by Kahlen Aymes
Opening the sliding glass door as quietly as possible, I made my way across the patio by the pool and through the grounds toward the back gate, cursing myself that I hadn’t worn shoes. The path was uneven and even though worn down, had many rocks that weren’t that visible in the moonlight. Shit.
After I’d passed through the gate to the beach, the soft, white sand was a pleasure between my toes. It had been a hot day and the sand still held some of the warmth, and the breeze was strong enough to blow my hair off of my face. It felt cool and soft against my skin.
The full moon reflecting off of the ocean’s gentle waves made a peaceful scene where I could stop and reflect on the many changes that had occurred in my life recently.
If our film did as well as we all thought it would, my life could change forever. It was already bad enough that Cade and I had to sneak around to keep our relationship a secret, but it was only going to get more difficult.
I tried to keep the situation in perspective. What if I’d never auditioned for that movie? I wouldn’t have met Cade and none of this would have happened.
Hell, I didn’t even want the role in the beginning. When Jeanne called and said she’d set up an audition, I hadn’t read any of the books and I had no experience so had little hope of getting cast, but she insisted that every failed audition was one step closer to the one that would make my career. I didn’t find the premise that motivating either.
Best friends, secretly in love, fight their feelings despite impossible obstacles.
Big deal, I’d thought. It had been done a hundred times before. I was more interested in doing little independent films with meaty characters. I didn’t care about box office pull, and I didn’t want to get type cast in romantic fluff. For me it was all about content. But I read the script and it wasn’t fluff. The pain made it more interesting.
So when my agent forced the issue, I did as she asked. After I understood the complexity of the characters, and especially after reading with Cade… I wanted the part. We clicked. Getting into character with him was as easy as breathing… Despite how intimidated I should have been by even being in the same room with him.
Martin made me do the love scene and the coffee shop scene and, the connection with Cade was immediate and undeniable. The scenes just fell out of us. He made my heart beat faster even then.
I felt he would change my life, and he did. In more ways than I even knew at the time.
I put the towel on the beach and sat down, bringing my knees up to rest my chin on my crossed arms.
Cade.
My heart expanded just thinking his name. I was still getting used to the overwhelming emotion and now this ridiculous new fear of losing him. My head knew it was dumb, given how much he had done to show he cared. It was completely nuts to worry like this, when he made me feel so loved.
The waves lapped at the shore about twenty feet in front of me, but other than that and the breeze rushing through the trees further in along the line of homes, there was no sound. I noticed the moon’s reflection off of my engagement ring, making it sparkle and shimmer on my hand. I reached out in front of me and admired it. It was so simple in design, yet so exquisite. It was such a perfect choice.
Everything Cade did was always so perfect. I inhaled deeply. Would this bubble burst?
“I was getting lonely up there without you,” Cade’s velvet voice spoke behind me and I jumped a little at the sound. “Sorry, love, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
I turned toward him and reached my hand up to him and he took it. I pulled and he came down to sit behind and around me. His knees were at my sides as he put his arms around me and pulled me back against his chest. I leaned into him and put my arms around his knees on both sides.
He buried his face in my neck and placed several soft kisses down the length of it, making my skin tingle and a shiver run through me.
“Are you cold?” His arms tightened as he spoke.
I shook my head.
“Are you okay? Is something wrong?” His tone was worried because I hadn’t spoken.
“No, babe. I’m just thinking. I couldn’t sleep.” My voice was soft. “I didn’t want to wake you.” I snuggled into him a little more. “But, I’m glad you’re here.”
“I reached for you in the bed and when you weren’t there, I was worried about you. You should have woken me, love. I don’t want to waste this time sleeping anyway.”
“You’re so sweet to me,” I whispered against the skin of his neck as I turned my face toward him, my head resting on his shoulder. I shrugged. “I’m sorry I keep saying it.”
“Brook. I know you, too well.” He placed a kiss on my forehead. “Something’s bugging you. What is it?”
I sighed. He did know me. My hands traces light patterns on his legs below his knees. He rested his chin on my shoulder. “Yeah, it scares the shit out of me.”
Cade hesitated, the movements of his hands halting. “What does?” he asked cautiously.
I shrugged in his arms. “This. All of it.”
