Twisted by Imari Jade Page A

the sixth floor. Tina stepped out and found Kevin waiting for her.
    “You’re soaked,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
    “You’re getting wet,” Tina said, snuggling against him. She didn’t know why, but it felt like a big weight was lifted from her shoulders.
    “That’s okay,” Kevin said, releasing her. “Come on in. I’ll find you something dry to put on.”
    A few minutes later, Tina stood inside of Kevin’s apartment. “Thanks,” she said. “Wow, this place is great.”
    The apartment was far better than she imagined with vaulted cathedral ceilings and bright white walls. It had one of those open-floor plans where she could see into each of the bottom rooms no matter where she stood. “Is that food I smell?” She hadn’t eaten anything since she left California.
    “Yes,” Kevin said. “I thought you might be hungry.”
    “Starving,” she admitted.
    “Come with me so I can show you where to change.”
    Tina followed Kevin up a carpeted, winding staircase to the second level of the apartment. There were two bedrooms up there and two baths. He took her inside one of the bedrooms. The first thing that she noticed was that the headboard of the bed took up an entire wall. No way he had purchased that from a furniture store showroom, which meant he probably had it custom made.
    Kevin opened a closet and dug around. He handed her a white t-shirt with a picture of a gerbil on it. “This should fit,” he said.
    “Thanks,” Tina said, accepting the shirt.
    Kevin produced some towels and pointed to the bathroom. “There’s plenty of hot water,” he said. “Take your time and come down when you are ready.”
    Tina nodded and Kevin left her.
    Tina walked into the large bathroom, looking around at the deep tub with the gold fixtures. The vanity counter was stocked with toiletries like shampoo, deodorant, soap, and a liquid milk bath. The idea of a long soak sounded tempting, but she opted for a quick shower instead. Ten minutes later, she immerged from the shower feeling clean and revived.
    Tina slipped into the t-shirt, noting that it only came down to mid-thigh. She towel dried her hair and piled it to the top of her head in ponytail. She walked back into the bedroom and deposited her dirty clothes into a hamper. She joined Kevin downstairs a few minutes later. He’d lit a fire in the hearth, making it feel toasty in the condo.
    Kevin had changed out of his wet clothes and now wore a pair of navy drawstring athletic pants and a white short-sleeved t-shirt that showed off his spectacular physique. Tina took her eyes off him long enough to look down at the food. He’d outdone himself preparing eggs, Canadian bacon, and grits. Tina’s eyes opened at the warm cereal. She hadn’t eaten grits in years. She also spied the fresh fruit and the wheat toast. Her stomach growled.
    “Come and sit down, Tina,” Kevin said.
    Tina smiled and walked toward him. His eyes were on her, apparently enjoying the view of her body through the t-shirt. Kevin helped her into a seat. “Would you like your tea right now or coffee?”
    “Coffee,” Tina answered.
    Kevin walked over to a counter and retrieved the glass carafe from the drip coffee maker. He poured coffee into two cups. He placed one next to his plate and then brought the other over to her and placed it before her. He pointed to the bowl of condiments and Tina selected a plain powdered creamer and a sugar substitute. The first sip heated her tongue, but went down and warmed the rest of her body.
    Kevin sat down in a chair across from her and added creamer and sugar to his coffee. “I’m glad you came,” he said as he began buttering a piece of wheat toast. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of texting Alexis to tell her that you were okay.”
    “Thanks,” Tina said, accepting the piece of toast from Kevin. “You didn’t tell her to contact Erik, did you?”
    “No,” he replied. “I wouldn’t