I peeked around the corner every so often to check on Kaiden, but I didn’t even need to. He was beating the shit out of both the guys, successfully deflecting every single punch and kick thrown his way. They were clearly shocked by his fighting ability and must’ve originally assumed they could take him on because it was two against one, and on top of that, they probably hadn’t anticipated running into a champion fighter in a backstreet alley.
Even as I watched Kaiden punching, kicking and hitting these two thugs in the most violent way—a scene that should have frightened and disgusted me—I couldn’t help but be blown away by him. There was just something so wonderful and fascinating about him, even when he was attacking someone, and I knew a guy like him could keep me transfixed forever.
Forever…
The answer to my earlier question about what I was supposed to do was obvious now. It was right in front of me and had been this whole time; I just hadn’t been ready to let the truth in just yet.
Kaiden finally strode towards me, and I stood up, legs trembling. He was covered in blood, but not his own, except for a bleeding nose from where one of the guys had managed to get one hit in. He looked like a damaged hero, and all I wanted to do was fix him up all over again, just like I’d done when I was a little girl. Only this time, he wouldn’t be the scared little boy that he’d been all those years ago. He’d be the one in charge, the one in control. After all, he was the one who’d just saved me.
I rushed towards him, trying to hug him, but he grabbed my hand instead, quickly pulling me away. “Come on,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Let’s get out of here. And don’t worry—they’re not dead, just roughed up. But believe me, I wanted to fucking kill them.”
“Kaiden…thank you,” I said, stopping him for just a moment. There were no words that could describe just how truly grateful I was, but thanking him was a good start.
He shook his head. “Don’t thank me. I’m just glad that you’re okay. I thought…I thought I’d lost you.”
The look in his eyes alone was enough to tell me just how much he cared, as if he’d die if he really lost me tonight, and my stomach flopped around nervously in my belly as I looked back up at him. He didn’t give me a chance to respond before speaking again.
“Let’s get you home,” he said.
My legs were still wobbling like mad, meaning that Kaiden had to tuck his arm under my shoulder just to hold me upright as we walked. He held me gently but confidently, as if he knew exactly what I needed. Somehow, he always seemed to know what I needed, even before I did.
I’d never been so glad to see my apartment when we arrived back at it ten minutes later. I needed to be inside, away from the awful outside world and all the vile human beings that it contained, and as we stepped into the warmth, I started to feel steadier on my feet. With Kaiden looking out for me, no one could get to me.
“I’ll get the first aid kit,” I said, casting my eyes over his nose, which was still dripping small amounts of blood down his face. “Let me clean you up.”
“No, I should really—”
“I want to,” I cut in firmly. “Let me make it up to you.”
This was loaded with meaning, and he seemed to understand because he let me grab the kit with no further arguments.
“You better not be sticking a tampon up my nose to stop the bleeding,” he joked as I headed for him with a wad of tissues and antiseptic wipes a few minutes later.
“Don’t tempt me,” I replied with a grin. His wisecrack had defused some of the tension, but I still felt bad knowing that it was my fault he was bleeding in the first place.
As I wiped up the blood from around his nose, he fixed his eyes on my face, but I wasn’t ready to meet them yet. I felt like I’d fall apart as soon as I did, so I kept my gaze trained on exactly what I was doing. I used to hate what Kaiden’s father did to him when we were kids, but I was always glad that I’d at least been around to help him. This feeling was similar. I wanted to be able to do something nice for the man who meant so much to me, because he’d come after me and defended me, even when I’d accused him of trying to impregnate me for all the wrong reasons. He’d kicked the shit out of those awful guys, and he always seemed to be there when I needed him most. That all had to stand for something, right?
Oh, and there was also the fact that I was head over heels in love with him…
“Okay, all done,” I finally announced, flicking my eyes down towards his, just for a second. “Oh, wait. Looks like there’s a cut on your chest. There’s a little bit of blood leaking through your shirt. These wipes aren’t very big, so let me just grab the bottle of Betadine in case we need it.”
I hadn’t noticed the cut earlier, and apparently, neither had he. He glanced down at the small bloodstain and nodded. “Ah. One of the guys was wearing some sort of chunky ring. The metal must’ve cut me.”
Before I could say anything, he yanked his shirt off, and I almost dropped the bottle of antiseptic I’d just picked up as I tried and failed to avert my eyes. Jeez, was I ever going to get used to seeing this man shirtless?
Apparently not. He was just too damned hot.
“Here, I’ll do this one,” he said, grabbing the bottle of antiseptic and seemingly not noticing the fact that I was practically melting into a puddle at his feet.
He dabbed a bit of the brown liquid onto the cut on his chest and then looked up at me with a smile as he rubbed away the excess with a tissue. “There we go. And you didn’t even have to touch my hideous chest.”
“Thank god for that,” I said jokingly, trying to lighten the awkward tension I was feeling all over again.
He grinned. “Thanks for the help,” he said, melting my heart all over again. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
I’d answered automatically, knowing I wasn’t exactly telling the truth. I was physically unharmed, but I was still quite shaken, and I’d only just noticed that my hands were still trembling. Then again, every inch of me felt like trembling right now, but not because of what happened in the alleyway. It was all because Kaiden was still shirtless in front of me, and my body was screaming out for me to do something about it.
