Authors note: Okay, I an so, so sorry about the wait! It has been crazy lately, and I have had some serious inspiration issues with this story. Hopefully I am back for good now, and thank you so much to you awesome people for reading and reviewing!

PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! You guys are the best!

Emzy2k11: Thank you so much for leaving a review, it is always great to know that everything is coming along as it should, especially seeing as it is not always easy to judge your own work :))))) Thanks again!

.Navy: Thank for leaving yet another great review! It really means a lot when people bother leaving a response. Fantastic that you liked the lemon, seeing as this is not my strong suit, so that means a lot! Thanks again:))))

Izza-x23: Thank you for yet another review, it really makes my day! Awesome that you like the chapter, and we´ll see, there will be some more tension between Kai and Tyson very soon! Thanks again:))))))

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Into the void

Chapter 14

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Hillary´s POV

When I woke up in the morning Kai was gone, of course. I had given up trying to follow him on our second day sharing a room. He was usually up around five, and somehow managed to soundlessly disappear without even batting an eye. I sat up with a yawn. Actually it was still early, very early. Only 15 past 5.

Wow, that had to be a new record as far as I was concerned. A girl needs her beauty sleep after all.

I pulled on shorts and a cardigan, clumsily crawling out of the tent. Mr. sexy probably looked good even when he did that, unlike me. I felt as if I had seven heads and just as many arms and legs as I stumbled outside, nicking my knee in the process and probably acquiring half a dozen bruises. Outside the sun was on its way up, the light playing in complicated patterns on the surface of the lake.

It was beautiful, and I remained standing there for a few moments, just watching. That was when I noticed the heap of clothes on the bank, jeans, sweater, and…..a pair of boxers.

My mind used a few seconds to process this new information.

Oh….oh…..

I grinned stupidly.

Just then a head and shoulders broke the water about twenty meters from the shore, and I watched in awe as he came towards me in an easy crawl. He looked glorious, all wet and sexy.

"Mo..morning", I said, blushing.

He stopped about ten metres out, threading the water as he watched me. Even from afar I could feel the electricity sparkling in those mahogany depts, daring me to look him in the eye. Last night had been….amazing, as always. Everything came so naturally with him, like it was second nature. And it was damn good.

"You are up early", he observed, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Oh no, I knew that look.

"Care to join me?" He questioned, eyes burning.

I looked around, feeling uncertain. What if Tyson and the guys came outside while I undressed? Or even worse, grandpa Granger. That one I´d rather not think about. Kai seemed to consider the same thing, although his conclusion was entirely different from mine.

"So what if they see you, there is nothing they can do anyway", he said, looking rather pleased.

I stared at him, at a loss.

"Nothing they can do?" I repeated.

Perfect pale blue eyebrows rose fractionally.

"Yes Hillary, nothing. Otherwise I would beat the shit out of them".

The prospect seemed to put him in a good mood, and I decided I better join him before he actually did something to get me there. Experience had taught me that saying no to him was not a very good idea. He usually had his way anyway, no matter your efforts to ensure another outcome.

"Very well", I said nervously.

I removed the cardigan first, feeling his eyes on me the entire time. When I looked up he had moved even closer to shore, and had water to his hips. I swallowed. He looked…..I didn´t even have a word for it. Small droplets of water was covering his torso, extenuating his built chest, six-pack and those wonderfully broad shoulders. He smirked, shaking his head a few times to get water out of his eyes. A few drops clung to his eyelashes, making them look impossibly long.

"You coming?" He questioned, still smirking.

"Or do I have to come and get you?"

Now he looked straight out exited. Unlike me the idea of running around naked didn´t seem to bother him at all.

"No, no I am coming", I insisted, quickly pulling down my shorts and throwing them aside.

I was only wearing a thong and a bra, but apparently this wasn´t good enough for him. He crossed his arms, jaw clenching. We locked eyes, a silent battle of wills. His glare intensified, and I found myself unable to look away, unable to protest. Instead I bit my lip, caught the slight widening of his eyes. I knew it turned him on. Before I slowly removed the bra, and then stepped out of the thong.

He looked at me, eyes gleaming in a combination of satisfaction and appreciation.

Still not feeling very comfortable in my own skin I hurried out into the water as fast as possible, less than gracefully having to grab him for support. He looked amused, easily pulling me with him further out.

It was a surrealistic experience. His skin was smooth and gleaming, slick with water, and I felt his hands slide down over my stomach, settling on my hips as he pulled me closer. I grabbed his shoulders for support, enjoying the feel of tight taut muscles. He really was something special, and I realized then and there that there really was no one else for me. After him anyone else would just be a disappointment.

"You have to be under once", he said, jokingly wiggling his eyebrows at me.

This was so unlike him, I realized. Playful Kai, him I hadn´t seen before. When he smiled it wasn´t a smirk, it was honest, and his eyes were glittering. It was charming me completely.

He pushed testily, pulling me down.

"Kai!" I shrieked.

