by Kahlen Aymes
“Brook, please. I need you to open your eyes,” he demanded as he kissed my mouth softly.
My eyes opened to see him looking down at me as his body continued to surge within mine. He was slowing a little, but the pressure and depth of his thrusts remained constant, as our bodies pushed and pulled in opposite rhythm.
“Mmmmm… Uhhh,” I moaned softly, the sensations still building within me. His eyes were dark with passion, but I could see pain on his beautiful face as well. I reached up to lay a hand on his cheek.
“I’ve dreamt of this moment, when I’d feel your body writhing beneath me, clenching around me and pulling me in; when I’d hear my name on your lips, your voice thick with emotion as I make you come. And this is so much more incredible than I’ve ever imagined or dared to hope for.” His voice was thick with emotion and his eyes liquid. “I love you more than anything in this world. Right now at this moment… I would die in your arms just to finally be with you like this.” His eyes were pools of love. He lowered his mouth to mine, kissing me deeply once again.
I felt myself start to tense and spasm in orgasm around him even as my heart seized at his words. Those beautiful words and his tender lovemaking brought tears to my eyes as emotion overwhelmed me.
“Uhhhh… Cade…” I said his name as if it were a prayer, my eyes closed and my back arched, my hands held the sides of his face, as a tear squeezed out from my lashes.
He kissed my mouth hotly, his tongue diving into my mouth and I sucked on it, like my body was clenching, sucking on his, as he groaned giving in to his own climax. I felt him shudder and twitch inside me, and I was still clenching around him, milking every last drop and tremor of sensation from him. I wrapped my legs and arms around him, as I felt the tears begin to fall. “Oh, my God… Cade, I can’t believe how much I love you.” I cried, our bodies clinging together.
“Don’t ever leave me, please.” Cade’s voice was thick and his eyes were wet as he looked down on me, slowly brushing my hair off of my damp forehead, skimming his knuckles in a soft caress across my cheek and chin, staring in wonder at my face. “You’re everything that matters to me,” he said softly. My arms tightened around him, as I sobbed into his shoulder.
He kissed my neck, forehead and shoulder as he collapsed into the pillows behind my head. I just held him tighter, kissing the side of his neck, and then his mouth when he finally lifted his beautiful face above mine. He was still inside me and I never wanted to disconnect. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just holding and stroking each other.
I kissed his shoulder, temple and mouth.
He stared down at me, his eyes soft with the aftermath of our lovemaking, his skin glowing with a thin layer of perspiration, his breathing heavy. He kissed the tears off of my face as I looked at him.
“Don’t cry, my love…” he sighed, as his fingers brushed my forehead then moved down the side of my face.
“That was… so beautiful. I’m still shaking.” I felt him smile as he moved to my side and propped his head on his arm, his leg still tangled up in mine
He reached out to touch the bracelet on my wrist. “Forever entwined,” he said in his velvet voice. I knew there was a double meaning in those words, as his eyes rose from the diamonds between his fingers to look into mine.
My hand came up to cover his, my eyes full of love as I looked at him. “I’ll always cherish and protect it.” I felt flushed and feverish. I was so happy.
His dark gold hair was mussed from my hands running through it, his features relaxed, satisfied, his eyes languid. “I wanted to get it made with our initials, but I wasn’t certain you were in the same place as I was. With this.”
His arm rested softly across my stomach as he gazed down at me, and pulled the sheet up over his hips and my breasts.
“I was.” I looked at Cade in amazement. “Where did you come from? You’ve touched me in places I never dreamed existed.”
He smiled at me as I studied his perfect features in the candlelight
“I mean…” I searched for the right words. “You’re everything, Cade. Perfect. You’re like my own personal miracle.”
“I’ve thought that about you, too, but never more so than in this moment.” His eyes were thoughtful as he considered his next words. “Brook, I meant it when I said I love you so much that sometimes, I can’t even breathe. I know you might be skeptical given my lifestyle. But I promise, it’s the truth.”
