by Sonya Jesus
“Too fast,” he whispers the words I had said on The Landing to himself.
“Too slow…” I whisper back, yearning for reality when the last years have all been fantasy. I don’t want pretend anymore.
Sexy eyes on innocent me.
Thrills shoot through me. Feeling like a woman under his gaze empowers me—emblazons me. And I step forward, needing the feel of his lips against my skin.
“Th…” he hisses. “Rose, I’m trying to be good here.”
“I know,” I whisper, taking his hand and placing it around my waist. “But we can be good together.”
His other hand cups my cheek, halting my advance and tilting it ever-so slightly. The one around my waist squeezes and tugs me closer, holding me just inches away from his body. The pad of his finger thumbs over my soft skin, soaking the heat from my cheeks.
Just as I think he’s going to brush his lips against mine, he misses them and hovers over my ear. His bottom lip touches the lowest part of my earlobe as he whispers, “We’ve always been good together, Thorn.”
Oh. God… The dip in his tone hits me all the way in the ankles.
“What I want is to be bad with you.”
Speechless and wordless, I answer by angling my neck slightly to the side, giving him access and swallowing down the anxiousness lodged between my voice box and my airway.
He groans as he presses his body against me. Hard—sinfully so—meets soft. Control expels resistance.
His control.
Screw resistance.
He flips me around. Back against solid chest. With my hair to the side, he slips his finger under the straps of my dress, stretching the material over my shoulder blade, exposing the full slope so he can ride the curve with his lips.
Cool breaths tease me with every inhale.
Sucking in the air creates a vacuum seal between lips and skin, and my lungs. I can’t breathe… until he liberates the oxygen and skillfully ignites every nerve ending with his exhales.
The heat intoxicates. Intensifies. Enthralls. His hand glides down my thigh, slipping under the hem, and ends up palm against scars. Not a single hesitation as he kisses me… naked.
Fully clothed, but my most vulnerable pieces exposed to him. My eyes shut, unable to bare the throbbing ache just inches from his hand.
Taunt and taut.
Tripping on me like falling is the endgame.
Melted. Straight-up putty. That’s what I am in his arms.
He slides the zipper down, letting the dress fall to my feet.
“Are you sure?” His eyes burn through my underwear, setting me on fire, turning the desire between us into a firepit.
“Yes,” I step out of the dress, circled around my ankles.
He leads me to his bed, laying me back. As he slides the white cotton down my legs, he whispers to me the very words tattooed on my damaged skin, “Scarred but beautiful.”
He gently pins me to the bed, full body on mine. Gloriously defined perfection against scarred skin.
Pulling need through a needle’s loop, he threads through the imperfections and stitches my broken. Seams of hope sprint tears in my eyes—drops of happiness that evaporate on my cheeks.
There’s no shame, no guilt, no weirdness between us.
Just two hearts that connected long before bodies.
With both of us in the nude, and nothing but love between us, he makes me feel as if my burdens weigh nothing. Like I can float on his breath and be sustained by him. I love the feeling. It fills me with life.
And when he slides inside me, it’s not just friction.
It’s static.
We still, unmoving—clinging to each other.
My nerves crackle at his girth, his lungs hiss with pleasure. He’s inside me, stretching me to fit him. The sting of a first lover fails in comparison to the pleasure streaming through my blood, sparking a reaction in the strangest of places. Even my nail beds tickle.
Then he moves, and I know for a distinct fact: I’d go to the ends of the world to be with Kai Madison.
“Well, damn!” Ledger’s voice streams in. “Morning, Rose…”
I grunt at the onslaught of light and duck my head under Kai’s blankets. At some point during the early hours of the morning, Kai had gotten up to shut off the lights.
“What? I don’t get a good morning?” Kai asks. He rolls over to block me, as if the covers don’t suffice.
“Obviously, you’re having a good morning.” Ledger chuckles while I poke my head out to peek in his direction. After rummaging through his desk, he walks toward us, wiggling a new toothbrush between his thumb and forefinger. “There’s toothpaste in the bathroom.”
