“Thanks, man. I owe you.”
I’m limbering up, doing a few stretches, when Eva walks out onto the floor. She looks even tinier than normal in her sneakers. She’s wearing black yoga pants that mold to her envious curves and a black-and-white sports tank top that hugs her rack to perfection. Her hair is slicked back into a high ponytail, and she isn’t wearing a lick of makeup, but she’s still the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen. As my dick springs to life in my sweats, I wonder why I thought this would be a good idea. I’ll probably spend the entire session rock hard and struggling to hide that fact.
I straighten up, discreetly adjusting myself in my pants. “Hey, Eva.”
“Hi, Kade.” Her smile is a little shaky, and as she glances around, noting the mostly male members, I sense her nervousness.
“Don’t be nervous.” I rush to reassure her. “These guys won’t pay us any attention. These dudes are hard-core and they have no interest in anyone else. We can do our stuff without prying eyes.”
“Okay.” Her smile is a little brighter.
I frown at the discoloration on her cheek. The gash has scabbed over, but the bruising looks fresh. “Did something else happen?”
Anger flashes briefly at the back of her eyes, and she grits her teeth. “Nope. Can we get started?”
Letting that obvious deflection pass, I nod. “Come this way.” With a one-shouldered shrug, I lead the way over to the side of the room where the padded mats are laid out. “I thought we could start with some stretches and then a couple of basic moves once you’re warmed up.”
“Sounds good.”
We spend ten minutes limbering up, with Eva diligently copying my every move. “You’re very flexible,” I say. “And you mentioned yoga the other night. I assume you go regularly?”
She nods, leaning forward with one knee bent as she stretches her other leg out behind her. “I’ve been going twice a week religiously for years. Helps keep my body and mind in check.”
“My cousin and her friend attend the yoga classes on campus. Is that where you go?”
She shakes her head, straightening up as I do, swinging her arms from side to side and loosening her muscles. “I go to a studio on John F. Kennedy Street with Renee.”
I nod. “Oh, yeah. I know the place. It’s on my walk home.”
“Have you ever attended a class?”
“Nope, although I did consider it. Yoga’s definitely becoming more popular with guys.”
“A lot of professional sports teams have full-time yoga instructors on payroll, and it’s not just about the physical benefits. It’s a total mind-body workout, and I find it super helpful whenever I’m stressed.”
“Maybe I’ll sign up for a class.” My lips tip up at the corners.
“That would be interesting,” she murmurs, fighting a smile of her own. “Do you still play golf?”
“Not as much as I’d like to. My course load is heavy this year, and I’m in the early-stage process of establishing my own online golf business. It’s what I plan to do after I graduate.”
A look of admiration ghosts over her face. “Wow, that’s fantastic, Kaden.” Her radiant smile is doing funny things to my insides. “I’m really proud of you, and I know you’ll make it a great success.”
“Thank you. I hope so.”
“You always had plenty of drive and determination, and I believe that’s half the battle.”
I want to scoop her up into my arms and hug the shit out of her. She has no idea how much her words of encouragement mean, but I’m conscious we’re just standing in the middle of the gym talking, and we’re starting to garner attention.
“Thanks for the compliment, but we should probably focus on why we’re here.” I crick my neck from side to side and cross my arms over my chest. Her eyes follow the movement, and that does wonders for my ego. Smothering another grin, I clear my throat. “I think that warmup will suffice. Let’s get started on the good stuff.” I wink, purposely trying to keep this lighthearted.
“Turn around,” I instruct, and she obliges. I move up behind her, and her body tenses a little. “I’m going to try and grab you from behind, and I just want you to react instinctively.”
I lunge for her, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind and she immediately starts squirming, trying to wriggle out of my grasp, but I tighten my arms and pull her back, and she gives up fighting after a couple of minutes.
