Caden (The Harlow Brothers Book 2)

by Brie Paisley

  It takes her a bit to answer me as she concentrates on getting me home. Right before she pulls into Flacon Lair, she says, “You’ve been different since you met her. I have to think she means somethin’ to you, otherwise you wouldn’t be helpin’ her find her birth mother. Plus the way you talk about her lets me know you care for her a lot more than you’re lettin’ on.”

  When she finally parks, I relax and let out a breath. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I turn to her. “I know she’s the one, Shel. It sounds crazy as fuck, but the moment our eyes locked, somethin’ just clicked inside of me.”

  Her eyes soften, and she grins from ear to ear. “She’s your soulmate then. Now go get em’, tiger.”

  “Thanks, Shel.” Opening the door, I place one leg out then turn back to her. “Also thanks for not killin’ me. I really do appreciate that.” I hear her laugh as I shut the door, but it’s nice to know she understands where I’m coming from when it comes to Savannah. Racing up the stairs to my place, I make it there in record time. Jerking open the door, the first thing I notice is Cason standing in front of the door leading to my bedroom. When he notices me, I can already tell what he’s thinking. It’s a big benefit of having a twin. Sometimes I can’t tell what anyone is thinking, but with Cason, it’s like we share a brain. Right now, he’s thinking, “Dude, get your fuckin’ ass in there and get your woman.” Nodding, he steps away from the door as I approach. Taking a deep breath, I slowly lift my hand to the door handle. I won’t lie. I’m fucking terrified of what I’m walking into. Time to man the fuck up, Caden.

  Opening the door, the first thing I notice is her suitcase on the bed. Well that just won’t fucking do here. The second thing I see is all the drawers are open. That won’t work for me either. Then lastly, I watch Savannah walk out of the closet with a handful of her clothes. Keeping my voice as calm as possible, I ask, “Goin’ somewhere, small fry?”

  She startles when she notices me, and I swallow seeing the tears falling freely down her cheeks. “I can’t do this anymore. It’s just too hard.”

  Alright fuck this shit. Taking a step to her, I grab the clothes out of her hand and toss them on the floor. I’m done playing this hot and cold game. “You’re not goin’ anywhere.” Wiping a tear away as it falls down her cheek, she stares at me, and I hope she knows I mean it. I’ll be damned if she walks out of here. “So what if this is hard? Life is hard, small fry. But the thing is when shit gets rough, you don’t give up. You keep fuckin’ fightin’ and pushin’ back. That’s why I’m here.” Using my finger, I point it to my chest. “I’m here to help you carry this, Savannah. Not anyone else. Me.”

  “You think this is easy for me? You think it’s just a fucking walk in the park? Because it’s not. Not by a long shot. You have no idea what I’m going through or what I’m dealing with.”

  In a way she’s right, but I want to know everything there is to know about her. “I never said it was easy for you. I know it’s not since it’s written all over your face. But you can’t up and leave when shit hits the fan.”

  Shaking her head, she steps back putting distance between us. I fucking hate it. “I have to go, Caden. There’s nothing here for me anymore.” Damn she knows just what to say to drive a stake right through my heart. Clenching my jaw, she takes a deep breath. “The only reason why I came here was to find my mother, and knowing now she created a fake identity to keep my adoption a secret kills me. I can’t deal with this. I’m tired of looking for a person that obviously doesn’t want to be found.”

  “So that’s it? Just give up and run away?”

  “What other option do I have?”

  Closing the distance between us, I grab both sides of her face. “Let me in, Savannah. Stop pushin’ me away and let me help you. You don’t have to face this alone.” More tears fall, and it kills me seeing her so hurt. Knowing this is my one and only chance to convince her to stay, I gaze into her eyes as I say, “You can’t leave me, small fry. And I know it’s insane, but I can’t stand the thought of you leavin’ me behind. There’s somethin’ between us, and I know you feel it. I promise you, I’ll find out who your mother is if you’ll just stay. With me.” She searches my eyes for something, and I hope to God she knows how serious I am. “Please, Savannah. Don’t fuckin’ leave me.” This is a new low for me. Fucking begging the one woman I’m falling for to stay with me, and I’ve never wanted someone to stay so bad before.

