by Dani René
Her tentative tongue takes control, and she gently brushes it along mine, the movement making my cock ache painfully. My body is rigid as I attempt to reign in my need. I’m so hungry to devour her, to taste every inch of her, but for now, I enjoy the sweetness of our third kiss.
Haelee pulls free after a long moment, and she grins up at me. “That was nice,” she informs me with a shyness that belies the sassiness that comes out to play sometimes.
“It was. And it’s one of many. Because fuck, I love kissing you.” My admission causes her blush to deepen, and she looks absolutely gorgeous. “Let’s get you home. I want to stop by my place before we do. I need to pick up something. Is that okay?”
“Of course.”
We make our way to the car, slide in, and I turn on the music. We’ve spoken a lot today, and I want to give her a moment’s reprieve. Also, I need to collect my thoughts. I’m sure dinner with her mother tonight will be interesting. Also, I’m convinced her mom will have questions for me. Mothers dote on their daughters, and it’s possibly up to Haelee to show her mom how much I care for her. Even though the first impression Haelee got of me wasn’t perfect, I want to make it up to her every day. But I hope I can make both her and her mom see I’m a good person.
Only time will tell.
But whatever happens, I don’t want to lose Haelee.
15
Haelee
Stepping into Kayden’s apartment is like walking into one of those places I always see in magazines. Dark walls and navy-blue couches make the room feel smaller than it is. The windows reach from floor to ceiling, overlooking the ocean.
“Your place is incredible. The dark walls definitely are different,” I tell him as we move deeper into the room. I notice him staring at me with expectation in his gaze. “What?”
“It’s strange having you here,” he admits. “Not in a bad way, I just mean … I don’t know what I mean. Would you like a tour?” For the first time since meeting him, Kayden seems nervous. I like seeing him unsure of himself because it sets me at ease. It allows me not to feel like so much of an inexperienced girl.
“Yes, I’d like a tour, but only if you’re willing to give me one.” He smiles at my words, which in turn makes me smile. He takes my hand, like he has done several times today, and leads me through the living room down the hallway until we hit a door, which Kayden opens, and a burst of bright comes from inside.
It has to be his bedroom. It’s humungous. But what makes it so bright is the fact that two of four walls are made of glass. The view is breathtaking. Even though the late afternoon has turned dreary, there’s still a lot of light coming in.
The bed that sits against one of the black walls is positioned so that when you wake up, all you see are the waves crashing along the shore in the distance. He has thick charcoal carpet, which feels like sponge as I step on it. The softness underfoot allows for a silent entry into the bedroom.
There is a fourth wall made up entirely of black wooden doors. The middle one is open, though, offering up a slight view of the attached bathroom, which from where we’re standing, I can only make out the shower.
“This is my private sanctuary,” Kayden says, dragging me out of the awe that’s currently gripped me. “The only place that’s just mine.”
His words offer up confusion. If this is only his, then where does he take the women who he’s been with? He can’t tell me he’s never brought anyone home. That I won’t be able to believe.
“What about all your other … um …?”
“I’ve never brought anyone into this space before,” Kayden admits in a whisper. There’s a hint of wariness in his voice, and I don’t blame him. This thing between us is new, very new, and for him to share his space with me, even if it’s for a short while, it means a lot to me.
“It’s exquisite,” I tell him honestly. “I love the dark colors. I didn’t think I would like black on walls or even the darker carpet, but it works. It makes everything feel … warm.” It’s strange. I can’t explain it, but it’s true. Even with the bright light coming in from the windows, the room feels cozy. “So, how do you sleep with that?” I ask, pointing at the windows.
For the first time since we walked in, Kayden releases my hand and walks over to the nightstand where he presses a button on a remote, but then I realize it’s not for the television screen positioned opposite the bed. It’s actually for the windows. Darkness envelops us as the clear glass turns black as night, and soon enough, I can’t see anything in front of me.
“Scared yet?” Kayden teases in a deep voice, which sends sparks of desire racing up my spine.
“Not at all.” My response is honest, and I hope even in the dark he knows I feel safe with him. Today felt like a turning point for me. I never thought I would be able to just be happy. At least not for a long time, but Kayden took my mind off everything and allowed me to be free.
Suddenly, his warmth is behind me, his arms cocooning me, and I relax into his hold. The scent of his cologne is everywhere. And in the darkness, he feels closer than he has all day.
“I can’t stop thinking about kissing you,” Kayden whispers in my ear. “I can’t stop thinking about touching you.” He trails his hands over my shoulders, down my arms, and to my hips. Then, lower still, he reaches my thighs when his lips press against the rioting pulse point in my neck.
My body reacts with a shiver of need, and I want his hands everywhere else he’s not touching. But I don’t ask for it. Not because I can’t, but because I’m shy.
I’ve never felt a connection so strong to anyone before. Guys at school were nothing compared to this man. And I have a feeling if I let him in, if I lower my guard more than I already have, he’ll only break me.
“Trust me,” he coos in my ear, sending another wave of pleasure skittering down my spine. “I know it’s difficult,” he tells me. “And it’s scary as fuck. I am afraid. I’ll never admit this in the light, but here in the dark, we can say anything we want to say.”