I let go and twist her around to face me. “That’s the way a lot of people would react if attacked from behind, and your instincts are good, but you’ll only have a short window to take back control, and being as aggressive as possible is crucial.” She’s watching and listening intently, a serious expression on her face. “We’re going to try the same maneuver again, only this time I want you to drop as low to the ground as you can and wriggle aggressively, trying to get out of my hold.”
She nods and turns back around, and I reach for her again, but she isn’t fast enough, and my arms lock firmly around her, easily restraining her. We try another few times, and I admire Eva’s tenaciousness. She never complains. Never criticizes herself. She just focuses, determined to lower her center of gravity and evade the attack.
On the tenth attempt, she drops instantly to the ground, wriggling as I struggle to hold onto her. “Good! Now reach back with your leg and aim for a groin kick.”
She does as I suggest, but she loses her balance, and I’m bent awkwardly over her, so I lose my balance too, and we tumble to the ground. At the last second, I clasp her hips firmly and twist her around, sliding underneath her to take the brunt of the fall. She lands on top of me as my back flattens to the ground.
Suddenly conscious of how perfectly our bodies are aligned, I tense up, every muscle in my body becoming rigidly stiff.
Especially the muscle in my pants.
Fuck.
There’s no way she’s not feeling the hardness against her lower belly. Her breathing becomes heavy, and she’s gone still and quiet. It’s as if our surroundings have faded away and there’s only the two of us in the room. I’m aware of every exaggerated breath trickling out of those plump lips and how she leans into me, ever so subtly, but it’s there—the desire to get closer. And I’d love to capitalize on that, but we’re not in our own little universe. We’re in a busy gym with too many eyeballs in the vicinity, and we need to get up, but there’s no hiding the massive erection I’m sporting.
“Eva.” My voice is low but ragged. “I need you to get up and grab my bag for me. Okay?”
She clears her throat. “Sure.” Her voice sounds as strained as mine.
Asking her to move kills me. I’d quite happily stay in this position, but I have to do it. The longer we stay pressed against one another without moving, the more attention we’re likely to attract. She stands, and I jump up, turning around in an attempt to hide my monster boner. She hands me the sports bag, and I sling it crossways over one shoulder, strategically covering my groin. I turn to face her, and the depth of emotion on her face almost undoes me.
She coughs, clearing her throat again. “I guess we should call it a night.”
I nod. “Yeah. After you’ve changed, wait for me in the reception area, and I’ll walk you to your car.” I’m expecting her to argue but she doesn’t.
“Okay.”
We walk side by side to the changing rooms, neither of us speaking. Tension lingers in the air, and my fingers twitch with the craving to touch her. The feel of her curves under my hands has reignited my desire for her, and I know I’ll be rubbing one out when I get home.
Or two or ten.
We reach the changing area, and I place my hand on the door to the men’s room. “Kade.” Her soft voice does strange things to my body. I turn around, and a knowing smile graces her mouth. She stretches up on tiptoe, and I meet her halfway, bending down. Pressing her mouth to my ear, she w
hispers, “If it’s any consolation, if I was a guy, I’d have a raging hard-on for you right now.”
I jerk my head back in surprise, and she laughs at the expression on my face.
“I don’t want you to go,” I blurt, grasping this opportunity with both hands. “Let’s order some takeout and go back to my place.”
Her smile falters, and she glances around, making sure no one is paying attention. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Who cares?” I pin her with a penetrating look. “All that matters is whether you want to or not?”
She averts her eyes, sighing as she rubs a hand across her chest. When she lifts her head a few minutes later, I note determination on her face. “Okay. But we go in separate cars, and I’ll be parking a couple of blocks away.”
“Fine. You still have my number?”
“I know your number.”
“Hit me up once you’re parked, and I’ll come get you.”
She gulps, and a look of fear skitters over her face. I’m afraid she’s already going to change her mind, and it’d crush me. “I just want to talk to you, Eva. It’s only dinner and conversation. I’m not expecting anything else.” That’s no word of a lie. It is all I expect. But if you asked me what I want, what I hope and pray and wish for, the answer would be completely different.
