He looks around, nonchalantly, and says he can’t. Why is it I detect their presence, and he doesn’t? When we’re both in the truck, I ask him, “Do you believe me or do you think I’m crazy or hallucinating?”
“No, I believe you. There was evidence of those footprints in the snow. Remember?”
“Yeah, but I don’t understand why you can’t see them.”
Kade grabs my hand and asks, “Tell me where one is now, but don’t be obvious about it.”
“Okay. The tree at one o’clock.”
Kade looks and asks, “What is he wearing?”
“He blends in with the surroundings. Shifting as though he’s part of it. Like some super special camo.”
He focuses on the tree for a bit and says, “Ok, I saw something, but not anything I could really put my finger on. More like a blur.”
“Damn. I swear this makes me feel like I’m going nuts!” I am exasperated.
“Stop. I saw the footprints.” He grabs my hands and says, “I believe you, Juliette. I do.”
I am somewhat relieved to hear those words. It eases my insecurity over this whole thing. But I still don’t understand why I can see them and he doesn’t. What is it about me that makes it so?
“Juliette, I know you don’t believe this, or don’t want to hear this, but I can’t help think that they’re out there to protect you. Why else would they still be following you? If they meant to harm you, they would’ve done it by now.”
The logical part of my brain agrees. It’s the other half I have issues with. It just doesn’t sit well having them around me, watching my every step.
“They give me the creeps, whoever they are. I want to see them. If they’re there to protect me, why don’t they show themselves?”
We’re both quiet as Kade drives. Neither of us has answers to my question. It unsettles me. Who are these strangers? What do they want from me? Does it have to do with this necklace or is it information they may think I have?
Kade’s hand on my knee makes me jump out of my skin.
“Hey, calm down. Don’t let all this spoil your day. You get to take Ethel for a couple of days and you two will have a blast together. You know how much you enjoy her.”
“I know.” I force a smile. All this talk and seeing those stupid shadows has put me in a downer of a mood. Not only that, it has me edgy as all hell.
We pull into Kade’s driveway and I immediately bob my head, my eyes darting around, checking everything out to see if they’re there. And they are. How do they move so fast? Unless there are more than one or two—an entire team of them, perhaps?
“Kade, they’re here, too.” Irritation takes over and I yell out, “Who are you people and why do you keep following me? What do you want?” Silence is my reply, as I expected.
Kade throws an arm around my shoulder and hugs me close to his side. “Come on. Let’s go see your puppy.”
“She’s our puppy, I think.”
When Ethel sees me, she scratches the crate door and whines. Her tail wags so much I laugh. Her entire butt wiggles. “Get out here, fluff ball.” I open the door and pick her up. My face is cleansed by puppy tongue, from forehead to neck, and it makes me laugh. Her puppy breath smells like coffee and gives me warm fuzzies. What is it about puppies? They love unconditionally and are so happy to see you every time; I can’t help but glow inside.
“There’s that smile I’ve missed,” Kade says. He stands in front of us and hugs us. “I like the three of us together. I’ve missed this.”
“Me too.” And it’s the truth. This coziness here is something that’s been lacking in my life.
“I’m going to take her out back for a minute so she doesn’t wet on me.”
“Good idea. You hungry?”
“Starved.”
“I’ll fix us something to eat then.”
When I get Ethel outside, I take her to the spot under the eaves. The snow is still way too deep to take her in the yard. I wonder how long it will take to melt. With this much, who knows? Could be weeks. I look across the yard and I notice one of them again.
I finally say, “Look, I know you’re there. Would you just come out and show yourself? It’s ridiculous to hide when I can see you.” Again, nothing happens. I decide I’m going to keep at this. Maybe they’ll give it up and introduce themselves one day. The thought makes me laugh as I walk inside with the pup.
“What are you laughing at?”
I explain to Kade and he shakes his head.
“Do you think I’m weird?”
“Yeah. How can I not? But I’m fucked up as hell, so it’s fate. Haven’t you figured that out yet? Think about it. How many guys would pursue a nun?”