“It shouldn’t. I’ll always protect you. You know that, don’t you?” He asked softly. The love in his voice almost vibrated on my skin.
“Yes,” I said softly as I turned sideways in his arms so I could look in his face.
His eyes were intent as he looked at me. “So, tell me then.” He bent to place a soft kiss on my mouth and then another. His lips were only inches from mine when he whispered. “Tell me, sweetheart.” He kissed the top of my nose.
“Oh, it was just a bad dream. Silly really. I just couldn’t get back to sleep.” My hand went to his bare chest and slid upward around his neck as my head rested on his shoulder. His hands began to move rhythmically as he rubbed circles on my back. “You make me feel so safe and loved. I’m just…” I turned my face into the curve of his neck. “Well, a little bit scared something will happen to tear us apart. Nobody wants us to be together.”
He breathed in sharply and his hand went to the back of my head to tilt my face toward him.
“Brook. Stop. Babe… We want us to be together, and that’s the only thing that matters. This is just the beginning of our story. Don’t you know how special this is? Do you think everyone loves like this?”
I flushed. Again, life was imitating art. Those words were the title to the third book in the series. “No, but you can’t know what will happen, Cade. You can’t see the future,” I breathed.
“I know that I love you more than anything in this world, and nothing or no one, will ever change that, Brook. I won’t allow anything to come between us.” His head bent to take my mouth in a deep, slow kiss. He tasted so damn good. “I’ll always be with you, I promise.” He raised his head to look into my eyes and brushed my lower lip with his thumb. “What can I do to put your mind at ease?”
“Just love me,” I said simply.
“That’s easy.” Cade’s mouth lifted on one side in a crooked grin. His gaze moved to my mouth and then he returned his lips to mine.
His tongue teased my lips apart and then slid across mine as he deepened the kiss. Our lips moved together so perfectly, sucking and tasting the other. Kiss after kiss, he eased my fears, his hands roaming my body and moving up beneath his T-shirt that I wore. I wanted to get closer. Needed to be closer. The need between us was always so potent and overwhelming.
Cade’s arms went underneath me… he lifted and turned me toward him in one smooth motion, like I weighed no more than a feather. Suddenly I was straddling his lap as his hands ran up my rib cage to the side swells of my breasts. His thumbs brushed against both nipples bringing a series of soft moans from my lips.
“Babe…” His voice was low and husky. “I love you so much, it hurts.”
I wound my arms around his shoulders, one hand moving into the hair at the nape of his neck. I pulled back from the kiss but he didn’t want to let me go, his mouth moving forward to follow mine, his lips hovered over mine. I opened my eyes and nuzzled his nose with mine. His blue eyes were burni
ng into mine as he gazed at me through half closed lids.
“Brook, kiss me. Make love with me.” Somewhere between a command and begging, his words melted my fears. I pulled his mouth back to mine and kissed him back with all I had. His hands moved to my bottom and pulled me tighter against him. God, I could feel his erection pulsing through my panties as we continued to kiss passionately. I ground my hips into his and he groaned into my mouth.
There was no sound except our breathing… the soft moans and kisses, beyond the soft lull of the waves and the gentle breeze. We were completely alone on the stretch of white beach; it was like we were the only two people on Earth and that God had made this place just for us.
My senses were flooded with his scent, his taste and how he felt beneath my hands and pressed intimately into my body. Love overwhelmed me as I let myself feel everything. His ardent kisses on my mouth, his hands on my body, his warm breath on my skin and his hardness rubbing against my most sensitive place until I felt I had to have him or die trying.
I wanted him, and I wanted him here and now.
“Cade… Oh, God, I want you so much. Right now. Please,” I begged against his open mouth. His kisses deepened and became more intense as his tongue slid so beautifully against and with my own. Our mouths moving, mating with each other’s, pulling and tasting for what seemed like hours.
I felt him move the hem of the t-shirt up and start to bring it up my body. I lifted my arms for him and he removed it completely, throwing to the side, and ran his arms back down the length of mine, to go to my rib cage and to cover my breasts. I couldn’t help myself; I arched my body into his hands. God, he felt good.
His eyes burned my flesh as his gaze roamed my breasts and up to my face again.