Kai turns around to face him. “Get out, so she can get up without you ogling her, doof.”
A wicked grin spreads across Ledger’s face, and he swings his finger between the two of us. “I like this. The two of you look good together.”
He has no idea.
“I’m going to the store to get myself a suit for this stupid ball. My mom bought me a couple of tickets. Sure you don’t want to come? Save me from the girl she set me up with.”
“Actually, can you drop off my tux and that blue dress over there to get steamed?”
“You’re go—“
Oh, crap! The dress. I palm my forehead with a thud, squealing as I shove the blankets off. “I have to call Corbin.”
Kai’s angry gaze cuts to me, stopping the covers mid-air.
Ledger finds this hilarious. “Don’t take it personally, Rose. He’s not used to girls calling out other guy’s names in his bed.”
“I’m also not used to having my roommate checking out my naked girl.”
Ledger hums a word that I don’t quite get because Kai just called me his girl. “Like officially?” I whisper to my maybe boyfriend.
“Yeah, babe. Officially mine.” Kai shifts his body, so he’s tucking me beneath him. I like his weight on me.
CamU people really like the word officially.
“Uhm. I’m gonna go,” Ledger shouts as he dips into Kai’s closet. “You can explain this to me later, but I guess you’re going to have to explain it to Vanessa too.”
At the name, both our heads shoot toward Ledger.
“I don’t have to explain shit to her,” Kai growls.
“Well, she’s going to see you two at the ball tonight.”
Oh, jealous mean girls are the worst. I rather face the cartel, I think.
Kai corrects him, “No, she’s not. I have her tickets.”
“No, bro. One of the guys let her in yesterday. She picked them up. Maybe she has a date.”
“You?” Kai asks. “Not putting anything past Vanessa.”
“Eww,” Ledger mimics Vanessa’s tone, then replenishes his brain cells and uses his own voice to say, “After you two, um…” He smashes his hands together in respect for me. “It’d be like smashing you.”
“Are you trying to say I’ve kissed you, vicariously through her?” Kai quips back. “Because that’s gross.”
Ledger puckers his lips and makes kissing noises in Kai’s direction, which is adorable. “Law of separation, bro.”
“Don’t get any ideas.” Kai slides off of me and gets out of bed in the buff. He grabs a T-shirt and sweatpants from his drawer and hands them to me before pulling out a pair of sweats and sliding them on. “You’ve got connections. Can you hook me up with two tickets?”
Ledger beams. “Anything, bro. Why the sudden interest in going?”
“Rose wants to go,” he offers without further explanation. It’s hard to remember that Ledger still thinks I’m a different girl, and for everyone else, I have no choice but to be just Rose.
“Awesome, we can head over together after I pick up my date.”
“We’ll meet up there?” Kai exchanges a look with me. “Can you drop those off then at the cleaners? I’ll pick them up in an hour.”
I wait until Ledger leaves to get up and throw Kai’s T-shirt on, but he doesn�
��t give me time to put the pants on. With the toothbrush in one hand, and my hand in the other, he tugs me toward the door with the pictures. “Shower with me?”
His tone holds more than desire. “Sure.”
Once we’re inside, he runs the shower while I brush my teeth. Then we trade places. I take a seat on the edge of the bathtub, away from the spray of the water.
“Thorn, stop looking at me like that.” He spits out and rinses as I focus on the loud noise of the water. He brought me in here so we could talk freely and plan.
“It’s hard to keep track of who comes in and out of the Rugger Loft, huh?” I ask. This is part of the reason why we went to the theater. The DEA probably had my room and Vanessa’s bugged, so why not have this one too?
“Just girls. It’s hard to keep track with so many guys.”
“Plus, Vanessa was your girlfriend just a few days ago. Maybe they didn’t know you broke up.”