“You must be tired. Why don’t we get you changed and into bed?” Kaiden asked.
“Uh…sure.”
“Actually,” he said, rubbing his chin. “You’re probably still feeling a bit shaken. Why don’t you come and stay in one of my spare rooms tonight? You’ve seen all the security crap at my place. Just figured it might make you feel a bit safer if you’re surrounded by that.”
I nodded. “Yes, I think that would make me feel safer for tonight,” I said quietly. Secretly I was thrilled that he wanted me to stay at his house, considering all the trouble I’d caused tonight. After all, he wouldn’t have taken a hit to the nose and gotten a nasty cut on his chest if it hadn’t been for me and my sheer selfish stupidity.
He smiled and grabbed my keys from the kitchen counter a moment later, and I remembered that he’d driven me home in my own car earlier.
“So that’s the real reason you’re inviting me over,” I said with a smile, already feeling more relaxed. “You just want me to give you a ride home because your car’s there, and otherwise you’re trapped here.”
He grinned and held up his hands in mock defeat. “Oh, you got me. Saw right through my trick. I’ve been using you for your car this whole time!”
We both chuckled and headed out of the apartment before getting into my car, and as we headed onto the on-ramp for the road that would take us in the direction of Kaiden’s house, he glanced over at me from the driver’s seat.
“You know, I’ve actually never had a woman stay over at my house before. You’ll be the first,” he said quietly.
I gave him a disbelieving look. “Really? Wait…let me just look outside and check if pigs are flying around in the sky.”
“Oh, very funny. I’m serious, though. Never had anyone over except you. Well, to stay the night, that is.”
I smiled at him, not quite knowing what to say to that. Clearly, he thought I was special, and it made me feel warm and toasty on the inside but nervous and shaky all over again on the outside.
Once we arrived at his house, he led me up to the third level, and I followed him into the biggest bedroom I’d ever seen in my life, complete with a four-poster bed. Under any other circumstances, I’d have been terribly impressed, but at this moment, I was too beat to truly appreciate my beautiful surroundings. I decided to save being amazed for a later date.
“Here,” Kaiden said after rummaging in a drawer. He threw me an oversized white T-shirt that was perfect for sleeping in. “You can take a shower if you want. Bathroom’s through there.”
“Thanks,” I said, before heading into the bathroom he’d been pointing at.
I turned the shower on, ripped all of my clothes off and tossed them to one side as I waited for the water to heat up sufficiently. After I’d scrubbed myself down in the shower, I dried myself and pulled Kaiden’s T-shirt over my head, and I was glad to see that it hung to my knees, keeping me dignified.
I felt shyer than ever before as I wandered back into the bedroom, even though only my legs and arms were visible in the shirt. Kaiden was still in there—still shirtless, too—and sitting in a chair off to one side, and even though nothing was actually happening, there was no denying the sexual tension between us. It hung so thickly in the air that I could’ve cut it with a knife, and even the rejection at my apartment and the terrifying event in the alleyway hadn’t dulled it. If anything, his heroism had intensified it. I could feel it pooling in the pit of my stomach, encouraging me to let it free.
He paid no obvious attention to my body as I got closer. Instead he stood up and pulled the duvet open for me, inviting me to lie down.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” he asked, voice tinged with concern. He was genuinely worried about my wellbeing, and that almost had me welling up all over again.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak as I climbed under the sheets, and he tucked me in tightly and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on my forehead before taking a step backwards. I all but melted at this romantic gesture. What the hell had I been thinking when I pushed him away earlier? This man was amazing, and I loved him. There was no point in denying that for another second.
By now I was pretty sure that he loved me too.
“Are you warm enough?” he asked, forehead wrinkled with concern.
I nodded at that, but my shivering body gave me away, and instead of piling on more blankets or turning a heater on, Kaiden finally abandoned all pretenses of sweetness and climbed in next to me, pulling me close.
It was exactly what I wanted him to do.
His warm, muscular body felt amazing next to mine, and as he wrapped me into his arms, I felt right at home, as if his embrace was the one place that I was meant to be. It felt comfortable enough that it was like I’d done this with him a million times before, yet exciting enough that it also felt like the first time. I sighed as he squeezed me tighter, and passion sparked within me until I could barely control myself any longer.
Maybe we really were supposed to be together.
Consumed by lust, I turned to face him until our noses were touching, and we gazed into each other’s eyes until it all became too much. Neither of us could hold back for another second now. He finally kissed me for the third time today, and while his lips felt exactly the same as they had earlier, this kiss was different in one major way—this time, I wasn’t going to push him away.
This time, there’d be no stopping us.
Chapter 16
Kaiden
As we kissed, finally allowing all of our feelings the freedom that they needed, I realized that I finally felt whole. All my life I’d been looking for this feeling of being truly accepted and loved, and I’d never managed to find it. Of course my Dad had never given it to me, and fighting had only given me a small amount through adoring fans, but that was all superficial, anyway. I’d thought that I was getting some of it from scoring with loads of chicks, but now I realized that was purely superficial too. My whole life without Riley was shallow and meaningless. I’d never cared about any of those other women, and they hadn’t given a shit about me either. We’d just been a fun way to pass each other’s time.
