Kye's Heart

Chapter Eight

“You’re completely serious, aren’t you?” Michaela asked, unable to keep some of the skepticism she felt out of her voice. “You really want me to move in with you?”

Kye nodded. “Of course I am. I know you might think I’m hurrying our relationship, but I’ve never had such strong feelings for a woman as I do for you. I just know that giving it a few months, a few weeks, hell, even a few days, isn’t going to change how I feel for you.”

They sat at her kitchen table, eating the late breakfast she’d cooked for them when Kye had dropped that bombshell on her about wanting her to live with him. It wasn’t as though she found the proposal unappealing, because it wasn’t, and he had told her before how he felt for her, but she knew this was a big step. One that if it didn’t work out, could have an adverse effect on her. Apartments she could afford, and as nice as the one she now had, were kind of hard to come by.

After their marathon of sex during the night, she felt closer to Kye. More so than she’d ever for any other man. Quite a few times during the long hours he’d made love to her, it had been on the tip of her tongue to tell him she loved him.

Kye reached over and took her hand in his. “You’re awfully quiet, Michaela. I hope I didn’t spook you.”

“Not really. As you said, it does seem as if you’re rushing things. This would be a huge step for us, and only after knowing each other for three days at that. I’d have to give up my apartment. Where would I go if we ever break up?”

He locked gazes with her. “Trust me on this, I know that won’t happen. I want you by my side—always.”

“So does that mean you’ll be getting down on one knee now and asking me to marry you?”

Kye gave her a crooked grin. “If you want me to I will.”

She shook her head. “I wasn’t joking, Kye.”

His expression grew serious. “And I’m not.”

Michaela didn’t know what to say to that. A marriage proposal at this stage in the game definitely wasn’t something she was ready for. She’d heard about too many divorces caused by the couple jumping into the “death do us part” thing too quickly. If she said “I do” to any man, she wanted to be sure she’d want to stick it out for the long haul.

Seeing the expectant look on Kye’s face, Michaela finally said, “Don’t, okay?” When he opened his mouth to say something in return, she quickly cut him off. “I’m not saying it isn’t an option in the future, but not right now. I don’t feel ready to be discussing marriage at this point in time with you.”

Kye nodded, then gave the hand he still held a squeeze. “It’s all right, Michaela. Truly. But I still want you to move in with me. I’d feel better if we lived in the same place. I don’t like the thought of you being alone.”

“I have been for some years now, Kye. I’m twenty-nine years old.”

“That’s not exactly what I mean. You know I’m like a bodyguard, a protector, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, not sure where he was going with this.

“Well, the people who I have to guard against, let’s just say they would use any means at their disposal with the hopes of removing me.”

Michaela felt her eyes widen. “Are you saying I could be in danger because you’re my boyfriend?”

“Not right now, but there is always the possibility.”

He had her going there for a bit, thinking she’d have to start looking over her shoulder for bad guys. “If I were to say yes—I’m still not ready to agree just yet—I would want to see your place first before I make any decisions.”

Kye smiled. “That’s fair. And I think you should meet my family as well.”

“Your family? Don’t you think that might be a little soon?”

“Yeah, I guess I forgot mention that we all live together. We also work in the same business.”

“You live with your entire family?” Kye still couldn’t be living with his parents at his age. He looked to be at least thirty.

“Actually, we’re really not related, well, except for Roan, Jager and Skylar. They are true brothers. We just like to think of ourselves as one big family.”

“How many of you are there?”

“In total, including myself, ten of us. Sorry, make that almost eleven, since Leif’s wife, Jaden, just recently found out she’s pregnant.”

“So married couples live with you as well?”

“They’re the majority. It’s just Dirk…and me, but now that I’ve met you, I don’t consider myself single.”

That last part made Michaela feel good, she wasn’t going to deny it. Hearing a man like Kye say he was no longer up for grabs, and that basically he was hers, sent a thrill through her.

Michaela leaned over and kissed Kye. She brushed her tongue along the seam of his lips, and when he opened, she pushed inside. She took his mouth, loving the taste of him. After a few more seconds, she pulled back.