Kai stows his toothbrush and mine in the shower caddy. “The whole campus knows we broke up. If Vanessa is taking a new guy tonight, she’s making a declaration. She’s trying to win the breakup. Or make me jealous.”
“It’s going to be weird,” I note. “I don’t really like people that much.”
“That hasn’t changed?” he asks, as he comes over and tests the water. “Is this too hot?”
“Not much has changed about me,” I remind him. “Still the same girl you met, just a little bit older.”
“Still strong, but braver. The initiative, though… definitely something to add to the list of things I really like about you.” He points out as he tugs on the fabric of my shirt. “You look good in my things, Thorn.”
“You changed a little bit.”
“Yeah,” he says softly. “Losing you was rough, babe. What I said yesterday, it was an asshole thing, but it was true. I was messed up. Hell, I think I only stopped being messed up yesterday.”
“Me too…” I reply as I reach in to feel the warm stream of water. “But, that’s not what I meant.” My eyes travel from his hard body to the bulge in his sweats. “I mean your body changed.” The apples of my cheeks take on a pinkish hue when he proudly shoves the pants down. “Yep…” I peep. “Confirmed.”
His sexy laugh fills the bathroom. “I had one of these when we met. You just never asked to see it.” With a wink, he pulls the curtain back and gets in. I lean back to watch the water flow over his muscles, bounce off the ridges of his abs, and land on his stiffness.
Having him inside me doesn’t make it any less amazing. Well worth the wait. My still sore insides throb with longing again.
“So, tonight…” I squash down the heat and take the opportunity to plan. “You can’t come with me to the nook thing. Del Rio may be watching, and he can’t know you know who I am…”
“I’m not letting you go up there alone. What if he’s there and decides to take you or something? I can’t have you disappear on me again.”
He has a point. “Maybe, I can ask Corbin.”
Kai growls out a ‘no’ before wrapping his hands around me and lifting me in the air. “Stop saying that guy’s name,” he orders before my feet hit the ceramic. “Two times in twenty minutes is enough.”
“I have to call him and tell him I stole the dress. I can tell him I borrowed the book from the nook and need to return it.”
“If not me, then take Ledger.”
“He knew me in the past too. Corbin makes more sense.”
A hard kiss on my lips lands me in the direct spray of the water. Kai smiles wide as I gasp. “That’s three times.”
“I’m asking, Mr. Kent.”
Kai bops me in the nose. “I rather you go up there with Vanessa than him.” His shirt clings to my body. He holds my breast in his hand, massaging it. Distracting me. I curl my fingers around his wrist, pausing the action. “Spending the afternoon having sex is out of the question.”
“Who says?”
“A gala requires primping. And hair and makeup.” He rolls his eyes and leans back to grab the shampoo. “Fine, I can wash your hair, but you’re on your own for makeup.”
Despite the gravity of our lie, he still manages light-hearted humor. I peel the wet, heavy fabric off of me, dropping the soaked heap on the bottom of the tub. “Where can I get all this done?”
“Turn around,” he says with a dollop of shampoo in his palm. “There’s a place on Imperial Boulevard, but it’s probably booked solid.”
I turn around so he can massage the shampoo into my scalp.
“I can ask Ledger…” he confesses. The soothing motion of his fingertips massaging my head strums a moan out of me.
“That would be great, thank you,” I respond once he’s done. He removes the showerhead from the holder and rinses out my hair. “This is going to sound weird, but umm… Vanessa left some conditioner here if you want to use it. I know girls use that kind of stuff.”
“She might have taken it with her when she came back to get her tickets,” I remind him, as he bends over and opens the cabinet.
“No, it’s still here.” He hands me the conditioner with the gold label. “I don’t want you living with Corbin, but Vanesa may be worse.”
I clear the water out of my eyes and make sure it works for my hair. “I’m pretty sure the DEA made that happen.” I was wary of telling him before, but he just took my virginity. I think there’s no point in holding back anything.