My head drops back against his chest, and his hands move up to my breasts, but he doesn’t hold them like I need him to. He cups them gently but never nears my nipples. The small, hard peaks feel as if they’re aching. Just one small touch, and I know I’ll shoot off like a firework in the blackness of his bedroom.
“Kayden.” I finally find my voice. His name is a husky whisper hanging in the air, in the safety of his bedroom. “I’m … I’m afraid of what you make me feel.”
He stills for a moment, and I think he’s going to pull away, but he doesn’t. He just stands behind me, holding onto my body, his arms snaking around my waist. His hands behaving themselves, and I silently curse because I wanted more.
My thighs squeeze together, attempting to quell the ache and pulse between my legs, but I know nothing will ease the desire. The swirl in my stomach will only be unraveled when I feel his hands on me, his body inside mine. He’s going to be my first. Because he may not have been scared off from what I said earlier, I’m thankful when I confessed my inexperience, it didn’t send him running.
“Soon, speedy,” he tells me then. “Soon, we’ll have longer, and I’ll show you just what you do to me. I’ll use my fingers, my tongue, and get you wet and ready.” He kisses my neck, his mouth suckling the sensitive flesh, and it feels like a million electric currents are racing under my skin. “And when you’re ready, I’m going to take you places you’ve never been before.” His promise is poignant. Because he will.
“I know,” is all I can muster because my panties are wet, my heartbeat is thrumming between my legs, and my nipples are aching so painfully I want his mouth on them to ease the agony.
I have a feeling when I’m alone in bed tonight, I’ll replay this moment over and over again. I’ll remind myself of what I experienced and what he promised, and I know, without a doubt, I’ll find the release that’s waiting in the wings.
“I think we better behave now,” Kayden says, causing my heart to sink. But he’s right. My mother
will have already started dinner, and we should spend time with her. Sadly, I know she’ll have a lot of questions for him. I just hope she doesn’t scare him away.
I don’t know what my dad would’ve made of Kayden, but I like him. I can’t deny it anymore. The lights slowly blink on, and I glance up to see that his ceiling is filled with tiny yellow spotlights, which makes it look like the sky is above the bed.
“Oh my god.” I gasp without thinking as I spin around, making myself dizzy in the process, but I love every inch of this bedroom.
“You approve, baby?” Kayden asks in a satisfied tone.
Lowering my eyes, I meet his inquisitive gaze. “I do.” The grin that greets me is handsome, and I’m still floored that this man is mine. At least for now. “So, you sleep under this?”
“I do,” he affirms as if I’m being silly for even asking him that. But I don’t see how he could have so many women on his arm and never have brought anyone here.
“Alone?”
16
Kayden
There’s shock in her voice. Disbelief that I have never brought another person into my bedroom. Not my friends and most definitely not my past conquests.
“Yes,” I confirm, stepping up closer to her. My hands land on her hips, and I tug her into me. The softness of her body against mine makes me want to deepen the hold. It makes me want to throw her on my bed and have my wicked way with her. But I chastise myself for thinking that. It’s too soon.
Yes, we’ve known each other for a few days, but this closeness is very fucking new. I lean in to kiss her, and she smiles when our lips touch. It’s chaste, gentle, and filled with affection. But Haelee molds to my body, her arms wrapping around my neck as she holds onto me.
“We’re going to be late,” I whisper over her mouth, feeling the grin on her face spread wider. “And if you keep pressing your tits against my chest, I’m not going to want to leave.”
“Maybe I don’t want to leave,” she counters with confidence that makes me smile. This girl never ceases to shock the shit out of me.
“Your mother will cut my dick off if she knows I’ve kept you from dinner because you had me inside your tight body.” Even though my words aren’t filthy, she shivers in my arms.
“I guess so,” Haelee whispers before pulling away, and I already miss the sweetness of her scent. “Grab whatever you needed, and we can go.”
Nodding, I leave her to explore my bedroom and head into the kitchen to find the bottle of wine I wanted to take to her mom. I could’ve stopped at the store to get one, I didn’t have to bring her here, but I needed her to see my home. The place I feel most myself.
Knowing that Haelee loves the place I live in does shit to me. It makes me feel warm, and I haven’t felt like that in a long while. Once I’ve packed the bottle along with a few other treats for dessert into a bag, I head for the bedroom to find her sitting on the bed.
“Ready?” I ask, causing her to practically leap off the mattress.
“Shit, you scared me.”
“You seemed deep in thought,” I remark as I eat up the distance between us.
Haelee curls into my arms and holds me tight. And that’s when I notice what she found on my nightstand. A photo I’d dropped on its front. One taken at my graduation of my dad and me.
“Come on, speedy.” I pull her along and out the door. We walk down the hallway, hand-in-hand. Silence is the only thing between us, and I can feel how many questions she has waiting for me.
They come when we reach the kitchen. “Do you think your dad would’ve liked me?” Her wide eyes shine as she looks up at me. Family is important to her. Even though she’s adopted, I can tell her mom is her life, and her dad, he must’ve been her hero.
“Yes, he would’ve loved you. You’re feisty, and you don’t take my shit.”
