all my focus needs to stay on what I'm doing. No distractions, no play.

Besides, when I'm home, I tend to book the same girls, go to the same clubs to keep myself safe. I may not want a relationship, but I do enjoy myself with the girls I usually go for, and I made it a point to learn what they like too, so it's a win-win all around.

With strange women in other cities, it's a game of roulette what you might get. No, thanks.

So, having been away for a long-term mission and only in town for two weeks, I haven't had time to play yet, and maybe I'm just hard up.

Paige goes back to her room, and it's a couple of hours before she comes downstairs, wearing a pair of high-waisted shorts and a crop top. "I'm going to my friend's house."

I stand up, throwing on a T-shirt and slipping my shoes back on.

She frowns. "What are you doing?"

"Going with you. "

"Oh, no." She huffs. "You're not following me to my friend's house. She's literally just down the street."

"Then I'll be down the street."

Her brows furrow deeper. "What, in your stupid car?"

"Don't say that about Bessie."

"Bessie? You named your car Bessie ?"

"She's my old reliable." I puff out my chest. I love that ride. "I got her when I was nineteen, and she's served me well all these years."

"The car's that old?" Her eyes widen. "It seems brand new."

"Aye. Old Bessie's had some work done."

She giggles, high-pitched and cute, and I can't help but grin back.

As much as bubbly, exuberant Paige has always annoyed me, it's been a little disconcerting to see her so dimmed.

She clears her throat. "Fine, but you're staying in the car."

I nod, grabbing a paperback and sticking it in my pocket as I grab my jeans.

She pauses at the door. "What's that?"

I glance at the spine of the book. "It's a mystery. Kind of a horror novel."

Her eyes widen. "Which one?"

"Not sure." I shrug. "Something about missing teenagers and train tracks?—"

"Is it the one where that great couple solves mysteries, and one of them always thinks it's supernatural and the other doesn't? Kinda like?—"

"The X-files," I finish, and she stares at me like either I've gone crazy, or she has.

"I can't believe you read that kind of stuff." She pauses. "I can't believe you read ."

"Learned how in kindergarten," I say dryly, and Paige snorts out another giggle before heading to outside.

I offer to take her there when I see she's walking, but she refuses, so I follow her, ready to step in if anyone tries messing with her.

Turns out she wasn't lying, and her friend does live just down the street.

I park in front of her place and watch as Paige walks into her friend's place, her ass dancing as she goes.

Feck.

Stop that, Kael.

This is going to be the longest, and hardest, mission of my life.