From Hate Flourishes Love

There's No Forgetting

Zander's POV

I lift a wet shirt off my chest as I walk off the balcony and into the hushed kitchen. For a moment, I hesitated, I wondered if Kai had decided to stop using the kitchen to avoid having to see me in the evenings, but I noticed movement behind the fridge door.

I pause and mesmerize him in my old Yale varsity sweatshirt, and Old Navy boxer. I daydream about him outside his field of vision.

I eye his long, smooth, and slightly toned legs. A rush of heat climbs down my shorts as I imagine wrapping an arm around his legs and taking him to bed. I suppose I shouldn't torture myself, Kai is still too upset with me; he wouldn't even think to let me on top of him. Not to mention, his threat to separate from me hadn't once left my mind. I hadn't taken the threat lightly.

I wouldn't survive being married to him, unable to love him, all while knowing that loving me, dismayed him. To lose Kai's love is to risk my very existence. This is why I should be ready to face my past or risk ruining my present and future with Kai.

"ZANDER?"

"Huh," I snort, Kai's voice interrupts my cascading reflection.

"Do you want this?" Door in one hand, he stands in front of the fridge, waving a bottle at me.

"Yes?" I conclude, not even knowing what it was.

He moves from the refrigerator, to hand me the bottle. I glance at the sudden nearer distance between us, I must have walked further into the kitchen than I realized.

"Here," he says.
"Thank you," I whisper.

He smiles shyly. "You're welcome."

I lean against the counter, pressing my lips to the bottle of post-workout protein shake.

Kai stares at me, his eyes sweep over my chest- making me oddly nervous.

I glance down at myself, and a bit of the shake falls to my right pec.

"Hell," I reach to wipe it off my chest.
But, Kai holds me off. "You're going to spill more on yourself." He takes the uncapped bottle from my hands and sets it aside.

"Ohh," I moan, surprised at the feeling of his lips. His lips went over the dribble of protein shake along my pumped chest.

"It's vanilla," he whispers as his finger splays along the vein off the top of my shoulder, down my bicep, and over the top of my hand.

I couldn't tell if he was referring to the protein shake or me.

He pressed himself closer to me, and I could feel my erection push at his leg. He lifts the hand against the counter to his bottom.

"Aren't you mad at me? " I ask him.

"I am," he mumbles, "but, let's forget about that right now." He pulls at the waistband of my shorts, then he rests his palm along my quivering length.

"Kai, don't tempt me like this," I groan.

"Ha," he says. He raises his eyes at me."Why shouldn't I? "

"I wouldn't want us to make love when you're still unhappy with me," I tell him.

He laughs while tracing his fingertips along my abdomen.

"Hmm," he whispers."Just consider this your chance to make up with me."

He gets down on his knees, so slowly. I look down at him, fully aware of his breath against my member. He takes me in his mouth, driving me crazy until I decided I wouldn't spare him.