She laughs. “And your mom?” Those dark pools lock on mine, and I don’t know how to answer that. My mother is prickly at the best of times. She hates anyone and everyone she doesn’t think fits in her world. Not even her own son fits in her world.
“She’s a difficult one,” I finally tell Haelee. “But we’re not there yet. Let’s get you home and have some dinner. I’m not a fan of talking about my mother.”
As we head back down to the garage, Haelee’s lost in thought, and I don’t bother her. I have a feeling it’s about what I told her about Mom. It’s not a lie, but it’s also a tiny version of the truth.
By the time we pull up to her house, the sun is near setting and the clouds are trickling with droplets that prickle as we race up to the door. Inside, there’s a fire going, and it’s toasty. Even though the weather seems to have turned, it’s not as cold outside, but I can’t complain since I’ve been invited for dinner.
Her mother giving me a chance means a lot. Now all I have to do is just not fuck up dinner. The flavorful scents coming from the kitchen have me inhaling deeply. We find Haelee’s mom at the stove with an apron on, her hair pinned back, and a smile on her face.
“Hello, you two,” she greets when she sees us. “Did you have a good day?”
“The best,” Haelee gushes. “Kayden took me out to a track his friend owns, and we got to race. It was completely safe, and I got to drive a gorgeous car. It was fast, but I made sure to be very careful.”
“Your daughter is good,” I assure Caroline. “She’s going to be a star. That is if she really does want to pursue this.”
Caroline closes the pot and turns to face us fully. At first, I think she’s going to say no, to refuse her daughter’s dream, but she doesn’t. Instead, she nods slowly. “She is good. My husband was always so proud of her when he saw her behind the wheel. He would take her to the track when there weren’t any races, and he’d ride with her. Something about having him beside her in the car set me at ease.”
“I think that safety net is something that has given her the confidence to focus,” I tell her. “It’s a good thing. The way she handles the vehicle is nothing short of professional. It won’t be long until she’s the one with her name up on the board.”
Haelee’s eyes are on me as I say this. I’ve never told her I think she’s good. When we met, I said the complete opposite, and I never once admitted that she’s possibly going to take the racing world by storm.
“I’m standing right here, you know,” she whines, her gaze flicking between her mother and me. “Do you really think I can make it?” The hope that springs to her eyes makes me feel happy, and at ease with the feelings she evokes in me.
“I believe it,” I tell her confidently. The sparkle in those dark orbs is nothing short of perfection. It’s almost as if she has stars in her eyes, twinkling with promise.
“Dinner is almost ready,” Caroline announces. “Get the table set, and we’ll sit down and chat some more.”
I help Haelee with the plates and cutlery, and soon enough, the large bowl of chili, along with chips, sits between us. Caroline even made a salad that looks like it’s enough to feed a country. But I’m thankful because even after our burger I’m starving.
We settle into a comfortable silence as we take our first bite, and the moan of pleasure that rumbles in my throat is enough to have both women looking at me.
“This is incredible.”
Caroline grins happily, pride creasing her face. “Thank you. This was my husband’s favorite as well.” A glimmer of sadness crosses her features, but she schools it. I wonder how many times they’ve had to hide their sadness from the world.
Losing someone so close isn’t easy. The only person in the world I know didn’t shed a tear when she lost her husband was my mother. Thinking of her, I realize I must contact the board once more.
After my email the other day, they asked for an extension, which I gave. The meeting is coming up on Monday, which gives me a day to prepare. Since I promised Haelee a date tomorrow, I’m going to have to work on the presentation in the evening. Unless I have my girl over for dinner rather than lunch.
“Have y
ou been racing all your life?” Caroline asks, dragging me out of the thoughts plaguing me, and I’m thankful for the reprieve.
“Yes, well, since I was about sixteen. I learned to drive very young. And my father helped me get into the circuit the moment I was old enough. That was before he passed away.”
“I’m sure he would be proud of the man you’ve become.” Her words mean a lot, but I can’t respond because of the lump in my throat. “What about your mother?”
“She’s … I think she’s happier now than she ever was. As much as I love her, I know she wasn’t made for being married. The money meant far more to her than the love my father offered.”
Caroline gasps in shock. “That’s terrible,” she exclaims. But I’d rather be honest than tell them some happy story when there isn’t one. I can feel Haelee’s gaze on me, but I don’t look at her. Because the tension rolling off her is enough to stifle the conversation.
The thing is, if I had to be honest, I’m not ready to take Haelee to meet my mother. She won’t approve. But that has nothing to do with Haelee, and that’s the problem. Mother will most certainly scare her away, and that’s the last thing I want.
“What do you do, Caroline?”
“I’ve always been a home body. I work online teaching courses to students overseas. When I started work way back when, I taught at the local school, focusing on life studies rather than subjects that most kids won’t want to focus on.”
“And now?”
“Now, I teach those same courses online to international students who enjoy them, so they sign up a few times to cover all the topics. It’s not something I could ever give up doing.”
“A passion is a good thing,” I reflect as I finish the last bite of my dinner and go in for seconds. The food is incredible. I haven’t had a good homecooked meal in forever. I could get used to this.