  Holding a breath as she seems to decide what to do, I swear my heart is about to beat right out of my chest. If she leaves, it’ll ruin me. If she leaves, it’ll fucking kill me. There’s not a chance I can live without her. “Okay,” she breathes out, and I sigh in relief.

  Unable to help myself, I lean in and steal a quick kiss. Pulling back, I whisper, “Thank you.”

  “You have to swear you’ll find her, and tell me as soon as you do.”

  “I swear,” I say without a bit of hesitation. Dropping my hands, I pull her to me and wrap my arms around her. That was close, too close for comfort. “You have got to stop tryin’ to give me a heart attack, small fry. I’m too young to die.” Hearing her let out a small laugh, I grin knowing I did that. I put that smile back on her face, and I’m the one to give her the one thing she needs.

  Hope.

  Eventually I’ll give her all the love I have.

  But not just yet. She’s still a flight risk, and I have a feeling if I professed how deeply I care for her, she’ll probably run right out the damn door screaming.

  Pulling her back, I brush her hair out of her face and wipe the rest of her tears away. She sniffs as she glances up at me and says, “I’m sorry for snotting on your shirt.”

  Grinning, I glance down at the big snot spot on my shirt. Shrugging, I claim, “I don’t care. If you need me to be your snot rag, then I’ll be there every single time.”

  She frowns and I wish I could read her mind. I’d give anything to know what’s going through her brain. “Should we talk about what this means?”

  “About what, small fry?”

  “Us,” she huffs out.

  Knowing she’s been through a lot today, I decide to give her an out. “Not unless you really want to.” I do want to. I want to make damn sure she knows how I feel, and that I’ll never let her go but I can’t. Not yet anyway. She already has a lot on her plate, and a part of me thinks if I do confess my feelings, she’ll reject me and leave anyway.

  “Thank you,” she says after a few minutes pass.

  “For what?”

  “For convincing me to stay. For promising you’ll find my mother, and for just being you. Don’t ever change, Caden.”

  “I told you before, small fry. I’ll do anythin’ for you. There’s no need to thank me.”

  She nods then glances around the room. “I should clean up your room.”

  “Nah. It’s cool. How about we climb into bed and have a Netflix and chill day?”

  “That sounds amazing.” Before stepping away, I caress her face once more. Trying not to overcrowd her while she’s vulnerable, I walk over to the bed and toss her suitcase on the floor. Her clothes fly everywhere, but I don’t care. It’s actually welcoming to see her things scattered all over my room instead packed away.

  It means she’s not going anywhere.

  It means she’s going to stay right here with me where she belongs.

  And knowing she’s here, well it gives me hope that she’ll let me in and just maybe one day soon, she’ll accept what all I have to offer her. Realizing I almost lost her today makes me want to hold onto her tightly, and never let her go. I may never be able to control everything about Savannah, but I do know I can fight like hell to keep her. I don’t care what it takes, what I have to do, or what lengths I might have to go through.

  I will make her see that I’m everything she needs.

  Climbing in the bed with Caden, I push away the overwhelming thoughts running wild in my mind. There’s just too much for me to process at once, and even though I told Caden I’d stay,
the feeling of getting away from all of it is still present. It’s like my entire body knows I can’t deal with this, and I honestly have no idea how I’m going to get past it. Finding out my birth mother had a fake identity wasn’t something I’d ever expected. It hurts deeply knowing she went through so much trouble to keep my birth a secret when it’s supposed to be celebrated. I wonder if my parents even knew her identity was a secret, but then again how could they have known? This news is like an endless track running around in my head, and I wish it would just stop for a while. I’m still shocked that Caden got through to me when no one else has before. I won’t even let myself think of what all he said, how he said it, or what it all means. Deep down I know it’s big, but I’m putting it away in my ‘to deal with later box’ and calling it a day.