“Bloody hell. You’re so beautiful in the moonlight. Oh, my God.” His hand reached out to touch my breast; so soft and gentle, as if I would break beneath his hands. My nipples hardened and grew even more beneath his touch.
Somehow we ended up lying down on the towel facing each other as we continued to kiss and explore each other. He groaned as he turned over me, the kisses continuing to burn on my mouth as he pulled me to his chest. Skin on skin… it was glorious.
My hands found the top of his shorts and I undid the button and slid the zipper down. As my hand reached inside and found his smooth hardness, he groaned as he took my mouth in another earthshaking kiss. Somehow, I managed to take his shorts down with my foot as my hands feathered over his back.
His hands were like silk on my skin, leaving a trail of fire in their wake, as he took my leg and hitched it over his waist. His hand slid around my back to pull me closer as he found my opening with his body. He slid into me, filling me with one thrust and I gasped at the pleasure of it.
“Believe you are mine. I’ll never let you go,” he whispered against my neck as his mouth sucked and nipped at my delicate skin. The sensation sent shivers through my entire body. He thrust into me again and again… I couldn’t get close enough to him. I began to move my hips with his and squeezed my muscles around him. “You feel so damn good.”
I raked my nails down his back as my head fell back and he bent to place wet, open mouth kisses on the skin of my shoulders and neck as he moved within my body. His fingers finding the place I needed him to touch as his hand went between our bodies to pleasure me.
“Uhhh… Oh, Cade. Don’t stop.”
“Never,” he moaned as he took my mouth again. My hands fisted in his hair as we kissed madly, my body beginning to tense as I felt the orgasm build. “Brook, I can feel you getting close. Oh, God. It’s perfect how your body fits me so perfectly.”
Our movements increased in intensity as we both got closer and closer to being overcome. It wasn’t long before he had me spiraling over the edge. “I love you, Cade. Uhhhh…” I whispered against his mouth as I came.
His head fell to my shoulder as his body thrust into mine and held as he spilled into me. He jerked with each spasm of his body. “Fuck, Brook! Brook.” He fell against me, his breathing hard and fast.
Our arms wound around each other and pulled each other close as our breathing calmed. I placed several kisses on his sweat-dampened shoulders and neck and brushed the hair back off of his beautiful features.
His love-drunk eyes opened as he brushed his knuckles against my chin over and over. His blue eyes burned into mine. “See how much I love you? Do you think I could be like this with anyone else?”
Cade waited for my answer. “Do you?” His hand at the side of my face lifted it so he could look in my eyes. His eyes were languid and serious, as he stared into mine.
I knew I’d never feel like this for anyone else, and I had to believe it was the same for him. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t speak, so I slowly shook my head, and raised my hand to touch his jaw, the stubble soft against my fingers. So sexy. I shook my head.
“Then trust this, please.”
He bent to kiss my mouth as he pulled me closer. As I snuggled into him, there was no more need for words as we remained wrapped around each other for what could have been hours. Time ceased to matter.
I felt content just to lie in his arms. As the sun began to come up, Cade finally spoke. “Let’s get you back to the house, minx.” He kissed my forehead and the side of my temple.
He stood and put his shorts on and handed me back his t-shirt and my panties. He pulled me up and watched me dress then picked up the towel. I squealed as he caught me by surprise and pulled me in for another passionate kiss and then another.
“Up you go.” He lifted me onto his back to give me a piggyback ride to the house. I snuggled into his back and wrapped my arms around his neck. He took my right hand with his and brought it to his lips.
“This is like Julia and Ryan,” I murmured in his ear as he walked up toward the house.
“No, it’s us. It’s us, Brook, okay?”
I closed my eyes and nodded against his back. “Yes.”
He loved me. My heart was certain.
Please join Cade & Brooklyn
when their story continues in…
More Than
FAMOUS
Famous Novel – Two
Early Summer
2015
Books by Kahlen Aymes
Titles are available in all eBook formats and paperback.
After Dark Series
1. Angel After Dark
2. Confessions After Dark
3. Promises After Dark
The Remembrance Trilogy
Prequel—Before Ryan Was Mine
1. The Future of Our Past
2. Don't Forget to Remember Me
3. A Love Like This
Coming in 2015
Untouchable (Stand Alone Novel)
The FAMOUS Novel Series
Stalk Kahlen
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