I laugh. “I’m not a nun.”
“Oh, come on, Juliette. You live in a fucking convent. You’re the next best thing to a nun. Just answer my question.”
“You do have a point.”
“A damn good one.”
“Okay, I concede. You are fucked up to chase after a nun. What the heck is wrong with you?”
“You are. I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re the only person I’ve ever had an interest in since I’ve come back to life. And if you ask me why, I’ll have to give you more than one reason.”
“I’m listening.”
This is an unexpected conversation. Curiosity has me wondering where it will lead. I hope he doesn’t bring up the L word. I’m so not ready for that.
“You’ll get a rise out of this one, but honesty. I know you lied about some things, but not the guts of the matter. You withheld the real truth because you had to, not because you wanted to. The rest of the stuff, well I sensed deep honesty inside of you. You’re not like other women I’ve met. And don’t take this the wrong way, because I don’t care about this. But all they see is a pretty face. And it annoys the hell out of me. Out of everything I’ve been through, the last thing I care about is the shallowness of my exterior. I want someone to care about what’s in here.” He bangs his hand against his chest. “And what’s in my head. You get me, Juliette.”
My heart pounds with each of his words. He’s wearing a navy blue sweater that stretches across the expanse of his chest. I place my hand over his heart.
“I love what’s in your heart, Kade. It’s so pure.”
His hand covers mine. “Juliette. I’m anything but pure. If you only knew how I lived, where I lived for years, you wouldn’t say that.”
“That doesn’t change what’s inside of you, Kade.”
“You see things others don’t.”
“No, I think they do. You are still that man who doesn’t believe in himself. And you should. You are so humble and giving of yourself. You have all these fine things around you, but I get the impression you don’t care about materialistic things. And maybe it’s because you’ve learned to live without. You’ve lost the most important things and know that cars, or clothes, or jewelry aren’t what counts in life.”
It strikes me then that Kade is so wrapped up in looking at others he’s missing the whole picture. He doesn’t have even a tiny glimpse of himself.
“You don’t have any idea of what you do for others, do you?” I ask.
“I do … somewhat. But when you’ve been beaten down your whole life, it’s hard to believe you’re not that person.”
“You’re not. At all. Not even close.”
“Annnnnnd, one more thing I like about you.” A million dollar smile lights up his face. My bones soften, then turn to butter. And he does have a pretty face. No, not pretty. Much better than pretty.
“Don’t look at me like that or I’m going to have to rip your clothes off,” he says.
“Only mine?”
His ice blues heat up and so does something else. My sex. I squeeze my thighs together, and stop the moan that is dying to escape from me. Hot heavens. This man has way too much power over my body. My nipples threaten to bust right through my bra. I turn to melted goo around him. Is he some kind of sexual genie that escaped
from his bottle?
Hands on the waist of my pants have me dissolving into a puddle of pure lust. He’s not the only one who gets to do this. I grab the button on his jeans and tug, then yank the zipper down. Holy shit, he’s not wearing his boxers today. And he’s shaved down there. Oh, Jesus! Come into this house and help me so I don’t make a fool out of myself. Is it sacrilegious that I just called upon Jesus to help me now? Oh my God, what am I doing? Forgive me, Jesus. I didn’t mean to do that, but I’m helpless here. Pushing Kade’s hands off of me, I drop to my knees and savagely tear his pants down his legs, letting them stay at his ankles.
“Juliette …”
“Shut up, Kade.”
I’m now eye level with all his glory and what I didn’t notice before, because it was covered by his hair, is he has a magnificent tattoo right above, well, his dick. And it’s beautiful. It’s three K’s, a trident, and a series of musical notes, all intertwined. It’s not large, but I have this inexpressible urge to lick it. So I do. Followed by some serious sucking. Then I move to his dick. Where I treat it like the tastiest Popsicle I’ve ever had the pleasure of enjoying. And I believe it is.