Too late, he kissed me harshly, and before I knew it we were both underwater. It lasted for about to seconds before we broke the surface, his lips still on mine. His eyes were scorching hot, intense, and I felt what had previously been mild arousal become an inferno in the course of a second. His hair was slicked back because of the water, and I kissed him back, hard, felt his tongue press against mine, our body´s pressed flush together.

"Yo, good morning!"

The shout caught us completely by surprise, and I tried to pull away from Kai, only to discover that he wouldn´t let go, and instead slid his hands up my back, resting his chin on the top of my head.

Granger senior was standing by the shore, about twenty five metres away.

Oh no!

"Is there a problem?" Kai inquired icily.

Boy was he unhappy about being disturbed. The tone of his voice alone was enough to start another ice-age. I clung onto his shoulders for my dear life, silently cursing grandpa Granger.

"What a fucking cockblocker", Kai hissed under his breath.

I struggled not to laugh. Sorry, I just couldn´t help it.

Granger senior looked like was at a loss of words. Not that I blamed him. Everyone that is subjected to the Hiwatari death glare usually comes apart within seconds. Gramps was not an exception. He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, before he hurried back to the hut.

Unsurprisingly we ended up spending the next hour or so on top of each other in the tent, and when we were done I was so sore that I had problems walking. Mr. hot stuff looked super pleased with himself of course, and stalked off to breakfast in his training clothes, Dranzer in hand.

I sat for sometime outside our tent afterwrds, thinking, debating wheatear or not to call my mother. He confused me to an extent were I didn´t know what to believe, about anything. Out in the lake he had been tender, playful. There had been a hint of softness to him, something I hadn´t seen before. And then when we entered the tent he was all about the sex, leaving afterwards as if that was all there was to it.

I don´t know.

On some level I was vaguely hurt by it, although I still didn´t think he was doing it on purpose. It was just that his world appeared to be so different from mine. When I saw one thing he saw another, and he didn´t understand my perspective. Then again I knew I was being a bit unfair to him in the midst of it all. If I had a problem I should say it to his face, otherwise I couldn´t really complain now could I? It was just that part of me felt that he should understand on his own accord, that I shouldn´t have to tell him. That being said I knew that he preferred the straight forward approach, that he hated hints and vague comments here and there.

No, I had to do something radical, something that would make him understand. It was the only thing he respected, and yes, I wanted him to respect me.

With newfound determination I got up, stiffly walking up to the hut. The guys were gathered around the table, talking and eating in their usual messy manner. Kai was seated on the far end, and as per usual my first impulse was to take the space next to him, enjoy the security of that strong bicep wrapped around my shoulder, the smell of that expensive cologne. I dismissed the thought immideatedly.

No, Hillary, NO.

Instead I sat down in the other free space, at a separate table a couple of metres away from the guys. Only Kai seemed to notice, his eyes narrowing as he tried to catch my eye. I had confused him, and I knew. Still, I somehow managed to ignore the hole he was burning in the side of my face, absently picking on my food.

There was no other option, I had to make a statement.

He didn´t join me, but I could tell from the clenched jaw and the way he was staring at me that he wasn´t happy about it. Apparently I had broken some unwritten rule about not breaking routine. He had these things that he did, and that I did, that always had to happen a particular way, otherwise he got angry. As in really angry.

That being said it was too late now anyway. I had to see this through.

After completing my meal I walked straight back to the tent, finding a book and settling down in between two of the large stones. It felt nice, just lying there basking in the sun, all my attention on the crime novel. It was a good one, and I soon found myself completely lost in it. The main character was a woman detective, and I couldn´t help but envy how independent she was. She certainly wouldn´t take crap from a guy, even someone like Kai.

Was that part of the problem? That I let him have his way all the time? That I just followed his lead, not daring to question him. Because I knew I did. His word was law, and although I hated admitting to it there was something distinctly arousing in submitting to him.

"What are you reading?"

The question caught me off guard, and I looked up abruptly, only to find the object of my hopes and dreams a mere three metres away, sitting perched on top of one of the stones. For how long he had been there I wasn´t sure, probably for ages. His voice was low key, almost soft, questioning. And his eyes were searching, curious rather than angry.

I closed the book and sat up, awkwardly hugging my knees.

"A crime novel", I said, voice neutral.

He didn´t move, but continued to stare at me, looking almost a tad unsure of himself. A soft gust of wind messed up his hair, luxurious blue strands dancing around his eyes.

"Is it good?" He wondered.

I shrugged.

We lapsed into silence for a while. I looked down.

And then it came, what I had hoped for but nor dared to expect in any way.

"Are you….angry with me?"

The way he said it, almost tentatively, alerted me to the fact that he was taking me seriously, that he was actually willing to talk. It was both surprising and delighting at the same time, and I suddenly felt warm inside.

"Not angry", I hesitantly said.

Sharp predatory eyes watched me, followed my every movement. Still, I was going through with it.

"It is just….I want this to be about more than sex"…..