  Getting comfortable on the bed, I glance at Caden. He seems happier now that I’ve decided to stay, and I find I like those blue eyes shining back at me with nothing but excitement. He opens his arms, and I don’t even hesitate to move over and let him embrace me. Is it selfish I’m using him like this? Probably, but I need his strength. I need his comforting arms around me to remind me I’m not alone. Just like he said. Sometimes I forget there are people willing to help me, but it’s easier to push people away when you have such deep insecurities like mine. I could blame it all on me being adopted, but I can’t. I’ve always felt out of place, as if I was an outsider looking in. Even at the happiest times of my life, I’ve always felt something was missing.

  But with Caden, that whole in my heart starts to fill a bit more each day.

  That’s why I lean on him now, and why when he reminds me he’s here, I’ll continue to lean on him. I know it seems like I’m headed down that road of serious relationship land, but I’m not ready just yet to admit it. Being with Caden is easy, and if I’m not careful, I might find myself falling for him.

  Placing my head on his chest, I glance to the TV that’s mounted on his wall as he scrolls through Netflix. “What are we going to watch?”

  “Well,” he sighs out, and I feel content hearing the strong beat of his heart. “I was thinkin’ we could watch Supernatural. Supernatural is really good, and oh yeah, have you watched Supernatural before?”

  Chuckling, I lift my gaze to him. “Do you want to watch Supernatural?”

  “Only if you do,” he says in a serious voice.

  “I’m okay with watching Sam and Dean. They’re the best. And Dean isn’t so bad looking either.”

  I’m totally fucking with him, but I think he takes me seriously. His eyes widen, and I bite my bottom lip to stop myself from smiling. “Do you have a crush on Dean Winchester?”

  “Well I mean look at him. He’s sex on a stick.”

  His eyes narrow as he gazes into my eyes, and it takes him a moment to respond. “I’m just goin’ to pretend you didn’t say that so I can enjoy the show. Because you’ll totally ruin it if you tell me you love Dean Winchester.”

  Letting my arm rest on his stomach, I ask, “Are you jealous of a celebrity?”

  “What? No,” he scoffs too quickly. “I mean why would I be? I’m way hotter than Dean Winchester.”

  “You keep telling yourself that.” Looking away when he pulls me in tighter, I let out a sigh loving how his arm feels around me. I feel safe, warm, and yet again Caden shows me he there is so much more to learn about him.

  Caden hits play and shifts down to get more comfortable. As the show plays on, Caden’s hand never once stops rubbing up and down my shoulder. My skin prickles at the soft touch, and the longer he continues to lightly touch me, the more my heart pounds in my chest. I can’t even focus on the show with him being so close, and my face warms feeling the desire start to flow through me. What is it about him that makes me go crazy with need? He’s hardly doing anything, and I feel as if the room just spiked ten degrees. Trying to ignore his touch and how I’m reacting, I move a pillow between my legs to try and put out the slow building fire he’s created. But when that doesn’t seem to help, I begin to fidget. Huffing out a loud sigh, I jerk the pillow out from between my legs and toss it on the floor. I’m not comfortable, and it’s all Caden’s fault. All I can think about is how close he is, and how much I like him touching me. Then I begin to think about how he made me feel a few days ago in the kitchen when Cason rudely interrupted us.

  Feeling Caden’s eyes on me, I turn to him. He’s grinning widely, and I’m sure he’s just loving this. “You okay there, small fry?”

  I give him a pointed look because he knows what he’s doing. “I’m fine,” I snap with more crass than intended.

  He raises an eyebrow then smirks. “Someone is cranky.” My breath catches in my throat when he reaches over to caress my cheek. Leaning in, my gaze never leaves his lips as he stops inches from mine. Just kiss me already. “Want to mess around?”

  Letting out a small laugh, I ask, “What’s that? Southern slang for want to have sex?”

  Caden moves his hand down to my neck as he huskily says, “It is. So what’s it goin’ to be, small fry?” I don’t even let myself think about if this is such a good or idea or not. Closing the small distance between us, I place my lips on his and wrap my arm around his waist. Caden quickly responds by deepening the kiss, and I already feel desire flowing through me. It’s worse than ever as his grip on the back of my neck tightens. Everything about him sets me on fire, and I’ve never wanted someone so much before. How can he do that? How is it he’s the only man to make me experience something so intense? Before I know what’s happening, I’m on my back, and Caden is hovering over me. “I take that as a yes to messin’ around,” he says with a playful tone in his voice.

