It's All Relative(14)
Kai grabbed her elbow, told her, “Not here,” then pulled her out the open door. Sadly, his touch sent a flicker of excitement through her, until she remembered why it shouldn’t. With a wave of nausea, she shoved the feeling aside. Once they were a ways down the hall, out of their grandmother’s earshot, Kai released her arm. Jessie immediately hunched over. Resting her hands on her thighs, she inhaled and exhaled deep breaths through her nose. She was going to be sick, her stomach was going to come right up her throat and spill onto the floor. She’d just had the most amazing sex she’d ever experienced…with her cousin—her incredibly hot cousin, who was staring down the hallway of the hospital, looking just as sick as she.
Thinking back over her reaction to the news in her grandmother’s room, Jessie couldn’t help but wonder if the older woman suspected something. How could Jessie ever explain the truth to her if she did somehow find out? God, she couldn’t even explain it to herself.
Looking up at Kai, she managed to squeak out, “We’re …related?”
Kai’s face contorted in an expression of disgust and confusion that Jessie understood all too well. “It would seem so…” His hand clamped over his stomach and Jessie was certain he felt the same illness she did. How could they not have known they were related? True, she’d never met Kai before, but she’d seen pictures and she’d heard of him often enough. Grandma had several children, and each one of them had had numerous children. Except for Uncle Nate. He and his wife had struggled to conceive, and had only had one child before their marriage ended. Kai.
As Jessie straightened, her fingers clutched the light fabric of her sweater. She watched Kai’s eyes flash down her body, then immediately dart away; his face paled. Crossing her arms, Jessie tried to hide as much of her curves as she could. While she’d enjoyed his attention before, she definitely didn’t want him looking at her that way now. Honestly, she wasn’t sure how she wanted him to look at her. Putting the cousin aspect aside for the moment…as difficult as that was…Jessie hadn’t been expecting to see him today. Really, she’d thought she’d probably never see him again. She’d accidentally run out of there without giving him her number.
When Jessie had been dragged away from his place this morning, it had been frustrating; she’d wanted to stay longer. But she knew Harmony was just concerned for her safety. And Harmony would have called her father, too, if she’d felt the need. Jessie hadn’t wanted that sort of trouble on her hands, so she’d grudgingly left his side.
Once home with her friends, she’d successfully avoided any of their questions by faking that she’d passed out. She’d even slept on the couch to sell her act. Jessie just hadn’t wanted to talk about him yet. And truthfully, she hadn’t had a whole lot to say. He’d been amazing, and their connection had been intense, but she hadn’t known anything about him; she hadn’t even remembered his name, a fact that still embarrassed her. But Jessie had never been that drunk before, and she hoped she was never that drunk again.
After her thunderous hangover had subsided, Jessie had gone out to visit her grandma, the same as she did most Saturday mornings. When she’d arrived, she’d been greeted by a swarm of rescue vehicles and chaos. Grams had fallen while getting the mail, and her kind neighbor had called in help for her. Jessie had kicked herself the entire drive out to the hospital that she hadn’t been there. If she hadn’t been so slow that morning, she wouldn’t have been an hour late, and her grams wouldn’t have gotten hurt.
Jessie had done all that she could to make her grandmother comfortable at the hospital; luckily, she’d only fractured her hip, and not broken it. Coming back into the room and seeing her fling from the previous night causally sitting with her grandmother had freaked her out. She was so sure he’d been stalking her. She’d heard of that happening with girls. Guys got obsessed and couldn’t let go. But the truth of who he was and why he’d been cuddling with a frail old woman was so much worse…
Watching Kai now, seeing the conflict swirling through his beautiful face, Jessie could still feel a trace of residual attraction. She couldn’t help it. He had perfect skin, a charming smile, amazing hair, and a sculpted physique. And then there were his eyes…so remarkable that she couldn’t even look at them anymore.
As if sensing her thoughts, Kai suddenly muttered, “I need a drink.”
Plagued by memories, Jessie frowned at him. “Isn’t that what got us into this mess in the first place?”
He ran a hand through his hair as he looked her over. “Do you want to go for a walk?”
Jessie nodded automatically, even though she wasn’t sure if that was what she wanted or not. A part of her wanted to go back to her grandmother’s room and hide under the blankets with her, like she used to when she was five. Another part of her still wanted to hide under the covers with Kai. She immediately hated that part of herself.
He started walking, not looking to see if she was following. Shaking her head, she hurried to catch up. Once she did, he glanced her way. “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe this…” His hand touched his stomach again.
Jessie let out a shaky breath as his eyes flicked over her face. “I can’t either. I mean…what are the odds that we would…?” As they walked down the hall, nurses and patients scooting around them, Jessie truly debated that question. Of all the cities, of all the clubs, of all the nights she’d let herself go, she’d run into her cousin…who, until recently, had lived his entire life on an island she’d never even been to. Crazy. Irritated at the universe, she glared at him. “Why didn’t you recognize me? You knew I lived here?”