Cade frowned a little as he looked at me, his hand lightly rubbing up and down my body.
It seemed something he was thinking was hurting him, and I needed to know what.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, snuggling closer. We were lying on our sides facing each other, touching and softly kissing.
“I just don’t ever want to ever feel like I’ve felt these past few days. Losing you after this would be unbearable. I think it would literally kill me.” His blue eyes burned into mine and I reached up to touch his face. That line was one from the next script. I wondered if he’d read it yet.
He rolled onto his back and pulled me onto his chest so I could rest my head over his heart. I listened to it thump beneath my cheek as my fingers drew figure eights on his chest.
How can I put him at ease? I considered it for a moment before I spoke, my gaze concentrating on my fingers as they drew figure eights on the skin of his chest
“We have to trust each other, and make sure that nothing comes between us again.” I kissed his chest and put my hand up to touch his face as his arms tightened around my body.
“I agree,” Cade answered. “No matter what anyone says to us or about us, or how the media tries to twist photos or headlines out of lies, let’s promise to always talk to each other and not jump to conclusions. Because I promise you, none of it will ever be true. I’ll never hurt you.”
I stayed draped across his chest as my hand went up around his neck into his hair.
He touched my face and ran his thumb over my cheekbone.
As I lay in his arms, in this paradise, I voiced my thoughts. “I’m wondering what I did to deserve you.”
He smiled. “Simple. You auditioned.”
I laughed happily. “I was done for the minute you walked in for the first reading… my heart recognized you, even then.”
He laughed with me as his arms tightened around me. “You make me so happy, love. You’ve definitely convinced me you love me.” He breathed with a devilish smile, but then his eyes turned serious. “I’ll never doubt that again.”
I sighed, and hugged him close. “Better not,” I teased.
“Not possible now.” He breathed in my hair and kissed my head. “I know you’re exhausted, honey. Try to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”
The lovemaking, the jet lag, and the soft glow of the candles in the room were lulling me to sleep. I was tired, but I had to make Cade understand one more thing before I let myself fall asleep.
“Cade?”
“Mmmm?” he murmured. It was clear he was also falling asleep.
“I have to tell you something.” I raised my head to look into his face, my fingers running over his chest in a delicate caress. “You said tonight that it’s killed you this past year thinking of me with David.”
I felt him tense as he interrupted me, his eyes snapped open and his hand came up to cover mine.
“Brook, that’s in the past. I don’t want to talk about him, not tonight. I understand, and it wasn’t your fault. None of that matters now that I know you’re mine. It’s over.” He kissed my forehead.
I kissed his chest, as my head rested on it, and my fingertips traced circle patterns across his velvet skin. I would never get tired of touching him.
“No, you don’t understand.” There was an almost unperceivable shake to my head. “I need you to know something.” My words dropped off as I felt him take a deep breath beneath me.
“What is it?” He hesitated. “You can tell me. No matter what it is, what it might cost, or even if you think it will hurt me
. I always want to know what you’re thinking,” he said softly. His arms tightening around me, and his fingers brushed my cheek.
God, he was just so Ryan, I thought. Those characters were us.
I moved up on his chest a little so I could look in his eyes. My hand caressed the light stubble on his chin as I searched for just the right words. “Babe, what is it?” His eyes bore into mine, his voice gentle.
“I haven’t let anyone else touch me like this, not even David, since the day of my audition. I need you to know that it’s only ever been you.” My eyes never left his as I spoke.
His eyes widened in astonishment, and he started to sit up a little, his mouth ready to speak. “Brook.”
“No, I need you to know that all the pain you felt when I was with him, when you saw pictures of us, when you thought he and I were together—like this—all the things that tormented you, were only imagined. They didn’t happen at all. It breaks my heart that it hurt you so much. I don’t ever want to see that kind of pain in your eyes again. I’m so sorry.” My hand was still stroking the line of his perfect jaw as my eyes filled with tears again.