“Makes sense. They couldn’t predict she’d cheat on me in the Bahamas and I’d break up with her. Being friends with her would have been your way in here, if I was completely blind… and even then, I think I’d feel it was you.”
Never even crossed my mind, the idea of using Vanessa. I smile and work the glob of gold-colored cream into the strands of my hair. “I don’t think that’s the only reason, though. The Voights have mob ties.”
“What?” He freezes.
“The DEA mentioned Vanessa’s dad worked for some Chicago mobster, designing a wedding dress. And they vacation near one of the routes. I think they were hoping to use my access to Vanessa to see if her dad had any affiliation with the cartel.”
“I forgot the towels,” he says abruptly and steps out, soaking wet, nearly slipping on the tiles on his rush out the door.
15
@icequeenfashionista
Kai
It’s gone.
The second Thorn mentioned Vanessa and the DEA’s suspicions, my gut told me to check.
Bitch. I hold the small square box with a tiny red bow in my hand. A gift that she left in place of the book. The gift I didn’t let her tell me about in the bathroom at The Reef. Had Vanessa gone in there to tell me something or threaten me?
I lift the lid of the box to find three loose condom packets. Written on the inside of the lid is her note: You get three free passes. Then we’re even. P.s. You’re welcome.
I growl and throw the gift against the wall. Tipping the larger box, I kick it under my bed before sitting down and cradling my head in my hands. Not only does Vanessa know about the book, but she knows Rose looks like Thorn, and I wouldn’t put anything past her. She’s not used to losing.
I have to get it back before Thorn finds out it’s missing. That gives me a few hours. I pull my phone out of my jeans from yesterday and send Ledger a message.
Me: Work your magic and get Rose a spot for makeup on Imperial Blvd.?
Ledger: I’m not that powerful. Every girl at CamU is over there today.
Me: I need to distract her while I deal with Vanessa.
Ledger: Uh. I don’t want to know. But you know who probably has connections with makeup artists?
I wait, but he doesn’t answer. He’s going to make me ask.
Me: Who? And don’t say Vanessa.
Ledger: Corbin. Someone has to be doing the makeup for the show.
Ledger: I love being helpful. Snap a picture of your face right now so I can see just how much you love me.
I snap a picture of my middle finger and send it t
o him. He responds, but I don’t read the messages.
“Kai?” Thorn shouts to me through the door I left open. “Did you find the towels?”
“Shit.” I get up and pull two towels from my lower drawer, wrap one around myself, and head back to the bathroom to lie to my girl.
“Sorry, I was asking Ledger about the favor.” Telling her the truth would just add worry, and it’s my fault the book is gone. I failed her last time, but not this time. This time I’m going to do everything I can to help her.
“It’s okay,” she says, shutting the water off and then sticking her hand out for the towel. “What did he say?”
I hand it to her. “That he couldn’t do anything, but he suggested Corbin may know someone who could help. He must have a makeup artist for the play.”
She slides the curtain to the side, confidently baring her scars and my words on her upper thigh. “I didn’t even think about that.”
Offering my hand to her when she steps out of the shower, I say, “Not that I want you spending time with him, but maybe you’re right. I’ll bring the book to you at the castle and meet you under the staircase, near the bathrooms.”
“I can take the book. It’s not that big.”
“It’s easier for me to hide in my tux than it is for you to hide in that tight dress.”
She nods in agreement, not suspecting anything, as she dries off. “I’ll ask him to meet me at my dorm room. Plus, I have to tell him I stole his dress and do some grovelling; he thinks I’m normal… Thieving isn’t very normal.”
I smirk and take a seat on the toilet lid while she dries herself. “Normal is overrated.”
She wraps the towel around her head and looks at the T-shirt on the ground. “I may need a new one of those.”
“I’ll get you one,” I say. “Let me admire you just a little bit longer.” I tug her close, nestling her between my legs. With both hands around her waist, I love the healthy girl before me. And with my finger, I trace my words on her skin. On the forefront of my mind, two words play on repeat: Protect her.