“What was that for?” Kye asked huskily.

“I just wanted to. If I’m near you, I don’t think I can go for too long without touching you in some way.”

The sexy smile he shot her had her pussy clenching. “I feel the same. And just another reason why I want you living with me. I want you in my bed every night, and to wake up holding you in my arms each morning.”

That was something Michaela wanted as well—to be able to sleep next to Kye all the time. Waking up this morning surrounded by his heat and snuggled in his embrace, she could get used to that pretty quickly.

“All right,” she said. “Take me to your house and let me meet your family.”

Kye gave her a short, hard kiss. “You know I’m going to do my best to make you say yes.”

She chuckled. “I figured you would.” Then she thought of something. “Shouldn’t you be looking after Nevaeh right now?”

“Roxie gave me a few days off. She said she wanted to give me time to spend with you. One of my family members will pick up the slack for me, so it isn’t a problem. And Roxie wants to meet you.”

“Okay, but let’s get the family introductions over with first.”

“Sounds good. I’ll call home and let them know we’ll be coming. That way, at least one of them will wait for us.”

Michaela followed Kye with her gaze as he stood and walked into the living room. He pulled his cell phone out of his jeans pocket and flipped it open. She cleaned up their dirty plates, only listening to what he said with half an ear. The thought of meeting his family made her feel a little nervous, but she wouldn’t back out.

After he finished his call, Kye helped her wash the dishes. Once they were done, he soon ushered her out of the apartment and down to visitor parking. Seated inside his expensive car, Michaela wondered what type of house Kye and his family lived in. It obviously had to be large, with that many people residing under one roof. It had to be.

As they drove, she looked out at the passing scenery. Seeing the Golden Gate Bridge coming into view, she had a suspicion as to where they were going. “You live in Marin County, don’t you?”

Kye shot her a quick look before he turned his gaze back on the road. “How did you know?”

“It was a lucky guess. The car you drive, and the direction we’re headed, it wasn’t too hard to figure out. You and your family are rich, right?” Gazing at Kye’s profile, she saw him smile.

“You could say that.”

Michaela turned her head to look out the side window again. Silence stretched between her and Kye, but it wasn’t, by any means, uncomfortable. Arriving at Marin County, she watched as the houses got progressively bigger and grander. She sat up straighter when the car turned onto a long drive for one of the mansions. Her first sight of where Kye lived, she found herself speechless. She took in the well-maintained grounds and gardens that had brightly colored flowers artistically planted. The house was large, way bigger than she’d expected it to be.

She kept staring at the huge edifice the closer they came to it. Kye drove past it and parked in front of a big detached garage. Michaela scrambled out once he shut off the ignition and opened his door. She walked around the back of the car to join him.

“Well,” he said, “what do you think? Can you picture yourself living in a place like this?”

Michaela looked from the house to Kye. “You’re kidding me, right? You live in a freaking mansion.”

He snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He grinned. “So does that mean you’re swaying more toward saying yes?”

“It does put my dumpy little apartment to shame.”

“Come on, I’ll take you inside.”

Kye kissed her forehead, then released her. Michaela took the hand he held out to her and they walked toward the front door. They stepped inside a large foyer that had a black and white checkered marble floor. Her gaze lifted to the fair-sized crystal chandelier that hung from the center of the cathedral ceiling. She swallowed as she next took in the blond wood banister that lined the outside of the staircase that curved up to the floor above. Of what she’d seen so far, the place smacked of extremely well-to-do.

Michaela hadn’t realized she had her mouth hanging open until Kye used a finger under her chin to close it. He quietly chuckled when she met his gaze. “You look as if you don’t know quite what to say.”

“I don’t. You really want me to live here, with you?”

“Of course I want that.”

“You want me to live in your mansion? A place I never thought I’d ever be able to step foot in, much less call home in my lifetime?”

“Yes. You might not have as much privacy as you would at your apartment, but we do have a lot of space.”

Hell, the issue of lack of privacy hadn’t even crossed her mind. Moving in with Kye would be as if she’d found her dream home and prince charming all rolled into one. And from the look of the place, he wasn’t just loaded, he was filthy rich.

