“It’s not that easy to separate them out, Kade.”
“Sure it is.” I cup her face. “You just accept my decision is already made and then think about your own situation. That’s it.”
She rests her head against my shoulder, and I cradle her to me, offering up prayers to every deity known to man. “I tried to escape once,” she whispers, placing her hand on my chest. “I thought I was being careful with my plans, but I didn’t really have a clue.” She looks up at me. “When Jeremy found out, he beat me. Badly. It’s the only time he has been purposely violent toward me. He told me point blank that if I tried anything like that again he would kill me.” Her chest heaves. “If we decide to do this, and we don’t pull it off, he will kill both of us, Kade.”
“I’m well aware of the risks, which is why we will take our time planning every aspect down to the minutest detail.”
“No plan is foolproof.”
“No, but careful planning and determination will go a long way.”
Her eyes penetrate mine, but she doesn’t respond, laying her head back on my shoulder. We stay like that, both absorbed in thought.
After a few minutes, I, reluctantly, slide her off my lap, standing up and pulling a pair of sweats on, loving how her eyes greedily follow my every move. “Look, I’ll go heat the lasagna up and give you some time to think about it. I don’t want to pressure you, Eva, but the thought of sending you back to his house without some type of plan in place makes me nervous. So, take some time, grab another bath or a shower, and then let me know what you’re thinking.”
I’m remarkably calm as I fix dinner and set the table. Perhaps I’m delusional, but I have faith Eva will make the right call.
I’ve just plated up our food when I sense her presence. Looking up, I smile, watching her watching me.
“You’re very domesticated,” she says, sauntering toward me fully dressed. “It’s a huge turn-on.”
Holding out a chair for her, I laugh. “Wow. You’re easily pleased.”
She pecks my lips briefly before sitting down. “I am. The simple things mean the most to me.” She reaches up, holding onto my waist. “You taking care of me today, in all the ways you have, means more to me than anything you could ever buy me.”
I lean down, kissing her mouth upside down. “I want to look after you every day for the rest of our lives.”
Tears spill out of her cheeks. “God, Kaden.”
I crouch down in front of her. “What, my love.”
She sniffles, and tears cascade down her cheeks. “You’re too good to be true.” She attempts to laugh, but it comes out as a half-laugh, half-cry.
“I just love you.” I shrug before sitting down in the chair beside her. “And I’m far from perfect.” She arches a brow, and I grin. “Underneath this exterior is a slob waiting to burst free,” I joke, encouraging her to eat. “You haven’t seen this apartment when I haven’t cleaned it for weeks or when I’m too lazy to do laundry and I’m picking through the pile of dirty clothes on my bedroom floor for something to wear. I leave the toilet seat up all the time, I’m moodier than a girl with PMS a hell of a lot, I’m stubborn, I’ve had several instances of road rage, I get a bad dose of verbal diarrhea when I’m smashed, and—”
“Oh my God, enough!” She laughingly covers my mouth. “None of those things bother me. Like, at all. You could tell me you’re a cross-dressing leather-pant-wearing alien in disguise, and I’d still love you. Still think you’re perfect.”
I lean in and kiss her. “Then it’s official.”
She frowns a little. “What is?”
“Either we’re both rocking a one-way ticket to Insanityville or we’re in love.”
Her expression turns whimsical again. She puts her knife and fork down and takes my hands in hers. A host of different emotions flickers across her face. “We both know the only crazy we are is crazy in love.”
I lift our conjoined hands, kissing the back of her hand.
She draws an exaggerated breath. “And I’ve thought about it. Your proposal. And my answer is … yes.”
I blink several times, staring at her in shock, wondering if my ears heard correctly. “Yes?”
“Yes,” she says, more resolute this time. “Yes, I’ll run away with you.” Her eyes shine with potent emotion. “Yes to forever with you.”