A smile ghosts over her lips as she pushes the door to the ladies’ locker room open. Holding the door open, she sends me a seductive grin. “Maybe I am.”
Hot damn.
With those awesome parting words drifting in and out of my ears, she skips into the room, leaving me standing in the corridor like a schmuck with a goofy grin on my face and my jaw hanging open.
Chapter Eleven
Past
Evelina
It’s been two months since the night Kaden and I almost kissed, and I can’t get him out of my head. It’s wrong on so many different levels, but his soul speaks to mine in a way I can’t explain. If we had met in a different lifetime, there’s little doubt we’d be together. We just clicked from the moment we met. He gets me, and I get him, and being with him is as natural as breathing.
The age gap is almost five years between us, and for most that would probably be the biggest turn-off, but it’s the last thing I have an issue with. I hardly ever remember he’s younger than me. Kaden is very mature for his age. He’s had to grow up a lot these last couple of years thanks to all the stuff going on in his family, and it’s clear he’s well-educated and well-read, and we’ve had some interesting conversations. He’s also passionate about enterprise, with a real fire in his belly. He exudes this calm, cool confidence that is extremely attractive. But he doesn’t take himself too seriously either, and I laugh so much in his company. He reminds me what it feels like to be young. I feel like I skipped a whole phase in my life. That my world came to an end at fourteen, and I’ve only just begun living again.
But I had to put a stop to it.
Because there’s no future in it, so why start something?
Try telling that to my foolish, lovesick heart though.
Acting impersonal and professional during our weekly tutoring sessions is slowly killing me inside. Each week, another layer tears off my heart. Very soon, there’ll be nothing left but a bloody pulp in my chest.
Everything about Kaden sucks me in. His voice. His smell. His powerful presence. That deep, intense, hypnotic gaze of his—the one that seems to delve deep into my soul, to drag the truth I’m hiding straight from the very heart of me.
I shake my head, laughing at myself as I finish styling my hair. I sound like a Mills and Boon novel. And it’s unusual for me to indulge that long-forgotten romantic side of me.
“Where did you say you were off to tonight?” Jeremy asks, popping his head into my room unannounced.
I jump at the unexpected intrusion, dropping my makeup bag on the floor. I sink to my knees, hastily grabbing the errant contents and stuffing them back inside. I’m all flustered when I straighten up. “I’m going to that new bar on Garden Street with Renee and a few of my work colleagues. Renee just got tenure so we’re celebrating.”
He casts an approving eye over my conservative black and green dress. With a high collarbone, knee-length hem, and small cap sleeves, it’s a sophisticated style that covers my curves from straying eyes. “You look beautiful, Evie.”
“Thank you.”
He steps into the room, and my heart stutters at the thought of what he might want. We have a pretty solid, unspoken agreement. He visits my bedroom every Friday night, and I put out like a good, dutiful wife. The rest of the time, we are like passing ships in the night, coming and going at different hours. Jeremy is gone a lot. Overseas “business” trips, but unlike most wives, I relish the time apart. I feel a little guilty on occasion for my lack of investment in this marriage until I remember I was forced into it at eighteen, and then any sympathy I have for my husband evaporates. He should know not to expect much when your bride was coerced into marrying you.
Still, I’m savvy enough to know it could be a lot worse.
Jeremy doesn’t demand too much of me—he seems to have accepted the loveless state of our marriage, and he has been reluctantly supportive of my studies and my career.
He pecks me on the cheek. “I’ll send Vincent out with you tonight.”
“That will not be necessary.” I fold my arms in a stern manner. “Please let’s not argue about this again, especially not when we’re both getting ready to go out.”
“Evie. It’s for your own protection.”
“And you’ve been saying that for years, and I’ve gone without a personal bodyguard and I’m perfectly fine. Please, Jeremy. Just trust me. I can handle myself. I’ll be getting a taxi there and back and nothing will happen to me.”
He brushes a lock of my hair over my shoulder. “You’re so stubborn.”
“I like to call it independent.”
He chuckles. “You’ll be the death of me one of these days.”