“Juliette, I promise you I won’t last. I want to be inside of you. Please.” His husky voice spurs me on, but I stop when his thighs tense. Oh my, he is so sexy. I nuzzle him, with his musky scent. It’s so sensual; I’m growing wetter by the minute.
Strong arms pull me to my feet. He’s so much taller than I am that I have to tilt my head back to look into his eyes. They’ve turned a deeper shade of blue, not his normal icy hue. His lips part and I want to taste the cavern of his mouth. Before I can raise myself up to do so, he starts to undress me. Sweater, shirt, bra, and now I stand in my boots and pants only. His head flicks twice at my feet. I get the idea. Bending down, I remove my boots, and then my pants. Now I stand in my old fashioned panties. Sister Helena would never have allowed bikinis or, God forbid, thongs, so I’m wearing cotton briefs. I am mortified. How can I not be? But I stiffen my spine and stand as tall as I can, my chin lifted. I won’t act like some shrinking creature because of a flimsy pair of underwear. His next words make me forget all about my stupid panties anyway.
“Your skin—it’s smooth as butter. I want to taste every tiny bit of you.” One perfectly shaped finger reaches out and touches my throat, and then runs down all the way to my panty line. The room turns into a vacuum. All the air has disappeared. Either that or my lungs have left my body. He takes my hands and puts them around his neck. Then he lifts me up and instructs me to wrap my legs around him. Who am I to ignore him? When I’m settled in, he walks us up the stairs and doesn’t stop until we get to his room.
“Kade, I can’t stay long.”
“I don’t take long, remember? And as I recall, neither do you.” His voice causes me to shiver with need.
Bending over, he lays me on the bed and as he straightens, he slips my awful panties off. I can’t help but make a comment about them. “Aren’t those things the sexiest you’ve ever seen?”
“Jules, you could be wrapped in a brown sack and it would look sexy to me.”
“Yep, butter.”
“Huh?”
“You said I was like butter? I am, but not how you think. I’m like butter in your hands because you’ve just made me melt.”
He gets a glint in his eye and says, “Just wait.”
And he kisses me. It’s not a perfectly synced kiss, timed and well thought out, like you read about in those romance novels. No, this kiss is all out fire and explosions. Because we’re both sort of clumsy, still learning each other, finding our way around each other’s mouths and bodies. But that’s what makes it perfection. The way he takes in my tongue, my lips; the way he sucks and licks them and the way our noses and teeth collide and we laugh a little. But the best part of all is what his kiss does to me. My senses heighten as they fill with his essence. He’s a mixture of sandalwood, balsam, and the musky aroma of a man. I want to guzzle him down.
He stops the kiss abruptly and says, “I want you. Now, Juliette. Is that okay?”
A giggle that sounds like a bubble spurting out of me pops out before I can stop it. “Yes. It’s good. Great.” I hold his face, still smiling.
“Are you making fun of me?”
“No! I would never ever do that. I laughed because I’m dying for you, Kade. Touch me and you’ll see.”
He slides a finger around my sex and I’m so wet, he doesn’t even have to push it inside to tell. Now it’s his turn to laugh.
“I think I’ve been this way since I saw you in church.”
Then his brow arches and says something that makes my cheeks heat. “You filthy, dirty little nun.” And he kisses me again. When he pulls away, I protest.
“Hang on a second. I’m getting a condom.” He reaches in the nightstand and grabs a little packet.
“You got some!”
“Yeah, I thought it would be a smart idea, just in case.”
“Good thinking,” I agree. “Can I do the honors?”
“You want to?” He’s surprised I asked.
“Yes, I do.”
He hands me the packet and lies back, arms spread wide. Gah, I could go into attack mode, but first things first. I tear into the packet and take the thing out. It’s been years, so I’ve forgotten how icky they feel—slimy-ish almost. I examine the thing to make sure I have it the right way and then I put it on, and roll it down his length.
“All good?”