He looked at me in amazement. “My God…” He stopped, putting a hand over his eyes as he fell back on the pillows.
Suddenly he pulled me on top of his body, his arms going around me and crushing me to him. He was dragging his mouth over my face pausing to kiss my cheeks, my eyes, and finally my mouth. “I could tell you that I love you a million times, but words can’t even come close. It’ll never be enough to express how I feel about you.”
He put his head down and kissed my shoulder and my neck lovingly. He lifted his head and kissed my mouth with tears in his eyes. “Thank you for telling me that, you can’t know how much it means to me.”
He kissed me again, his kiss soft but turning passionate. His tongue slid into my mouth and stole my breath, as our bodies entwined again.
“Cade,” I breathed against his mouth. “I’ll never stop loving you. I’ll die if I do.”
Chapter 9
Proposition
The morning came and I awoke to find Cade propped on his elbow watching me, his hand lightly playing in my hair. “Mmmmm… How long have I been sleeping?” I asked as I stretched.
“Um, I’m not sure what time we actually fell asleep, but I think about twelve hours.” He gave me the crooked grin I loved.
“What?” My hands went to my hair as I struggled to keep my eyes open. “I guess I worried last night was a dream, and didn’t want to wake up.” I sighed as I looked at him. He was so beautiful. If I woke up with him every day, he would always dazzle me. “Why didn’t you wake me, babe?”
“Last night was a dream, love. A ridiculously wonderful dream.” He was serious as he looked at me, and I watched his eyes darken, the love in them shining like a beacon. I reached my hand out to touch him, my heart swelling in my chest.
I loved that damn accent. So delicious, it made my mouth water.
I grinned, and Cade’s gaze turned playful, His mouth began to twitch with the start of a smile. He took my outstretched hand and kissed the inside of my wrist. “Besides, I like watching you sleep.” He smirked at me.
I smiled to myself then placed soft kisses on his chest and down his stomach, and giggled a little bit. “How fascinating for you,” I said wryly. Sleep left a person unguarded and vulnerable.
“Mmmm…” he said in response to my ministrations down his body. He put his arms around me to roll me over onto my back, his body pressing me into the mattress. “Something like that,” he said softly, then he kissed me long and deep on the mouth.
I hugged him and touched his hair, brushing it off of his forehead. I could feel his body coming to life where it touched mine. I pressed against him, and he groaned.
“Last night was indescribable, Cade. I’ll never forget even a single second of it,” I promised. My thumb traced his jaw; an adorable stubble starting to appear, and I felt my insides start to turn to jelly. He was so fucking hot.
“Brook, you’re beautiful in the morning. All the time.” He sighed as he stared into my eyes, and then his brow crinkled a little, his face getting serious. He continued to look down at me as he gently touched my face, his fingers lightly tracing my cheekbone, and then the side of my forehead. “Will you marry me?” A small smile played on his mouth, but his eyes were melting into mine, as he waited. Then he started to place little kisses all over my face, along my jaw and down my neck. “Hmmm?” He sighed between kisses. “Will you?” He chuckled a little.
My heart thumped wildly in my chest. I was sure he could feel it from his position over me.
He had asked me several times during filming if I would marry him, and it became a playful joke between us on set. I knew that he meant it, but had always laughed it off, flirting outrageously with him the whole time. He was expecting the same response now, but something stopped me from saying it.
I waited until he stopped kissing me, wondering about my silence, to look at me. My hands fluttered down his back and up again. His nose was nuzzling mine as he resumed his soft kisses on my face and mouth. I placed my hands on the sides of his face to stop him, so he’d meet my eyes with his.
The fingers on my right hand fluttered on the side of his face and down his jaw, before moving around to stroke the hair at the back of his neck.
“Yes,” I answered softly. His blue eyes widened as I kissed his stunned mouth. “Yes, Cade,” I whispered against his lips.