I wish.
I’m shocked at my own thoughts. Irrespective of how trapped I feel, I could never wish him ill. It was a random selfish thought. One that deserves no more time spent on it.
I won the argument and I’m out sans Vincent. Thank God. He’s a new guy Jeremy hired a couple of months ago, and the way his eyes follow me around the house creeps me out.
“We’re dancing!” Renee decides, grabbing hold of my hand and pulling me out into the middle of the packed dance floor. We left the bar after a couple of hours and headed to a nearby club. I think Renee was shocked I readily agreed to attend, but I missed out on all this when I was in college, and I seize every opportunity that comes my way now. Being married at eighteen and wearing the hated “child prodigy” label made me stick out like a sore thumb when I was a Harvard student. No one wanted to hang around with me, and Jeremy made it clear I would not be falling drunk out of frat houses or socializing with any single males. After the Seth experience, I had no desire to involve anyone else in my fucked-up life, so it was a moot point, but there would’ve been no easy way to explain that to Jeremy. So, I just put up and shut up instead.
Nights like these are precious, so I try and make the most of them. Jeremy’s traveled upstate and he won’t be home till Monday night, so I’m free to do as I please. I’ve no doubt his bodyguards will report the time I arrive home, so I can’t go too crazy, but I can let my hair down without fear of repercussion.
Sometimes it feels like I’m married to my dad.
Renee’s two sheets to the wind already, dancing like a crazy woman in the middle of the dance floor, and all I can do is laugh. “Come on, Eva,” she encourages, shimmying her hips from side to side, her words slurring a little. “Let go! You’ve got the killer curves and the killer dress. All you’re missing are the killer moves.”
She winks, and I laugh again, rotati
ng my hips in time to the music. She throws her hands in the air, whooping and hollering, and a surge of emotion sweeps over me. Pulling Renee into a hug, I press my mouth to her ear. “I’m so proud of you, bestie. And no one deserves it more.”
“Aw. I love you, Eva. And it’ll be your turn soon enough. Everyone knows you’re the most dedicated assistant prof there is.” She squeezes me tight. “It’s you and me against the Harvard dicks, babe.”
I throw back my head, laughing as I let the lure of the music take full control of my body. I rock my hips in time to the beat, flinging my hair over my shoulders and closing my eyes as rhythmic waves crash over me. My moves are fluid, and I’m thankful I changed out of that boring dress the minute I hit the bar, switching it for a short lacy black dress with thin straps that crisscross over my shoulders and halfway down my back. The hem stops mid-thigh, and combined with the seven-inch heels I’m wearing, it makes my legs appear longer and thinner.
Jeremy would stroke out if he saw me dressed like this.
Perhaps it’s the dress, or the sultry music, or the copious cocktails I’ve consumed, but I’m feeling sexy and dangerously reckless, which should be a worrying combination. But I’m too high on the illusion of freedom to care.
“Woo-hoo!” Renee grabs my hand, twirling me around, and I’m laughing so hard I don’t notice him at first.
But it doesn’t take long, because Kaden Kennedy owns every room he steps into, his commanding presence filling the space without even trying. All the tiny hairs lift on the back of my neck as my eyes lock on his. He’s standing at the end of the bar, his gaze fixated on me, and he’s making zero attempt to disguise it.
I wonder how long he’s been watching.
Saliva pools in my mouth, and my panties are instantly soaked as I drink him in. He’s wearing dark denim jeans that emphasize his long legs and a slim-fitting white Henley with the top two buttons undone. The shirt looks like it’s spray-painted on his body, molding to his ripped abs and broad shoulders. His hair is styled back off his face, highlighting his exquisite bone structure and the five o’clock shadow on his chin. Even from here, his captivating blue eyes and masculine jawline draw me in. I’ve never been so physically attracted to any guy before, and it’s hard to deny my feelings when he’s looking at me like he wants to eat me alive.
Seducing Kaden (The Kennedy Boys Book 6) Page 10