“Show me more,” she said.

Linking their hands, Kye took her to the spacious living room that had a big widescreen television and black leather couches and armchairs. No one was in the room, but she could picture Kye’s family sitting around watching TV. Next, he showed her the kitchen with its stainless steel appliances and grand table. There were ten chairs around it. If she hadn’t already known how large his family was, that would’ve given it away.

Kye let go of her hand and crossed over to the window that was above the sink, and looked out. “That’s where they are.”

He motioned for her to follow him as he went to the single door that led outside to the backyard. The first thing she heard was the sound of metal hitting metal. The next was a woman’s voice yelling, “Come on, Roan. You’re not going to let your brother whoop your ass, are you?”

After a quick grin aimed her way, Kye took her hand again and hurriedly pulled her around the corner of the house in the direction the sounds had come from. “You have to see this,” he said.

Michaela’s steps faltered slightly when they came into view of two very large men going at each other with swords. She had to blink just to make sure she truly saw what she thought she had seen. She had. Those were real weapons, and they were swinging them as if it were something they did every day.

Walking closer with Kye, Michaela noticed the two men had strikingly similar features, and they were extremely good-looking. They had to be two of the three true brothers Kye had told her about. The only difference was that one wore his hair longer, pulled into a ponytail that ended at the middle of his back. She then noticed the two women who stood on the sidelines cheering them on.

Just before they reached the small group who stood in the middle of the lawn, Kye said, “Roan is going to lose. Jager, his brother and the one with the long ponytail, usually does beat him, and the rest of us, on a regular basis. His sword is such a part of him that when he was single, he used to sleep with it in his bed.”

Before Michaela could get a chance to ask if by “the rest of us” Kye meant he knew how to sword fight as well, he brought them over to the two women and introduced her. “Ladies, this is Michaela. Michaela this is Ansley, Roan’s wife.” He nodded to the woman with long, straight, dark brown hair. “And next to her is Daylen, who is Jager’s.” Daylen had shoulder-length hair as well, but hers was reddish brown.

Michaela smiled at the two women. “Hi.”

Before she could say anything more, Kye said, “Now that the three of you have been introduced, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait. Where are you…” her words trailed off once Kye left at a run.

“He won’t be gone long,” Daylen said with a chuckle. “Kye has more than likely gone into the house to get his sword.”

“Do they do this a lot?” she asked. “Fight in the middle of the backyard with replica swords? I at first thought they were real, but they can’t be. Can they?”

“Yes, and those aren’t replicas. They’re the real deal.”

“You mean the blades are sharp enough to cut?” Michaela’s gaze swung toward Roan and Jager. Watching them cross blades took on a whole new meaning, now that she knew they weren’t blunted.

“It’s all right,” Ansley said. “They rarely hurt each other. They’re what you would call experts, and have done this for years.”

Michaela turned around at the sound of Kye returning. Sure enough, he carried a sword that appeared to be a match to the ones Jager and Roan had. He’d also changed his button-down shirt for a black t-shirt. He met her gaze. “You look a little worried about something.”

Ansley answered before she could. “Daylen just told Michaela you guys don’t use blunted replicas.”

He smiled at Michaela. “You have nothing to worry about, babe. This is just practice, so we’re always careful.”

At that moment, there was the sound of something heavy hitting the ground, accompanied by a loud groan. Michaela sucked in a breath when she saw Jager standing over the fallen Roan with the point of his sword leveled at his brother’s throat.

“Damn, Jager,” Roan said. “When the hell did you learn that move?”

His brother stepped back and held out his hand to help Roan to his feet. Jager grinned. “Daylen has taught me some karate moves. Having a wife who has a black belt in martial arts does have its advantages.”

“Well, shit, now you’re going to be even harder to beat.”

“Now it’s my turn,” Kye said as he walked toward the two men. “Which one of you wants to take me on?”

Jager pointed at Roan. “Since he was the loser, you can fight him.”

“Hey,” Roan said, “shouldn’t it be the winner who accepts the challenge of any and all contenders?”