“Yeah,” he rasps. He climbs over me and says, “You said you’ve been dying for me, Jules? Well, I have hand fucked myself more times than I care to tell you, because all I can think about is you—naked on top of me, underneath me, my mouth on you, eating you, tasting your sweet-saltiness. And the more I think about you, the more I need to be inside of you. Now I’m going to fuck you until you either scream my name or tell me to stop.”
Oh shit. Does he always say such sexy things? My heart flaps like the wings of a hummingbird and everything heats up at least ten degrees. I’m an inferno. Muscles tighten, inside and out, and I’ve never needed anything more than this man.
“Jules? You with me here?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here.” My index finger touches his lips for a second. “I … feel right here.”
He rests on his elbow so I can take his hand. I place it over my heart and ask, “Do you feel that? You do that to me.”
He moves his hand and places a kiss where it rested, lifts himself over me, and then he pushes inside of me, slowly, just a bit at a time.
“More. I want more.”
One hand laces fingers with mine and he raises it over my head. His mouth catches mine and when it does, he seats himself all the way. He swallows my moan and begins to thrust. I match him, pushing my hips against his. I try to grab the rhythm, but I’m lost—lost in lust and feelings and everything that’s Kade.
My hand is freed and he takes my thigh and raises it up, pushing it higher. Oh, lord, he hits a place deep inside of me, that is … “Yes, right there, Kade. That’s so …” And I can’t say any more because his thrust is so strong I lose my air.
Then he pulls out and I whimper in protest.
“I want to try something different. Okay?”
“Okay.” I sound like a runner.
Moving behind me, with us both on our sides, he slips inside of me and my body chants for more. It’s a strange thing because now we both pick up a cadence. Well, that’s not quite true. Kade sets it up, and I meet each thrust, my hips connect with his, as he drives into me with an almost punishing tempo. It reminds me of how he sometimes plays his music—relentlessly unforgiving, losing himself as he thrums his fingers across the keys. Now those very same fingers sink into the flesh of my hips, bruising me as he buries himself in me. I’m filled with a greedy appetite—I want more of him. As much as he’ll give. And I don’t want this to ever end.
“More, Kade. Give me more.”
He groans, from somewhere deep in his chest, and I
get this urge to see him. I hate that I’m facing away from him. But then his arm wraps around me and lifts my thigh, opening me to him.
“Touch yourself, Jules. Put your hand on your clit and rub it for me.” His hand rubs my ass and I don’t know if I should be shocked or not. I put my hand on myself and he covers it with his. “Show me how you like it.”
I start to move my fingers, circling my clit, with his hand on top of mine. After a moment, he brushes my hand aside and says, “Spread your lips apart for me. I want to do it.”
Oh God! “I’m going to come.”
He kisses my neck. “Isn’t that the idea?”
So I do it and I’m so lost I can’t stay that way for long. I get wrapped up in an epic storm of an orgasm. It hits me from my toes to my nose, setting off every nerve ending and cell in my being. My arm flies back around his neck and I can tell he’s getting ready to come, too. His body stiffens and then he yells my name. His dick pulses against my inner muscles as his hand continues to circle my clit.
“Kade!” I’m too sensitive now. He needs to stop. But he doesn’t, so I grab his hand.
“No. I want more.”
“More? More of what?”
“This.”
He pulls out, lies on his back, and pulls me over his mouth. Lord have mercy, what is this man doing to me? I’ll tell you what he’s doing to me. He’s turning me into a voracious sex addict. His tongue turns tricks on me I never knew existed.
“How … what are you doing down there?”
All I can feel is warm, wet, pleasure. He presses his tongue hard against my clit and flicks it back and forth over and over and over, so fast I come apart, like I did only a few minutes or so ago. Then I flop forward like a lifeless rag doll.
Kade lifts me like I’m weightless and lays me on top of him. Next thing I know he’s kissing me like he never kissed me before.
“To answer you, I was licking your clit,” he laughs.
The Fall and Rise of Kade Hart: A Hart Brothers Novel Page 17