I’m out of my seat before I’ve even processed the movement, sweeping her up into my arms. I press a fierce kiss to her temple while hugging the shit out of her. “You won’t regret this, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe.” I feel like fist pumping the air. I can’t believe she agreed. That we’re doing this. That we’ll finally be together.
She eases back a little. “I know you will. I trust you.” She plants her hands on my chest, right over the spot where my heart is somersaulting in my chest. “I trust you completely.”
I drag her back into her chair when her stomach emits a loud grumble of protest. “You need to eat,” I command, “and then I’ll run through what I have planned.”
We’re sitting on stools at the island unit in the kitchen going over everything I purchased today. Eva is staring at me like I hung the moon or something. “You should see the look on your face,” I say, tweaking her nose.
“How did you do all this all ready?” Shock resonates in her tone.
“Well, I was pretty confident you were going to say yes,” I lie. I hoped she’d say yes but I was skeptical. However, that didn’t stop me from checking out a few things and starting to make plans. The rest of the stuff I purchased today.
I hand her the Prada bag with the wig and the new clothes I bought before sliding the set of keys to her. “So, it’s agreed. You’ll come here every day after work ends. I’ve parked your new car in the parking spot I purchased on campus. It’s only a three-minute walk from the rear entrance of your building and once you’re wearing the wig and dressed in different clothes, no one should notice it’s you. And if your husband has someone checking, they’ll still see your car parked out front and assume you’re working late.”
A nervous breath escapes her mouth. “How long do you think it’ll take to set up everything else?”
I rub soothing circles on the back of her hand. “A few weeks, most likely. I don’t want to rush and mess up. I’ve already connected with the guy who’ll produce our fake IDs, and I’m in the process of setting up several offshore accounts in different names.”
“It’s like I’ve wandered onto the set of James Bond or Jason Bourne,” she jokes, but it’s not far off the mark. It’s such a pity I can’t confide in Kev, because he’d know some shortcuts, but he’s the last person who’d help me with this.
“It won’t always be like this.” I try to reassure her, even if I’m not sure it’s the full truth. We’re going to have to move around a lot, and I’m guessing we’ll always be watching our backs, which will take some adjustment.
“I don’t care if it is.” She squeezes my hand. “Once we’re together, we can handle anything that comes our way.”
Chapter Nineteen
Present Day
Evelina
Jeremy hasn’t darkened my door since last weekend, and I couldn’t be more grateful for small mercies. In fact, he hasn’t been home much at all, and we’ve barely spoken in days. If he’s assigned a bodyguard to watch over me, he’s being extremely circumspect; still, I’m hugely self-conscious as I leave my office in disguise on Thursday night to travel the short distance to Kaden’s place. Keeping my head down, I hurry to the secondhand Audi A1 hatchback Kaden bought me, quickly unlocking the car and getting in. I smile to myself as I think of all the covert ways he’s trying to protect me. If I didn’t know better, I’d almost say he’s enjoying himself, but I know he’s not. I know he’d much rather we didn’t have to do this.
But the decision is made, and I’m not dwelling on it anymor
e.
It’s like Kaden said—we’ve both independently made up our minds to do this, and there’s no looking back. I’ve been surprised at how guilt-free and regret-free I’ve been this past week. It’s like a considerable portion of stress evaporated when I made this decision.
Now I’m chomping at the bit to escape.
“Honey, I’m home,” I joke as I enter Kade’s apartment fifteen minutes later, yanking the short blonde wig off my head and tossing it on the table in the hall. Kade is on top of me in a flash, like every other day, and his obvious happiness in my presence never fails to delight me.
He reels me into his arms, capturing my mouth in an urgent kiss. “Missed you,” he murmurs, nibbling at my lips. “Missed you so much.”
