Malakai (Stone Society #13) - Faith Gibson Page 0,17
her out of the Jeep. When he placed her on her feet, he kept his hands on her waist. Josie looked up into his chocolate eyes. “I think I’m in love.”
Chapter Five
Malakai knew the words were for Sixx’s home and not him, but they told him Josie wasn’t opposed to a home that wasn’t an apartment. He and his beast were battling on how to proceed. Kai vowed to take things slow, while his Goyle was losing its mind from being so close to their mate. Kai had gone overboard after work, shopping for groceries for their meal and picking out flowers. It was late in the year, so finding something he thought she would like took longer than expected. He finally settled on a bird of paradise mixture.
“Let me show you around.” Kai took Josie’s hand and closed the Jeep door. “We’ll start out back.” Kai was more nervous than he’d ever been. This was his mate. He’d waited over four hundred years to find her, and he wanted her to fall in love with him. He had let the topic of her sister go for the time being because he felt Josie’s anxiety spiking when she spoke of Presley. An idea had formulated while he was lying in bed the night before, but he wouldn’t bring it up yet.
“Oh, wow.” The walkway at the side of the house led to an oasis of sorts. Sixx was one of the richest Gargoyles, and he had spared no expense in designing his home and surroundings. Kai had learned a lot about the various plants and trees in the months he’d been living there, even though a gardener kept the place in perfect order. Kai also employed a housekeeper because the place was so large, but he limited her days to twice a month. Kai’s mama taught all her boys to cook and clean.
“Do you like to swim?” Kai asked as they walked alongside the edge of the pool.
“Like a fish. My favorite vacations were when we’d go to the beach. Presley wouldn’t go near the ocean, but I always loved playing in the waves.”
“Maybe next time you can bring a bathing suit.”
“Isn’t it too chilly?”
“The water can be heated, like it is now, for later in the year. I love to swim, too, and I take advantage of the pool several nights a week.”
They continued their stroll, with Josie stopping to admire the various plants and flowers still in bloom. “This is unreal. Is it rude to ask what your friend does for a living?”
“Sixx is an investor. He’s a genius when it comes to money. He helped me invest my money when I first moved to the States, and now I have a very nice nest egg.”
“Do you think he’d take a look at my portfolio? It’s doing fairly well, but if he’s a genius, I’d love to hand over my business to him.”
“I know he would. I’ll give him a call later, and the two of you can discuss business. But first, how about we head inside so I can start dinner?”
Josie agreed, and Kai led her to the back patio and inside. Josie’s mouth dropped when she saw the interior. “Holy smokes. If I lived here, I’d never want to leave.” That was music to Kai’s ears.
“That can be arranged,” he said.
Frowning, she said, “I can’t afford this place.”
“No, but I can. Come on; I’ll show you around.” It took half an hour for Josie to take it all in. When they returned to the kitchen, he pulled out a stool for her at the island. “You sit your pretty self here. Would you like something to drink? There’s wine, beer, liquor, sodas, just about anything you can think of.”
“Beer would be nice. I’m not much of a wine drinker.” Josie propped her elbows on the island and cradled her chin on one palm. When Kai opened the cabinet and reached for a glass, she stopped him. “If you won’t think less of me, I’ll drink from the bottle.”
His mate kept getting better and better. “How do you feel about hot wings?”
“I love them. Is that what we’re having to eat?” She took a long pull from the bottle when he handed it over, and when she came up for air, she let out an “Ahhh, so good.”
“No, I’m making a special dish my mama helped me with. It’s fish – without the head – ginger rice, and broiled green beans.”