  “Shut up and kiss me, Caden.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  And boy does he kiss me. Jesus, this man knows exactly what he’s doing. His tongue intertwines with mine, and I let out a moan as his taste fills my senses. Running a hand under his shirt, I pull him closer. Even though it’s physically impossible for him to be any closer, I still try anyway. Spreading my legs wider to accommodate him, I run my other hand through his hair. My hips rotate when he starts to kiss his way down to my neck, and my eyes close as he presses his hips into me hitting my sweet spot. Wrapping a leg around his waist, I keep moving my hips loving the feel of his hard cock against me. I need more than just this dry humping shit he’s doing. “Caden, please.”

  Hissing in a breath when he nips at my earlobe, he whispers, “What do you want, Savannah?”

  “You. I just want you.” Can’t he tell how much I need him? I’m about to burst into flames if he doesn’t do something to relieve this ache and hunger that’s growing.

  He kisses me hard as his hips grind into mine, and I use my nails to keep him there. He lets me up for air, and all I can hear for a moment is my breath coming out in pants. Opening my eyes as his fingers lightly trace down my cheek, his blue eyes gaze into mine. Swallowing at seeing his pupils dilate and how his breath catches, my stomach clenches with need. “Are you sure about this? I know you’ve been through a lot today, and I’ll stop right this second if you’re not okay with this.”

  Frowning, I cup his cheek as I honestly say, “If you stop right now, I might kill you.” He grins widely then takes my mouth again. This time it’s not sweet or gentle. Caden kisses me like he needs me to breathe and with so much passion. A wave of lust rushes through my veins as one of his hands moves down to one of my breasts and cups it with the palm of his hand. Arching my chest, he chuckles at what I assume is my eagerness. I wasn’t joking around when I said if he stopped I might kill him. He’s driving me mad with his teasing. Taking matters into my own hands, I reach down and pull at his shirt. “This has got to go,” I claim as I take it off and throw it to the side. And let it be known that I’ve never once ogled a man like I am now. Holy fuck. Caden is beautiful shirtless, and even though I saw him shirtless once before, it’s as if I’m looking at him for the first time. Not caring if he sees me staring, I take my fill. Using my hand to run down
his abs, his stomach jumps at my touch. He has a light tan, and it compliments his rock hard abs and chest perfectly. Moving my eyes and hands to his arms, I glance up when he visibly flexes. “Did you just do that on purpose?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talkin’ about,” he says sweetly as he leans down to kiss me once more. Running my hands up his back, I relish in the feeling of his warm skin. When he pulls away, I want to protest. I’m enjoying his tender kisses more than I thought. “It’s my turn, small fry.”

  Leaning up as he takes my shirt off, I lay back down as he tosses it on the floor. “You’re prettier than I am,” I say softly.

  Now I’ve never really had insecurities about my body. I know I’m a bit heavy, my boobs are huge, and not to mention I do have belly rolls but even if I did have any insecurities, they would be completely washed away with the way Caden’s eyes roam over me. “You’re fuckin’ stunnin’, Savannah. Never forget that.” I can’t help but believe him. The tone of his voice tells me all I need to know, and I won’t ever question it. His hands run up the middle of my breasts, and I know he can feel how hard my heart is pounding.

  His eyes never leave mine as he does so, and I begin to feel something more than just lust. I’ll admit it scares me. Which is why I lean up once more and take off my bra. Now that Caden is focused on my naked breasts, the desire I have for him hits me with full force and the warm feeling I felt in my heart slowly dissipates. “Are you just going to stare at me or what?”

  “Yeah. I could stare at you all fuckin’ day, small fry.”

  Pushing my chest up when both of his hands caress me gently, I breathe out, “Stare all you want, just not right now.”

  His hands run down to my stomach and stop at my shorts as he asks, “Impatient are we?”