My husband has never shown me such blatant affection, and I bask in Kaden’s adoration, reveling in the glow of his love. The kiss quickly transforms, moving from urgent to frantic in a split second. My hands slide under his shirt, my greedy fingers trekking all over his delectable body. Kaden’s time at the gym has sown benefits I’m more than happy to reap. A low groan rips from the back of his throat as he lifts me up, and my legs automatically go around his waist. Sweeping the contents of the table onto the floor in one expert brush of his hand, he plants my butt on the cold marble, sliding a hand up the inside of my thigh. I kick my shoes off, and they drop to the ground with a noisy clang.
My fingers fumble with the buttons on his shirt in my hurry to get the damn thing off him. Yanking his lips from mine, he effortlessly pulls it up over his head, flinging it aside. I suck one finger into my mouth, curling my tongue slowly up and down my flesh as I eyeball him with wicked intent. He curses, moving his hand to cup me down below, and I jerk on the table as liquid lust dances over my skin.
Still sucking my finger, I reach out with my other hand, popping the button on his jeans. Using my knees and feet, I shove the denim down his legs, desperate to get at him. His erection is poking out the front of his tight black boxer briefs, making my mouth water and my core ache painfully.
Cool air washes over my heated flesh as he pushes my dress up to my waist, tugging my nylons and panties down in one fluid move. I grab him to me, wrapping my legs around his body and pulling his lips to mine. My tongue explores his mouth, welcoming the fresh, minty taste and the expert way his tongue tangles with mine. Kaden kisses like a starving man, greedy and extreme, taking everything but savoring it wholly at the same time. My hands roam his body, slipping into the back of his boxers as I grab hold of his firm ass. He laughs and a growl gurgles from my throat. “I love your ass,” I admit in a husky tone, licking a line up the side of his neck while squeezing his butt cheeks and closing my eyes in sheer bliss.
“I love your ass, too,” he replies, thrusting two fingers inside me. “But I love your tits more, or maybe your pussy because it’s always so fucking wet for me.” I cry out at the welcome intrusion, riding his hand in unashamed abandon. “Hot damn. I’ve changed my mind. I love the way you react to my touch; I fucking love it.” He holds the nape of my neck with his other hand, crashing his mouth down on mine. We’re devouring one another, and his hand is doing wonderful things to my body, but it’s not enough.
I yank his boxers down, and he chuckles against my mouth. “Impatient much, baby?”
“Shut up and fuck me,” I rasp, taking hold of his hard, hot length and stroking it fast.
Kade lets loose a volley of expletives, dropping to his knees, grabbing his jeans, and pulling a condom out of his wallet.
The instant he thrusts inside me, my muscles equally tense and relax. I’ve never felt so comfortable with any man, and a deep sense of contentment floods every cell, every nook and cranny of my body whenever I’m connected with Kaden like this. But my body demands more, tightening around his rock-hard length as he pushes in and out of me, twisting his hips in a way that ensures I feel every part of him as he worships me. I lock my legs more firmly around his waist, squeezing his butt cheeks and grinding my hips against his, increasing the friction and heightening all my senses. The table slams into the wall, and I briefly wonder if it might break, but all rational thought flees my mind as a series of heavenly tremors rip through my body, electrifying every part of me. He moves faster and faster, and momentum is building and building inside me until I shatter, explosively, powerfully, the orgasm whipping through me like lightning. I scream his name, over and over, holding him against me as his own release comes, his body shuddering and shaking as I press tiny kisses to his chest.
We stay locked in position, holding one another, while our heart rates return to normal and our breathing settles down.
“You sure know how to make a greeting memorable,” I tease, sliding my hands up around his neck.
“We aim to please.” He smirks, tenderly smoothing my dress back into place as he bends over to pick up my underwear.
“We?” I lift a brow, hopping off the table and leaning against the wall as I pull my panties and nylons back on.
“My cock and I,” he smoothly replies, and I burst out laughing.
He moves in front of me, palming my face. “God, I love that sound. My new mission in life is to make you laugh like that each day.”
My heart melts all over again. How can one man always know the right things to say? “My new mission is to make you happy each day.”