He stared at me. “Brook… God, is this real?” He waited, and I nodded, my eyes filling with tears.
“I love you more than air. I have to be with you. Always. You own my heart and soul,” I whispered. “There is no other choice now, so, yes… I will.” I shrugged a little and smiled through my tears. “Yes,” I said one last time.
Cade looked down at me, his breath catching in his chest. A smile of sheer joy lit up his handsome face. His mouth came down on mine, softly at first, but the passion grew between us, his tongue sliding in to claim my mouth, and my hips moved against his as he brought my body to life. His mouth separated from mine softly and he licked my top lip before kissing me one more time.
“You make me so happy! I promise to love you forever. You’re all I’ll ever want,” he said, his voice rough with emotion.
I smiled through my tears. “Every woman in the world is in love with you,” I teased.
“Hmmph…” He smiled as his fingers brushed my cheek. “Even if that were true, the only one that matters to me is right here in my arms.” He kissed me softly, and then he was staring at me again, his beautiful eyes making my heart beat faster. “I’m the luckiest bastard on earth.”
Nope. I’m the lucky one, I thought.
*****
The weekend flew by. Nathan and I only stayed in London for another day and a half.
Our time together wasn’t long enough because Cade had to meet with his managers to discuss the promotion schedule for a couple of films that he’d shot before ours, and I had to get back for that new audition Jeanne set up.
We decided to keep our relationship secret and not tell anyone who didn’t already know. Our families, and some of our closest friends from the cast were aware or at least, suspected, but we decided we didn’t want it coming out before the premiere of our movie. Martin deserved that the focus of the coming months be on the film. I didn’t care if we kept it between the two of us. I even preferred it that way.
Cade rode with Nate and I to the airport in the limousine, and as the driver helped my brother unload and check our luggage on the curb, there was a few minutes Cade and I could spend alone before I had to exit the car and join Nate on the sidewalk. He pulled me onto his lap, and kissed me deeply on the mouth. His arms were wrapped around me and mine around his neck, then into his hair as we kissed more deeply.
“God, this is hell,” he moaned as he dragged his mouth from mine. “I love you, baby girl.”
I sighed, and placed another small kiss on his mouth. “I’m
really going to miss you.” I touched his face and fought the emotion swelling up to choke me. “I should go.” My eyes were sad and began to fill with tears. “I don’t want to drag out this goodbye, it’s hard enough as it is.” A lump was rising in my throat.
“Just know that I love you, and think about you all the time.”
I hugged him again, my hand in his hair at the back of his neck and my face turned into him. “We have to avoid the press as much as possible, so maybe you shouldn’t get out with me. They’ll recognize you. My agent already called and ragged on me for coming to London. She said we had to meet as soon as possible after I get back. I’ll call you and let you know what it’s about, okay?”
He looked so unhappy my heart squeezed in my chest. “I’ve waited an entire fucking year, and I still can’t call you my girl. Bloody hell,” he muttered.
“Maybe we can’t tell anyone, but nothing has ever been more real.” I placed a soft kiss on his mouth. “I love you more than anything, you sexy beast. That’s never going to change, Cade.” I brushed his hair back again and tried to smile.
His mouth twitched as he grinned, and his adorable dimples pressed into his cheeks. He leaned in to kiss me again, our mouths were hot on each other, tongues melding and meshing. I was fighting the urge to cry, so it was time to go. “I have to go, babe. Thank you for the beautiful weekend.” I closed my eyes, and lowered my forehead to his shoulder.
His arms tightened around me as he said, “Goodbye, my love. I’ll ring you tonight.” I felt his hand on the back of my head, as he turned his face into my hair, breathing in my scent. “Have a safe flight. I love you, Brooklyn.” He kissed my hand as I turned and stepped out of the limo.
I stopped, put on my sunglasses, and placed my hand on the window one last time as it pulled away from the curb.