This was real. This was so much more.
And believe me…fooling around with a woman in bed was much more fun when there was love involved.
I ran my hand up the curve of Riley’s hip, feeling the softness of her gorgeous skin. I still couldn’t quite believe that she was here with me. After all we’d been through, it just seemed crazy. I was glad, though, and I was determined not to screw it up again with any stupid ideas or remarks.
Riley was exploring my body in a much less tentative manner than before, and every brush of her fingers over my chest was making me lose my mind. A dizzy lust began to consume me, and I stopped being able to think straight. My cock was aching like mad, desperate to burst free from my jeans, but I couldn’t allow it to. Not quite yet. I pulled back for just a second, needing to know that she truly wanted this.
“Are you okay?” I asked. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yes,” she replied, tossing her hair backwards and showing me the luscious caramel skin of her throat. Her dark eyes were heady with lust, her puckered lips were swollen from all of the kissing and her bed-head hair was sending me wild. She was the messiest I’d ever seen her, and the absolute hottest too.
“I’m definitely sure,” she added, groping at my chest. Her expression was filled with a fire; a desire that could eat me up at any moment.
Fuck, she was so beautiful. Her face was flushed, and when I slipped my hand under the shirt I’d given her and stroked her bare skin, her eyes smoldered and she pressed into my touch. Her chest rose and fell, breasts straining against the shirt.
I leaned down, and my lips brushed over her neck as she moved her hand from my chest to my stomach, her fingers dipping just under the waistband of my jeans. Burning with lust, I tore my jeans and underwear down in one motion, grinning at the way she gasped when my cock finally bounced free. I was so hard for her that it fucking hurt, and I only got harder as she slipped out of the T-shirt. I slid a condom out of the pocket of my jeans before tossing them aside, and Riley shook her head at me as I tore open the foil wrapper.
“No. Not that,” she said, motioning towards the condom.
“But earlier you said—“
She held up her hand and cut me off. “I was wrong then. I said I wanted a baby out of love…and I think this is it.”
I grinned. “You bet it is. I love you, Riley. Always have, always will.”
With that I pressed myself between her legs, and Riley’s eyes became unfocused with lust. “Do it...now. Please!”
I didn’t even need to hear her say that; I was already beyond ready to fuck her brains out. Pressing my throbbing cock against her slick entrance, I pushed forward. My hands coiled around her curves as I held her tightly, and I drove myself deep inside her as her mouth fell open in a satisfied moan.
The sound of her pleasure was like music to my ears. Her pussy was so tight, so perfect, and the way it squeezed my cock was driving me crazy with need. It was better than any other experience I’d had with anyone else, and right now, I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to be with another woman. Hell, I couldn’t even think of a reason why I’d ever even been with another woman in my life; that was how crazy Riley drove me with her perfect body.
The way she groaned, the way her hips undulated beneath me, and the way her muscles squeezed my cock almost made me want to cum instantly. But I didn’t; I couldn’t. I needed to give her as much pleasure as possible before seeking my own, so I held back.
I leaned down to kiss her again, and as our lips crashed together, I ran my hands all over her body, exploring every inch of her smooth skin. Her hands did the same, roaming over my chest, arms and back, leaving go
ose bumps wherever they touched. Cupping one of her breasts in my hand, I broke away from her mouth and lowered my head to suck on her pebbled nipple before pulling away and simply gazing down at her as I withdrew my cock and thrust back in, over and over.
Her body was utterly phenomenal—curvaceous like an hourglass and soft as silk. She was hotter than I’d ever imagined she would be. I’d pictured her body in my mind’s eye a million times, but I’d never done her justice.
“You’re so beautiful,” I whispered into her ear, before running my lips down her neck. “So fucking beautiful. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she moaned before writhing and crashing over the edge of her climax. “Oh, god…”
“You like that?” I said, slamming into her harder and harder as her legs trembled beneath me.
“Oh…yes!” she cried.
She clung to me tightly for a few more seconds before swinging her body over mine, positioning herself on top. Fuck, yes. I lay back and watched her ride me, loving the way her body moved as she lost herself in passion. After a few glorious moments of this, I sat up, wanting to touch every inch of her body. I pressed my thumb to her clit and gently rubbed, and I allowed her nipple to slip into my mouth, sucking on it as she bounced up and down on my cock. I gently nibbled on her skin, and she let out another long, loud moan, grabbing hold of me tightly. I felt her nails digging into my back and it sent prickles of desire over my skin, shooting down towards my groin.
Fuck, I wanted to cum so badly.
It wasn’t long before her walls started to contract around me, and she was starting to crumble all over again. I watched her face contort in pleasure, amazed at her beauty once more. She was just so fucking perfect, and I couldn’t believe that she was finally here with me. I’d wasted far too much of my life without her, and I wouldn’t waste another second. I wanted to see her fall apart like this every single day.
Bad Boy Brit (A British Bad Boy Romance) Page 36