Buttoning his jeans, he smiles at me. “Well, that’s easy. All I need is to wake up with you by my side, and I’m the happiest man on the planet.”
I stretch up and kiss him. “Have I told you how much I love you?”
His grin turns proud. “Maybe a time or two.”
“Well, I haven’t told you enough. I love you. I love you. I love you.” I kiss him again. “I love you more than anything in this world.”
“More than prawn chili masala?”
I pretend to consider it, laughing as he mock-scowls. “Definitely more than prawn masala.”
“I take it back,” I tell him an hour later, groaning as I rub my sore ribs. I’m lying flat on my back on the mats Kade laid out on the living room floor, silently kicking myself for my lack of finesse when it comes to self-defense. Kade’s insistent that I continue my training, and I know it makes sense, but I suck badly at it. The problem is, I’m too distracted by all the sweaty, glistening male skin on display, and I react a split second too late. Every. Damn. Time.
“Take what back?” he asks, extending his hand to help me up.
“My professions of love,” I say, teasingly. “You’re a hard taskmaster.”
“It’s in your best interests, and I might not worry as much if I know you’re able to defend yourself.”
I want to argue that I’m not completely defenseless, but when you consider the people we’re up against, it’s a weak argument, so I just nod, picking myself back up and starting all over again.
“Make sure to get here as early as you can tomorrow,” Kade says, as we stand just inside his door, attempting to pry ourselves from one another. “They said it’d take a few hours to get all the shots they need, and I’m still hoping we can squeeze in some alone time.”
Kade has arranged for some people to come here tomorrow to take whatever photos are needed for our fake IDs.
“I’ll be here. Don’t worry.” I squeeze him tight before reluctantly shucking out of his arms.
“And you have that untraceable cell I gave you?” he asks, as he does every night.
“Yes, babe. I have it hidden in my room, and I’ll use it if I need to.” I stretch up on my tiptoes and he meets me halfway, ravishing my mouth in a brutal kiss, one laced with passion and fear and a million other things we’re both feeling.
He presses his forehead to mine. “Parting is such sweet sorrow,” he murmurs in that deep, seductive voice of his.
“And … he quotes Shakespeare.” I press a hand over my chest. “Be still my beating heart.” I caress his
cheek. “And you say you’re not perfect.” I shake my head, smiling and touching his face again.
His lips curve up at one corner. “I’m not sure I said it quite like that, more like I’m not perfect all the time.”
I dart in and peck his lips one last time. “Good to see you still have a healthy ego.”
He shrugs. “You call it ego. I call it confidence.”
“Well,” I say, glancing in the mirror and tucking a few wisps of stray dark hair under the blonde wig. “Whatever the label, it’s good to hear. We’re going to need to cling to that sentiment in the weeks and months ahead.” I turn to face him, putting my hands on my hips and pouting. “How do I look?”
“Like a blonde bombshell.” His eyes darken as he drinks me in. “And now I’m hard as a rock again.” He sighs.
I run my hand up his arm. “It won’t be like this for much longer.”
He hugs me one final time. “I know, and it’s the only thing that’s keeping me sane.”
I’m on edge the next morning when I find Jeremy waiting for me in the kitchen. I eye him warily as I fix my usual coffee, fruit, and a bagel. He doesn’t speak, but I feel his eyes following me around the kitchen, making me incredibly uncomfortable. When I’m seated with my breakfast, he clears his throat, eventually saying what he waited to say. “We’re going to the Carlisles’ for dinner tonight. Be ready to leave by seven.”
My heart sinks as I numbly nod.
“Wear the red dress—the short one—and put your hair up.”
My heart plummets to my toes. Although the bruising has faded around my neck, marks are still clearly visible, and by the way he’s currently staring at me, he knows it too. All the tiny hairs lift on the back of my neck, and I’m wondering what’s going through Jeremy’s mind these days. He’s acting weird and it’s in no way reassuring.
Seducing Kaden (The Kennedy Boys Book 6) Page 17