“Not today it isn’t.” Jager went to his wife and put his free arm around her shoulders. “I promised Daylen I’d take her out for lunch, since we have the evening shift over at Roxie’s.” He then turned Michaela’s way. “And you must be Michaela. Kye has talked about you.”

“I am,” she said. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but I don’t want to end up on the business end of your sword.”

Jager looked down at where he held it, then back up at her with a chuckle. “I usually take it wherever I go, so I sometimes forget I have it.” He squeezed his wife closer. “When Daylen and I first met, she tried to arrest me for carrying it. She used to be a cop.”

Michaela took in Daylen’s slim, toned body and could easily picture her as a police officer. And that would explain why she had a black belt in karate. “So you aren’t a cop anymore, Daylen?”

The woman shook her head. “No, I gave it up. I enjoy being a Protector better. Plus, that way, I don’t have to worry about being apart from Jager. As a police officer, I worked long shifts, mostly nights.”

“I see.”

“All right, enough standing around talking,” Kye said. “I guess it’s you and me, Roan.”

As Kye and Roan crossed swords, Michaela vaguely saw Jager and Daylen walk away from the corner of her eye. She was too focused on the two men who were a little ways away as they blocked each other’s hits with the edges of their blades. She’d seen a lot of movies where the actors were sword fighters, but their steps were all choreographed. Such wasn’t the case with Kye and Roan. A single misstep and one of them could become seriously hurt. She couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through her at the thought.

“Don’t worry so much, Michaela,” Ansley said. “If you watch closely, you’ll be able to see they really aren’t trying to do any damage. I think of it as a kind of dance the guys do.”

Doing as Ansley suggested, she paid closer attention to each strike Kye and Roan made. It looked as if each man held back some of his strength, though it didn’t mean they would stop from trying to find an opening to disarm their opponent.

In the end, they called the match a draw, neither man able to get the advantage, since they were so evenly matched. Both Kye and Roan breathed heavily as they crossed the short distance to Michaela and Ansley.

Kye pulled his shirt off over his head. “Now I need a shower.”

Michaela saw the sweat that beaded his forehead and made his wide chest sheen. The muscles on his arms appeared to be pumped up. If Kye practiced with a sword on a regular basis, it was no wonder he was ripped. Even though the men swung them as if they weighed nothing, she had a feeling she’d hardly be able to lift one.

“Where is everyone else?” he asked Roan, which caused her to stop ogling Kye’s chest and pay attention to the others around her.

“Saskia and Eli are over at Roxie and Beowulf’s place. Skylar and Braelyn left early this morning to catch a flight to Paris. Braelyn had a photo shoot. Dirk is off doing who knows what, since Saskia ordered him to take some time off. And Leif and Jaden are holed up in their room. From what I understand, Leif is doing his best to make her forget she got angry at him for what he’d said about her dad.”

“Hmm,” Ansely said to Roan. “Maybe I should get mad at you and have you make it up to me in the same way.”

In a sudden move, Roan slung his wife over his shoulder. “You don’t need to pick a fight to get that.” With sword in hand, he walked toward the house and disappeared around the corner.

Michaela looked at Kye to see him shaking his head. “Does he do that to Ansley often? Just throw her over his shoulder and go?”

“Actually, no. Only once in a while. Anyway, those are a few members of my family. You can meet the others later, though not Skylar and Braelyn, since they probably won’t be home for a couple of days.”

“Braelyn is a model?”

“Yeah. Does the name Braelyn Whitmore mean anything to you?”

Michaela nodded. “She’s a Victoria’s Secret model. You mean to say she’s married to Skylar?”

Kye grinned. “She is. They haven’t been together for very long, though.”

“I do have to say your family isn’t exactly like everyone else’s, with sword practice in the backyard and famous models in residence.”

“No, we aren’t the conventional family, by any means. Let’s go inside and I’ll show you my room, which will also be yours.”

“Only if I agree to move in.”

Kye leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m going to work on that right after I have my shower.”

With his t-shirt draped over his shoulder, he put his arm around her waist and guided her toward the mansion. Michaela’s heart sped up just thinking of the ways Kye would try to persuade her to say yes.